Welcome to The Roads Church Norris City! We started on October 18th, we started a series of talks called let no one deceive you. That was October 18th. I could not believe it is that long ago. And you know, when you don’t really preach your message for three weeks in a row, then, uh, you know, things kind of fly by. But I want to, I want to finish it up today. I’m not going to be talking about same topics I have been on. Uh, what I’ve decided to do is save that for like a class or a course type setting where I can go through and talk about, you know, some of the things biblically revelation, and Isaiah got some things about Turkey and stuff that’s happening in the world right now. I’d really like to bring out, but it’s just going to, I think it’s going to be better suited in a classroom type setting.
Or as I say, a small group at The Roads Church Norris City, I’m going to invite everybody, but we’re just going to do it in a way where we can break on that. So I don’t even want to spend any time on that or focus on it. So today’s Palm Sunday. And so I’ve got a message today that I’m going to speak on it’s in the let no one deceive you series, but a, the little different V vein, the subtitle of it is that no cross, no kingdom, no cross, no kingdom. So here at the road’s church, we believe the Bible is still the truth. And so we get excited whenever we open the Bible because when God wants to speak to us. So if you have your Bibles, come on, he wrote his family, Mount Carmel here. Let’s open them up to Luke chapter 12, Luke chapter 12 men. This is church.
Yes, it is. We believe you should not be dead in church, the alive and fire for God. We’ll talk about that more in just a moment. So the Bible has a lot to say about what’s going on world, and we’re going to take a peak at it right now, Luke chapter 12, verse 49. I got to hammer down here, ready? It says this, this is Jesus talking. It’s in the rip. Read some scriptures here. That may sound a little different. And you’d be like, is that really in the Bible? Thrilling the Bible. That’s why you should bring your own Bible so that, you know, it’s in the Bible and not just on a screen where someone typed it up and it could be whatever, but read it right out of your own pages. Because some of the things we’re going to read today, you’re going to be like, for real, for real.
Yeah. This is what Jesus said out of his own mouth. I came to sin, fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. I came to send fire on the earth. That word Kendall there means to ignite, to start a fire, to begin to burn. So Jesus saying, I came with an agenda to start a fire. Now, most of the time when people hear fire of God, they get in their mind, this image of angry, God burning up. Everything in judgment, mean God fire judgment, but that’s not what Jesus is saying. I came to bring fire. Here’s what it says, how the pans, passion translation. It says I have come to set the earth on fire and how I long for every heart to be already ablaze with this fiery passion for God. That’s what Jesus said. I came to set everyone ablaze with a fiery passion for God. That’s why he’s saying he wants us to live as Christians. We should be burning with a fire. The Bible says his word should be in. It’s like a fire shut up in our bones. The Bible also says that our God is a consuming fire. What does that mean? Fire here is not emotion like hype cause passion and hype lasts about 24 hours.
When’s the last time that you thought that you were on fire for God? It’s a phrase we used to use a lot only if we still use it as much, but how many? When’s the last time somebody accused you of being on fire for God. Okay. When’s the last time they looked at you and said, man, that dude is on fire for God. What does that mean? Like you’re literally burning. Like your clothes are singeing. You just lit the gas on the grill, freed all your eyebrows off. Not that I’ve speaking from experience, but I heard that’s happened before.
Yeah, but what does that mean on fire for God? Jesus said it’s a fiery passion. So when I speak passion, I want to make sure you don’t confuse that. Don’t get it twisted with excitement. That kind of excitement will not last. I’ve been in the game long enough to see people that I’ve been in the game long enough to see me. So passionate and fire is not about excited. It’s about a slow enduring burn that stays lit. That’s passion. Passion comes now because I’m hot today. Passion comes when I’m hot, 25 years from now, I’m still burning. I know there’s going to be times where we feel closer and all that, that can happen within an hour, let alone a lifetime. But I don’t wanna spend a lot of time on that, man. That’s really good, but we’ve got to move on. Let me go.
Uh, he said, I come to sin, sin, fire on the earth. Look at verse 50, but okay. I came to light this fiery passion for God. I’m going to happen in acts chapter two. I got that in your sermon notes, you can read that part. So he’s going to send this fire of the Holy spirit, verse 50. Ooh, but I’ve got this coming, but I have a baptism to be baptized with. So Jesus saying, I got this exciting thing coming, but first I’ve got a baptism then will be baptized with now. This is not the water baptism that’s already happened. What is this? Baptism? That word baptism there means plunged entirely into a difficult event to be overwhelmed by a difficult experience. So Jesus says I come to set fire on the earth, but first I got this very difficult deal that I’ve got to go through.
