Truth or Consequences

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Judgment will be upon this earth with Christ's death on the cross. It is far better to recognize the signs of the time and reconcile than to face judgment.

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Truth or Consequences

Luke 12:49–59 NASB95
“I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. “And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. “You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? “And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? “For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. “I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.”
Luke 12:49-59
Introduction:
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
“Perfect Picture of Peace” A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos, pp. 45-46
I have mentioned that the parables were not so much given to make things clear, but instead the created the opposite effect. The message is hidden to those who do not have the heart to hear, but God make clear to the true seeker the message of God.
The scriptures seem full of contradictions. In fact, I read an article this week where the person listed 30 contradictions in the scriptures that they used to justify their unbelief. This person did not truly understand God’s word. You see, you cannot just take a sentence of scripture and assume you know what it means. That is why we are implored to study the word, to go to church and hear from pastors, to be in Sunday school and to discuss the word. The Bible needs to be read as a whole, not a sentence here or there.
Today we will be looking at the contradictions of Christ bringing peace and bringing division. This is a tough subject, so let us bow our heads and ask for God’s wisdom as we proceed.
Pray
Any place you live there is some kind of possible disaster. In California, the biggest is earthquakes. Along the coast, it is Tsunami’s. For us here, it is...

I. Fire!

Fueled by weather, wind, and dry underbrush, wildfires can burn millions of acres of land as they travel at speeds up to 14 miles an hour. They can consume everything in their path—trees, homes, wildlife and humans. Although they are generally feared, they can sometimes provide positive outcomes. A few week’s back, our Elkhorn media reported a fire that they were not going to be quick about putting out. They were going to work to contain it, but they said it was doing significant good. They then listed the good it was doing. A good fire can burn up noxious plants, burn up dead and decaying matter returning trapped nutrients to the soil, disinfectant and can even get rid of diseased plants and harmful insects.
Jesus was literally praying for fire to come. Look at verse 49.
Luke 12:49 NASB95
“I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!
Fire was equated with judgment by the Jews. It is judgment that Jesus is talking about. The cross is in itself an action of judgment. It was an indictment against Satan, sin, the world and unbelievers.
The fire of judgment is much like a wildfire. It can travel fast. It can devastate or purify! It is sometimes said that gossip spreads like wildfire. Well so does good news. The Samaritan woman is a great example of this. She believed and immediately ran around town telling of her experience. This woman would have been considered lowly even to the Samaritans as an adulteress and yet, nearly an entire town because saved due to her faith. Faith was a fire that caught her soul and could not be contained. She it carried her away and spread the fire around town!
Malachi speaks of the purification quality of fire.
Malachi 3:2–3 NASB95
“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.
Malachi
Paul tells how we are tested by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:13–14 NASB95
each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
1 Corinthians
The fire is not to be something a Christian fears, but something we should embrace and long for. Aneel Aranha says, “Ask God to burn in us the fire of faith and burn off from us any sinfulness, and make what we do something that survives the test of quality on the Day of Judgment.”
The sparks were beginning to fly when Jesus began his teaching (in more ways than one considering the reception by the leaders of Israel). However, the true fire will be ignited upon the cross and becoming a consuming flame. Look with me at Jesus response in regards to the upcoming cross.
Luke 12:50 NASB95
“But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
Baptism is death leading to new life. For us it is with water, but for Christ it was a baptism of fire. It was extreme agony, torture, and death. It was not something He was looking forward to. No, in fact, He says, “how distressed I am...”. The word here used for “distressed” means, “seized” or “hemmed in.” When people face trauma we say they “seize in fear.” This is what this means. Jesus had no delusions about what was going to happen and yet, He continued on for what was to be accomplished by it.
I believe Jesus anxiousness for it to be accomplished was two-fold; He was not looking forward to the suffering and anxious for that to be over. However, even more He was anxious for His followers to have the understanding and empowerment that would come by way of the Holy Spirit. That is our baptism by fire.
I began talking about contradictions. I suppose fire could be seen as a contradiction. We think the worst of fire and yet we see how fire can bring good things. But the contradiction I was referring to earlier is more connected with our next few verses.
Luke 12:-
:-
Luke 12:51–53 NASB95
“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Doesn’t this contradict the angels message in ? Well let us look at .
Luke 2:9–14 NASB95
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2:
Jesus is the Lord of peace, but the peace He brings is to those who believe. It is a peace of the soul and eventually eternal peace.
W. H Griffith once preached a sermon called “The Power of Peace.” It was based on .
2 Thessalonians 3:16 NASB95
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!
Allow me to briefly read his outline as I think it says it well in few words.
As I perused an old copy of The Wonderful Word edited by Leon Tucker, I came upon a tremendous sermon by W.H. Griffith-Thomas entitled “The Power of Peace.” He gave an exposition of , “Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means.” His outline should prove helpful to Christian workers.
As I perused an old copy of The Wonderful Word edited by Leon Tucker, I came upon a tremendous sermon by W.H. Griffith-Thomas entitled “The Power of Peace.” He gave an exposition of , “Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means.” His outline should prove helpful to Christian workers.
A. The Nature of Peace
1. Peace of a quiet conscience (; three questions)
2. Peace of a restful mind ()
3. Peace of a surrendered will
4. Peace of a hopeful heart ()
5. Peace of loving fellowship
B. The Source of Peace
1. Peace with God ()
2. The God of peace ()
3. The peace of God ()
4. The Lord of peace ()
C. The Channel of Peace
“The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means” ()
D. The Duration of Peace
“…give you peace always.”
E. The Secret of Peace
“The Lord of peace Himself give you peace…”
That is a good sermon and I am sure preached well, but here Jesus emphasizes...

