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Receiving the Master's Degree in Discernment (Luke 12:49-59)
20 Plays25 days ago
Sunday Message recorded 03 May 2026
by Senior Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church - Columbus, TX, USA
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Sermon on Luke 12
00:00:06
Speaker
Would you open God's word to Luke chapter 12? We're going to finish up chapter 12 this morning, Lord willing. Luke 12 verses 49 to
Lifelong Learning and Personal Growth
00:00:17
Speaker
59. As I said earlier, we're very excited about those who are going to be finishing up their high school career and they're going to be graduating.
00:00:25
Speaker
We're going to celebrate with them. We have a senior banquet in a couple of weeks, senior Sunday in two more weeks. And then the community baccalaureate service will also be that Sunday night in two weeks.
00:00:38
Speaker
So it'll be at nighttime. But I trust that you are a lifelong learner, that even if you've finished high school, even if you're finished with you know college and so forth, I pray that you'll never stop learning, that you'll always be growing.
Discernment in Maturing in Christ
00:00:55
Speaker
I know I've heard many men say, that they got their degree through the school of hard knocks. And that's a, that's a legitimate school. can learn a lot in there. But one important area of growth needed today, I believe is development in discernment development in discernment, you know, maturing in Christ includes distinguishing between good and evil, between right and wrong truth and error between light and darkness.
Celebrating Achievements and Spiritual Commencement
00:01:26
Speaker
It was a joy on Friday to celebrate with our associate pastor, youth pastor, Josh Schell. He graduated and Jody and I got to be there. I don't know if this photo was taken. No, there's Shiloh in the picture. She took a lot of pictures too. And so I didn't know if it was one of the ones she took, but obviously I took that one. But anyway, so excited for Josh and Hannah.
00:01:50
Speaker
I know that Hannah was supportive of Josh when he was going through all of his seminary studies. And just so you know, just, I mean, your family, i want you to know he graduated with an overall GPA of 3.91. And so great.
00:02:07
Speaker
I could not be more proud of of him and his accomplishments and his diligence and so forth. But what I'm so excited about, in addition to that degree, which the degree presented to him on Friday was a Master of Theological Studies degree,
00:02:24
Speaker
But I'm thankful for how he lives. I'm thankful for what he's learning from God's word. I'm thankful for his discernment and how the Lord has helped him to grow in the Lord. And so I am truly grateful for Josh, just the man.
00:02:39
Speaker
And I told him, you know, i wanted to capture a picture or there. So right before that picture, his his ah cap there, his graduation cap was giving him trouble. So he took it off.
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Speaker
So I told him, I said, Look, the sun is shining and glaring off of your head. Put the cap back on and let's get a picture. Anyway, so we got that picture and I'm so excited for him.
00:03:01
Speaker
But did you realize that those of you that are getting ready to graduate, you know, did you realize that graduation, we sometimes call it commencement because it means beginnings.
00:03:12
Speaker
So even if you have not started growing in Christ, maybe something caused you to sort of just stagnate and you're just at the same place you've always been. You can always commence. You can always start.
00:03:24
Speaker
You can learn a lot from the Lord and from Scripture. And so that's why I encourage you to get into God's Word and let the Lord speak to you.
Developing Discernment Through Scripture
00:03:33
Speaker
Today, since we're going to be talking about a degree in discernment,
00:03:39
Speaker
I wanted you to see another passage that's sort of related to this passage. It's found in Hebrews chapter 5, verses 11 through 14, but it actually uses the word ah discernment in there. When it comes to developing one's personal discernment,
00:03:57
Speaker
And growing in spiritual maturity, i believe Hebrews 5, 11 through 14 reminds us of the curriculum. It points to the lab.
00:04:08
Speaker
The textbook that is used in learning to develop in discernment is the word of God. And the lab, the practice, we have to put into practice in daily life what Jesus tells us whenever we're studying in his word each morning.
00:04:29
Speaker
But I want you to notice, as stated in verse 11, that there's one's personal hunger or the lack of hunger can make such a great difference in terms of ah how far you grow and how deep you grow. Listen to what it says in verses 11 and 12.
00:04:47
Speaker
About this, we have much to say. God has a lot to say, you know, through all 66 books of of the Bible. He has a lot to say. Jesus would have a lot to say to us, but he said, it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.
