 Today we're in Matthew 13. We're going to be looking at verses 44 through 53. And we're going to be looking at the last parables that Jesus gives here in Matthew 13. As I mentioned to you in our introduction, Jesus gives eight parables. And so we'll be looking at the final four parables as we look at these verses. Allow me to begin reading at verse 44. Our read to verse 53 and we'll get into our study. Matthew 13 beginning at verse 44, reading to verse 53. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found in head. And for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which when it was full they drew to the shore. And they sat down and gathered the good into vessels but threw the bad away. So we'll be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus said to them, have you understood all these things? They said to him, yes, Lord. Then he asked them, then he said to them, therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables that he departed from there. And so Jesus, as mentioned a moment ago, has been giving a series of parables. Chapter 13 contains eight parables that Jesus has given concerning the kingdom of heaven. When we looked at the first four parables, the first four parables that we looked at were concerning men's responses to God's kingdom. And so we saw the parable of the sower and the seed. And this particular parable gave us four responses to the gospel. And remember with me, three of those responses were negative, but the fourth one was positive and became fruitful. Then we saw the wheat and the tares. And that parable revealed that the visible church would be asleep and would be infiltrated. We looked at the parable of the mustard seed. And the parable of the mustard seed portrayed the visible church growing but becoming a nesting place filled with evil. We saw the parable of the leaven. And the leaven revealed the church permeated with sins, sins like hypocrisy and doctrinal error and the lack of love. And as Jesus was giving these initially, he gave these first four parables. Remember with me that in verse 43 he concluded by simply saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. That gives to us the responsibility of hearing. It gives to me the responsibility of hearing what the Spirit has to say to the church. And hearing with faith and understanding is important. It's especially important for the believer. Hearing is more than the ability to simply physically hear. When you read hearing, it is especially relating to receiving, not only hearing but receiving and acting upon that which we're listening to. And so when the Lord is speaking concerning hearing in this context, that would include utilizing spiritual discernment. Mark and Luke both communicate concerning this when they're speaking concerning how to receive instruction. And that gives us a deeper insight because in Mark chapter 4, verse 24, Mark writes, he said to them, take heed what you hear. And then in Luke chapter 8 verse 18, Luke says that Jesus said, therefore take heed how you hear. Be careful what you're hearing and be careful how you are hearing. That speaks concerning spiritual discernment, a utilization of that which God had given to us to appropriate what God would have for us. So when Jesus was speaking here, he was intending people to pursue the truer and deeper meaning of the words that he was using. And so we hear with a heart of faith, as well as a heart of determination, not only to hear what is being said, but also to obey what the Spirit would be saying. Now obviously we falter, we're never completely faithful, but it is our desire to obey God's word consistently. None of us is going to be able to live a perfect life this side of heaven. But it's never to be used as an excuse, either to continue in sin. Sometimes people will say, well I'm just a person made of flesh, God knows that and indeed that's true. But God has given to all things that pertain to life and Godliness and when he gave to us his Holy Spirit, he also empowered us to be able to be obedient. So we never make excuse for the continuation of sin and we never say that God's grace enables us to continue in sin and continue on to heaven because that would be a misrepresentation and a misappropriation of what grace actually is because what God would intend for us is to not only hear but to hear and to put into practice, to hear and to obey and to follow him so that he is given to us. And so the Lord here is speaking concerning responses and he has so far been speaking concerning responses to stories, parables that relate to the kingdom of God. And so he continues on now to give other parables. He's going to continue with four more parables and he's speaking concerning the kingdom of God and continuing to do so. So as we look at verse 44 through 46 first and look at this, he says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found in head and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls who when he had found one pearl of great prize went and sold all that he had and bought it. So he continues now to give four more parables. Now, as I look at this, I want to make sure that I develop something by saying first what he's not saying because when you read what he's saying in verse 44 and I'll look at it again. He says, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found in head and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. There are those who would say, well, this looks like Jesus is saying it's okay to be deceitful, greedy