Hearing Christ’s Voice – Luke-4

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This morning the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most wonderful message ever conceived, and the most powerful formula ever devised. What do I mean? Well when someone hears and believes God’s Word their life is revolutionized.

What can the Gospel Do?

What can this Gospel do? As you turn back towards Romans 1:16-17, listen to this testimonial of the power unleashed by the Gospel proclaimed by the Book you hold in your hands!

During60 Ravi Zacharias’s ministry in Vietnam in 197I, one of his interpreters who traveled with him was Hien Pham. Within four years Vietnam fell, and Hien’s fate was unknown, until seventeen years later, in 1988.

Shortly after Vietnam fell to the Communists, Hien was arrested. Accused of aiding and abetting the Americans he was in and out of prison for several years. During one long jail term, the sole purpose of his jailers was to indoctrinate him against the West-and especially against democratic ideals and the Christian faith. He was cut off from reading anything in English and restricted to communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese. This daily overdose of the writings of Marx and Engels began to take its toll on him. One of the books he was given to read pictured the communist man as a bird in the ironclad cage of capitalism, throwing itself against the bars of “capitalist oppression” and bloodying itself in the process. Yet still it continued to struggle in its quest for freedom.

 

Hien began to buckle under the onslaught. Maybe, he thought, I have been lied to. Maybe God does not exist. Maybe my whole life bas been governed by lies. Maybe the West has deceived me. The more he thought, the more he moved toward a decision. Finally, he made up his mind. He determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or ever think of his Christian faith again.

 

The next morning, he was assigned to clean the latrines of the prison. It was the most dreaded chore, shunned by everyone, and so with much distress he began the awful task. As he cleaned out a tin can filled to overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what he thought was English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly washed it off and slipped it into his hip pocket, planning to read it at night. Not having seen anything in English for such a long time, he anxiously waited for a free moment. Under his mosquito net that night after his roommates had fallen asleep, he pulled out a small flashlight and shining it on the damp piece of paper he read at the top corner, “Romans, Chapter 8.” Literally trembling with shock, he began to read:

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose….

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us -how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? …

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:28, 3I, 32, 35, 37-39)

 

Hien wept. He knew his Bible, and he had not seen one for so long. Not only that, he knew there was not a more relevant passage of conviction and strength for one on the verge of surrendering to the threat of evil. He cried out to God, asking for forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day in years that he had determined not to pray. Evidently the Lord had other plans.

 

The next day, Hien asked the camp commander if he could clean the latrine again. He continued with this chore on a regular basis, because he had discovered that some official in the camp was using a Bible as toilet paper. Each day Hien picked up a portion of Scripture, cleaned it off, and added it to his nightly devotional reading. In this way he retrieved a significant portion of the Bible.

 

The day came when, through an equally providential set of circumstances, Hien was released, and years later Hien arrived on American soil where today he is a businessman-forever grateful for America and praying that she would open her heart as a nation to Christ.

 

Now join me as we stand and read Romans 1:16-17; and then 8:37-39. Note with me how the Apostle Paul describes the Powerful Gospel of Christ we have been studying these past weeks.

 

That is the powerful message of Christ’s Gospel in Luke. We find again this morning Jesus Christ on every page as our compassionate Savior, who came to live among sinners, love them, help them, and die for them. Luke is a book with a message for everybody, because of the universality of Jesus Christ and His salvation: “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10) 61.

 

The Lord of glory Jesus, has come down to our level,

Jesus our Savior entered into our conditions (sin excepted),

Jesus our Lord subjected Himself to our circumstances, and

Jesus our Master lived His life on the same plane as ours is lived.

Jesus our God was born as none other ever was,

Jesus our Example lived as none other did, and

Jesus our Redeemer died as none other ever could.

 

Christ’s Presentations of the Gospel

 

This morning we continue what will be perhaps one of the greatest studies we have ever taken. We will look at each of Christ’s presentations of the Gospel. Each way Jesus described salvation to both His Twelve and to the world.

