He knows our heart: Luke 16:14-18

                                                    

Good Morning,

How are you guys?

I hope you are doing good.

Last week lots of things happened. Taliban took over Afghanistan.

A few of my friends got sick. I was very busy at work.

But I hope that you also had a good week.

Let me tell you a short story:

In 1881, the wild western town of Cranberry Gulch, California needed a teacher for its one-room school. The last three teachers had not been able to deal with the rowdy students. One lay in the graveyard, another lost his eye, and the third left before noon on his first day.

A slender-built man named Harry Floto applied for the job. The person doing the hiring doubted that he would fare much better than the others, but there wasn’t a flood of applicants, so he got the job. Word spread and the students were relishing how they would get rid of this new victim.

The first day he showed up carrying a traveling bag. One 18-year-old tough joked that he came prepared to take off when he found out that they were too much for him. Ignoring them, Floto went inside. The students followed, curious to see what he’d do next. He opened his bag, took out a belt, and buckled it around his waist. Next, he put three Colt revolvers there, and a Bowie knife. While the students watched, Floto tacked a white card to the wall opposite his desk. Crossing the room, he drew a revolver from his belt and fired six bullets into a spot the size of a silver dollar.

While the pop-eyed students stared, the schoolmaster walked halfway across the room, Bowie knife in hand, wheeled, and threw it so that it stuck, quivering, in the center of the card. Leaving it there as a reminder, Floto took two more knives from his bag and stuck them in his belt. He then reloaded his smoking revolver.

He then ordered the 18-year-old to ring the bell to signal the start of class; he did so without a word. After the students were all seated, Floto cocked a revolver and announced, “We will arrange the classes.” Then he heard a whisper behind him. Whirling, Floto drew his gun and roared, “No whispering allowed in here!”

“I’ll not do so anymore,” the boy said. “See that you don’t,” Floto barked. “I never give a second warning.”

Within a month, Floto put away his weapons and his pupils learned to love as well as to respect him. He stayed for two years. (Reported in The San Francisco Chronicle, 1881.)

 

Main Body

Hi, let's go into today's world.

There is Jesus and He is speaking to the crowd and few Pharisees were also hearing.

Now Luke Bible says they loved money.

They heard Jesus and were mocking what he was saying.

They were mocking Jesus because they might have thought that they are superior to Jesus and know more and also because they thought we are very respectable in society so they can do whatever.

But Jesus said to them that God knows your heart.

For many people, these words are of great comfort and for others, it is a curse.

God knows your heart said, Jesus.

He is saying I know your heart and what is in your heart people may like it but not God.

Jesus goes on and tells that I am here there will be no more prophets and law.

Pharisees were waiting for their savior but they were not living the life that was pleasing to God.

Jesus is saying there will be no more prophecy as he is here.

If we are waiting for something Jesus is saying to us that I am here what are you waiting for.

Are you waiting for something to happen so that you will change?

What I could get from this is that: you have already known from Abraham to Mosses.

There is no more Prophet to come and warn you and ask you to change your ways.

Because I know God and have already tasted Him.

 There is nothing more to know but to do what is his will.

For a very long time, God is saying to us as a church to be active.

We are not here again to listen to how much God loves you.

You know this as the Pharisees at that time knew that.

They knew Jhon and all the Prophets etc.

But their hearts were hard.

I read this:

Why were these religious leaders mocking Jesus?

There is a simple answer, and it still applies to every individual who mocks at Him, whether that person claims to be an atheist or a Christian: Jesus convicts him or her of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

They loved money and they donated that to temples but they did it for their glory.

You may think you have less money so you don't love it.

Those who lack money also love money.

Greed is often mentioned in the Bible in the same context as sexual immorality (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

Greed is not something smaller than sexual sin it is on the same level.

If we submit to it we are done.

Further, Jesus is talking about divorce.

This was a very delicate matter for God.

It is not so easy to divorce your wife.

God permitted divorce but God did not intend it to be a casual thing.

But because Pharisees allowed that for any reason God is telling how we find loopholes in God's command to suit our needs.

I have said this earlier: Church is the house of God, come to church to meet God.

But we bring loopholes in that. I am not coming because of this and because of that.

Because I was not feeling good. I am sad etc.

And when confronted by someone, why are you not joining church worship service or Sunday service or fellowship?

Taking the word of God and finding loopholes in them and saying God lives in my heart and I don't need a building to worship him.

That is true but do you worship him from your bed?

Do you worship him when you play pub?

Do you worship him while internet buffering?

Do you honor him by Netflix or by sleeping?

We may think we do not mock God or are like Pharisees did.

But when we if you justify our sin, even by claiming some biblical loophole, you are mocking Jesus, who knows your heart.

God said to share the love.

2 greatest commandments of God?

Love your God with everything you have.

Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

What do we follow?

Forget coming to church?

Forget evangelical ministry?

Forget metro vihar?

We don't do basics and we confront others to do something very big.

I know this type of sermon doesn't bost our morality but we are not in church to feel good about ourselves and be happy.

We come to God for a change.

Change that we must all bring in ourselves.

By lifting others and helping each other by finding ways to help others.

But if you are not here? Where are you?

How can you help? How can we build a community together?

We will announce retreat and suddenly we will have a full house.

Is it because we want to meet God? Or do we want to have good fellowship or is it because we want to have fun?

Conclusion

We are called to be a family and to become a big family.

We need to stop telling lies to each other and be honest acknowledge our sins.

Say you are not good enough.

God will show his power in us.

Jesus today is saying that He has the authority over everything.

Let's submit to that. Let's not find ways to get away from him but to come near to Jesus.

Because He knows your heart so this is more dreadful.

It would be easy if God only looked at what we did outwardly but that is not the case.

God knows our heart and he is not pleased by what men are pleased.

Our good behavior, moral values, wisdom means very much to People but not as much to God.

I hope we will be able to acknowledge our sins and try to change.