and dishonest because a guy comes across some treasure in a field and decides to buy that field so he can get that treasure. So it looks to me like Jesus is saying that it's okay to have no ethics to be a thief. So let's begin by first saying that Jesus is not encouraging deception to gain what one greedily desires. What he's doing is he's using an illustration that everybody would be familiar with. You see, during his day the practice of burying valuables was very common. Most people hid their valuables by burying them in a sacred place. Over the long history of Israel, Israel had been attacked many times and families often would bury valuables to keep them out of the hand of those who had plundered. You see, if I were there living in Israel and I had buried my treasures in the field that I owned if I was taken captive, I might be released and when I'm released I can go back to my field and I can find those things that were valuable to me. I could retrieve my goods. You see, over the centuries because they had a long history Israel had become somewhat of a treasure field and so hidden treasure was occasionally found by inhabitants of the land. When it was found, it was permissible for them to keep what was found. So Jesus is not teaching that greed is permissible and blessed by God. Now we're living in a time when words have to be defined because we don't necessarily know what those words mean anymore. The word greed is an intense and selfish desire for something especially power, food, or wealth and God does not bless greed. We need to be very careful to say that on the onset. God's word speaks specifically against it. Proverbs 15, 27 says a greedy man brings trouble to his family. He who hates bribes will live. Proverbs 28, 25 says a greedy man stirs up dissension but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. So Jesus taught that satisfaction in life isn't based on the acquisition of material goods alone. Now it isn't the material goods in and of themselves that are evil. I mean, I've heard one scripture misquoted so many times and people will say money is the root of all evil. Well that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Money in and of itself is used as a tool and sometimes God will bless materially. As a matter of fact, quite often he will bless materially but he blesses those who have a heart for him and take that which he has given to them and used for his kingdom. God will bless you and there's nothing wrong with asking Lord, provide for me my daily bread. Father, I need work. I need something labor and I want to be able to pay for my house, pay my bills, feed my children, put clothing on their back. I want to take care of those things Lord. There's nothing wrong with asking the Lord to provide for you in that way but Jesus made it very clear that the essential possession that we're to have is not necessarily material at all. The essential possession is a relationship, a relationship with God. That's why in Luke 12.15 Jesus said watch out, be on your guard against all kinds of greed. And it went on to say a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Man's life is not made up essentially of the things that he owns. You are not what you wear. You are not what you drive. You are not where you live. Those are things that may express your personal taste and your abilities to purchase but that doesn't say who you really are. And so we have to be careful to realize that Jesus said my life doesn't consist in the abundance of material possessions. Someone wrote, Possessing the good things of the world cannot prevent diseases nor death nor do the comfort and happiness of life lie in these things. Eternal life cannot be acquired by possessing any of these things. And so those are things that are outside of materialism. You see greed often reveals a hunger for something outside of the relationship with the Lord. And in reality greed is a form of idolatry and as such will exclude a person from salvation. Greed. We think that if we have a lot of money we are going to be happier and that's not necessarily true. I was on my way one time to do a men's conference in the city of Las Vegas. So I got on a plane here in the city of Ontario and we were flying from Ontario to Las Vegas and I had never been on a plane before going from Ontario or anywhere to Las Vegas and I couldn't believe it. I mean there were people there making all this noise they almost had these little hats and these little things. Party favors. And I remember looking around and I was just looking at all these people with a few friends of mine and we were on our way to Las Vegas and they were on our way we were going to get rich. Two days later I'm on my way back and that plane was so quiet. A bunch of losers and everything, right? But on the way all we're going to be rich we're going to drop a dollar in a slot and I'm going to walk away with a million dollars in this and that, right? And it just doesn't happen. And somebody was once being asked and I was happening to watch this on an interview on television and he was a manager of a very large very expensive hotel in Las Vegas and he was asked a question by the interviewer the interviewer said to him what is it that draws people Las Vegas? He said yes. He said in one word greed. They think they're going to make it. They think they're going to, you know they're going to play the right number. They're going to pull the right, you know, machine or whatever. They're going to make it. He said