I’m going to be immersed in it. What was this baptism of Jesus is talking about how about getting beat with a cat of nine tails 39 times? How about getting nailed to a cross after you’re betrayed and abandoned by all of your friends? I mean we’re entering into passion week. How many would recognize? That’s a pretty tough week when everybody that’s close to you, I realize that everybody’s not going to stay with him, but at least your homeboys, your posse, your crew, your 12, if not the 12, at least the three, no, they’re all going to abandon him. One of your main dudes is going to save three times. I don’t even know who he is.
That’s the baptism video. We’ll take him and beat him
To rent, rips the flesh off of his body where he’s unrecognizable push a crown of thorns on his head till it pierces his skull and begins to bleed profusely over his head like, Oh, that’s gross. That’s your savior.
No,
After that, they’re going to take him. They’re going to nail him to a cross naked. No, this nice little cloth naked. That’s how they crucified him for the shame and embarrassment.
He bore our shame and that’s a whole nother thing. She’s going to go through all of that.
That’s the baptism he had to be baptized, but that’s what he’s talking about. What does he think about this baptism? What is he going to say? I have a baptism to be baptized with how distressed I am till it’s accomplished. How distressed that we’re distressed means to hold together, but like pressing, pushing to experience a great psychological pressure and anxiety. Was Jesus going? The cross is coming. No, I don’t think he was. He came as a man. The Bible says that he humbled himself and took on the form of a man. He knows that he came to die and it was not going to be a pleasant death. So the stress and anxiety of it was on him. Just put yourself that part for him for a moment. Because if Jesus had to go through this in his assignment, notice what says this I’m distressed with this until it is accomplished.
That means until it comes to the end, until it’s executed until it’s completed. So Jesus came for an assignment and part of his assignment was to go through a baptism that was miserably painful and pressurizing anxiety, grief. And he’s going to feel it until it’s done. Wow. Wow. So if Jesus felt that walking out his assignment, why would we feel like we would never have to feel any pressure walking out our assignment? Here’s what I come to encourage you with today. I sit in courage on purpose because you may not feel like you’re encouraged afterwards, but here’s what I think the church needs to know. No cross, no kingdom. I believe that church has been lulled to sleep in this little message that we’re not going to face any difficulties or any oppositions or any struggles. And then 2020 began to happen. And then things are changing in our world. And now there’s coming this pressure and attention against Christians on a greater degree, because we’ve never really had any persecution in America. I’ve been to countries for their persecution. We’ve never had any persecution. Oh, somebody said something about us on Facebook. Whoa.
Some people made fun of us maybe at The Roads Church Norris City . And that can be bad. It can be painful. It can hurt, but we’ve never had threatening persecution. Like the kind that you need to not say you’re a Christian. So let’s see what this looks like. He’s dealing with this second. Timothy says this, these words. Yes. And all who desire to live godly in Christ. Jesus will suffer persecution. All who desire to live godly in Christ. Jesus will suffer persecution. So liquid, it says let’s look at verse 51. Do you see, I love this question. I don’t know if you’ve ever read this or not. Jesus. Remember I keep emphasizing. This is Jesus talking. Our sweet Jesus. Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you not at all, but rather division.
I know. I thought the same thing. Let me read it again. Jesus. Cause I, you know, if somebody come up to you and said, Hey, do you think Jesus came to bring peace on earth or division 99.9%? Was that peace? For sure. Jesus had none. No, no, not at all. Maybe some. Not at all. None. Okay. Can bring division. So I’m what are you? Jesus. I know you never, I believe the Bible, but I I’m having trouble grasping what you’re saying. If you’re asking me to preach this, I need to know what you’re saying because I don’t know that I agree with what you’re saying. Kind of important for me to agree with the Bible before I talk about the Bible. So the word peace. Here’s what the word peace means. Harmonious relations and freedom from disputes. Put that in there. Do you suppose that I came to bring harmonious relations and freedom from disputes?
No, no
He does. Does not promise us harmonious relations all the time and freedom from disputes he likes had we met. What about John? 14, 27 where Jesus said these words, peace. I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you? Let not your heart be troubled. Neither. Let it be afraid. Here’s the difference when Jesus said those words, my peace I give to you, I give to you to you, peace to you. The Holy spirit is what he’s talking about. And he says the Holy spirit will not only be with you, but be in you. So here’s the key. God say, I come to give you peace to you, but I’m not promising you peace around you.