00:05:04
Speaker
Now, I know that you're here because you're not dull of hearing. You're eager to learn. You want to learn. And I'm glad you're here. He says in verse 12 of those people that he was writing to, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.
00:05:26
Speaker
You need milk, not solid food. Did you see that? I mean, it's incredible how our commitment to God's word makes a difference on how we grow.
Spiritual Maturity: Beyond Superficial Understanding
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Speaker
But listen to verses 13 and 14. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. But get this verse 14.
00:05:51
Speaker
But solid food is for the mature. For those who have their powers of discernment trained. Help. By constant practice to distinguish between good from evil.
00:06:06
Speaker
See, spiritual discernment is not for those who settle for biblical fast food. Some just say, well, I just want to live on the milk. Then the Bible would say you're going to stay a child spiritually. You're not going to grow and mature like the Lord wants you to.
00:06:25
Speaker
But, you know, I remember Waylon B. Moore, one of my mentors, saying to us a long time ago, you've got all of God you want. You've got all of God you want. The problem sometimes with me, maybe with you, is that sometimes we settle for so so much less of all that God is and all that God wants to show us.
Jesus' Teachings on Division and Discernment
00:06:47
Speaker
So I want you to spend time in the laboratory of life And say, God, would you develop the powers of discernment within me? Train me so that I could practice good and not evil.
00:07:03
Speaker
So I invite you to listen closely now going back to our text for today, which is in Luke chapter 12, verses 49 to 59. I want to read through this passage.
00:07:13
Speaker
And we're going to sit at the feet of our instructor. Not me, Jesus. He's the one who said all of these things between verse 15. 49 down through verse 59. And I believe that the engine that is going to pull this message, it's all about discernment. Would you stand in honor of God's holy word with me? Thank you.
00:07:32
Speaker
I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it were already kindled. I have a baptism to be baptized with and how great is my distress until it is accomplished.
00:07:48
Speaker
Do you think That I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on, in one house, there'll be five divided, three against two, two against three.
00:08:04
Speaker
They'll be divided father against son and son against father. Mother against daughter and daughter-in-law against mother mother-in-law. Mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law. Daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.
00:08:17
Speaker
He also said to the crowds, when you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, a shower's coming. And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, there will be scorching heat.
00:08:33
Speaker
And it happens. You hypocrites. You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
00:08:48
Speaker
And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and the officer put you in prison.
00:09:08
Speaker
I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny. Let's go to the Father in prayer. Lord, there's some surprising and shocking things that you said in this passage.
00:09:21
Speaker
So we're going to need your Holy Spirit's help to rightly divide the word of truth, to properly understand What is it you want us to take away from this? And Lord, as I've spent time over this passage this week, I feel like you told me that the main lesson is discernment.
00:09:40
Speaker
And so Lord, help me to share with your people. These belong to you. This church belongs to you. You bought it with your blood. You're the head of the church. Lord, you're the shepherd over this flock.
00:09:52
Speaker
I love them dearly, but I'm just an under shepherd. But help me, oh Lord, to feed them with the good food today. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thank you, you may be seated.
Warnings Against Unbelief and Indecision
00:10:07
Speaker
John MacArthur says that in this chapter, chapter 12, the Lord had been extending evangelistic invitations to the people in which were around him at that time.
00:10:21
Speaker
But now when he gets down to verse 49, he sort of turns a corner. And the reason he turns a corner is because the people have become hardened and rejecting him.
00:10:32
Speaker
If you read through the gospels, it doesn't matter if you're in Luke, Matthew, Mark, John, it doesn't matter where you read, you'll find out that they don't like him. And if we think that um as Christians, everyone in the world's always going to like us, then we're going to be shocked.
00:10:49
Speaker
You're going to be blindsided when somebody somewhere says, you know what? I don't like that, that you're standing for Jesus Christ. And so forth. And so he begins to issue like a sobering warning in these verses.
00:11:02
Speaker
It's a warning and it's directed at two things. Unbelief and indecision. Because many at that time were not deciding. It's like they heard it and they heard it and they heard it from him.
00:11:14
Speaker
But they're not doing anything with it. And then others were going with it. Others were saying, I'll obey you. I'll follow you. And so they were encountering troubles. They were encountering persecution.
00:11:28
Speaker
But I just want you to know that the Lord wants to give us discernment so that we can say, you know what? Even though everybody else goes that direction, I'm discerning that the Lord is saying in his word, I should go this direction.