in one word that which draws people to Las Vegas is greed. It's a desire for materialism because material things because they think that if I have this car if I have this house if I have these clothes if I have these shoes if I have all of these things that will make my life better but a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses the essentials of life are things that God gave to us free love, air, food these are things that are necessities but certain kinds of things are not. And so Jesus made it very clear and in fact greed in Scripture in the South is declared to be sinful because it reveals a hunger for something outside of a relationship with God it is in reality a form of idolatry and as such will exclude a person from salvation. How do we know that? Well Ephesians 5 verse 5 for of this you can be sure no immoral impure or greedy person such a man is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God greed is one of those sins that has replaced God with a material possession so with that in mind Jesus is not teaching the unethical acquisition of someone else's property be very careful that you don't pursue something to the loss of your family be careful that you don't pursue something that you think will enrich you to the loss of your family there are a lot of men who work and work and work so that they can accumulate enough so they can take their leisure and ultimately relax and in doing so have lost months and years in the family life that they'll never regain they'll never have it back you gained the world Jesus said but you lost your soul you pursued that which you thought would satisfy you to your own heart and so the Lord never says pursue these things Paul said having things to eat and drink you said these are the things that I'm satisfied with in life we give to us those things freely as we serve him and if we keep those things in terms of in the proper perspective our life is going to be blessed by him Jesus is not teaching the unethical acquisition of someone else's property so as we look at this particular parable it relates to a man digging in a field the first one now this individual that Jesus speaks about when he speaks of this treasure hidden in a field around and hid this particular illustration or parable would be speaking more than likely of a man who's renting and he's renting this particular portion of land and he's working the field and as he's working the field he discovers there's buried treasure the buried treasure presumably had been left by a previous owner now it would have been a previous owner because if the present owner knew that there was treasure in the field he would have retrieved that treasure before he sold the property so the treasure didn't belong to the present owner he wasn't aware of its presence if he had known then the treasure would not have been included in the deal you see rabbinic law permitted a buyer to purchase a field and to keep anything that they found in it the law states if a man finds a treasure fruit or money it belongs to the finder we used to have this little thing that we'd say finders keepers losers what weepers we used to say that finders keepers losers weepers well in rabbinic law if I found something on property and all under certain circumstances if I found scattered fruit or money it would belong to the one who found it and so if the man in the parable he would simply have taken the treasure without bothering to sell all that he had to purchase it somebody would ask why not just take the money and purchase the field with the money that he found so with this said what is it that the Lord intends to teach us in this parable as well as the pearl of great price and so if you take notes what he intends to teach us in the parable of hidden treasure and the pearl of great price is the cost of salvation that's what he's illustrating now we learn things about the kingdom of heaven from these parables in verse 44 that particular parable the treasure in a field gives us insight into the treasure the treasure is the church the field would represent the world the man who found the treasure is God and what does he do well he sells everything he has he buys the field that he might obtain the treasure what is the price well it says here he sold everything he had and so that great cost would illustrate that the price is Jesus Christ when you tie that into the second in verses 45 and 46 the pearl of great price he says the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it that also illustrates to us the cost it gives us three basic things if you take notes three basic things about salvation one it reveals to us and notice with me that it is God who is doing the seeking neither the treasure nor the pearl is seeking to be found or even to be purchased and that's because they're not even aware of the fact that they're hidden from sight and so the bottom line is is that those who are lost very often don't even know that they are lost they think that they're fine but they are lost the bible says in Isaiah 53 verse 6 all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and so we are lost and gone astray and don't even realize it sometimes people think that they're doing just fine but the bible from Genesis to Revelation portrays man as being lost and Jesus as the one who seeks them out God seeks them out in Romans 3, 11 and 12 it says there is none who understands there's none who seeks after God they are all gone out of the way and they are together become unprofitable