 

 

1. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOSPEL OF ETERNAL SALVATION Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ETERNAL SAVATION

 

2. SALVATION IS LIGHT, LIFE, AND PEACE Luke 1:47-79 v. 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 1:52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. v. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. v. 68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, v. 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, v. 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, v. 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, v. 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven. SINNERS, SAVED AND FORGIVEN BY GOD’S MERCY

 

3. SALVATION IS A PERSON Luke 2:30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation SALVATION IS trusting the right PERSON Jesus is The one and only True God who saves eternally and exists in Tri-unity (Three Persons) – beware of any doctrine about God that doesn’t have three persons; The True Jesus is God the Son, the Creator, who is Infinite and Eternal – beware of any doctrine that has Jesus as a created being. The True Gospel is an unmerited Gift through a substitutionary atonement – beware of any gospel that has a system of good works and a needed baptism etc.

 

4. JESUS PREACHED – BEAR FRUIT OR BE CAST INTO THE FIRE Luke 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. FRUIT SHOWING REPENTANCE Luke 3:9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” FRUIT OR FIRE 3:17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 

5. SALVATION IS HEARING CHRIST’S VOICE AND FOLLOWING HIM Luke 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” SINS FORGIVEN BY FAITH 5:27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” HEARING VOICE AND FOLLOWING JESUS 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” BY REPENTING SINNERS

 

6. BELIEVERS ARE ENGAGED TO CHRIST REGENERATED AND INDWELT Luke 5:34 Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ENGAGED TO CHRIST 5:38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. WITH NEW WINE INSIDE NEW BOTTLES

 

7. GENUINE BELIEVERS ARE CHRISTLIKE, GOODHEARTED, AND LORD OBEYING Luke 6:35-47 v. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. LOVING SONS OF MOST HIGH v. 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. CHRISTLIKE 6:43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. BEARING GOOD FRUIT 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 6:47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: LORD OBEYING from cathedral in Lubeck, Germany: You call me Master, and obey me not; You call me Light, and see me not; You call me the Way, and walk me not; You call me the Life, and live me not; You call me wise, and follow me not; You call me Fair, and love me not; You call me Rich, and ask me not; You call me Eternal and seek me not. If I condemn thee, blame me not!

 

8. JESUS CALLS US TO AGREE WITH GOD ABOUT OUR SIN Luke 7:29-30 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified (homologeo said same thing as God does) God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. 7:48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” FORGIVEN SINNERS 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” BELIEVING AND PEACEFUL Do not confuse this event with a similar one involving Mary of Bethany (John 12:1–8), and do not identify this woman with Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2) as many continue to do. The woman admitted she was a sinner and gave evidence that she was a repentant sinner. If you check a harmony of the Gospels, you will discover that just before this event, Jesus had given the gracious invitation, “Come unto Me… and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28–30). Perhaps that was when the woman turned from her sin and trusted the Saviour. Her tears, her humble attitude, and her expensive gift all spoke of a changed heart. Jesus proved that He was indeed a prophet by reading Simon’s thoughts and revealing his needs. The parable does not deal with the amount of sin in a person’s life but the awareness of that sin in his heart. How much sin must a person commit to be a sinner? Simon and the woman were both sinners. Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit, especially pride, while the woman was guilty of sins of the flesh (see 2 Cor. 7:1). Her sins were known, while Simon’s sins were hidden to everyone except God. And both of them were bankrupt and could not pay their debt to God. Simon was just as spiritually bankrupt as the woman, only he did not realize it. Forgiveness is a gift of God’s grace; the debt was paid in full by Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19). The word frankly means “graciously and freely.” The woman accepted God’s free offer of salvation and expressed her love openly. Simon rejected that offer and remained unforgiven. There are two errors we must avoid as we interpret our Lord’s words. First, we must not conclude that this woman was saved by her tears and her gift. Jesus made it clear that it was her faith alone that saved her (Luke 7:50), for no amount of good works can pay for salvation (Titus 3:4–7).62

 