00:11:41
Speaker
And that the Lord would give you courage to follow through on what God says. So if you really want God's spiritual discernment, to be able to distinguish between good and evil and truth and error, then I want you to look with me at the first two verses.
00:11:59
Speaker
Discernment, when you receive discernment, when I receive discernment, when we receive discernment, then there's going to be one thing that will happen. We're going to experience what Jesus experienced. He says it actually in this passage. Did you catch it in verse 50?
00:12:16
Speaker
He says, I am in great distress. great distress, it meant that emotional pressures were coming in on him and he knew what was coming, but these emotional pressures were coming in on him.
00:12:31
Speaker
And so he was longing though, at the same time to say, I don't care about the pressures. I want to complete the mission. Did you hear how he begins in verse 49?
00:12:42
Speaker
I came to cast fire. I came That's a mission statement. There are several times in the Gospels when Jesus gives us a little glimpse of why he came.
00:12:54
Speaker
What was his mission? For example, later in Luke, in Luke chapter 19, you'll hear Jesus say, I came to seek and to save the lost.
00:13:06
Speaker
If you were to go from Luke over to Matthew, and Matthew 9 verse 13, Jesus said, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
00:13:16
Speaker
That's strange, isn't it? He said, I didn't come to call the righteous. I came to call sinners.
Jesus' Mission: Justice and Mercy
00:13:21
Speaker
Maybe someone here feels really badly for the way you've lived your life. i want you to know Jesus is trying to call you.
00:13:28
Speaker
He's trying to say, I want you on my team. As a matter of fact, John 10, 10, he says, i came that they might have life and have it more abundantly. You ever feel like life is just bland?
00:13:39
Speaker
You're missing the abundant life that Jesus said. That's why I came so that you could have it. And so Jesus is experiencing distress, but why would he experience distress?
00:13:52
Speaker
What's going on? what He actually says, it's great. Great is my distress. So it's not just a little bit, it's a lot. So I wanna give you three things that seem to describe why he was going through this distress, because it may be that the further you go with Jesus, you're gonna say, my heart breaks.
00:14:12
Speaker
My heart is heavy. Why would your heart be heavy if you have Jesus? Well, let's look at this passage together. You know, in verse 49, he says, I came to cast fire on the earth.
00:14:26
Speaker
So let's just stop right there. I think that one thing he's saying is part of my mission is the purpose for me coming is to send judgment upon the sins of a rebellious planet. Do you know from the days of Adam and Eve,
00:14:41
Speaker
We've been rebelling against God. We've been resisting. We've not been following God as the human race. We've been disobeying God. And so all of those sins, God has to do something about it.
00:14:55
Speaker
God is holy. God is just. God is righteous. God is perfect. And so he cannot ignore it. He has to do something about it.
00:15:05
Speaker
And so Jesus said, one of the things I've come to do is I'm going to judge sin Well, the second thing that you see is he's struggling not over over this mission by itself, but he's also struggling because deep within the heart of God, get this, deep within the heart of the son of God is mercy.
00:15:25
Speaker
It's mercy. He wants to have mercy. He wants to have mercy on you. He wants to have mercy on this. planet But this planet is walking in the wrong direction. And since he's holy, he has to do something about it. But at the same time, listen to the struggle that's going on within him.
00:15:43
Speaker
He says in verse 49, I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it were already kindled. Why is it not already? Why are we not blown out of this, out of the atmosphere?
00:15:55
Speaker
Why is the Lord putting up with this? Mercy. Mercy. Maybe it's time for you. It's mercy for you. it's It was mercy for me. I'm so glad he had mercy on me because I'm just a sinner saved by grace.
00:16:11
Speaker
But I see the patience until the administration of judgment upon our sins. If you want to see the judgment that will come upon a rebellious world for their sins, just read Revelation chapter 6 through 19. It will it'll open your eyes and you'll say, oh my goodness.
00:16:31
Speaker
And so Jesus says, I'm experiencing such distress because I've come to end sin. I've come to punish it, but I can't punish it yet because there's something I got to do before I punish sin.
00:16:45
Speaker
That ultimate punishment. You know what that is? Well, that's the muscle because we have the price of receiving the judgment for our sins.