there's none who does good no not one so there's none who seeks after God God is the one seeking after man and so one we see that God is the one who is seeking out he goes into this field and he finds this hidden treasure and he goes and he finds a beautiful pearl and he sells all that he has and so one it reveals that God initiates this and second it reveals that God pays a great price for the treasure as well as for the pearl so he went out the bible says and he sold all that he had to buy the field and to buy that pearl stories of a man a missionary who spent many years in the nation of India and as he was going about for many many years over 40 years of doing mission work in India his time of service had come to an end and it was time for him to leave and so he is going to different people and he was speaking to them one last time and he went up to this man that he'd been witnessing to for many many years and once again said to him I'm about to leave I've appreciated our friendship but I want to once again ask you will you not receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and the Indian man whom he's speaking to says to him I've told you many times that I cannot do so because you have said to me that God wants to give to me eternal life and I do not believe that such a gift can come without me paying a great price for it myself so no I cannot receive you claim to be a free gift when in fact I believe you have to do something to purchase it but I want to give to you something in honor of our friendship you've been a good friend to me over the years and I have something that's very very dear to me that I want you to have because I've come to love you very much and this older man this Indian man reaches into his pocket and pulls out dirty handkerchief and hands this handkerchief to the missionary and as the missionary feels the weight in that handkerchief he opens it up and he looks and in the midst of that handkerchief on the palm of his hand rests a huge black pearl the most perfect pearl he had ever seen and as he looks at this he says this is without price this is too valuable I can't take this from you I can't take it back he says no the old man says no I want to give it to you it shows you my love for you and my esteem for you it's a gift to you no I want you to have that and the missionary says I can't take it this is a very price it's a very costly very pricey gift I can't take it from you and the man says to him listen you need to understand something you didn't know the Indian man says I had a son and my son was the best pearl diver in the area and one day my son went down and as he went down he went down deep and he found an oyster and as he was working the oyster he opened it and he found this pearl but he had gone down too deep and he had been in the water too long and when he was coming and when he was coming to the surface he didn't have enough air and he drowned he says the men went in and retrieved his body and when they retrieved his body and pulled him up his hand was closed on this pearl they opened his hand and they found this pearl and he said it's a gift to you I cannot sell to you what cost the life of my son without price and the missionary said no let me buy it let me buy this from you he said name your price no you don't understand it cost my son his life I cannot sell to you what cost him his life and the man said you mean that pearl is without price and he said yes it has to come as a gift it cannot come at your cost and he said and that is the grace of God God sent his son to die on a cross for you something you couldn't purchase by your own works you receive it by faith it's a gift that God gives to you it's the pearl without price and that's what God would have for us is the pearl without price you can't work your way into the kingdom of heaven because the sacrifice of the son of God was too costly it's too costly it is something that cost the Lord his life and Isaiah 5310 it says it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering he will see his offspring and prolong his days the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand God says that he loved the world so much he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life for God sent not a son into the world to condemn the world might be saved God initiates it God pays the great price for it indeed redemption is costly Psalm 49 verses 7 through 9 says no man can redeem the life of another or gift to God a ransom for him the ransom for a life is costly no payment is ever enough that he should live on forever and not see decay the cost of redemption is very high 1 Peter 1 18 and 19 says you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers but with the precious blood of Christ a lamb without blemish or defect in Ephesians 1 7 Paul said in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace and so God initiates he pays a great price and there is great joy in finding the treasure notice again in verse 44 how it says the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid and for a joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field there is great joy in the kingdom of heaven God finds the treasure God rejoices there is another portion of Scripture it is found in Luke 15 where the Lord Jesus Christ speaks concerning a lost sheep and a lost coin and a lost son and when he is speaking concerning a lost sheep and lost coin he illustrates the joy that occurs when that sheep or that coin is found by saying