What will you choose?

Matt 25: 14 ¶ For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

The master returned to “the kingdom” not to see who remained as his servants (not to see who was saved and who had lost their salvation) . . .

but he returned to have his servants “give an account” of what they had done during the time he had been gone.

And in the day of judgment . . . We will not stand before God to find out whether or not we lived a good enough life to earn salvation

But we will stand before God as a lost man to be sentenced to hell . . . or we will stand before God as one of His servants – to be rewarded

for our faithfulness – or punished for our unfaithfulness if we hid our talent . . .

 John 5: 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

You see the Bible indicates here – that the question of heaven and hell will have been settled BEFORE we ever come forth from the

grave.  The master that returns to “reckon” with his servants . . . is an illustration of Jesus when He returns to reckon with (to judge) His children.

In the day of judgment a man will COME FORTH from the grave unto the resurrection of life as child of God to be rewarded or to suffer loss

OR in the day of judgment a man will COME FORTH from the grave to face hell as they hear Jesus say in the judgment of the lost . . .

Matt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: DEPART FROM ME, ye that work iniquity.

When you stand before God – to give an account of your life . . . you will stand in one of two judgments . . . the judgment of the saved OR the judgment of the lost.

And in your day of judgment – you will hear one of three things . . . if you stand in the judgment of the saved you will hear

Well done thou good and faithful servant . . . as you receive a reward . . . or if you are saved but NOT faithful to God (having hidden your

talent) then . . . you will be told that you are a wicked and a slothful servant . . . at which

time you will lose any reward that you might have had to enter heaven empty handed . . . but worst of all . . . if you come forth from the grave as a lost man to stand before God in the judgment of the lost . . .

The last words that you will ever hear spoken will be from Jesus as He says . . . depart form me ye that work iniquity – I never knew you (you were NEVER one of my children).

And after this you will be cast into hell – to be tormented day and night for-ever and for-ever . . .

So in which judgment will you stand . . . and what words will you hear in that judgment?

To die lost you need do nothing in life but continue to forget about that burden that God has placed upon your heart . . . To die saved . . . all you need to do is to read John 3:16-18

    16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son (to die on the cross as payment for our sins - so) that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 
    The who-so-ever refers to anyone . . . as sinners when we "believe" in the sacrifice that Jesus made to be able to "pardon" our sin we gain everlasting life (we shall not perish)
    
    17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.


    This verse tells us that Jesus did not bring condemnation when He came to the earth . . . but He brought the hope of salvation . . . a doctor does not bring sickness to his patience . . . a doctor brings hope to those patience who are ALREADY sick.  Jesus came to us because we were already sick in sin.



18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
 

Subject to a higher power

Ro 13: 1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God

Let “every soul” refers to “all of you” . . . “to be subject unto the higher powers” refers to how we ALL have “the responsibility” to submit to

or to be obedient to “the higher powers”.  The higher power referred to here indicates those in positions of “authority” in our government.

For there is no power – there is no government – there is no magistrate – there is no delegated authority this is not “determined” or arranged “beforehand” by God.

When I read this verse I am reminded of the Israelites and the pharaoh that held them captive in cruel Egyptian bondage . . .

The Pharaoh during this period of time was not a good man . . . and he used his authority as the head of the Egyptian government – not to help the nation of Israel – but to instead persecute her . . . But in the face of this

persecution - God’s people were NOT encouraged to “rise up” and overthrow the Pharaoh . . . however they were encouraged (in the midst of their hour of need) to submit themselves unto God and to wait upon His will to be accomplished.

Ex 9:  13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

The world has always sought to hinder the proper worship of God’s people . . . and such was the case in the land of Egypt with the nation of Israel . . . God’s message to Pharaoh

14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.  
15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

If Moses had led a rebellion . . . then Moses and his army would have gotten the credit for defeating Egypt and cutting her off from the Earth instead of God getting the credit . . . You see God’s plan 

was to deliver His people . . . but God’s plan was to deliver them in such a way – that God (and not an army of men) would receive the glory for their deliverance.

