Speaker: Deacon Youpri Ardiantoro
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 10: 17-27
10:17. Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
10:18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
10:19 "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"
10:20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."
10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
10:22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
10:24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
10:26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"
10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
There are many difficulties and impossibilities that men or the sons and servants of God must face in the last days. It is about the difficulty to change.
2 Timothy 3: 1, 5
3:1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
It means that the salvation becomes an impossibile thingbecause the life renewal equals to the salvation.
Mark 10: 27: 'for with God all things are possible' => human in flesh and blood difficultly changes but for God there is nothing impossible.
Mark 9: 23
9:23. Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
All things are possible or not difficult to him who believes.
It means as follows.
God blesses us.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 10: 17-27
10:17. Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
10:18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
10:19 "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"
10:20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."
10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
10:22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
10:24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
10:26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"
10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
There are many difficulties and impossibilities that men or the sons and servants of God must face in the last days. It is about the difficulty to change.
2 Timothy 3: 1, 5
3:1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
It means that the salvation becomes an impossibile thingbecause the life renewal equals to the salvation.
Mark 10: 27: 'for with God all things are possible' => human in flesh and blood difficultly changes but for God there is nothing impossible.
Mark 9: 23
9:23. Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
All things are possible or not difficult to him who believes.
It means as follows.
- We must have faith. If we believe, the difficult things will be easy and the impossibilities will be possible.
Romans 10: 17
10:17.So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The faith comes from hearing the Word of Christor the one in the anointing of Holy Spirit. Such Word is spoken by Jesus. It is written in the Bible, whose verse explains other verses.
Colossians 3: 16
3:16. Let the word of Christdwell in you richly in all wisdom, teachingand admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
It is the true teaching Word.
There are two things that must be heeded as follows.- The thing we hear must be the true teaching Word, or else there is no faith, but difficulty to change.
- The way we hear.
Luke 8: 18
8:18. "Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."
It can be divided into two groupsas follows.- The badones like the three kinds of ground as follows.
- The wayside, namely hearing the true Word not in serious manner.
Luke 8: 12
8:12. "Those by the waysideare the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
It means that one hears the Word and forgets it.
Consequently, it is impossible for him to change. - The rock, namely hearing the Word with the hardness of heart and fleshly emotion or ambition. Such man fervently hears the Word, but fades away in obeying it because he cannot endure. He falls away when the temptation comes, even he denies the Lord.
Luke 8: 13
8:13. "But the ones on the rockare those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. - The thorns, namely hearing the Word with anxiety.
Luke 8: 14
8:14. "Now the ones that fell among thornsare those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
One will never bear fruits if he has the anxiety.
A pastor who has the anxiety will limit the content of the Word because he is afraid that the congregation will go out. Such pastor teaches the bad way of hearing the Word. Consequently, both the pastor and the congregation cannot bear fruits.
- The wayside, namely hearing the true Word not in serious manner.
- The goodone.
Luke 8: 15
8:15. "But the ones that fell on the good groundare those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
It refers to hearing the Word until there are understanding and faith. Someday, there is a hope to remove the impossibilities.
- The badones like the three kinds of ground as follows.
- The faith of Thomas.
John 20: 29
20:29. Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessedare those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Such faith cannot bring joy. It means that ones with such faith cannot enter the joy from now on up to the marriage supper of the Lamb. - The faith because of seeing the signs.
John 2: 23-24
2:23.Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they sawthe signs which He did.
2:24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,
Consequently, Jesusdid not commit Himself to them, so they easily get disappointed, hopeless, and so on in facing bad things. This is a brittlefaith.
By the right faith, we stretch out our hands to God and He holds us from above, so we are strong. On the contrary, by the faith because of seeing, we hold Jesus, but He does not hold us, so we easily go out of His hands.
- The thing we hear must be the true teaching Word, or else there is no faith, but difficulty to change.
- The faith must be with the worksbecause the faith without works is dead.
James 2: 26
2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without worksis dead also.
There are three kinds of practicing the faith as follows.- Living in the righteousness.
Matthew 25: 46
25:46. "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteousinto eternal life."
Mark 10: 19
10:19. "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.
Our deeds, saying, and thought are righteous. - Being shepherded well.