in Luke 15 10 likewise I say to you there is joy God over one sinner who repents there is joy in the presence of the angels of God it has been said that the angels are rejoicing but it seems to me that it's God who is rejoicing in front of the angels so when one person comes of faith in Christ there is great joy in heaven and that's what Jesus is illustrating here for great with great joy because he has found that which was lost and so God initiates salvation he pays the great price and he rejoices when that person is found now he goes into verse 47 through 50 and he gives another parable the parable of the dragnet and he says again the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind which when it was full they drew to shore and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels but notice it threw the bad away so it will be at the end of the age the angels will come forth separate the wicked from among the just cast them into the furnace of fire there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth the parable of the dragnet this is the seventh parable Jesus teaches now when you look in the history of Israel you'll notice basically three methods of fishing there was what we call the hook and line which we're all familiar with they also had what is called small net fishing there would be one fisherman who would be on the shore and he'd throw a small net and then they had what was called the dragnet a dragnet it was used by a group of fishermen and it would be spread it could be spread over a half of a square mile and it formed a giant circle and a team of fishermen in boats would work it and so it would drop and then they would just draw it up now the result of this dragnet would be what is called an indiscriminate catch whatever was pulled up is just part of the catch but they would carefully inspect the fish that were pulled up they'd be sorted some would be taken to a distant market they'd put them in water containers some fish were sold locally they would place them into the basket but the fish that were not acceptable were discarded these people knew what Jesus was speaking about when he gave this particular parable now what he's speaking about he is speaking of final judgment that's what he says in verse 49 when he says so it will be at the end of the age the angels will come forth separate the wicked from among the just and cast them into the furnace of fire and it goes on to say there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth so he's speaking of final judgment and as he's speaking about this he gives us some insight he speaks about this judgment the judgment will be in a place that is reserved for those who've been judged and have rejected and they will be cast into ultimately what is called the lake of fire very often we'll use the word hell in Revelation 20 it speaks concerning the lake of fire it's the place of final judgment now this lake of fire this final judgment, this place of judgment was not created for man it's interesting to note that it was first created for the devil and fallen angels in Matthew 2541 it says he will say to those on his left depart from me you are accursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels so it was created as judgment for them and it's a terrible place to end up it's been said he shall have hell as a debt who will not have heaven as a gift and when people hear the gospel and reject it it isn't that God wants them to go to hell it's that they're making a choice to reject what was offered it's interesting that Jesus has given this series of parables but he's coming out to its conclusion and is saying that in the rejection of my word there are repercussions there is a place that they will go and it's a place of judgment he says that this place is when you read Scripture it's revealed to be a place of torment and sorrow you can see that when you study in the New Testament especially in Luke chapter 16 in Luke chapter 16 there's a portion of Scripture we're all familiar with a portion of Scripture that speaks about a rich man and a man who was poor, a man by the name of Lazarus and so the rich man would eat banquets every day and he in King James he fared sumptuously he ate like a king every day but there was a man who was laid at his gate by the name of Lazarus who was a beggar and he would beg and scrounge for the scraps from this rich man's table and the dogs Jesus said would come and actually lick the wounds of Lazarus and they both died it says the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side the rich man also died and was buried in hell where he was in torment he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side so we called him father Abraham have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire I am in agony in this fire somebody once said it's never true to say something hurts like hell because nothing hurts like hell and that's what he's saying I'm in torment I'm in torment have him come and bring some water for me I am thirsty I'm in torment here in this place and so the bottom line the Lord is saying here his final judgment comes and it is a place of torment and it's a place of sorrow that's what the Bible teaches I mentioned to you recently how somebody who used to be in this fellowship some part of our church he would visit on occasion I had met him he was actually the husband of somebody that we knew and she on occasion would bring him to church and on one occasion he says oh I'm going to go to hell I know that