Sheep or a Goat

Matthew 25:31-46

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 In the previous post we talked about how ALL mankind is going to stand before Jesus and be judged by Jesus according to their deeds. In Revelation 20:11-14 it talks about the books that Jesus is going to judge out of according to their deeds. In this context of Scripture, all men are broken into two groups. 

First Group = Sheep

Second Group = Goats

The Sheep go on the right and they are blessed of God the Father and will inherit the kingdom. Why is this? Lets see:

Jesus says to those on the right:

1. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat;

2. I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink;

3. I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 

4. Naked, and you clothed Me;

5. I was sick, and you visited Me;

6. I was in prison, and you came to Me.

The Righteous will answer:

Lord, when did we do all these things... Notice its the righteous...

Jesus says to those on His left:

Depart from me accursed ones in the eternal fire. Why...because they did not do these things...These will go into eternal punishment but the RIGHTEOUS into eternal life.

Sum up:

Those on the Right = Sheep

Sheep = those that are  righteous and they do the 6 things above that Jesus says we are to do.

Righteous Sheep enter into eternal life (Gods Kingdom) 

So where does ONLY having FAITH fit into this? Those accursed ones call Jesus Lord. Yet, they were considered goats. If ALL we had to do was to believe in Jesus as our Lord and do nothing else, our faith is DEAD! 

James 2:26 (14-26)

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. 

Remember what our commanded task given by Jesus was to do - Go out into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in My Name! Search it out.

• WE CAN NOT ENTER INTO GODS KINGDOM (ETERNAL LIFE) BY FAITH ONLY! 

• THIS IS DEAD DOCTRINE AND IS COMMONLY FED AS TRUTH. 

• IF THIS WAS THE CASE, THE BIBLE WOULD BE MUCH SMALLER THEN IT IS. TO MOST IT IS SMALL BECAUSE THEY DO NOT READ IT.

Matthew 7:13-14

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Jesus Himself says that there are few that find the way to life. Many people today think they have found this, yet most don't read what Jesus says. They only listen to their pastor or priest that may be saying things that don't exist in the Scriptures.

The only way to prove out what your teacher is saying to you is to look into it yourself. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read! Prove what your pastor is saying is either truth or his own ways. That is what a true disciple is. 

Are you a sheep? 

Or are you a goat?

Instructions to Jesus Disciples

What is a job of a Christian? Or lets rephrase that and just talk about what job or instruction Jesus gave His disciples while He was on earth. Remember a disciple is someone that is learning or is a student.

Matthew 10:1 - Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Jesus gives authority! This word authority is the word exousia - power, authority, right, liberty, jurisdiction, strength. Jesus gave His disciples the power or right over unclean spirits and to cast them out, and to heal people of diseases and sickness. Interesting that Jesus gives this to someone, not a man, not a certificate or anything like that. Its Jesus that gives someone this right. Lets keep reading.

Matthew 10:5-15 - These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. "And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. "As you enter the house, give it your greeting. "If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

So Jesus gives His disciples power to DO things. He also gives them specific instructions:
1. Do not go to the Gentiles but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
2. Preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
3. Heal the sick,
4. Raise the dead.
5. Cleanse the lepers.
6. Cast out demons.

These are instructions that Jesus' disciples were told to DO. Interesting that Jesus told them to preach the Kingdom of Heaven. We have been seeing this phrase repeated a lot at the beginning of the gospels. But notice too that Jesus never says anything about going out to tell people to ask Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, He tells them to talk about God's Kingdom where Jesus is Lord! Jesus gives them SPECIFIC instructions.

Matthew 3:2 - Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. - John the Baptist, man sent from God

Matthew 4:17 - From that time Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. - First thing Jesus starts talking about in HIs public ministry is repenting or in other words, telling people that they are going to have to change their minds from their own dead ways. FIRST THINGS FIRST.

