Pastor Joseph Prince (2nd service on 1st service playback)
Luke 15
Lost sheep, coin, son
Lost sheep, coin, son
Common theme = joy of the finder
Shepherd = Jesus
Woman = Holy Spirit
Father = Abba
If we ask Jesus, why would He bless us or want to be involved in our lives? His answer will be that it's because it gives Him great joy.
V1 "*then* the sinners drew near to hear Him"
Context = prior chapter (Luke 14) is about Jesus entering into the world of hypocrisy (house of Pharisees)
Recap 21 June 2015 sermon
1 Thess 5:8-9
U can be awake but not sober
U can be there physically but not present with loved ones
U can be awake but not sober
U can be there physically but not present with loved ones
Hope = elpis = confident positive certain expectation of good in our future because of our salvation in Christ
Salvation = solo = saving not just from hell but from everything evil on earth
Even when things aren't going well, we're going through a valley and God is with us & we will come out on the other side. We're just passing through!
Helmet = hope of salvation = We protect our head / thoughts (helmet) by having a confident expectation of good from God (hope)
E.g. If a bad thought comes, we can say nope, that will not happen, good things will happen in my future because of Jesus
It doesn't mean Christians don't go through trials. Trials of life happen to everybody but there are some that you don't have to go through but for the ministry that you're in. These trials are for the furtherance of the gospel
Eg. Paul in jail & the Roman soldier gets saved in the process etc
Sermon proper
The biggest problem of hope
We have heard so much teaching about "what u sow, u reap". How can we have hope when we're concerned that the seeds we sowed previously will come to pass? Is there an evil harvest waiting for us?
Eg. Haman erected gallows & he himself died on it in the end (Esther 7)
Eg. David sowed adultery in secret & later his sons did it openly (2 Samuel)
Eg. Hitler forced Jews into hiding & later went into hiding himself in his last days
Eg. General Titus burnt temple & later volcano destroyed Pompeii entirely
E.g. Hosea 8:7
Conclusion seems to be that yes, what u sow is what u reap
And the endings (whirlwind) were even worse than what they sowed (wind)
But notice that all these examples are OT stories and stories of the world
For us in Christ, Jesus on the cross changed all this for us - we reap the good things Jesus sowed on the cross & u never reap the same amount sowed, the harvest is always greater
Consequences of sin/actions and reaping a harvest are two different things. If we do not distinguish the two, it will cause us to have a fearful expectation of evil in the future. This is contrary to hope.
Eg. Smoking and resulting in lung disease
Eg. Being mean to people and having no friends
Eg. Visiting a prostitute and contracting an illness / fear of contracting an illness
These are all consequences, not about sowing & reaping
Reaping = u don't know when it'll come
NT stories of sowing & reaping appear in only 2 applications
2 Cor 9:6-8
Mark 4:13-14
1 Cor 15:42-44
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Sidetrack
John 5:14
About the man who was lame but now healed when Jesus said "rise, take up your bed and walk"
V14 Jesus later said to the same man (after he was healed) "sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to u" = talking about consequences of sin
Sin = verb/action = don't do a certain sin again because u've been made well already
Eg. U've been healed of lunch disease, don't go back to smoking
Btw, smoking is a sin. Why do you want to allow your body, which has been redeemed and paid for by perfect blood, to be addicted & under the control of something?
There are consequences to sin. There are consequences on earth.
The earth rebels / groans in response to man not manifesting as sons of God (Romans 8)
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How about Gal 6:7?
Background of Galatians = trying to be perfected by the law
Paul never calls them holy or saints. Even Corinthians who were so carnal, yet Paul encouraged them in grace in his letters to them. In Gal 1, Paul starts by pronouncing curse on them if they preach law. They are deceived.
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(Self note: I didn't quite catch this part, will have to re-listen when the CD is out next week)
Context of V7 = V6, 9,10 all about giving
Sows to his flesh = stingy
Sowed in own strength = led to golden calf
V7 sows to spirit will reap everlasting life
But isn't everlasting life a gift, that cannot be bought?
1 Tim 6:17-19
V19 lay hold on eternal life
Eternal life = ionos zoe = everlasting life
Does tt mean when u give richly u get eternal life?
No! Eternal life is a gift from God, not works of our generosity
E.g. When you bless someone in secret when u know he's in need. How do u feel? That's laying hold of eternal life. Like, known giving is level 1, and level 2 is giving without being known.
Reap from where? From within. U experience eternal life in ur emotions
V10 It doesn't mean we don't bless non believers but "especially" means prioritising believers
1 Peter 1:23
Seed can be corrupted
Seed can be corrupted
Corruptible = adjective
Grace = word of God now = present truth
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John 4:36-39
V37 One sows (Jesus), another reaps (me)
When Jesus died on the cross, He let us reap what He sowed & He reaped what we sowed
For us, the whirlwind is not coming because it already came at the cross upon Jesus.
There is no evil harvest in our future.
He was wounded for our transgression (our wrong sowing)
Referring to the word of God sown
V36 those who sow reap wages = God can raise someone to bless u
V38 others have laboured = prophets of past
Job had 3 comforters
Zophar = legalistic pov
Bildad = tradition pov
Eliphaz = experience / seen pov - Ie. U sowed trouble somewhere that's why u're reaping it now; sin consciousness
Man born blind, whose sin was it? (John 9)
"Neither, but that the works of God should be revealed"
Let's not ask how it came about. It doesn't matter, God is here to make it right.
Incorrect concept of sowing & reaping can condemn people
Like Jesus, let's not care what others/self did in the past
Because of Jesus, we will have crop failure of the corruptible crop and a bumper harvest for incorruptible crop from Christ
Ps 126
V5 sow in tears, reap in joy
Why? Because of V1-2, Jesus becoming a captive to set us free
Matt 5 & Luke 6:20-21
Poor, hunger, weep now
But richness in kingdom of God, filled, laugh in future
Blessed if you're poor/hungry/sad now
Why? Because He has come and you shall be liberated!
Jer 31:27-31
V29 they will say no more
V30 ur children will not reap
I.e. no more generational curses
But there are consequences
E.g. If children see parents smoking, they'll likely follow
Also, in the world for the unbeliever, sow & reap applies to both both good & bad things
For believers, sow & reap applies only to good (i.e. finances & word of God) and only according to how much u sow
V31 when will this sowing & reaping of bad stop? When there's a new covenant.
What's this new covenant? Where Jesus is merciful to our unrighteousness (Heb 8)
John 19:28-30
V29 sour wine = extreme of sour grapes = extreme sin
V30 finished = no more children reaping what parents sowed = no more generational curse
Fulfilment of Jer 31
Earlier, Jesus was offered myrrh with vinegar but He refused bcos that's a painkiller
He wanted to bear all the full consequences of sin for us
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