but all my friends will be there and we'll party well the Lord Jesus Christ says no you're not going to party it's a place of torment it's a place of pain and it's a place that he doesn't want you to go you see the penalty in the final Revelation 20 verse 10 says the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown they will be tormented day and night forever and ever Jesus spoke often of this because he wanted people not to go there somebody once said let not anyone who thinks that fear of hell should be put out of the mind of unsaved man ever suppose the slightest understanding of what Jesus came into the world to say and do there are many today who will say there is no final punishment you just die and you become food for worms Jesus didn't teach that and as he's speaking he's making it very clear he says in verse 50 they will be cast into the furnace of fire and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth and after he says that verse 51 Jesus said to them God all these things they said to him yes Lord then he said to them therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old and now he gives the parable of the householder the eighth and final parable of the chapter now notice with me verse 51 Jesus said to them have you understood all these things have you rightly put these things together now I want you to notice this when he says have you understood all these things that will always be the concern of a teacher do you understand what you've been taught someone said matters of the utmost weight and importance should be considered again and again until they've been thoroughly understood now he'd already been speaking concerning this and how that the enemy will come and take from the soil that which has been planted and so naturally he wants to reinforce the teaching that the word needs to find a receptive heart and therefore he said do you understand have you understood all these things and the response to him is yes yes we have we've understood so he goes on to say therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure notice things new and old now what is he saying this process is part of the way you experience spiritual growth you have a treasure of knowledge both of what you have learned and what you are presently learning so what I have said previously with what you have recently learned you're supposed to hear what has been said in the past that was your foundation and now you add to that what you've been taught and that demonstrates that your edifice of understanding is beginning to grow you have a foundation some very basic things and now Jesus is saying I'm adding to those things listen it's not enough to enter into the kingdom of heaven as a baby but we're supposed to move on into young adulthood and then ultimately to become what would be called a father or a mother of the faith you aren't supposed to stay a baby you're supposed to grow I'm not supposed to enter in as a baby and remain a baby all of my spiritual life 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 years later I'm still drinking the milk of the word because I haven't grown to having the meat of the word and so what he would be saying is he's saying that you need to take what has been given to you previously add to it what you're learning and that creates in you a maturity a level of understanding and the way that you actually grow in your maturity isn't simply intellectually assenting to things that are said but it's putting into practice the things that are said and building your life on that so that you're not only hearing but you're also doing and in the hearing in the doing you're maturing that's how it works the Bible in Proverbs 1.5 says listen and add to their learning let the discerning get guidance Proverbs 9.9 instruct a wise man he'll be wiser still, teacher righteous man and he will add to his learning and so that's why you'll hear from this pulpit me encouraging you to not simply be a Sunday morning Christian but to put the word of God into practice daily have your devotions, pick up the Bible in the morning and listen to what the word says turn on one of the radio stations on your way to work that teaches listen to the teaching and grow daily if you can be in a midweek if you can be involved in small groups or be involved in various things do so, it strengthens you and what happens is the foundation actually has an edifice that is built upon it that is maturing and you're taking what is being said and you're applying what is being said and you're growing in your understanding of God and that's how it works and as you gain you give so be wise in the way that you practice the new revelation because in gaining new understanding you're growing in your maturity as well as your responsibility and we are to be a growing disciple we're to hunger for the milk of the word we're to hunger after righteousness in 2 Peter 3 18 it says grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and so not only do we receive but we also live out what God taught us James 1 22 says be doers of the word not hearers only deceiving yourselves and then what you do is you share with others what you've received notice how he says in verse 52 who brings out of his treasure the words bring out is a Greek word ekbalon it means to cast out or to drive out it speaks of sending out or distributing widely what you have learned by study and experience distribute to others in a wise manner as part of your growth process I got saved and when I I