Searched for the great sermon.

By Rev. Dr. Liliana van Heulen

Not peace but division, Lc. 12: 49-53 I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled: I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am untill it is completed. His task was finished in John 19: 30 When He has received the drink, Jesus said “It is finished”. With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Jesus task on earth was finished, the compleet work for our redemption. Untill this time, a complicated system of  sacrifices has atoned for sin. Sins seperate us from God, and only through the sacrifices of animal, a substitute, could people be forgiven, and become clean for God. But people sin continually, so frequent sacrifices were required. Jesus however, became the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. The word finished, He paid the full price, Jesus came to finish Gods work of salvation. To pay the full penalty for our sin. With His death the complex sacreficial system ended because Jesus took all sin upon Himself. Now we can go freely approach God because of what Jesus did. Those who believe in Jesus death and resurrection, can live eternally with God and escape the penalty, that come from sin. After God called us to be His disciples, His pastor, His minister, His reverend, His priesthood, His Bishop, His child, His son and daughter, with a purpose and a task,   here on earth to preach the gospel to the  corners of the earth, first begin in your own house, your family, your city.

Your task is a serious case.

It brings presure on your duty.

The presure of duty. You promised to go, till the cross that no task is to big for the cross and now it burns like an inward fire. Jeremy 20: 9 “ But if I say, I will not mention or speak anymore in His name, His word is in my heart like fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am worry of holding it in: indeed I can not.” 

It calls like a voice of a loin. Amos 3: 8 “The lion has roared who will not fear, the souvereign God has spoken - who can but prophecy.” 

It binds the soul to its task. Like by Jesus. (Lc. 12: 50 “ But I have a baptism to undergo untill it is completed.”)We must go on! John 9: 4 “I urge you to haste aslong it is day, we must do the work of Him who send me. Night is coming when no one can work.” Sometimes it is not easy to stay and to go, but remember, Jesus says not peace but division. I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it was already kindled.” Your have a baptism to undergo and how distressed you are untill it is completed.

Your family can try to stop you. From now on there will be five in one family divided against two and two against three.... Lc. 12: 53 

The day of your watchman has come. Are you a watchman on your wall in your   family, in your church? Do you telling them the truth, then you shall find divisement. The day God visit you, now is the time of their confusion. Be carefull with your words, let your mouth only speak the truth in love: for a son dishonors his father and a daughter raise up against her mother and a daughter in law her mother in law, a men enemy are the members of his own household. Micha 7: 7 “But as for me. I watch in hope, praise the Lord. I wait for God, my saviour, my God, will hear me, I pray Micha 7: 4b- 5b- 6-7 Be carefull with your words. Wait upon the Lord your God and He shall answer you. Hebr. 12: 1 “Run your race with perseverance.” 1 Peter 1: 13 “Therefore prepare your mind for action; be self-controlled, set your  hopefully on the grace to be given you, when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 

Run the Christian race. Be a spiritual athletics, striving for the prize. 1 Cor. 9: 24 “Pressing toward the goal. Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Pressing toward the goal. I press toward untill the goal to win the prize for which God has called me, heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Preparing for the contest.  Hebr. 12: 1 “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

With a good finish. 2 Timothy 4: 7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

The prize won. 2 Timothy 4: 8 “ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the Righteous Judge will award to me on that day.” 

Still going on even in imperfection. Phil. 3: 13 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or I have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me!” 

No indecission (=besluiteloosheid), don’t doubt, go on. James 1: 18 “Be not a double minded men, unstable in all he does, that men should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.”  If there is indecission in your life, come close near to your heavenly Father, to God.  James 4: 8-10 and begin to wash your hands from all that cleafs on your hand, confess your sins and begin to purify your hearts and the double mind shall stop, the indecision shall stop. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.

How you can come to God! or again! James gives us 5 ways:

1. Submit to God. James 4: 7 “Yield to His authority and will commit your life to Him and His control, and be willing to follow Him.” 

2. Resist the devil James 4: 7 Don’t allow satan to entice (=verleiden) and tempt you.

3. Wash your hands (James 4 : 8)...and purify your hands ....and your heart. Nothing that means, that there is nothing on your hands and nothing in your heart and lead a holy life.

4. Be cleansed from sins. James 4: 9 What means confess and don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done.

5. James 4: 10 Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. 1 Peter 5: 6 

6. Commitment Lc. 14: 26-27 “If anyone comes after Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister, yes even his own life, he can not be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me can not be My disciple.”