9. JESUS TAUGHT A GOSPEL OF ENDURING FRUIT BEARING Luke 8:1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, RECIPENTS OF THE GOOD NEWS Luke 8:8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” HEARTS WITH GOOD SOIL – SEED WHICH GREW – LIVES THAT WERE FRUITFUL 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ROOTED TRUTH 8:14-15 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. UNCHOKED RIGHTEOUSNESS 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. GOOD – HEAR – RETAIN – BEAR FRUIT

 

10. SALVATION IS DESIRING JESUS Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. SALVATION EQUALS FOLLOWING CHRIST

 

11. TRUE BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED IN HEAVEN BY GOD Luke 10:20-22 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

 

12. THE EVIDENCE OF CHRIST’S CHILDREN IS THEY SEEK: Luke 11:2-4 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: (GOD AS FATHER) Our Father in heaven, (WORSHIPING HIM) Hallowed be Your name. (SUBMISSIVE TO HIM) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3 (DEPENDING ON HIM) Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, (LOVING OTHERS) For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. (SEEKING HOLINESS) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

 

13. JESUS CALLED FOR INSIDE OUTEDNESS Luke 11:28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 11:34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 11:39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. INSIDE OUT LIVING

 

14. YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF HEAVEN IF YOU ARE: CHRIST CONFESSING, GOD WEALTHY, KINGDOM SEEKING, AND HEAVENLY HEARTED Luke 12:8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 12:21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” RICH TOWARD GOD 12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. HEAVENWARD HEARTS 12:37-38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

 

15. JESUS DESCRIBES THOSE HEADING TO HEAVEN AS: SIN REPENTING, FRUIT BEARING, GATE ENTERING, GOD KNOWING, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS DOING Luke 13:5-6 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. REPENTANT and FRUITFUL 13:24-27 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ WALKING NARROW ROAD – KNOWING GOD – DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

16. SALVATION IS WHEN WE IMPOSSIBLY COME TO CHRIST Luke 14:26-27, 33 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. COMES TO CHRIST – LOVES CHRIST – IDENTIFIES WITH CHRIST – FOLLOWS CHRIST– GIVES UP ALL TO CHRIST

 

17. GENUINE CHRISTIANS ARE SIN REPENTING Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” REPENTING SINNERS

 

18. JESUS SAID THAT THREE EVIDENCES OF SALVATION ARE: LIGHT LIVING, GOD SERVING, AND WORD RECEIVING Luke 16:8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. PEOPLE OF LIGHT Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” DEVOTED TO ONLY ONE MASTER 16:31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” RECEPTIVE TO GOD’S WORD

 

19. A TRUE BELIEVER REALIZES THEY ARE MERCY NEEDING Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ SEEKING GOD’S MERCY

 

20. A TRUE BELIEVER REALIZES THEY ARE HELPLESSLY COMING Luke 18:17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” HELPLESS CHILDLIKE RECEPTION

 

21. A TRUE BELIEVER IS LOST-KNOWING AND GOD-OBEYING Luke 18:19-27 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” KNOWING YOU ARE LOST-KNOWING GOD IS BOSS

 

22. A TRUE BELIEVER REALIZES THEY ARE FOUND BY CHRIST Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” FOUND BY CHRIST

 

23. A TRUE BELIEVER IS REPENTANT AND FORGIVEN Luke 24:47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. REPENTANT AND FORGIVEN

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What can this Gospel do? As you turn back towards Romans 1:16-17, listen to this testimonial of the power unleashed by the Gospel proclaimed by the Book you hold in your hands! During[1][1] Ravi Zacharias’s  ministry in Vietnam in 197I, one of his interpreters who traveled with him was Hien Pham.  Within four years Vietnam fell, and Hien’s fate was unknown, until seventeen years later, in 1988.

 

Shortly after Vietnam fell to the Communists, Hien was arrested.  Accused of aiding and abetting the Americans he was in and out of prison for several years.  During one long jail term, the sole purpose of his jailers was to indoctrinate him against the West-and especially against democratic ideals and the Christian faith.  He was cut off from reading anything in English and restricted to communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese.  This daily overdose of the writings of Marx and Engels began to take its toll on him.  One of the books he was given to read pictured the communist man as a bird in the ironclad cage of capitalism, throwing itself against the bars of “capitalist oppression” and bloodying itself in the process.  Yet still it continued to struggle in its quest for freedom.

