What Will It Take?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the 1st Sunday in Advent, the 29th of November, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

This morning we lit the Advent candle of hope, representing that our hope, as believers, is in Jesus.  Christ Jesus is our only hope for salvation.  But what of those who do not believe?  What of those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused to accept the Gospel?

They have no hope - they’re hopeless, and many don’t even realize it.  Jesus gives us an excellent example of one such man without hope.  Please listen and follow along to the parable Christ told of a rich man and a poor beggar, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in his Gospel account, chapter 16, verses 19 through 31, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

--Luke 16:19-31 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for Your word to instruct us.  Thank You for allowing us to be safe from eternal pain and torment by our faith and belief in Your Son Jesus, our true hope.  Please help us to serve Him and to obey His commands.  Help us love others as we love ourselves and to go into the world making more disciples for Him.  Help us give hope to the hopeless.  And Father, please protect us from all the violence and disease in this world.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and purpose in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day.  Give us the conviction of our faith to convince others of the truth of the Gospel and influence them to believe and serve Jesus.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

When Benjamin Franklin wished to interest the people of Philadelphia in street lighting, he didn't try to persuade them by just talking about it.  He hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket in front of his home.  He kept the glass highly polished.  Every evening at the approach of dusk, he carefully lit the wick.  People saw the light from a distance and when they walked in its light, found that it helped them to avoid sharp stones on the pavement.  Others placed light at their homes, and soon Philadelphia recognized the need for street lighting.

We should take note of Franklin’s example when it comes to trying to persuade others to accept Jesus as Lord.  As they learn of the peace and joy we have in our life in Christ, they will recognize their need for Him as well.  Our witness through personal testimony may be just what someone else is waiting for.

In what we call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about the rewards of this world and the rewards of heaven.  Those who seek only what this world has to offer will not receive the treasures our Father God has in store.

The rich man in our parable serves as a great example of one who sought after and enjoyed the good things this life has to offer.  So insatiable was his appetite for worldly possessions that he ignored the poor beggar at his gate, a man who had nothing but his faith.

Both died, with the beggar joining Abraham in heaven while the rich man who had enjoyed all his reward during his life on earth suffered in anguish in the flames.  The rich man’s cries for relief soon turned to concern for his brothers, that they not follow his path.  Abraham responded that they, like himself, had every chance to heed what the prophets had foretold and to be saved, but it was not enough for them.  Nor would they be persuaded even if someone returned from the dead to warn them.

What will it take for a hopeless non-believer to believe and receive hope?  We’ve already seen the truth of Abraham’s words.  Jesus was raised from the dead and came back to warn us of the consequences of non-belief, and He was witnessed by over 500 people.  Yet so many, then and today, refuse to believe, refuse to accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord.  Even though their only Hope stands before them, they remain hopeless.

Listen to what Paul spoke in the synagogue at Antioch on the Sabbath, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 13, verses 38 through 44…

38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39 Everyone who believes in Him is made right in God’s sight — something the law of Moses could never do. 40 Be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said, 

41 ‘Look, you mockers,
be amazed and die!
For I am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe
even if someone told you about it.'” 

42 As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people begged them to speak about these things again the next week. 43 Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. 

44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord.

--Acts 13:38-44 (NLT)

Paul boldly strode into the Jewish synagogue and openly proclaimed the Gospel of salvation through Jesus and Jesus alone.  Only through Jesus can sins be forgiven.  And while many came to accept Jesus as Lord because of Paul’s preaching, so many more refused to believe, even though they were told.

What will it take for some people?  Sadly, even good people can be persuaded by the wrong influences, can listen to the wrong people.

King Ahab, the 7th king of the northern kingdom of Israel, did evil in the eyes of God.  Along with his wife, Jezebel, he instituted idol worship and put false prophets in places of authority.  In the 1st Book of the Kings, chapter 22, verses 19 through 23, the prophet Micaiah proclaimed to Ahab…

19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

--1 Kings 22:19-23 (NKJV)

Some folks have lying spirits in them that we must guard against.  Our job, as assigned by Jesus, is to convince others to accept the Gospel, not to ourselves accept what the world claims is truth.  We must not let the world influence us, but instead must be a positive influence to others so that they can see Jesus in us.  And in this way, we have a chance of giving hope to the hopeless.

So what will it take?  It will take us remaining faithful and true to Jesus.  It will take us loving others and showing them the truth of Jesus.  It will take us showing the hope that is Jesus to those without hope.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, the one true Son of God, our one true hope.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to offer hope for those who would accept Him.  Our hope is not a wish but an expectation, because everything You have ever said has come true.  Thank You, Father, for this great gift of hope, of faith, of Jesus.  Help us, please Father, to honor You by serving Him.  Strengthen us, embolden us to carry out His great commission.  Help us to be good, obedient servants.  And Father, help us be more loving, more trusting, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward all that we encounter in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You clearly warn us about what is in store if we seek only those rewards this world has to offer while ignoring the needs of others.  You caution us to spend this life in service to You, doing as You command us.  Please help us to ignore the influences of the world while being a positive influence to others.  Forgive us, Jesus, when we hesitate to step out of our comfort zone and tell others about what You mean to us, what You’ve done for us.  Help us to go into the world, giving hope to the hopeless.  Give us Your heart for loving others and making disciples.  Strengthen us, Jesus, through these trying times.  And Lord, please heal those hurts that separate and divide us, even within Your church family.  Help us remain faithful and obedient no matter what we go through.  May our focus be more on the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.