16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

You see there was a divine purpose behind allowing such an evil man as Pharaoh to ascend to the throne of Egypt.

And there was also a divine plan to DELIVER those whom he persecuted . . .

Romans 13: 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth “the power” resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

In other words . . . “as Christians” we are bound by the laws of the land – so long as those laws are not contrary to the Laws of God. 

An example of this is seen in Acts 5

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,

28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God RATHER than men.

Now I understand that this passage of scripture makes reference to the authority of our government . . . and that one of our responsibilities “as Christians” – is to submit to that authority when we can do so without disobeying God . . .

Romans 13: 4 For he (referring for example to the magistrate – or the local “law officer”) is the minister of God to thee for good.

But if thou do that which is evil (if you break the law – then you should) be afraid; for he (in his position of authority) beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil (to him that doeth evil refers to those who live outside of the law . . .

5 Wherefore (because of this) ye must needs be subject (submissive to the law) not only for wrath (not only to avoid punishment), but also for conscience sake (referring to our relationship with God).  notice the following verses

6 For for this cause pay ye tribute (taxes) also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7 Render therefore TO ALL their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Now at the time of this writing – the Roman government was “the power” that Paul was alluding to . . 

It is no secret that the Roman government was extremely corrupt . . . the officials were guilty of taking bribes . . . the judges were dishonest

And Jesus knew all of this when He taught His disciples to pay the taxes they owed to this corrupt government – Jesus was aware of the

greed and dishonesty of the Roman officials when he taught His disciples to pay the fines that were levied in commerce by the officials

who cheated everyone they could – Jesus taught them to be afraid to break the law . . . and Jesus taught them to respect “the

position” in their local government - even if they had lost respect for the individual holding the position . . .

The point to this teaching - is that we are to uphold “the law of the land” until it comes in direct conflict with the law of God . . . The law is not perfect . . . but to live without any laws

at all (and to not have any “officials” to enforce our laws) – would simply be the end of everything that we have ever known.

I know that our own country of America is far from being perfect – and I know that many of us disagree with most of our elected officials

But God tells us to pay our taxes . . . God tells us to live and to work “within” the established system and to honor the positions of those who hold public office even when we disagree with their politics

Ro 13: 1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Let all of us submit ourselves to the authority of our respective governments . . . for there is no government that has not been predetermined beforehand to exist by God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

The individual who rises up in opposition to the government actually rises up in opposition to the arrangement that God has made to establish law and order among society . . . the result of this type of opposition is what defines a person as a criminal . . .

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

There is no need to be afraid when we obey the law – but we have every reason to be afraid when we break the law . . .

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Our government is how God has arranged for us to be “taken care of” . . . this is the meaning of “the minister of God to thee for good . . .

To bear not the sword in vain simply refers to how punishment for doing wrong is not an empty promise . . .

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

If we want to avoid going to jail – then we are required to obey the law of the land . . . if we expect to have a proper relationship with God

– then we are also required to obey the law of the land . . .

6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing . . . This is why we pay taxes . . .

Our tax money makes it possible for the police to keep us safe . . . our taxes pay for the emergency workers . . . who as God’s ministers attend to our needs as a society.

7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

As we understand that God knows that our government is not perfect – as we understand that God realizes that our government

officials have human frailties and are often greedy and abuse their power . . . in spite of all the flaws that we could name . . .

GOD is the one that has arranged all of this – and He has put it in place FOR OUR BENEFIT

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Now Paul is not teaching us – that it is a sin to borrow money . . . what he is talking about

here is that we are not to FORGET the obligations that we have toward others . . . As citizens of this country – we have certain

obligations to fulfill “as a citizen”. . . 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

 . . . As Christians – we also have certain obligations that God expects us to fulfill . . .

Matt 22: 37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 38 This is the first and great commandment.

 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

if we live in violation of the law of the land and if we neglect our obligations as a citizen –

then we commit a sin . . . to owe no man does not refer to staying out of debt . . . to owe no man refers to how God expects us not to

forget about our obligations as citizens of the country of our birth – as well as our obligations as Christians as citizens of heaven.