Matthew 10:7 - And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand. - First thing Jesus tells His disciples to go out and tell people about. Are you seeing a pattern yet?

Here are other mate Scriptures that go along with how Jesus sent out His disciples.

Mark 6:6b-13
Luke 9:1-6
Luke 10:1-20

Something I have heard too was that this was just referring to those disciples. This isn't something you or I need to do today. Thats why God made pastors and preachers right? To do that for us? Lets look at the LAST thing Jesus says before He is taken back into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God the Father. 

Matthew 28:16-20 - But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

• Jesus has been given ALL AUTHORITY (same word that Jesus used to give His disciples - exousia) has been give to Him in heaven and on earth.  

• We are told to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;

Mark 16:15-18 - And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Again, specific instructions:

1. Go into all the world and preach the gospel (this gospel is the kingdom of heaven!)

2. Believe in Jesus

3. Be baptized (in Jesus' name)

(note: that JESUS SAYS these two things combined equal salvation)

And even similar signs accompany those that go out in His name just as His disciples did earlier. 

So what is a duty of a disciple or Christian? Study these out and see what the Lord shows you. Ask yourself if where you are going to learn about Jesus is talking about these things. These are still active and Jesus' disciples should be DOING these things. 

Next we'll look at why these things are so imperative to take part in. 

Remember to be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Bearing Fruit Part Two

Matthew 3:2 (1-12) - Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
 (v.8) Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 


John the Baptizer is telling us that we need to bear fruit for the kingdom of God.


Matthew 21:43 (33-43) - Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.


Vineyard = The kingdom of God
Vine Growers = Chief Priests and Pharisees
Slaves = Prophets proclaiming repentance
Son = Gods only begotten Son, Jesus


The kingdom of heaven is only for those producing the fruit of it. This fruit comes by the way of repentance first.


Changing our mind and what we think is the right way to what Gods way is. This is the only way to start bearing good fruit. And that starts by seeking God by reading His word. 


The context of Matthew 21:33 starts off "Listen to another parable." Did you know that all the time Jesus talked about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God, it was spoken in parables to the crowds? Not ONCE does Jesus reveal what the Kingdom of Heaven/God is in the gospels. It is talked about over 80 times yet, not explained what it is. But it is the first reason John the Baptist says we have to repent for. Jesus says the same thing. 


Do you hear about the kingdom of God in church today? If so, what do you think it is?
 

What is this Land Flowing with Milk and Honey?

Last week we were talking about this Land Flowing with Milk and Honey and a question was brought up on what this was. So what is it?

Most of the Scriptures that this is located in are in the Old Testament, so before Jesus died on the cross. The term is actually used a lot in the books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the great and awesome thing about the Word is this:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ALL Scripture is inspired (God Breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

This is talking about ALL Scripture, so both new and old. 

Matthew 13:52 - And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old. 

All Scripture is inspired and God breathed and helps us basically walk and grown to become mature in the Lord. And we can bring things out new (New Testament) and old (Old Testament).

Pretty neat stuff...

First, what is Milk?
Hebrew word for it is chalab (Strongs # 2461) - Milk, cheese, sucking
It comes from a root word of cheleb - to be fat, the richest or choice part, best, fat, finest, grease, marrow. 

So it sounds like the Milk is the best of the land. The finest of the crop or most pure!


This reminds me of a New Testament Scripture, 
1 Peter 2:2 - like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

So the pure milk of the word.

Isaiah 28:9-12
"To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk. Those just taken from the breast. "For He says, 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'" Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen. 


God says that He is going to teach knowledge and to interpret the message to those just weaned from the milk and taken from the breast. Who does this sound like? BABIES! 


In Matthew 18:3-4 - and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.


You wonder why there are so many different interpretations of the bible by men. Most likely they have not humbled themselves like a child and are not in the kingdom of God and are not being taught by Jesus. Jesus is going to teach knowledge and interpret the message to those who have and are partaking in the milk of the word. 


What then is the MILK of the word?