00:16:56
Speaker
You know what? Jesus went to the cross for me. He went to the cross for you. He went to the cross for us, for our sins. He didn't deserve punishment. He didn't have sins that needed to be forgiven.
00:17:09
Speaker
it's It's us. And so that's what he's talking about in verse 50. He says, i have a baptism to be baptized with. Maybe you're confused and you're saying, wait, I thought he already was baptized back in Luke chapter three.
00:17:21
Speaker
He was, but that was water baptism. He's speaking of the immersion into suffering. When he's talking about, i have a baptized baptism to be baptized with.
00:17:34
Speaker
And how great is my distress until it is accomplished. It is accomplished. You know what happened on the cross? It's like all of the punishment that my sins deserved, all the punishment that your sins and all of our sins collectively deserved, all of that was placed upon Jesus.
00:17:55
Speaker
Jesus said, I'll die in their place. You can punish me and in their place. And so that's what he's talking about. Until that's accomplished, he said, ah got this distress because I can't end sin.
00:18:09
Speaker
and also I've got to finish this mission. That's why he had great distress. That's what's going on. You know, one of the great verses that you may be looking for a verse that you could share with a friend or a family member. And you may say, how can I tell somebody else about God's love?
00:18:26
Speaker
I recommend Romans 5, 8. Romans 5, 8. Here's what it says in Romans 5, 8. But God shows his love. Have you ever had anybody tell you they loved you, but they didn't demonstrate it?
00:18:39
Speaker
They never showed it, but it was just all talk, no no actions. It says, but God shows his love for us. How did he do it? In that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
00:18:54
Speaker
You see, that's what he's struggling with here. While we're all still sinners and we're still disobeying him, he's saying, I know I got to go to that cross and I got to pay what they owe on that cross. And I'm glad to do it.
00:19:08
Speaker
But he said, it's just really hard. Because see, he's all God. He's 100% God, but he's also 100% man. And so he has emotions just like us. So I think it's amazing in Isaiah 53 verse 6, way back in Isaiah, 700 years before the Lord came,
The Battle Between Sin and Righteousness
00:19:27
Speaker
the Holy Spirit gave Isaiah this insight that one day the Messiah was going to come.
00:19:33
Speaker
And here's what he says. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. No wonder he had distress when the sins of the whole entire world were laid upon him.
00:19:48
Speaker
When you have discernment, you're going to begin to see a lost world in rebellion. You're going to be thinking, don't you realize what he did for you? Don't you realize that he died on the cross for your sins and my sin? Don't you realize how ugly sin is?
00:20:06
Speaker
Well, let's move to a second thing that discernment. It's like suddenly you become a Christian and your eyes open and you're like, oh my goodness, I've never seen it before. Discernment will also include a second thing and that is division.
00:20:19
Speaker
You see, the more our eyes are open to the ugliness of sin and the beauty of righteousness, division starts happening. Division starts happening because we want to line up with Jesus and the rest of the world says we're not going to line up with Jesus.
00:20:36
Speaker
And so if you line up with him, then you're no longer with us. So you know what happens? We have to make a decision. We're being pulled in two ways. We want to follow Jesus, but at the same time, we're being pulled by the world.
00:20:48
Speaker
And they're saying, you follow him, you're not going to be with us anymore. You see, here's the difference. The world urges toleration of sin.
00:21:00
Speaker
Toleration, tolerated. But heaven urges separation from sin. So when I follow Jesus, he says, I want you to pull away from those things that used to characterize you in rebellion and resistance to what I want. And you should follow me because I have your best in mind.
00:21:20
Speaker
And so the Lord is saying, I know the world says tolerate it, but I'm saying separate from it. And so there we have it. Either we're going to say, okay, I can accept it.
00:21:33
Speaker
Or I'm going to avoid it. Which one would you do? Acceptance or avoidance? You know, we've got to make up our mind. That's what discernment helps us to be able to do. We say, no, this is the right. This is truth. That's not true over there.
00:21:49
Speaker
That sin right there, it's going to hurt me. That sin right there, that's going to destroy my family. That's going to break the the hearts of my children. I'm not going to go in that direction. And I don't care if everybody rejects me in the whole world. I'm not going to do it Have you ever heard Jesus' battlefield speech in John 15? If you are quick on the draw, then I want to show you a passage in John 15 that I would call the battlefield speech, where the Lord is saying every disciple needs to make up their mind because the world, they're not going to stand there and applaud you when you live for Jesus.
