ENTER THE KINGDOM-INTERNAL RIGHTEOUSNESS

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John's Gospel uses the term "believe" in order to experience eternal life. The rest of the Gospels don't seem to make this an emphasis with a couple of exceptions, however all of the Gospels speak of "following" Jesus. Although Christians have boiled everything down to believe and you'll go to heaven and don't believe and you'll go to hell, Jesus' concern seems to revolve more around entering or not entering the Kingdom of heaven. And, entering the Kingdom seems to be an immediate experience, since the presence of the Kingdom is a present reality according to Jesus.

This week I want to cover all of the times Jesus refers to what we must do to enter or not enter into the Kingdom. To enter the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God may be the closest thing Jesus ever says about "getting into heaven". Jesus only uses the term "church" on two occasions. The emphasis of Jesus is on the Kingdom and how to enter it right now. Each of these references provides significant insight into what Jesus counts as most important in order to get into the Kingdom.

The first reference is found in Jesus' first seminar in Matthew 5:20: For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. The requirement here seems really tough. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were known for their religious displays of righteousness.

Now, Jesus makes it clear that in order to enter the Kingdom of heaven your righteousness must SURPASS that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. With all that Jesus teaches from here on out I think what He means by surpass is to go beyond their levels of righteousness. To be more specific, I think what He requires is for righteousness to be INTERNAL with an emphasis on the heart rather than the EXTERNAL emphasis of the legalistic, letter of the law of the Pharisees. Their emphasis was to look good-to look and act religious and holy-to be seen by others as righteous. Jesus wants us to surpass that kind of righteousness by going internal or going deeper.

Three observations that come to mind here for me: 1. God looks on the heart; man looks on the outward appearance. So, if you want to please God, then pay attention to your heart's response to Him.

2. After developing a full sacrificial system, the Lord tells His people that He doesn't want their sacrifices any longer, but wants their heart of compassion.

3. Jesus wants us to first be people of the heart where we are allowing Him to relate to us in a most personal and private way. All external actions should naturally flow out of that transformed heart. To Jesus, nothing else matters-nothing is more important.

Matt Redman wrote a terrific song entitled, "A Heart of Worship". When I think of what it is that Jesus really wants from us I think of the words of this song. The first verse goes:

When the music fades All is stripped away And I simply come Longing just to bring Something that's of worth That will bless Your heart.

The song continues with: I'll bring You more than a song For a song in itself Is not what You have required You search much deeper within Through the way things appear You're looking into my heart.

Then he concludes with the chorus: I'm coming back to the heart of worship And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it When it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus.

Let me tell you how to enter the Kingdom according to Jesus. Focus your heart on a personal relationship with Jesus and make it your business to follow after Him. And, don't allow yourself to be caught up in the religiosity of following a list or system of do's and don'ts, thinking that you are impressing God while you are impressing others. Jesus makes it clear here that He is not impressed with this kind of thing, so don't you be!

If I have a choice as to whose word I'm going to accept as the ultimate truth-some bible teacher or Jesus, I'm going to choose Jesus' word every time. How about you?

TO LISTEN TO "A HEART OF WORSHIP" BY Michael W. Smith CLICK HERE.

THE CALL FOR REVOLUTIONARIES

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When the Lord is your Master, the world is your mission and you are a prime target for evil each and every day. Hang on to your relationship with Jesus and those who follow Him and your eyes will be exactly where they need to be in order to fight the fight most effectively!

In order to fight the battle for your soul and for the souls of others you will be required to be serious about your walk with Jesus and with others who are following Jesus. The call to follow Jesus is a call for selflessness. This call has to do first with your heart and then how you care for others. It's really a call for those who are willing to sign up to be revolutionaries.

To be a revolutionary you must learn to love. Based upon God's unconditional love for you, there are two tracks of love that Jesus makes clear are most important. What's interesting to me is that they are foundational to anyone's life and possibly the simplest approach to your life ever. There are three different occasions where Jesus teaches these two love tracks.

FIRST in Matthew 22:38-40 Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment of the Law is. Jesus answers: "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

In this first instance Jesus does not really answer the question. He doesn't give the questioner one commandment, but gives him two-love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind AND love your neighbor as yourself. NOTE what He says about these two love tracks of loving God and loving your neighbor. The entire Law and the Prophets are dependent upon these two.