. . . the laws of the land are intended to maintain peace and order in our society . . . and if we seek to destroy this peace and order – then we are putting the lives of those whom we are obligated to love – into harm’s way . . .

And if we forget our obligations as Christians (or as citizens of heaven) then we put the souls of those for whom Christ died in danger – as we

become guilty of hiding the gospel from a lost and a dying world. 

Servant Pastor and Deacon

II Peter 1: 1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Do we really comprehend what it means to be a SERVANT of Jesus Christ . . . “to comprehend” means to “realize” the truth – or to grasp the “realization of the consequences”.

Peter says two things about himself in this first verse . . . 1) that he is a servant of Jesus and 2) that he is an apostle of Jesus . . .

Now the office of an apostle no longer exists in our churches . . . but the concept of being a servant of Jesus Christ is still in effect.

Peter points out that even though he is “an apostle” of Jesus (which was a position of great honor) . . . humility teaches Peter that even though he holds a position of honor in

“The Kingdom of God” (or in the church of the New Testament) in spite of the position that he holds - he still remains a servant of Jesus.

The apostles were the first twelve disciples that Jesus “called out” just after His baptism.

An apostle was a position or an “office” that only existed in the early church and its purpose was to basically teach “the first church” how Jesus wanted them worship.

Today – The Bible teaches us the meaning of true worship as opposed to false worship – so "the office" of an apostle to answer any “church questions” is no longer needed.

Today the two remaining “offices” or positions in the church . . . are the office of pastor and deacon . . . The deacon is to help the pastor . . . but the deacon is NOT the assistant pastor

I Tim 3: 1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop (or pastor) he desireth a good work.

8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

The pastor is the man who uses God’s Word to instruct (teach) righteousness and to allow his love for God’s people in the church 

to motivate him “to lead” the church in accordance to God’s will by the example of his personal life – as well as by “teaching”

from his study of God’s Word . . . Everything that the pastor does SHOULD BE for the spiritual benefit of the church – he should

never allow himself to be motivated by what might be best for him personally (or for his ministry) so he can advance to a larger

church . . . but like a father would suffer anything before he allowed his children to be harmed . . . even so – a good pastor “if the need arose” would choose to suffer personally so that

his church might be spared any degree of harm – the “office” of a pastor does include teaching – but it is mainly a vocation

of love and self-sacrifice . . . a pastor teaches MORE “through the love” that he does or does not have for the congregation – than

he will ever be able to teach from the pulpit in the form of a good sermon . . . The office a deacon is to . . . provide help to the pastor . . . so that

the pastor can devote his time to the study of God’s Word – as opposed to being distracted with the necessary “physical tasks” that are often associated with church-work . . .

Acts 6: 1  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied (as the church was growing) there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

In the days of the scriptures – there were no welfare programs to provide for the necessities of those who could not provide for themselves . . . “the daily ministration” refers to the “daily relief” which the church provided 

to those who had no husbands (or to the widows) Because without husbands – these widows had no means of support . . . 

Because the church was growing (the disciples were being multiplied) this responsibility (feeding the widows) was being neglected because it was too much for the

local pastors to handle by themselves . . . they needed help to do this – and the office the deacon was “the hand” that provided this help.

2 Then the twelve (the twelve apostles) called the multitude of the disciples (all the other followers of Jesus – the church-members) unto them, and said,

It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables (or to provide for the needs of these widows). 

Granted these widows should be provided for – but the job has simply grown too large for the local pastors to distribute food to the

widows in addition to fulfilling their other responsibilities as pastor.   3 Wherefore, brethren (the apostles told them to) look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

The men whom this church appointed – were called deacons . . . and the business unto which they were appointed - was to

make sure the widows were not neglected in regard to their daily quota of food.

As one of the apostles – Peter understood that pride in his heart (because of a position that he held in the church) would immediately

disqualify him from being what God wanted him to be . . .

(no matter how “good” a speaker he was) if his heart was not right – then his "service" could not be right either.

So the first step to comprehending the idea of being a servant of Jesus Christ . . . is to recognize humility and to make humility part of our everyday life.