 

Hien began to buckle under the onslaught.  Maybe, he thought, I have been lied to.  Maybe God does not exist.  Maybe my whole life bas been governed by lies.  Maybe the West has deceived me.  The more he thought, the more he moved toward a decision.  Finally, he made up his mind.  He determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or ever think of his Christian faith again.

 

The next morning, he was assigned to clean the latrines of the prison.  It was the most dreaded chore, shunned by everyone, and so with much distress he began the awful task.  As he cleaned out a tin can filled to overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what he thought was English printed on one piece of paper.  He hurriedly washed it off and slipped it into his hip pocket, planning to read it at night.  Not having seen anything in English for such a long time, he anxiously waited for a free moment.  Under his mosquito net that night after his roommates had fallen asleep, he pulled out a small flashlight and shining it on the damp piece of paper he read at the top corner, “Romans, Chapter 8.” Literally trembling with shock, he began to read:

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose….

What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us -how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? …

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:28, 3I, 32, 35, 37-39)

 

Hien wept.  He knew his Bible, and he had not seen one for so long.  Not only that, he knew there was not a more relevant passage of conviction and strength for one on the verge of surrendering to the threat of evil.  He cried out to God, asking for forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day in years that he had determined not to pray.  Evidently the Lord had other plans.

 

The next day, Hien asked the camp commander if he could clean the latrine again.  He continued with this chore on a regular basis, because he had discovered that some official in the camp was using a Bible as toilet paper.  Each day Hien picked up a portion of Scripture, cleaned it off, and added it to his nightly devotional reading.  In this way he retrieved a significant portion of the Bible.

 

The day came when, through an equally providential set of circumstances, Hien was released, and years later Hien arrived on American soil where today he is a businessman-forever grateful for America and praying that she would open her heart as a nation to Christ.

 

Now join me as we stand and read Romans 1:16-17; and then 8:37-39. Note with me how the Apostle Paul describes the Powerful Gospel of Christ  we have been studying these past weeks.

 

That is the powerful message of Christ’s Gospel in Luke. We find again this morning Jesus Christ on every page as our compassionate Savior, who came to live among sinners, love them, help them, and die for them. Luke is a book with a message for everybody, because of the universality of Jesus Christ and His salvation: “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10) [2][2].

 

The Lord of glory Jesus, has come down to our level,

Jesus our Savior entered into our conditions (sin excepted),

Jesus our Lord subjected Himself to our circumstances, and

Jesus our Master lived His life on the same plane as ours is lived.

Jesus our God was born as none other ever was,

Jesus our Example lived as none other did, and JESUS OUR REDEEMER DIED AS NONE OTHER EVER COULD.

 

This morning we continue what will be perhaps one of the greatest studies we have ever taken. We will look at each of Christ’s presentations of the Gospel. Each way Jesus described salvation to both His Twelve and to the world.

 