00:22:28
Speaker
Here's what's going to happen. This is this is what Jesus says. going I'm not trying to come down on anybody. I'm just trying to prepare you. I'm trying to prepare you. And so here's what he says.
00:22:40
Speaker
He says in John 15 verse 18, if the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Facing Hatred for Distinctiveness in Christ
00:22:51
Speaker
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you're not of the world But I chose you out of the world.
00:23:03
Speaker
Therefore, the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
00:23:17
Speaker
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name.
00:23:29
Speaker
because they do not know him who sent me. I think that's enough right there. He goes on to say, if I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but but now they have no excuse for their sins.
00:23:44
Speaker
So it's it's almost like i started kind of thinking in terms of a formula of those verses right there. Why is it that the Lord's coming causes division?
00:23:55
Speaker
I thought he came to bring peace. He did come to bring peace. but not peace at any cost. No, there's something worth fighting for. And the Lord says, I'm not going to sit there and watch sin mangle the people that I've made in my own image.
00:24:11
Speaker
And so he comes in and intervenes. And here's what happened happens. He says first in these verses that the world expresses hatred, hatred for Jesus.
00:24:25
Speaker
After that happens, Jesus exposes the error of sin. That's why they're hating him is he's turning on the lights and he's showing what's in the darkness and they don't want that.
00:24:37
Speaker
They want that to be hidden. And so the world expresses hatred for Jesus. Jesus exposes the error of sin. And then here's what Jesus does. He says, some of you are listening to what I'm saying.
00:24:50
Speaker
So I'm going to pull you out. I'm going to extract you out. So Jesus extracts Christians from the flow of the world. We're still in the world, but we're no longer of the world.
00:25:02
Speaker
And they feel it. They know it. They say, you're not like us anymore. You're changed. And then the world exiled away. What is the world exiled away from This is really underneath it all. This is what it's about.
00:25:19
Speaker
They don't know him. They just don't know him. And that's why we got to have compassion for them. We can't let all of their sin and all of their antagonism and all of that make us angry with them.
00:25:32
Speaker
We've got to say, Lord, help me to know the problem is they don't know you. If they really knew you, they'd follow you. And that's what Jesus is saying.
00:25:43
Speaker
He's saying the bottom line is, They don't know the Father. They don't know me. And so that's why we've got to present the plan of salvation. Well, let me tell you something else that discernment will always include.
Recognizing Jesus Beyond Worldly Signs
00:25:57
Speaker
Distinction. Distinction. You know, that's what discernment is, to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, wrong. You know, light from darkness and so forth, right?
00:26:09
Speaker
And so here's what he says to them. See, these were religious people. Some of these were fairly good people, and you know, morally. But he's saying, you know what? You guys can analyze the weather and you know what's going to happen.
00:26:24
Speaker
But you don't have a clue that the Messiah is standing here talking to you. That's what Jesus telling them at that time. You don't know what I'm, I'm standing right here.
00:26:35
Speaker
You're going to miss this whole time. And those guys are going to reject Jesus and they're going to miss it and go into eternity without Christ. He says here, basically, I wrote down three things.
00:26:47
Speaker
One has to do, one leads to prediction, right? right He said, you've got the observations of changing patterns in weather. He said, man, you can see the cloud coming. You know it's going to rain. You feel that hot wind and you're saying, man, the heat is coming.
00:27:04
Speaker
But then he says, observations of fulfilling prophecies regarding the world. He said, you you can't interpret the time. This is the time. you guys have been waiting all this time for the Messiah to come. And I'm standing right here in front of you, Jesus was saying.
00:27:22
Speaker
And you're missing it. Are you paying attention to what's going on in our world? There may not be a lot of time left. And so we've got to say, Lord, the prophecy's are beginning to be fulfilled over and over again.
00:27:34
Speaker
So we don't want to be guilty of the same exact thing. We've got to study God's word so that we see, oh, now I know what's going on. We're getting closer and closer to the end.
00:27:47
Speaker
And also there's this observations of compelling precepts that are found in the word of God. Who was he talking to? He was talking to the Jewish people. They didn't have a copy of the Bible like we have it now, Old Testament, New Testament, but they did hear in the synagogue.
00:28:04
Speaker
They did hear in the temple the word of God spoken through the rabbis, through the priests and so forth. So they were without excuse. And so he's calling them a hypocrite. He's saying, you've heard the way, but you're not doing anything with the way.