I’m not promising you. You’re always going to have peace in your circumstances. But what I’m going to do is I’m going to put peace on the inside of you, fruit of the spirit. So out of your spirit will flow peace instead of peace, being an outside in thing like the world wants, it’s an inside out job. So wherever God plugs you in, even if there’s not peace around you, there’s peace on the inside of you. This is what God is saying. I didn’t come to bring harmonious relations and freedom from dispute. No, no, no I didn’t. I didn’t come to bring that kind of peace. The kind of peace I came is something that’s not emotionally tied. I want that kind of peace. How about you? I wanna think I need some peace in the house. What does that mean? I want everything caught when everybody happy, fake it. If you got to, but pretend you’re happy. Pretend I’m a good father right now. Just everybody’s smile. Everybody’s filed. Just say thank you, daddy. It helps me.
That’s
The kind of peace he’s talking about. He’s talking about the piece that when all hell is breaking loose in your world, you still got something that says we good. You got some inside of you, just like the winter. What the woman said about her son that passed away. When she came to the prophet, she said all is well, was all well, no, her only son was dead, but what did she say? All is, well, what is that? What speaking there. That’s the peace of God on the inside of you. It’s an internal piece. All right. So now we know what the peace is. What’s about this division. I didn’t come to bring you harmonious relationships without disputes, but I come to bring some division up in here. The word division means to partition or divide thoroughly into opposing groups, to partitioner divide thoroughly into opposing groups.
So Lord wait, why do, why do you, why don’t you come bring division separate divide thoroughly into opposing groups? Is he just coming to be an antagonist? Just coming to create arguments? No, I don’t think that’s what he means. Again. You figure it out for yourself. Here’s what I feel like. I feel like God was saying, I don’t come to give you harmonious relationships. Freedom from disputes. I’m coming to bring a separation, not for argument’s sake, but for identification sake. In other words, I want to build a know who’s who he’s not bringing a division so that we can just bicker back and forth. But I believe he’s doing it for identification purposes, the faithful servant versus the evil servant, the sheet versus the goats, the wheat versus the tares. He’s not bringing division. Like he just wants people arguing each other. I’m bringing division so that I can know who is for me. And who’s against me. [inaudible]
because look what it says. It goes on. I tell you not to old rather division four from now on five in one house will be divided three against two, two against three. Father will be divided against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother. Impossible. Mother-in-law against daughter-in-law. Well maybe we understand that one a little bit. No, look at your mother-in-law and say, I love you very much. You’re awesome. I like it. Some people call her mother and loves her daughter and loves that’s good. Daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. So now notice what’s happening. There’s a divided house here. There’s going to be something that happens to the extent that it’s what could possibly happen. That could pit fathers and sons against each other people in the whole own household be divided. Could that ever happen in our society? Here’s what it tells me that Jesus said he’s coming and he’s coming to be polarizing. I mean, it was, this world has gotten very polarizing. All you got to do is make a statement, make a statement. Boom. We go into two camps. It’s exhausting for me to try and say something just right, so that I don’t tick everybody off. I did the first service I was walking around and tip toes. I’m like, man, I don’t know. So this service, I just thought, Hey, who cares?
I don’t mean who cares. Like I don’t care about people. I just meant it’s exhausting to try and please people, should I say it this way? Should I say it that way? I just got to trust. God loved God, loved people and let her rip. So if anything I say offends, you know that it’s not on purpose, so don’t clap yet. The sermon’s not over.
Yeah,
I’m a mess. Well, here’s what polarizing means. Causing polarizing, causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings. Here’s what I don’t know that people understand. Christianity is supposed to be polarizing. It’s supposed to create a division, not where Christians are over here. Looking down on the worthless sinner. No it’s supposed to create a heart gap for whose hearts are after God and whose hearts are not after God. It’s not these religious perfect people with these other people. We’re all imperfect people, but the division is in the heart. God looks on the heart. So the division craters, who’s going to go after God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and who’s going to serve themselves. So Christian is supposed to be a little bit polarizing. I believe we’ve got that in today’s society. And many people believe that, uh, it’s Christ-like to actually shy away from anything that’s going to cause conflict.
I believe there’s so much intimidation against the church today that Christians themselves are actually backing up thinking it’s wrong to say anything controversial at The Roads Church Norris City . I’m not really wired that way. I’m not trying to be controversial to be controversial, but here’s what I will not be. I will not be intimidated into accepting. This is what I am just because of a belief. In other words, here’s what, here’s what happening a little bit. I’ll read it. So I don’t mess up what I was trying to say. There’s an intimidating attitude that doesn’t tolerate opposing opinions, but instead tries to silence them called the cancel culture. I don’t mind if you have a difference of opinion in me, I want you to have a difference. I want you to be able to speak your opinion. I’m not gonna try and silence the atheist. The atheist should not have a platform. I don’t care if they have a platform, let them speak. We’re not trying to cancel opposing views, but when someone tries to cancel opposing views, here’s a couple of things. No, I don’t have time for that. Maybe a half a thing. Here’s a half of the thing. The people who hold that belief are not secure enough in their belief to even stand for that belief.