• there is only one gospel of eternal salvation Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ETERNAL SAVATION
• salvation is light, life, and peace   Luke 1:47-79  v. 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   1:52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. v. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. v. 68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, v. 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, v. 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, v. 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,  v. 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.    SINNERS, SAVED AND FORGIVEN BY GOD’S MERCY
• salvation is a person  Luke 2:30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation  SALVATION IS trusting the right  PERSON Jesus is The one and only True God who saves eternally and exists in Tri-unity (Three Persons) – beware of any doctrine about God that doesn’t have three persons; The True Jesus is God the Son, the Creator, who is Infinite and Eternal – beware of any doctrine that has Jesus as a created being. The True Gospel is an unmerited Gift through a substitutionary atonement – beware of any gospel that has a system of good works and a needed baptism etc.
• jesus preached – bear fruit or be cast into the fire  Luke 3:8  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  FRUIT SHOWING REPENTANCE  Luke 3:9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  FRUIT OR FIRE 3:17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
• salvation is hearing Christ’s voice and following him  Luke 5:20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”  SINS FORGIVEN BY FAITH  5:27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him,  “Follow Me.” HEARING VOICE AND FOLLOWING JESUS  5:32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  BY REPENTING SINNERS
• believers are engaged to Christ regenerated and indwelt Luke 5:34Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?  ENGAGED TO CHRIST 5:38  No, new winemust be poured into new wineskins. WITH NEW WINE INSIDE NEW BOTTLES
• genuine believers are Christlike, goodhearted, and lord obeying  Luke 6:35-47 v. 35  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. LOVING SONS OF MOST HIGH  v. 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. CHRISTLIKE    6:43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  BEARING GOOD FRUIT  6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  6:47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  LORD OBEYING from cathedral in Lubeck, Germany: You call me Master, and obey me not; You call me Light, and see me not; You call me the Way, and walk me not; You call me the Life, and live me not; You call me wise, and follow me not; You call me Fair, and love me not; You call me Rich, and ask me not; You call me Eternal and seek me not. If I condemn thee, blame me not!
• jesus calls us to agree with god about our sin  Luke 7:29-30 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified(homologeo said same thing as God does) God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. 7:48Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” FORGIVEN SINNERS   7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” BELIEVING AND PEACEFUL  Do not confuse this event with a similar one involving Mary of Bethany (John 12:1–8), and do not identify this woman with Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2) as many continue to do. The woman admitted she was a sinner and gave evidence that she was a repentant sinner. If you check a harmony of the Gospels, you will discover that just before this event, Jesus had given the gracious invitation, “Come unto Me… and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28–30). Perhaps that was when the woman turned from her sin and trusted the Saviour. Her tears, her humble attitude, and her expensive gift all spoke of a changed heart.   Jesus proved that He was indeed a prophet by reading Simon’s thoughts and revealing his needs. The parable does not deal with the amount of sin in a person’s life but the awareness of that sin in his heart. How much sin must a person commit to be a sinner? Simon and the woman were both sinners. Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit, especially pride, while the woman was guilty of sins of the flesh (see 2 Cor. 7:1). Her sins were known, while Simon’s sins were hidden to everyone except God. And both of them were bankrupt and could not pay their debt to God. Simon was just as spiritually bankrupt as the woman, only he did not realize it. Forgiveness is a gift of God’s grace; the debt was paid in full by Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19). The word frankly means “graciously and freely.” The woman accepted God’s free offer of salvation and expressed her love openly. Simon rejected that offer and remained unforgiven.    There are two errors we must avoid as we interpret our Lord’s words. First, we must not conclude that this woman was saved by her tears and her gift. Jesus made it clear that it was her faith alone that saved her (Luke 7:50), for no amount of good works can pay for salvation (Titus 3:4–7).[3][3]
• jesus taught a gospel of enduring fruit bearing Luke 8:1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, RECIPENTS OF THE GOOD NEWS Luke 8:8  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  HEARTS WITH GOOD SOIL – SEED WHICH GREW – LIVES THAT WERE FRUITFUL 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.  ROOTED TRUTH 8:14-15 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. UNCHOKED RIGHTEOUSNESS 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.  GOOD – HEAR – RETAIN – BEAR FRUIT
• salvation is desiring jesus   Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. SALVATION EQUALS FOLLOWING CHRIST
• true believers have been registered in heaven by god Luke 10:20-22 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said,  “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Check Hebrews 12
• the evidence of Christ’s children is they seek: Luke 11:2-4 So He said to them,  “When you pray, say: (god as father) Our Father in heaven, (worshiping him) Hallowed be Your name. (submissive to him) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3  (depending on him) Give us day by day our daily bread. 4  And forgive us our sins, (loving others) For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. (seeking holiness) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
• jesus called for INSIDE OUTEDNESS Luke 11:28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 11:34  The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 11:39 Then the Lord said to him,  “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. INSIDE OUT LIVING
• you can be assured of heaven if you are: Christ CONFESSING, GOD WEALTHY, KINGDOM SEEKING, AND HEAVENLY HEARTED  Luke 12:8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 12:21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”  RICH TOWARD GOD  12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  HEAVENWARD HEARTS 12:37-38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.
• jesus describes those heading to heaven as: sin repenting, fruit bearing, gate entering, god knowing, and righteousness doing Luke 13:5-6 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. REPENTANT and FRUITFUL  13:24-27 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’  WALKING NARROW ROAD – KNOWING GOD – DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS
• salvation is when we impossibly come to Christ Luke 14:26-27, 33“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.  COMES TO CHRIST – LOVES CHRIST – IDENTIFIES WITH CHRIST – FOLLOWS CHRIST– GIVES UP ALL TO CHRIST
• genuine christians are sin repenting Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.  15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” REPENTING SINNERS
• jesus said that three evidences of salvation are: light living, god serving, and word receiving Luke 16:8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. PEOPLE OF LIGHT Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” DEVOTED TO ONLY ONE MASTER        16:31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”  RECEPTIVE TO GOD’S WORD
• a true believer realizes they are mercy needing Luke 18:13  “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ SEEKING GOD’S MERCY
• a true believer realizes they are helplessly coming Luke 18:17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” HELPLESS CHILDLIKE RECEPTION
• a true believer is lost-knowing and god-obeying Luke 18:19-27  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  KNOWING YOU ARE LOST-KNOWING GOD IS BOSS
• a true believer realizes they are found by Christ  Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” FOUND BY CHRIST
• a true believer is repentant and forgiven Luke 24:47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. REPENTANT AND FORGIVEN