got saved the young man who was discipling me there at the Hollywood Palladium December 27 1970 that young man who was discipling said to me read the word pray fellowship and tell someone about Jesus that's the way he said four basic things read the word pray fellowship with other Christians and tell somebody so I'm 20 years old I just got saved I come home they drop me off at my parents house I was living with my parents I was supposed to have received not me personally I was supposed to be smoking some pot that had been received by some friends of mine who lived across the street and I had gone to this Christian event rather than getting high and now I cross the street I still remember them dropping my friends and I walk across the street rather than going in the house I crossed the street, crossed another street went to my friend's house and as I went into that house I was looking for my friend Gilbert and Baby Doll and some of the other people that were there Baby Doll they all have nicknames my friend Gilbert's name was Gigi his brother was Lolo I mean they had all these names that's the truth there were dear friends of mine I had known them since I was a little boy they lived across the street from us for many years their mama I knew her very well I was there all the time I was getting high at their house all the time used to go into the garage close the garage door and just get high that's what we did all the time now I go across the street and I walk into the house and I talk to mom and I say to her you know what I just did well what did you do we're sitting at the dinner table and I say to her, I've become the first one in Christ I become born again she looks at me and says really I said yes and I shared what had happened first thing with her first thing they came to faith in Christ Mary-Louis actually Baby Doll actually became a worship leader in the church that she attended they all came to faith in Christ the majority of the family did there were 9 kids the majority of them came to faith in Christ and so I went and shared with them into my parents' den. And I walked in and I looked at him and I said, Mom, Dad, Becky, Madeline, I love you, praise the Lord. And that's when my two sisters jumped up and came following me as I went into a bathroom, which is right there. And Mama stops while I'm talking to my sisters. And I still remember my dad patting her on the back as she's shaking her head like this. She thought I went crazy. She went into her bedroom and she did a rosary for me because she knew her son had finally just gone over. She was so afraid. That was my mom. My sister Madeline went to her bed. It was late. She went to bed and she said, whatever you did to my brother, do that for me. And my sister Madeline gave her heart to Christ that same night. She gave her heart to Jesus Christ. Three weeks later is when I'm sharing with my parents out of Revelation 9 and I open the Bible, read the portion to my dad and say to him, Dad, you are a good man. You are the best man I will ever know. But you will be the best man in hell if you don't give your heart to Jesus Christ. I said, I love you Daddy and I don't want to go to heaven without you. Bow your head. You're giving your heart to Christ right this minute. And my dad and my mom, that's how they came to faith in Christ. They bowed their head and they gave their heart to Jesus Christ. Then my sister, rather my brother Frank, a couple years later, I went in the military, got out. I took him to church one night and my brother Frank, August 4th, 1974, gave his heart to Jesus Christ. He needed a Bible study. So I started teaching a Bible study at his house in the city of Ontario. He invited workers. A young woman named Marie shows up. Two weeks later, three weeks later, Marie gives her heart to Jesus Christ. My sister Becky enters in a lesbian relationship in a lesbian lifestyle and stays there over 20 years. She says something like 27 years. She comes to an Easter service here. I give an invitation. She lives in New Mexico. I didn't even know she was here. She gives her heart to Jesus Christ. That's what he's saying. You take it and you give it. God has called us to take this message out, not to keep it in these four walls, but to tell our family, our friends, those who we live next to, you know, the neighbors, the people we work with. When given opportunity, no, I'm not saying shove the gospel down their throat, but he says, a wise scribe will take it out and we'll give it. That's what I've been doing now for many years since 1970 is taking the word and giving it to people. Don't be afraid. Tell them the truth. Tell them the truth. I said to dad, I don't want to go to heaven without you. Daddy, you will be the best man in hell if you don't give your heart to Jesus Christ. Don't be changing the word of God to suit the ears of the ear. Just tell the truth. Jesus cared. Jesus said, this is what happens. The end of the age, the angels come, they sort out these fish and the ones that are not right, they will enter into judgment. People don't want to hear that. I understand. Everybody goes to heaven in the United States, right? Even your dogs and parakeets, right? Everybody goes to heaven. But that's not what Jesus taught. If everybody just went to heaven, why preach? Why share? Why did Paul go everywhere? Why did he make it his aim to preach the name of Christ for the name had never been proclaimed? Why did you do that, Paul? If everybody's going to go to heaven, why did you care? Because