I’ve got four other things, but that’s all I’m going to say on that because I’m going to read a little bit. This article here’s here’s, this, this article was in USA today was written about oral Roberts university. And Oh, if you know anything about their playing, if you like basketball, the NCAA tournaments going on my brackets, a mess, but anyway, or Roberts university is a private Christian university beat. Number two, I have a state and number seven Florida, and they played last night, got beat by Arkansas, just by two. I believe. Uh, they could have gone to the sweet 16, but anyway, this article get off a basketball test, stay focused.
Here’s what this person said. And now I’m reading this article. This is not to attack this person, but give you an example of what’s coming against the Christian beliefs. Or Robert says it reaps, Goodwill, publicity, and revenue of a national title run the university’s deeply bigoted anti LGBTQ plus policies can’t and should not be ignored. The school has been soundly mocked on social media for its archaic standards of behavior and discriminatory and hateful anti LGBTQ plus policy. No, again, when I say this, this is nothing, a personal attack against LGBTQ plus policies or individuals. This is an individual that’s attacking this group because of their beliefs. Notice what they hear here are the archaic standards that or Roberts university has. And it’s in the article. So there they’ve quoted right out of their personal behavior. Handbook. Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of integrity, honesty, modesty, and morality. Certain behaviors are expressly prohibited in scripture and therefore should be avoided by members of the university community. They include theft, lying dishonesty, gossip, slander, backbiting, profanity, vulgarity, including crude language, sexual promiscuity, including adultery, any homosexual behavior, premarital sex, drunkenness immodesty of dress and a Colt practices. These archaic standards of behavior is called the Bible.
That’s not everything that’s in there that said, these are the standards of integrity, honesty, and sexual behavior and profanity and all that’s just biblical standards.
Okay?
But they go on to say, I just highlight a few things. Uh, what is not up for debate? However, is their anti LGBTQ plus stance, which is nothing short of discriminatory
Goes on to say the fact is any and all LGBTQ plus language in any of the school’s policies should ban them from the NCAA tournament. Their bigoted stance and beliefs should not be accepted. Although they’re to reap the rewards of the work of their unpaid student athletes on the backs of those hardworking kids, the university will seek to rewrite the narrative of their school into one of the athletic victory. When in fact it’s steeped in bigotry and exclusionary fundamentalism. I want you to catch a phrase there, a word that’s being used a lot in being thrown around bigot bigot, thrown around bigoted. Here’s what the word bigoted means. Blindly devoted to some creed opinion or practice that’s one number two, having or showing an attitude of hatred or intolerance toward the members of a particular group. Now oral Roberts university has a statement of beliefs and that’s the way they believe.
So is it bigoted to have those beliefs or if it is, I’ll say this, if it’s big enough to have those beliefs, then is it not biblical bigoted to say the opposite? I guess the people who have those beliefs, why is bigotry only going one direction? So this is why you cannot be intimidated into depolymerizing for your beliefs. I’m not talking about standing on the street corner and be hateful and yell at people. That’s not the gospel. The gospel is the gospel of love, but it’s the gospel of truth that I’m not going to apologize for what the Bible says. I didn’t write the Bible. I didn’t make up the rule that that marriage is between one man and one woman. The Bible says that Jesus affirmed that when he was only earth. So it’s not something that I’m attacking people because I believe in that, that’s just saying, that’s what the Bible says.
So it’s not hateful to have a belief. It’s a hateful it’s hateful. When you come against people and attack them and, and get personal and vengeful that’s hateful. So why am I saying these things? I’m saying these things, because I believe pastors, even themselves have gotten so timid about saying what’s right or wrong. That Christians themselves don’t even know what to stand up for. Go to Matthew chapter 10, we’ve got to hurry. I’ve got two scriptures to get to in a short time to get there. This is smoking the bandit time, smoky in the what? Just ask your parents after church, where eastbound and down left and trucking, we’re going to do what they say. Can’t be done in 15 minutes. Ready? Matthew chapter 10, just extend a hand and pray for him. Look at verse 32 says this. Therefore, whoever confesses Jesus talking, whoever confesses me before men, him, I will also confess before my father who is in heaven. Boom. That sounds good. Let’s do that. But there’s also verse 33, but whoever denies me before men, him, I will also deny before my father who’s in heaven.