 

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This morning the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most wonderful message ever conceived, and the most powerful formula ever devised. What do I mean? Well when someone hears and believes God’s Word their life is revolutionized.

What can this Gospel do? As you turn back towards Romans 1:16-17, listen to this testimonial of the power unleashed by the Gospel proclaimed by the Book you hold in your hands! During[1] Ravi Zacharias’  ministry in Vietnam in 197I, one of his interpreters who traveled with him was Hien Pham. Within four years Vietnam fell, and Hien’s fate was unknown, until seventeen years later, in 1988.

Shortly after Vietnam fell to the Communists, Hien was arrested. Accused of aiding and abetting the Americans he was in and out of prison for several years. During one long jail term, the sole purpose of his jailers was to indoctrinate him against the West-and especially against democratic ideals and the Christian faith.  He was cut off from reading anything in English and restricted to communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese. This daily overdose of the writings of Marx and Engels began to take its toll on him. One of the books he was given to read pictured the communist man as a bird in the ironclad cage of capitalism, throwing itself against the bars of “capitalist oppression” and bloodying itself in the process. Yet still it continued to struggle in its quest for freedom.

Hien began to buckle under the onslaught. Maybe, he thought, I have been lied to. Maybe God does not exist.  Maybe my whole life has been governed by lies. Maybe the West has deceived me. The more he thought, the more he moved toward a decision. Finally, he made up his mind.  He determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or ever think of his Christian faith again.

The next morning, he was assigned to clean the latrines of the prison. It was the most dreaded chore, shunned by everyone, and so with much distress he began the awful task. As he cleaned out a tin can filled to overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what he thought was English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly washed it off and slipped it into his hip pocket, planning to read it at night.  Not having seen anything in English for such a long time, he anxiously waited for a free moment. Under his mosquito net that night after his roommates had fallen asleep, he pulled out a small flashlight and shining it on the damp piece of paper he read at the top corner, “Romans, Chapter 8.” Literally trembling with shock, he began to read:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose….

What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us -how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? …

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:28, 3I, 32, 35, 37-39)

Hien wept. He knew his Bible, and he had not seen one for so long. Not only that, he knew there was not a more relevant passage of conviction and strength for one on the verge of surrendering to the threat of evil.  He cried out to God, asking for forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day in years that he had determined not to pray. Evidently the Lord had other plans.

The next day, Hien asked the camp commander if he could clean the latrine again. He continued with this chore on a regular basis, because he had discovered that some official in the camp was using a Bible as toilet paper. Each day Hien picked up a portion of Scripture, cleaned it off, and added it to his nightly devotional reading. In this way he retrieved a significant portion of the Bible.