A. Not Peace, But Division

Why? Because we are living in enemy territory! Peace is of God, but strife is of Satan and it is Satan’s territory we are living in. Men, influenced by Satan, had taken the words of God and distorted them (the Pharisaical laws). Jesus is setting the record straight with His actions and His teaching. This calls for people to make a choice; they can either accept the truth or they can fight against it and hold onto their own desires. However, there is a penalty for not receiving the truth, which is why I titled this sermon “Truth or Consequences.”
Too many do not want to accept the truth and they deny there are consequences, but denial does not make the consequences untrue. It is this denial of consequences why people get so radical about tolerance. It goes like this. What I believe is truth to me, what you believe is truth to you. We accept that what we both believe is true and we can live in peace.
Well that doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Not as long as we do not care that to do so we condemn people to the final consequence that comes with judgment day.
The following incident is vouched for by a Church of England clergyman who knew all the circumstances.
A young woman, who had been brought up in a Christian home and who had often had very serious convictions in regard to the importance of coming to Christ, chose instead to take the way of the world. Much against the wishes of her godly mother, she insisted on keeping company with a wild, hilarious crowd, who lived only for the passing moment and tried to forget the things of eternity. Again and again she was pleaded with to turn to Christ, but she persistently refused to heed the admonitions addressed to her.
Finally, she was taken with a very serious illness. All that medical science could do for her was done in order to bring about her recovery, but it soon became evident that the case was hopeless and death was staring her in the face. Still she was hard and obdurate when urged to turn to God in repentance and take the lost sinner’s place and trust the lost sinner’s Saviour.
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
One night she awoke suddenly out of a sound sleep, a frightened look in her eyes, and asked excitedly, “Mother, what is and 9?”
Her mother said, “What do you mean, my dear?”
She replied that she had had a most vivid dream. She thought there was a Presence in the room, who very solemnly said to her, “Read .”
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
Not recalling the verses in question, the mother reached for a Bible. As she opened it, her heart sank as she saw the words, but she read them aloud to the dying girl:
“Now I will shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth.”
The poor sufferer, with a look of horror on her face, sank back on the pillow, utterly exhausted, and in a few moments she was in eternity. Once more it had been demonstrated that grace rejected brings judgment at last.
A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos, pp. 45-46
Illustrations of Bible Truth by H. A. Ironside, Moody Press, 1945, pp. 31-3
Fire is hot. You touch fire and it will burn you. Truth is what it is. It cannot be changed. Sin and God do not mix. There is a solution to the sin. It is to accept that we have sin in our lives and to seek the remedy. The remedy is the actions of Jesus Christ upon the cross, but to deny the actions on the cross, we place ourselves in judgment through our denial.