SECOND in Mark 12:32-34 Jesus is again asked what is the foremost commandment. After answering, the scribe said to Jesus: "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

The scribe was right on! He even added to the two commandments. He said they are much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Note what Jesus said back to the scribe: When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

The THIRD instance is found in Luke 10:26-28- And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."

So, first, the entire Law and the Prophets depend on loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. Then, if you love God and love your neighbor as yourself, you can be assured that you are not far from the Kingdom of God. Finally, Jesus says if you love God and love your neighbor as yourself, then you will live! Note the progression is pretty dynamite!

So, a Jesus revolutionary is one who practices loving God and loving his neighbor. There is one thing that will keep you from committing yourself to being a revolutionary and practicing the two most important revolutionary principles of Jesus. This one thing is an addiction of sorts. It's the problem of sin.

Sin is basically missing the mark-falling short of God's standard. Sin is not living the Kingdom principles; it's not following Jesus. So, instead of being Jesus centered, it's being self-centered.

It's the condition of mankind-the universal dilemma of self-centeredness that has plagued men/women from the beginning. Sin is the 'something broken' that can't be fixed or corrected by all the success, effort, money, sex, power, or ability in the world. This brokenness or separation is experienced as a haunting and fearful sense of being separated and unworthy and expresses itself in feelings of fear, anger, shame, guilt, or pain. We search the world over for someone or something we can control that will take away these painful feelings of inadequacy and we will become strongly attached or even addicted to any person, substance, behavior, or goal that promises to relieve or blot out our pain and sense of alienation.

The only possibility of removing the condition of sin is Jesus. He is the only one who can transform your heart away from your natural self-centeredness and into the two love tracks: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. The devil and his demons know this, so they are committed to keeping you off-focus and off-message with respect to Jesus. Whatever problems you encounter may not be caused by the devil and his demons, but you can be certain they are there voting against you in your struggle and piling on. This is why it takes a committed revolutionary.

IF JESUS IS GOING TO DO HIS WORK IN YOUR LIFE IN HIS WAY, THEN YOU MUST RESIST THE DEVIL AND STAND AS A REVOLUTIONARY RIGHT ALONGSIDE JESUS.

THE STRESSFUL WORLD OF RESULTS

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One of the most familiar quotes about results is credited to Albert Einstein. It is "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Results are rarely neutral. Either you have great expectations for certain positive results or you have great dread about the possibility of certain negative results.

Results seem to come in three versions-good, bad or none at all. Sometimes it's the "none at all" that can be most difficult. I really like the t-shirt that says: "For every door that closes there is another one that always opens, but the hallways can be hell."

Results are everywhere. They cannot be avoided. Results are the consequences of life, whether we cause them or they just happen to us. Results do happen!

Not only do we all have life results that we feel we must negotiate, the bible is filled with the good, the bad and the non-results in the lives of the many characters. Ananias and Sapphira had some very good results. They sold a piece of property and made a lot of money. However, these good results were made into bad results when they acted as if they were giving the entire amount they gained into the local treasure, yet were holding out on God. They lied in an attempt to gain some praise and affirmation. Daniel was being faithful to God by praying daily and through the conniving of some jealous men in the kingdom ended up in the lions' den. Bad results for sure, yet God was at work in the midst of these bad results and saved Daniel's life.

Then in Hebrews 11 there is an interesting paragraph regarding a great men of faith who experienced a lifetime of non-results: 13 All these people (Enoch, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

There are two basic problems with results. The first problem is that there is a tendency to wallow in the bad results which ends in depression. The second is to rely on the good results, relishing in them as if they were produced by us, resulting in pride. So, we end up trusting and hoping in our results, gambling on them to be the answer to our problems.

If you focus on your results, you will never be free from the stresses of it all. Here are some thoughts on how to handle your results: FIRST-Do the best you can do. This is your primary responsibility and nothing more.

SECOND-Leave the results entirely in the hands of God. You can't control your results anyway. In fact, results are none of your business. I am convinced God is personally at work in the midst of your results.