that is not what's going to happen. It's going to happen where the angels will come. They will take those. They will sort them out. Some enter into judgment and Jesus said, it's eternal. That ought to motivate us to love our friends and our family. Love them enough to tell them the truth. Tell them that God loves them. Tell them that Jesus died on cross for them. Tell them that he was buried but he was raised the third day. Tell them that the Holy Spirit will indwell them. Their lives can be changed. They can have purpose. They can have peace. They can have joy. They can know what love is. Tell them that their families can be salvaged. That God can do a work. That the hypocrite could be changed to be sincere. That the drug addict can be set free. That the alcoholic can become a good father or a good mother. Tell them what God can do. Take it out of these four walls and tell somebody that God loves them because that's what Jesus taught us to do. That's a fact. That's what he said. And we need to not only learn but we need to distribute and we do so as a wise individual. There are times when the Lord gives to us opportunity and he says speak. There are times when he says I'm holding you back. Just be waiting on the Lord. You see one last thing and then we'll close. I'm not saying go to work and don't work. Just preach. Become you know just no I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that. Be the best worker on the job site. Be the best worker on the job site. Be the most honest. Be on time. Work a full day. Leave on time. Don't take extra breaks. Don't rip off your employer. Don't don't be giving out dirty stories and don't be listening to them either. Just be a man. Be a woman with integrity so that they'll see that and they'll say there's something different about you. There's something I don't know what you're saying. Well it's just you're different. You're different. I'm a Christian. Yeah yeah yeah we all are. What you're seeing is the Lord working in my heart. Really somebody just came yesterday yesterday and we're talking they were talking to someone after a funeral that we had just yesterday. Dears served in this fellowship for many years went home to be with the Lord and a great number of people showed up and not every one of them had gone to this fellowship and one was speaking to somebody after the funeral service and said I have never been around a group of people like this before it makes me think I could be one of these. I could be a Christian because she was seeing love in action. She saw love in action because all these people who cared about this friend of hers she wasn't even aware that there were people like that you know they watch TV and they see these caricatures of a Christian. They see somebody with a Bible holding it up yelling out yeah I believe this is the best book I was given to me by my family blah blah blah then a moment later they're gossiping about somebody or swearing or whatever and they say if that's what a Christian is then I must already be one because that's what I do do. But when they see somebody who loves and cares when they see somebody who serves as generous has charitable heart towards people in all speaks the truth that's so in love has a concern for their eternity and that's different and that's what God has called us to do and that's what God has called us as believers to be. Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables he departed from there so he's leaving he gave eight parables there in the city of Capernaum and he's leaving Capernaum and he's on his way now to the city of Nazareth and we will be looking at the response to Jesus in his home city next time we get together. Father we pray that you would work in our hearts even right now as we have come into this place and we have heard your word we would ask that you would have your way amongst us and even as our eyes are closed our heads are bowed perhaps there are some in this room right now the Spirit of God is speaking to you need to get right with the Lord and you know it and so as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed if you need prayer you need to get right with him would you raise your hand and let me pray for you just where you're at raise your hand that I might see you and pray for your father you see these hands going out throughout this place right now and I'm asking that you would reach down and you would touch them their hearts are opening to you and I'm asking that you would settle on them and Lord I ask that your word would find a home in them and that they would begin from this point on to live for you thank you for the washing and the cleansing of the blood of Christ the newness of life that we have as you forgive us our sin thank you that we now are becoming your temple and your spirit will dwell in us we ask that we would hunger and thirst after you your righteousness and that we would pursue you from this moment on we give you praise and we give you thanks as we turn from our sin we forsake it and we turn to you and bless you Lord and thank you you can put your hands down and Jesus I ask that you keep moving in all of us to your glory in your name amen let's all stand now remember Jesus asked the question have you understood all these things did that make sense to you today did it I hope so I hope so may the Lord work in us and remember we have a service tonight we have a service Wednesday don't be a stranger to your church come and spend time with us get into the word with us