Jesus gave Himself wholly to His cause and to His men consequently, He could ask them to do the same. When leaders vote with their lives their followers gain all kind of security. Jesus call for commitment, both screened the uncommitted and attracted the committed. Vers 27 Jesus audience  was well aware  of what it means to carry one’s own cross. When the Romans the criminals to his execution place, then he was forced to carry the cross on which he would die. This showed his submission to Rome and warned observers that they better submit too. Jesus made His statement to get crowds to think through their enthousiasm for Him. He encouraged those who were superfacial either to go deeper or turn back. Following Christ means total submission to Him - perhaps maybe to the point of death. See Luke 9: 23 “Then He said to them all: if anyone will come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” To take up the cross meaned to carry one’s own cross to the place of crucifixion. Many Galileans has been killed that way by Romans and Jesus would face it as well. With this word picture Jesus present a clear and challenging description of the Christian life. Being His disciple means putting aside selfish desires shouldering your cross every day and following. Yes, it is simple and yet so demanding, for the original 12 apostles means it litteral suffering and death, for believers today it means understanding that we belong to Him and that we life to serve His purpose. Consider this. 

Do you think of your relationship of God  primarily in terms of what’s in it for you (which is considerable or in terms of what you can do for Him?

Are you willing to deny yourself, to take up your cross daily and follow Him. Anything less is not discipleship, it is merely superfacial lippservice. Although Jesus saw the end coming, He steadfastly set His face to go Luke 9: 51 “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem”. To go for the goal, the purpose.

His focus could be seen in His face. (Luke 9: 51-53)

Yet He never lost sight of the big picture.  (Luke 9: 50-54)

Jesus determined to reach His ultimate  destination. So we must follow through the power of the Holy Spirit His example, so that we can come in our ultimate destination.

Why has the word no peace in many men?

If any man unconverted, let us help him to reason applicable to his case.

1. You are to busy and so you can admit it.

 there is no room for Jesus in the inn (temple) of your life.

 think of it “you are to much occuppied to be saved.” 

2. It does not come as a novelty (=nieuw ding) and therefore you refuse it.

 You are weary of the old, old story.

 You are wearied of bread? of air? of water? of life?

3. Another occupies the place of the word, of Jesus should have.

 You prefer the word of men, of superstition of skepticism.

 Is this a wise preference.

4. You think Christ word to holy, to Spiritual, this fact shall startle (= doen schrikken) you, for it condemns you.

5. It is cold comfort to you and so you give it no place. This shows that your nature is deproved (=verdorven) for the sins.

6. You are to wise, to cultured, to genteel (= te gemaak, keurig), to yield yourself to the governement of Jesus. 

John 5: 44 “ How can you believe as youaccept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God.”

Romans 1: 22 “ Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible man - and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

7. Is the reason of your rejection of the word one of these: 

 That you are not in earnest.

 That you fond of sin.

 That you are greedy ( =begerig) of evil gain. (=kwaad of eigen voordeel)

That you need a change of heart.

8. What will come of  the word of Christ  having no place in you.

1. Every past rejection of that word has  involved you in sin.

2. The word may cease for a place in you. 

3. You may become the violent opponent of that word.                                   

Let us therefore reason with you for a while.

Why did you not give place to it word in your heart?

All that is asked of you is to give it place, it will bring with it, all that you need. 

Open wide the door and bit it enter.

It is the word of the Lord Jesus, the Saviour. 

It means your highest good and will greatly bless you. 

1. It must be inside of you, in your thoughts, the memory, the consciences, the affections. 

Thy word I have hide in my heart. Psalm 119: 11 

Jer. 15: 16 “When your words came I ate them.” 

Colossians 3: 16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another, with all wisedom.”

2. It must receive a place of honour.It should receive attention, reverence, faith and obedience. 

John 8: 47 “He who belongs to God, hears what God say. The reason that you do not hear is that you don’t belong to God.” 

Luke 6: 46 “You did not oil on My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet, what means honour.” 

Matthew 7: 24-25 “Therefore, everyone who hear this words of Mine and put them into practice is like a wise man, who build his house on the rock, the rain came down, the streams rose and the wind blew and beat  against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundations on the rock.” 

3. A place of trust. We ought in all things to rely upon the Sure Word of promise, since God will neither lie, nor change.

Isaiah 7: 9 “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” 

1 Samuel 15: 29 “He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 

Titus 1: 2 “A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God who does not lie promised before the beginning of time.” 

4. A place to rule. The word of Jesus is the law of a Christian.

5. A place of love. It should be prized above our daily food, and defended with our own lives.

Job 23: 12 “I have not departed from the commends of His lips, I have treasured the words of His mouth more then my daily bread.”

Jude 13 “They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars from whom blackest darkness has been reserved    forever.” 

6. A permanent place. It must so transform us as to abide in us.