00:28:22
Speaker
See, discernment is developed by obedience to the word. That's what we learned at the very beginning of the message. Remember in Hebrews chapter 5 verses 9 through 14?
00:28:35
Speaker
The Bible gives us the ability to say, wait a minute, there's a distinction here. The way they're living and what they're advocating is not what I'm reading in God's word.
00:28:46
Speaker
And so there's a distinction. There's a distinguishing that should happen.
Personal Testimonies of Choosing Faith
00:28:51
Speaker
sometime write this down if you're a note taker, 1 Peter 4, verses 1 through 6.
00:28:57
Speaker
Because 1 Peter 4, 1 through 6, reminds me of what happened that first year of college when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. And unfortunately, i didn't live for the Lord in my high school years, my junior high years, and so forth. I didn't. I lived for the world. I lived for the flesh. I lived for the devil.
00:29:17
Speaker
And if I could do it all over again, I'd live for Jesus every single day of my life. but I didn't, I didn't live for him. But when I made that decision, I remember I jumped in the back of the car with two guys that I used to ride around. We used to have the, it was called the strip back then.
00:29:35
Speaker
You would go from Frankie's clothing store. You drive down past Sonic, go down to Dairy Queen, turn around and do it again. You know, he would just did that all the time. And of course, at that time, unfortunately we were just, you know, getting wasted and so forth. But you know what?
00:29:51
Speaker
This time was different. I saw my two friends I'd always ridden with. I'd jump in the back seat with them and I said, guess what? And they said, what? I said, man, I got some great news.
00:30:01
Speaker
And they said, what is it You know, I said, I've come to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He has changed my life. I got so much joy. I just want to share with you guys. I want you to be with me when I go to heaven.
00:30:14
Speaker
And one guy says, you've got to be kidding. He said, you going on and got religious on us? And then when the other guy said, get out of the car. And I said, but we've been friends since high school.
00:30:26
Speaker
And he said, we don't want to hear you talk about something religious. And I said, wait a minute. What if I came and told you I found a gold mine? What if I told you there's more gold than I could ever spend in my whole entire life?
00:30:39
Speaker
I said, what do you want me to tell you where you could find some of that gold if I was willing to share it with you? And they said, we still say, get out of the car.
00:30:49
Speaker
I had to get out of the car. Do you know what i broke my heart. I was back to the distress that we started with. See, I could see it, but they couldn't see it. Can you see it?
00:31:00
Speaker
Can you see your friends still in darkness? And there you are in the light. I mean, you're in the warmth of the sunshine and it's so cold where they are and where they're living.
00:31:11
Speaker
That's why in 1 Peter 4, verses 4 and 5, he says, with respect to this, they're surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery And they malign you and they will give account to him.
00:31:27
Speaker
So we have to say, okay, I know I will give account to God and I know they will give account to God. So all I can do is tell them and all I can do is live it before them. One last thing.
00:31:38
Speaker
The last three verses are kind of a little bit hard to understand because at first you think that he's talking about civil court, but he's not talking about civil court.
00:31:49
Speaker
He's talking about spiritual court. He's using court as a metaphor. And what he's saying is you better be diligent. You better really take this seriously. And so he's moving from a failure to discern God's timing to a failure to discern God's threat.
Urgency in Embracing Spiritual Discernment
00:32:06
Speaker
Because eternity is a long time. And he's saying you don't want to be put in the wrong place forever and ever. Wow, you know what? I think verse 57 is a call for personal examinations.
00:32:21
Speaker
He says, and why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? So he's saying, you need to decide, examine it for yourself. But then verse 58, he's saying, I'm calling you to personal preparation.
00:32:35
Speaker
You better be ready. He says, and you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way. In other words, you better repent and trust Christ.
00:32:46
Speaker
And make it right when you're on the way because you don't know and I don't know when our last day will come. We could be on a highway somewhere. We could just drop dead. One time I was playing golf and a guy in his 30s, we saw the ambulance come out on the course and take him away. And when we caught up with those guys later, we said, what happened here?
00:33:08
Speaker
And they said, we don't know. he's He's fine one minute and he just fell. And they said when they came, he was dead on a arrival. And I was like, this can't happen.