The day came when, through an equally providential set of circumstances, Hien was released, and years later Hien arrived on American soil where today he is a businessman-forever grateful for America and praying that she would open her heart as a nation to Christ.

Now join me as we read Romans 1:16-17; and then 8:37-39. Note with me how the Apostle Paul describes the Powerful Gospel of Christ  we have been studying these past weeks.

That is the powerful message of Christ’s Gospel in Luke. We find again this morning Jesus Christ on every page as our compassionate Savior, who came to live among sinners, love them, help them, and die for them. Luke is a book with a message for everybody, because of the universality of Jesus Christ and His salvation: “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10) [2].

The Lord of glory Jesus, has come down to our level,

Jesus our Savior entered into our conditions (sin excepted),

Jesus our Lord subjected Himself to our circumstances, and

Jesus our Master lived His life on the same plane as ours is lived.

Jesus our God was born as none other ever was,

Jesus our Example lived as none other did, and

Jesus our Redeemer died as none other ever could.

This morning we continue what will be perhaps one of the greatest studies we have ever taken. We will look at each of Christ’s presentations of the Gospel. Each way Jesus described salvation to both His Twelve and to the world.

 

1. There is only one Gospel of eternal salvation Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ETERNAL SALVATION

2. Salvation is light, life, and peace   Luke 1:47-79  v. 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   1:52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. v. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. v. 68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, v. 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, v. 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, v. 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,  v. 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven. SINNERS, SAVED AND FORGIVEN BY GOD’S MERCY

3. Salvation is a person  Luke 2:30  For my eyes have seen Your salvation  SALVATION IS trusting the right  PERSON Jesus is The one and only True God who saves eternally and exists in Tri-unity (Three Persons) – beware of any doctrine about God that doesn’t have three persons; The True Jesus is God the Son, the Creator, who is Infinite and Eternal – beware of any doctrine that has Jesus as a created being. The True Gospel is an unmerited Gift through a substitutionary atonement – beware of any gospel that has a system of good works and a needed baptism etc

4. Jesus preached – bear fruit or be cast into the fire  Luke 3:8  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  FRUIT SHOWING REPENTANCE  Luke 3:9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  FRUIT OR FIRE 3:17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

5. Salvation is hearing Christ’s voice and following Him  Luke 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”  SINS FORGIVEN BY FAITH  5:27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him,  “Follow Me.” HEARING VOICE AND FOLLOWING JESUS  5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  BY REPENTING SINNERS

6. Believers are engaged to Christ regenerated and indwelt Luke 5:34Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?  ENGAGED TO CHRIST 5:38  No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. WITH NEW WINE INSIDE NEW BOTTLES

7. Genuine believers are Christlike, goodhearted, and Lord obeying Luke 6:35-47 v. 35  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. LOVING SONS OF MOST HIGH  v. 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. CHRISTLIKE    6:43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  BEARING GOOD FRUIT  6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  6:47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  LORD OBEYING from cathedral in Lubeck, Germany: You call me Master, and obey me not; You call me Light, and see me not; You call me the Way, and walk me not; You call me the Life, and live me not; You call me wise, and follow me not; You call me Fair, and love me not; You call me Rich, and ask me not; You call me Eternal and seek me not. If I condemn thee, blame me not!