1. With the cross comes judgment (vv 49-50)

2. With judgment comes division (vv 51-53)

Once we accept the truth, we become enemies to those who do not accept the truth. We are evidence of the truth. We hold the truth they are trying so hard to deny before them. In most cases, they have one of two reactions; 1) To pull away and not be around us, or 2) to try to destroy us.
This is why it is so hard to witness to people. They do not want to hear the truth. By hearing it, they become accountable to that truth. They have to make a choice. To receive it means to be willing to change. To refuse it risks the consequences. Many would prefer to be ignorant and just fall on the mercy of God that He will take in account how good they tried to be, however, God’s word tells us that the sin nature has to be dealt with us before we can live with God. There is only way that can be done and it is nothing we can do for ourselves. It is only through the cross of Christ we can be saved.

B. Better to be forecasters of the times

Now up to this point, Jesus has been talking to His disciples. We literally took off this week where we left off last week. At this point, Jesus turns and begins speaking to the crowd again. He addresses their ability to forecast the weather, but says it would be far...

B. Better to be forecasters of the times

Look at what he says...
In a book entitled Down to Earth, John Lawrence tells the story of a city that dared God to show Himself and paid a terrible price. It seems that the city of Messina, Sicily, was home to many wicked, irreligious people. On December 25, 1908, a newspaper published in Messina printed a parody against God, daring Him to make Himself known by sending an earthquake. Three days later, on December 28, the city and its surrounding district was devastated by a terrible quake that killed 84,000 people.
Today in the Word, October, 1997, p. 25

1. Discerning the weather (vv 54-55)

Luke 12:54–55 NASB95
And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. “And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way.
Luke 12:

2. Discerning the times (v 56)

Luke 12:56 NASB95
“You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?
b. Discerning the times (v 56)
Luke is more focused on what Jesus taught, therefore Luke was not bound by moments in time. He would bounce from one situation to another concentrating on what Jesus said and tying it all together. Matthew gives us a better narrative version and it is in Matthew we find what Jesus is addressing here with these verses.
Matthew 16:1 NASB95
The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
These Pharisees and Sadducees are demanding that Jesus prove He is who He says. Perhaps they are remembering Hezekiah and his request that God demonstrate that Isaiah’s statement that God would heal him was true by moving the sun back. God complied and Hezekiah saw the shadow move as God did so. However, Jesus tells these men that it will not happen.
Matthew 16:4 NASB95
“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.
Matthew
Where they asking too much? Yes! Why? Because they had all the signs they needed and they still did not believe. There were the prophesies of Daniel and others. Even the wise men of the east had read and understood Daniel’s prophecies to recognize Jesus birth! Why had not these Pharisees and scribes who were the religious leaders of their day, not seen the same? Because they were focused on the wrong things!
When John the Baptist asked for confirmation, what did Jesus say?
Luke 7:22–23 NASB95
And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
Luke 7:
All of these were fulfillment of prophesies. They had plenty of signs and yet they still denied Christ. Even Jonah when he went to Nineveh was not asked for a sign, they just repented upon Jonah’s word. Yet here are these religious leaders with all kinds of signs and they are wanting more signs.
In a book entitled Down to Earth, John Lawrence tells the story of a city that dared God to show Himself and paid a terrible price. It seems that the city of Messina, Sicily, was home to many wicked, irreligious people. On December 25, 1908, a newspaper published in Messina printed a parody against God, daring Him to make Himself known by sending an earthquake. Three days later, on December 28, the city and its surrounding district was devastated by a terrible quake that killed 84,000 people.
Earthquake
In a book entitled Down to Earth, John Lawrence tells the story of a city that dared God to show Himself and paid a terrible price. It seems that the city of Messina, Sicily, was home to many wicked, irreligious people. On December 25, 1908, a newspaper published in Messina printed a parody against God, daring Him to make Himself known by sending an earthquake. Three days later, on December 28, the city and its surrounding district was devastated by a terrible quake that killed 84,000 people.
“Earthquake” Today in the Word, October, 1997, p. 25
At what point do you acknowledge that signs enough have been given and it is time to accept the truth! At which point Jesus says, it is...