00:33:19
Speaker
You know, cause I was in my forties. thought maybe I'm next, you know, but anyway, I was thinking, wow, but you don't decide when the day of death is here's Hebrews 9, 27.
00:33:30
Speaker
You know, Hebrews 9, 27 says we have two appointments with God that we can't cancel. I know you can cancel a lot of appointments, but we can't cancel this. The day of our death And then when we stand before God in judgment, here's the verse, Hebrews 9, 27. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.
00:33:54
Speaker
There is a way out of judgment, though, and that is to trust Jesus Christ. And so here's a man in jail. His name was Paul. And this is in Acts chapter 24, 24 to And here's a guy outside of jail.
00:34:09
Speaker
his name is felix And he's the governor. He's in charge and he's locked Paul up in prison. He's in there because he's trying to win people to Christ. It says after some days, Felix came with his wife, Drusilla.
00:34:23
Speaker
It's really hard to get a man to make a decision when his wife's there, you know, because every man wants to be respected by his wife. He doesn't want to humble himself. He's got his wife, Drusilla with him She's a Jewish person. And he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ.
00:34:42
Speaker
And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed. An alarm went off inside Felix.
00:34:54
Speaker
You know what that was? It was a brief, a brief taste of discernment. It's like the Holy Spirit was convicting Felix and saying, Felix, you're on the wrong road. Listen to what Paul is saying but What does it say happen?
00:35:10
Speaker
Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I'll summon you. In other words, you don't call me, I'll call you. That type thing. Why would he kick the can down the road?
00:35:23
Speaker
Paul presented the truth of the gospel. The Holy Spirit offered awakening. The Holy Spirit offered discernment. I'll tell you why. The rest of the passage tells us why.
00:35:35
Speaker
Because Felix was not ready to let go of his sin. It's like he's going to hang on He chose greed over God. Materialism over the message.
00:35:45
Speaker
Self over the Savior. His procrastination over Paul's proclamation. And here's what the Word of God says. At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul.
00:35:58
Speaker
So he sent for him often and conversed with him. And then this is the sad part. When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded succeeded by Portius Festus.
00:36:11
Speaker
And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. Man, he's still giving in. He's a man. He's still giving in peer pressure. You know, I think there's still men, still women, still students, children that give in to peer pressure.
00:36:29
Speaker
But notice that the door of opportunity closing. And man, Oh, I wish Felix would have said yes to Christ. So I want us to close and I want you to pray with me through four these four truths of the discernment that we saw in this passage. Let's stand together and we'll we'll have a time of invitation if you would like to come forward to receive Christ.
Prayer for Discernment and Commitment
00:36:52
Speaker
But I just want everybody first to pray with me these four in these four areas. Okay, I'll give you the words and you say it silently to God. Why don't you ask God to make you tender over the seriousness of sin in your life and the seriousness of sin in the lives of others that you love and care about?
00:37:16
Speaker
Secondly, why don't you pray that he will give you courage to stand with truth even when others disagree?
00:37:27
Speaker
Thirdly, why don't you pray and say, okay, God, i surrender to Christ as lord I request request that you give me strength in the Holy Spirit to obey you.
00:37:39
Speaker
And then fourthly, why don't you ask the Lord to guide you forward this week in diligence rather than negligence. In other words, don't be like Festus. Don't be like Felix.
00:37:52
Speaker
These guys never prayed to receive Christ, but you say, Lord, I want to follow you. I want to surrender to you. Let's pray together. Lord, We've come into this place and sang great songs about you, songs that are so true. They're just packed with truth.
00:38:08
Speaker
I thank you that we're about to go into smaller groups and enjoy studying the word of God with those that we are with each Sunday morning. So that's going to be good. But right now, we've heard about discernment.
00:38:22
Speaker
And so we need to make a decision here because discernment helps us know, was that right what I heard or was that wrong? Is that truth or is that error?
00:38:33
Speaker
Is that about the light or is that about darkness? So please, God, I pray that you would help people to come out of the darkness and into the marvelous light.
00:38:44
Speaker
I thank you that, Jesus, you went to the cross for us. You paid the price for our sins. The Father accepted it, we know, because three days later, the Father raised you from the dead and you're alive.
00:38:56
Speaker
You can change our lives. You've certainly changed minds. And I know you can change anyone in this room. So you speak as we go through this time of invitation. In Jesus' name, amen.
00:39:12
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.