Two camps bringing division. The next verse, do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. Well, I thought you did. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword or some people say sweat.
I came to bring a sword. No, wait a minute. What the word sword me? I wrote it down. It means this quarter war Jesus came to bring a war. What’d he come to bring a war about? Well
Said when he came, he said, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And first John chapter three, verse eight, he says, for this purpose, the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works
What’d did he come for a war on? He came from
War on the kingdom of darkness. He didn’t come for a war on people. So we don’t come with a war on people. Come on church. Our war is not against flesh and blood stop attacking the Democrats or the Republicans. Like they’re your enemy. They are not your enemy. Your enemy is the devil. What’s happening in the world. And people are, Oh, Jesus, move forward. It’s got to come in. In time. I started to go off on that. I can’t not, I did not come to being priest peace, but a sword for, I have come to set a man against his father and daughter against his mother. And daughter-in-law against her. Mother-in-law a man’s enemies will be those of his own household or this part of Christianity. A lot of people don’t hear about you take a stand. I mean, right now the things happen in society. They have been so polarizing that households are divided politically, culturally it’s happening is that that’s what the Bible is saying. Their own household will be their enemy. He, but look what he says in verse 37. He who loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me for a lot to say there. I don’t have time for that. But man, read that meditate on that. Let God show you. Even, even nobody comes between you and Jesus.
I’m telling you, don’t try and save your kids by compromising your Jesus. If you will stick close to Jesus, he will save your kids. But if you try and compromise your Jesus to make a little more water down so that they’ll like it, no burn on fire for Jesus and let that fire be something that draws him to God. Okay? I can’t, I got more blood verse 38 and he or she who does not take his cross, this jumped out at me. He who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Who finds his life will lose it. He loses his life for my sake will find this. What spoke to me verse 38. He who does not take his cross, his cross, like it’s like possessive pronoun. So like my Bible says, see Everett on there. So this is like my Bible. If you would pick it up off the chair, you go, that’s his Bible. Well, that’s how Jesus describes my cross. Not yours, not his. I’m not talking about a crossroads. Save humanity. That’s already been done through Jesus. Don’t get it twisted. I’m not, I don’t need a cross so that I can save myself and others. That’s not the type of cross I’m talking about. I’m talking about a baptism. I’m talking about denying myself.
He said, take a Crow. You and I, we have a cross in Christiana. We don’t want to talk about this. We just want to talk about blessing and good times, but we need to understand the foundational truth. That if we’re going to live for Jesus, those who live godly in Christ will suffer persecution. We got to cross the Carey. You remember, uh, Satan. When he went to Tim Jesus, he took him up on a high place. And the Bible says this. He showed him all the kingdoms kingdoms of the world in a moment. What’d he say? He said to Jesus, no dude, you just bowed down. Worshiping all these kingdoms of the world have been given to me. And I give them to whomever. I wish Satan offered Jesus a kingdom without a cross.
And he offers you and me the same thing every day lear more at The Roads Church Norris City. Everything that the father wanted to give Jesus. It had to come through the cross. And I come to remind Christians. Everything that God wants to do in your life comes through his cross. And your cross. Paul said, I crucify myself daily. Jesus said, whoever desires, who, who does not take up his cross, his cross. So here’s what, here’s what I feel. I got to land. We’re going to face some persecution in the world. It’s only going to get more, but don’t be, don’t be discouraged by it. Don’t be discouraged by it just because we’re going to have persecution. Don’t back up and get timid.
Be bold and say, yes, I live for Jesus and I’m going to crucify my flesh and I’m going to crucify my desires and I’m going to come after and follow him. And if he’s leading the way, if God before me, then who could be against me. But somebody sold you a bad bill of goods. If they told you, you can follow Christ without a cross, tried to tell, y’all just, it’s going to be good to serve. Jesus is going to be great all the time. No, there’s going to be a cross. There’s going to be a price to pay no cross of redemption. I hear people say, Oh, he’s told us we got to die on the cross again. Jesus wasn’t enough. So we go, no, no. And no, no. I’m quoting the words of Jesus. Take up his cross. It doesn’t say take up my cross and follow me says take up yours.
Thanks so much for watching with us. We love our online family and we invite you to connect with us. We have a few different ways. You can do that on our website@theroads.church, as well as on social media, you can text to give by texting the amount space, roads to four, five, seven, seven, seven, and we’d love to pray for any needs you might have. So send us a message and let us know how we can partner with you in bringing the light and love of Jesus to your world. See you next week at The Roads Church Norris City.