C. Better to settle out of court

Luke 12:57–59 NASB95
“And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? “For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. “I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.”
Luke 12:57-59

1. Settlement & reconciliation vs judgment & sentence (vv 57-59)

a. Settlement & reconciliation vs judgment & sentence
The religious leaders were determined not to accept what Jesus had to say. They could be like a man who argues all the way to court only to be convicted by the judge and sentenced to pay the full cost. Or they could accept the truth and settle out of court. It is a lot less costly to do so. Usually a lesser fee is demanded in such cases.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Fire was set loose when Jesus died on the cross. The line was drawn in the sand. We could either accept the ways of man or the truths of God. There is no other choice. A choice has to be made and when we deny that there is a choice, we are essentially making the choice; denial of God. There is nothing good enough we can do to change that choice.
Romans 3:23 NASB95
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 5:8–9 NASB95
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Ephesians
Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Romans 5:1 NASB95
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Awe
We the accused have been given the chance to settle our guilt out of court. However, for those who argue all the way to court, there will be no turning back. Their’s will be a true judgment by fire.
Allow me to close with this simple, but profound story about how fire can destroy and also save.
One of the first gospel illustrations that ever made a real impression upon my young heart was a simple story which I heard a preacher tell when I was less than nine years old.
Some pioneers who were making their way across one of the central states to a distant place that had been opened up for homesteading. They traveled in covered wagons drawn by oxen, and progress was necessarily slow. One day they were horrified to note a long line of smoke in the west, stretching for miles across the prairie, and soon it was evident that the dried grass was burning fiercely and coming toward them rapidly. They had crossed a river the day before but it would be impossible to go back to that before the flames would be upon them. One man only seemed to have understanding as to what could be done. He gave the command to set fire to the grass behind them. Then when a space was burned over, the whole company moved back upon it.
As the flames roared on toward them from the west, a little girl cried out in terror, “Are you sure we shall not all be burned up?” The leader replied, “My child, the flames cannot reach us here, for we are standing where the fire has been!”
What a picture of the believer, who is safe in Christ!
On Him Almighty vengeance fell,
Which would have sunk a world to hell.
He bore it for a chosen race,
And thus becomes our Hiding Place.
The fires of God’s judgment burned themselves out on Him, and all who are in Christ are safe forever, for they are now standing where the fire has been.
“The Fire.” Illustrations of Bible Truth by H. A. Ironside, Moody Press, 1945, pp. 34-35
Have you made your choice yet? Even not making a choice is making a choice. It is a choice not to follow Jesus Christ. It is the choice to wait until judgement day to see what sentence you receive, only the sentence waiting is nothing but the full penalty. Do not wait! Tomorrow may never come and it could be too late to settle out of court.
We too need to look at the signs of the time. Not only were their prophecies of Jesus first coming, but there are prophesies of his return. The signs are there folks. We need to be diligent to do the work He sent us to do. We need to look past our own physical needs to the spiritual needs of those around us.
Matthew 9:37 NASB95
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
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