Matthew 25: 31-32, 46
25:31. "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherddivides his sheepfrom the goats.
25:46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
John 10: 27
10:27. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
The sheep that are shepherded well are in these conditions.- Hearing and obeying the voice of the shepherd or the shepherding Word.
John 10: 5
10:5. "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
The sheep will run away from the strange voice or the teachings that are not in line with the shepherding Word. It will also run away from the theachings that are not written in the Bible nor able to be explained by the verses in the Bible. - Being in the shepherding pen or doing the three main services to God as follows.
- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Worship Prayer Service.
- The sheep that is shepherded well has the character that loves givingfor the work of God and other people who are in need as well as visitingthe weak, the sick and other pen.
Matthew 25: 33-40
25:33. "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
25:35 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
25:36 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
25:37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
25:38 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
25:39 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
25:40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you didit to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
Be careful!There are goats in the true shepherding pen.
Ezekiel 34: 17-18
34:17. 'And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
34:18 "Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture--and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foulthe residue with your feet?
The characters of the goats are as follows. - Fouling.
It meansbeing in the true teaching Word and shepherding, one does not obey the Word; even he does not hear the voice of the shepherd. It also means that one hears the voice of the shepherd, but not obeying it. - Not perseveringin doing the three main services to God.
- Not giving nor visiting.
- Hearing and obeying the voice of the shepherd or the shepherding Word.
- Entering the ministry in the field of God.
John 4: 36
4:36. "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reapsmay rejoice together.
There are two kinds of ministry in the field of God as follows.- Sowing or the beginning activity= the revival of Holy Spirit at the early rain in the gospel of salvation.
Ephesians 1: 13
1:13. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
The gospel of salvation preaches Jesus' first coming to die on the cross and save the sinful people. - Reaping or the ending activity = the revival of Holy Spirit at the latter rain in the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4: 3-4
4:3. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ preaches Jesus' second coming in the glory as the King of all kings and the Heavenly Bridegroom to sanctify and renew us until we can be as glorious as He is.
How can we be in the ministry of sowing and reaping? We can be in the ministry of sowing and reaping by testifying. It begins from our own family.
Why do we have to testify?
John 15: 25-26
15:25. "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hatedMe without a cause.'
15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testifyof Me.
If we do not testify, soon or later we will fall in the sin of hatred.
If we sow and reap or testify, we will get these results. - We are preserved by the heavenly Father.
Matthew 6: 26
6:26. "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sownor reapnor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? - We are not the same as the birds. The birds do neither sow nor reap. They refer to Satan.
If we sow and reap, we will not be the same as Satan, but God, and we can get the eternal life.
- Sowing or the beginning activity= the revival of Holy Spirit at the early rain in the gospel of salvation.
- Living in the righteousness.
- We have the tested faith.
It means that we keep on obeying the Wordregardless of any risks we have to take such as fleshly sufferings, persecution, and so on.
It is the obedience until we can give all things that are asked by God.
Mark 10: 21
10:21.Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you haveand give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
God asks the treasure. Why?- The treasure is a small thing. One who cannot be obedient in small thing cannot be obedient in the greater one.
- The treasure is the last bond of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 14: 17-23
14:17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
14:19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a titheof all.
14:21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself."
14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,
14:23 "that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich' --
We are set free from the bond of Sodom and Gomorrah by giving back the tithes and offerings. Both the pastor and the congregation must do it.
Where is the place to give back the tithes and offering? They must be rturned to God in the place where we are shepherded.
The tested faith is related to the tithes. It means that if we return the tithes not in the right amount or place and receive the tithes that are not for us or even we do not return the tithes, we are bound and do not have the tested faith. It seems little, but it determines whether we have the tested faith or not.
Genesis 22: 10-14
22:10. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
22:11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
22:12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
22:13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
22:14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
The test increased, but he could endure with the tested faith. As a result, Isaac was not slaughtered.
The resultof the tested faith is the power of God that provides. Nothing can be something and impossibilities can be possible. Formerly, it was impossible for us to be saved, but now it is possible and we get the eternal life. - The treasure is a small thing. One who cannot be obedient in small thing cannot be obedient in the greater one.
God blesses us.