With Jesus it's always personal. This is why He continually makes it clear to those who are listening who He is. His many I AM statements and claims about Himself place Him into the middle of your life results.

Jesus uses results in your life to do the following: 1. To teach you something through it. 2. To work together with something else for God's glory and your good. 3. To get you through the worst of it all. He delights in getting you through it.

So, there are three cautions: 1. Don't allow yourself to be slammed by the bad results. 2. Don't allow yourself to take credit for the good results. 3. Don't allow yourself to be discouraged by the lack of results.

Jesus is the only result worth your time and energy!

TWO FOUNDATIONS

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2 GATES, 2 GUIDES, Now, 2 foundations. 24 ``Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 ``And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 ``Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 ``The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and great was its fall.''

NOTE similar things about each one: 1. Each person hears the words of Jesus. 2. Each person faces the same rain, floods, and blowing winds slamming against them.

NOTE the differences between the two: 1. Each person responds differently to the words he has heard-one by acting upon the words of Jesus & the other by not acting upon them. 2. Each person experiences a different result-one does not fall down and the other falls flat!

I am now convinced that most of us most of our lives have lived our lives founded upon the sand. It's what I call the "sandcastle lifestyle". What Jesus is saying is so simple and so profound. Jesus wants only two things from us:

1. He wants each of us to listen to His words. Instead of talking all of the time when you pray, try sitting still and waiting for Jesus to speak to you. You'll know what He wants from you. You'll know what His will is for you.

I regret to say that I have spent most of my life talking and not listening. Therefore, I have missed out on what Jesus is attempting to say to me. It's as simple and as tragic as that!

2, He wants each of us to act upon what He says to do. Listen to Jesus and do what He says to do, no more and no less. This is why we have included the 3rd habit for our lives-waiting on Jesus to lead out.

NOTE THE RESULTS: 1. If you hear His words and are careful to do them, no matter what comes in against you, your house will not collapse!

2. If you hear His words and don't do them (the very same rain, floods, and winds), then your house will fall flat, dramatically!

HOW'S YOUR HOUSE STANDING???

28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Jesus spoke so powerfully that it amazed all those who heard Him. This Jesus is for real! Jesus is so attractive! Jesus is the most irresistible One ever!

TWO GUIDES

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In the last paragraph Jesus spoke about 2 gates and now He opens up 2 different kinds of guides. 15 ``Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 ``You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 ``So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 ``A good tree cannot produce bad fruit nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 ``Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 ``So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Unfortunately, false prophets don't wear an FP on their sleeve or on their forehead. Jesus warns that there will be false prophets who seem harmless, but are out to destroy. He says that you can decipher them by their fruits. But even this may be difficult to judge (conclusively judge) whether or not a prophet is false or genuine, because many false prophets show a certain kind of fruitfulness in what they do. That's what makes them so attractive!

But NOTE what the test here really is. The term fruit is the operative word here. In order to check out a prophet's fruit (not their show or outward demonstration), you need to observe the person and ministry over a prolonged period of time. It takes time to produce fruit. There is no instant fruit. So watch for the fruit over a long period of time and you'll know.

Now NOTE what these false prophets actually do. This is amazing! 21 ``Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 ``Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 ``And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Jesus says that there will be people who come before Him in the last days, calling Him Lord, but will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Just using the right language will not get a person into the kingdom of heaven. HOWEVER, the one who does the will of the Father will enter-the person who not only talks a good game, but walks it and proves it out by his actions.

These people, Jesus says, will do 3 things that will make it all the more difficult to discern whether or not a person is a false prophet. They speak in the name of Jesus-- "did we not prophesy in your name?" They cast out demons in the name of Jesus. They perform many miracles in the name of Jesus.

WOW! These are some powerful things that the false prophets do. So how can you tell the difference between the false and the genuine. The only answer Jesus gives here is that you will know them by their fruits, so watch what they do.

The deceptiveness of these false prophets is another good reason why it's necessary to keep: 1-Walking with Jesus 2-Walking with others

THE BEST DEFENCE AGAINST THE COUNTERFEIT IS TO KNOW THE GENUINE VERY WELL. HIS NAME IS JESUS AND ALL HE REQUIRES OF YOU IS TO FOLLOW HIM!