Bible Message/Preaching : The Easy Way (OR devil's deception!)
5Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7"Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." 8And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " Lk 4:5-8
We might have heard this - Well, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. It is up to you which way to take, but one way or the other it is going to get done. Everyday in our lives, we face choices - decision making is part of our life whether we realise it or not. Even when we think we're not making a choice, we're – not making any choice is a choice in itself and often leads to the easy way! Walking the easy way is not about the choices in the past but the one we make every moment! Its not the cultural norms nor the crowd (or how many are following what) but the Scriptures that we use to make our decisions.
Jesus said: 13"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Mt 7:13-14)What is the easy way?
The Scriptures states: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom”. But satan tried to trick Adam/Eve with the easy way! 1Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3"but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5"For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Gen 3:1-7)
Then God gave this punishment that, we've to sweat to eat ->
17Then to Adam He (God) said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I
commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your
life. 18Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19In the
sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you
shall return." Gen 3:17 - 19
But the devil preaches another lifestyle! Easy laid back life – is what many wants in their life! No wonder people started applying
this to their personal lives too – principles, relationships & even faith!!
Cheap salvation – its grace, do what you want to do as you like it! You might remember our earlier study on
Walking worthy of our calling!
Many of the inventions are aimed for this goal – Machinery, Transport even the remote-control! There is nothing wrong in using the technology for our benefit, but that should not compromise our principles! Its the result of sin that we've hardship in this world.
What is the narrow (difficult) way?
Further in the parallel in Luke Jesus said ->
23Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, 24"Strive to enter through
the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25"When once the Master of the house
has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will
answer and say to you, I do not know you, where you are from,' 26"then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in Your
presence, and You taught in our streets.' 27"But He will say, I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from
Me, all you workers of iniquity.' 28"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29"They will come from the east and the west, from
the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30"And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are
first who will be last." Lk 13:23-30
If we look further in the passage in Matthew, Jesus 2 illustration of walking the easy & narrow way:
15"Beware of FALSE prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16
"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17"Even so, every good
tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good
fruit. 19"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20"Therefore by their
fruits you will know them. 21"Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will
of My Father in heaven. 22"Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out
demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23"And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him
to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25"and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on
that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does
not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27"and the rain descended, the floods came, and
the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Mt 7:15-27
Biblical Examples of easy-way:
We already seen the case of Adam/Eve and its consequences. Lets have a few more examples to drive the point home. Lot choose the easy-way & we know that he ended up in big trouble and lost everything: 7And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9"Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." 10And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. (Gen 13:7-13)Abraham – Sarah -> Ismael was the easy way – but brought troubles for the family and the entire descendants. (Gen 15:1-6, 16:1-2,11-12)
Jacob cheated his father by giving lamb and putting on furry pullover → later Laban/ Leah cheated him while he was drunk after wedding!
Israel in the desert – they choose to go back and submit back to slavery in Egypt rather than taking up the promised land. Result is 40 years wandering in desert. While we know from the book of Joshua that the people there were terrified about the Israel coming because the Lord was with them. (Num 13, 14, Josh 2:9-11)
Biblical Examples of people choosing the narrow way:
We already read the case of Abraham who offered Lot the chance to choose trusting in God!
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son Issac at the word of the Lord knowing that He is able to raise back his son from the dead! (Gen 22: 5, Heb 11:17-19, Jas 2:21)
David who refused to put his hands on “the anointed one” even after Saul tried to kill him several times! (1 Sam 24 & 26)
24By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Heb 11:24-26)
36Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, .., (Heb 11:36-39)
Why would Jesus suggest the narrow way for us?
About Jesus -> 8though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, (Heb 5:8-9)
5And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. (Heb 12:5-13)
19For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what
credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently,
this is commendable before God. 21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that you should follow His steps: (1 Pet 2:19-21)
2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces
patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Jas 1:2-4)
What must we do?
Now coming back to our first reading:
He tried to deceive the Lord, so how much more will he try on us?
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Pet 5: 8-9)
1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. (Ps 1:1-2) In Psalms we're told that the one who sows with tears will reap with joy - 5Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. (Ps 126:5-6) 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cori 4:16-18) That is why we must walk by faith and not by sight! (2 Cor 5:7)
20"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." " Rev 3:20-22
(to be continued...)Delivered 13 Mar 2011
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