8. Jesus calls us to agree with God about our sin  Luke 7:29-30 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified (homologeosaid same thing as God does) God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. 7:48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” FORGIVEN SINNERS   7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” BELIEVING AND PEACEFUL  Do not confuse this event with a similar one involving Mary of Bethany (John 12:1–8), and do not identify this woman with Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2) as many continue to do. The woman admitted she was a sinner and gave evidence that she was a repentant sinner. If you check a harmony of the Gospels, you will discover that just before this event, Jesus had given the gracious invitation, “Come unto Me… and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28–30). Perhaps that was when the woman turned from her sin and trusted the Saviour. Her tears, her humble attitude, and her expensive gift all spoke of a changed heart.   Jesus proved that He was indeed a prophet by reading Simon’s thoughts and revealing his needs. The parable does not deal with the amount of sin in a person’s life but the awareness of that sin in his heart. How much sin must a person commit to be a sinner? Simon and the woman were both sinners. Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit, especially pride, while the woman was guilty of sins of the flesh (see 2 Cor. 7:1). Her sins were known, while Simon’s sins were hidden to everyone except God. And both of them were bankrupt and could not pay their debt to God. Simon was just as spiritually bankrupt as the woman, only he did not realize it. Forgiveness is a gift of God’s grace; the debt was paid in full by Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19). The word frankly means “graciously and freely.” The woman accepted God’s free offer of salvation and expressed her love openly. Simon rejected that offer and remained unforgiven.    There are two errors we must avoid as we interpret our Lord’s words. First, we must not conclude that this woman was saved by her tears and her gift. Jesus made it clear that it was her faith alone that saved her (Luke 7:50), for no amount of good works can pay for salvation (Titus 3:4–7).[3]

9. Jesus taught a Gospel of enduring fruit bearing Luke 8:1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, RECIPENTS OF THE GOOD NEWS Luke 8:8  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  HEARTS WITH GOOD SOIL – SEED WHICH GREW – LIVES THAT WERE FRUITFUL 8:13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.  ROOTED TRUTH 8:14-15 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. UNCHOKED RIGHTEOUSNESS 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.  GOOD – HEAR – RETAIN – BEAR FRUIT

10. Salvation is desiring Jesus   Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. SALVATION EQUALS FOLLOWING CHRIST

11. True believers have been registered in heaven by God Luke 10:20-22Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said,  “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Check Hebrews 12

12. The evidence of Christ’s children is they seek: Luke 11:2-4 So He said to them,  “When you pray, say: (God as father) Our Father in heaven, (worshiping Him) Hallowed be Your name. (submissive to Him) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3  (depending on Him) Give us day by day our daily bread. 4  And forgive us our sins, (loving others) For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. (seeking holiness) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

13. Jesus called for INSIDE OUTEDNESS Luke 11:28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 11:34  The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 11:39 Then the Lord said to him,  “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. INSIDE OUT LIVING

14. You can be assured of heaven if you are: Christ CONFESSING, GOD WEALTHY, KINGDOM SEEKING, AND HEAVENLY HEARTED  Luke 12:8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 12:21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”  RICH TOWARD GOD  12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  HEAVENWARD HEARTS 12:37-38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.  WATCHING and

15. Jesus describes those heading to heaven as: sin repenting, fruit bearing, gate entering, God knowing, and righteousness doing Luke 13:5-6 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. REPENTANT and FRUITFUL  13:24-27 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’  WALKING NARROW ROAD – KNOWING GOD – DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS

16. Salvation is when we impossibly come to Christ Luke 14:26-27, 33 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be my disciple.  33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.  COMES TO CHRIST – LOVES CHRIST – IDENTIFIES WITH CHRIST – FOLLOWS CHRIST– GIVES UP ALL TO CHRIST

17. Genuine christians are sin repenting Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.  15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” REPENTING SINNERS

18. Jesus said that three evidences of salvation are: light living, God serving, and Word receiving Luke 16:8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. PEOPLE OF LIGHT Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” DEVOTED TO ONLY ONE MASTER        16:31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”  RECEPTIVE TO GOD’S WORD

19. A true believer realizes they are mercy needing Luke 18:13  “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ SEEKING GOD’S MERCY

20. A true believer realizes they are helplessly coming Luke 18:17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” HELPLESS CHILDLIKE RECEPTION

21. A true believer is lost-knowing and God-obeying Luke 18:19-27 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”  27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”  KNOWING YOU ARE LOST-KNOWING GOD IS BOSS

22. A true believer realizes they are found by Christ  Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” FOUND BY CHRIST

23. A true believer is repentant and forgiven Luke 24:47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. REPENTANT AND FORGIVEN

[1] Ravi Zacharias, Deliver us from evil, p. 191ff.

[2]  Quoted from Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.

[3]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.