LET IT BE REAL
LUKE 20: 45-47
I. INTRODUCTION
SERVING GOD REQUIRES AN ATTITUDE OF GENUINE AFFECTION AND SINCERITY. THEREFORE, WHATEVER WE DO FOR THE LORD AND HIS CHURCH, LET IT BE REAL. NO MATTER WHERE WE SERVE IN THE LOCAL BODY OF CHRIST, WE MUST BE SURE TO GIVE GOD OUR BEST. FAILURE TO DO SO IS FRETFUL AND FRAUDULENT. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH WHO, UNDER THE PRETENCE OF SERVICE, ARE HIDING BEHIND THE CLOAK OF DECEPTION. THEY LIKE TO BE SEEN. THEY LOVE BEING THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. THEY FEEL THAT THE SPOTLIGHT MUST SHINE ON THEM. BUT MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, IF THE SPOTLIGHT DOES NOT SHINE ON JESUS, THE SPOTLIGHT IS NOT WORTH SHINNING AT ALL.
GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING ON A SHOW, OR JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. HE IS LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO LET IT BE REAL. WHEN IT COMES TO SERVICE, LET IT BE REAL. WHEN IT COMES TO LOVING OUR FELLOWMAN, LET IT BE REAL. IN OUR FORGIVING OF OTHERS, LET IT BE REAL. IN OUR UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE TOWARDS OTHERS, LET IT BE REAL. WHATEVER WE DO FOR THE LORD, LET IT BE REAL.
II. THE TEXT
THE MEMBERS OF THE SANDHEDRIAN CONTINUED WITH VIGOR, THEIR ASSAULT ON JESUS BY ASKING HIM QUESTIONS THAT HAD NO SUBSTANCE. THEY MADE ATTEMPT AFTER ATTEMPT TO TRAP HIM BY ASKING HIM QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE LAW. BUT YOU CANNOT TRAP OR TRICK HIM WHO IS THE ETERNAL LAW OF ALMIGHTY GOD IN THE FLESH.
JESUS GIVES HIS DISCIPLES AN ELUCIDATING EXHORTATION ABOUT THOSE WHO SERVE UNDER THE GUISE OF GENUINESS, BUT WHO ARE IN REALITY SUPERFICIAL. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, LET ME MOCK TIME MOMENTARILY AND SAY THAT THE LORD IS NOT CONCERNED SO MUCH ABOUT OUR POSITION BUT OUR DISPOSITION. BUT I MUST ALSO PROCLAIM THAT WITH POSITIONS COME GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. IN OTHER WORDS TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH SHALL BE REQUIRED. THAT’S WHY IT IS IMPERATIVE TO LET IT BE REAL.
THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES HAD A HISTORY OF MAKING LONG PRAYERS FOR THE SAKE OF APPLAUSE, APPROVAL, AND ACCEPTANCE FROM MAN. BUT I’D RATHER HAVE GOD’S APPLAUSE, APPROVAL, AND ACCEPTANCE RATHER THAN MAN’S. NOT ONLY DID THEY SEEK APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE BY MAN, BUT THEY ALSO CHEATED THE WIDOWS BY NOT PROVIDING THE TRUE SERVICE THAT WAS DUE THEM. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE JUST PUTTING ON A SHOW. WHENEVER YOU ARE JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS, YOU ARE PUTTING ON A SHOW. WHENEVER YOUR HEART IS NOT IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU ARE PUTTING ON A SHOW. WHENEVER YOU SEEK TO PLEASE MEN MORE THAN GOD, YOU ARE JUST PUTTING ON A SHOW. MANY OF OUR CHURCHES ARE PERMEATED WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST PUTTING ON A SHOW. JESUS TEACHES US THAT THEY SHALL RECEIVE GREATER DAMNATION, MEANING THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE SEVERE JUDGMENT. AGAIN, I MUST REMIND US TO LET IT BE REAL.
III. CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION
AS I STUDIED AND PREPARED THIS MAESSAGE, MIND COULD NOT HELP BUT TO FOCUS ON THE CHARLATANS WHO DUPE THE MASSES WITH A HEALTH AND WEALTH MINISTRY, INDICATING THAT GOD WANTS ALL OF HIS PEOPLE TO BE RICH. BUT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT IS A BLATANT CONTRADICTION OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES. GOD DOES NOT INTEND FOR ALL OF HIS CHILDREN TO BE RICH FROM A MONETARY PERSPECTIVE. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE ARE THOSE WHO UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF PROPHETIC PREACHING, TEACH A NAME IT CLAIM IT, BLAB IT GRAB IT GOSPEL. LET IT BE REAL.
AS I EXAMINED THIS MESSAGE, THREE POWERFUL POINTS CAPTIVATED MY ATTENTION. ONE, SERVICE WITHOUT SINCERITY IS EMPTY. IT MAY LOOK GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT IS TARNISHED ON THE INSIDE. JOHN 4:24 TEACHES, “GOD IS A SPIRIT: AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.” THEREFORE, IF OUR PRAYING, PREACHING, SINGING, AND SERVICE IS TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, IT MUST BE REAL. TWO, THAT WHICH PLEASES THE MASSES DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THAT GOD IS PLEASED, GALATIONS 1:10 TEACHES, “FOR DO I NOW PERSUADE MEN, OR GOD? OR DO I SEEK TO PLEASE MEN? FOR IF I YET PLEASED MEN, I SHOULD NOT BE THE SERVANT OF CHRIST.” THREE, THE LORD WILL JUDGE OUR WORKS AND REWARD US ACCORDINGLY, 1 COR. 3:15 TEACHES, “IF ANY MAN’S WORK SHALL BE BURNED, HE SHALL SUFFER LOSS: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; YET SO AS BY FIRE.” REVELATION 22:12 TEACHES, “AND, BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY; AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE.”
OUR WORKS MUST BE REAL BECAUSE:
HIS WORK FOR US WAS REAL.
HIS LOVE FOR US IS REAL.
THE BEATING THAT HE TOOK WAS REAL.
THE BLOOD THAT HE SHED WAS REAL.
THE PAIN HE ENDURED WAS REAL.
THE DEATH HE DIED WAS REAL.
HIS ATONEMENT FOR OUR SIN WAS REAL.
HIS VICTORIOUS RESURRECTION WAS REAL.
HIS INTERCEEDING FOR US NOW IS REAL.
HIS JUDGMENT OF US WILL BE REAL.
OUR FINAL ETERNAL DESTINATION WILL BE REAL.
