Words of Jesus Podcast - To Be a Faithful Follower is Not Easy

Episode Date: March 15, 2024

A good steward is mindful of being held accountable for our responsibilities. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13***67: Jesus Speaks Of God’s CareLuke 12:12-59Seek Ye The KingdomAfter Jesus had related the parable about the rich man, he spoke to his disciples, saying: . . .To Be A Faithful Follower Is Not Easy            Jesus continued speaking to his disciples, saying:            “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, ‘Nay; but rather division.” For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”People Unable To Read The Times            Jesus turned to the people and addressed them, saying:            “When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower’; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, ‘There will be heat’; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?            “When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art on the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou has paid the very last mite.”

Think Red Ink Ministries presents The Words of Jesus Series with Don C. Harris Hello my friends and welcome once again to the Words of Jesus series. Don Harris, your host of Think Red Ink Ministries. I've enjoyed going through this book. I hope you have as well. It's nice to hear what our Lord Jesus had to say. And this little book is just chock full of red ink. I can't think of a better operation for Think Red Ink Ministries

to be involved in than this. And we've been reading from the 67th chapter of this book, and we're going to continue today. Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning, and yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall, that he will gird himself and make them to sit down to eat and will come and serve them. That's not what I would have expected to happen.

And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants and this know that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not suffered his house to be broken through be therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour that you think not. Stopping here, I want you to see that the subject is being set for the next few things that Jesus has to say.

And he's talking about being a good steward. Being a faithful steward. And what is that faithful steward? We all have different ideas about what a faithful steward is, was, is today. And I just wonder how much of our list of criteria that we judge a good steward by has Jesus actually mentioned here. It talks about how we prove ourselves to be a good steward by being mindful of being held accountable for our responsibilities. You've never heard that before?

Usually, we talk about being a good steward by making sure that we continue to do whatever it is we do on the earth on a daily basis and being good and asking for forgiveness properly and praying over our meals or going to church or whatever else your particular group feels to be important. Jesus was saying that a good steward is a man who is mindful of the fact

that one day he will be held accountable for what he is responsible for in the earth workmen um we've all heard when the cat's away the mice play right and uh as it is we are in a situation in this earth i know this is this this has got to be unpopular with a lot of people who who pretend like god is a part of their everyday lives and that he's there with them and he helps them do things and talks to them and such as that.

It's usually very difficult to follow logically. But if we look at almost I want to say all, but I'm not sure that I should or can. But when we hear Jesus talk about us here on the earth and His Father in heaven, he always speaks of his father as being away somewhere and us here.

I wonder why that is. Well, anybody that views their Christianity, their theology, the way they believe, what they believe, in a logical manner has to agree that there is an element of absence on the part of God. He is essentially absent from the earth. Now there is such a thing as a liaison.

We actually have the ministry of angels that carries information from us to him. We have the ministry of Jesus Christ who stands as an intermediary. And it just becomes very apparent after a while that what we're living in here is an absentee father situation. And when Jesus talks about the father, he sets up the vineyard and then he goes away to another country. Here it says he returns from a wedding. He has

been gone. He is going to be gone. He is going to leave us on our own. Now that's a very unpopular thing to say nowadays because people, like I say, they really like to believe that, you know, that God is, you know, ever present and he's at hand. The Bible says he's at hand. We pray and he hears us and these kind of things. And they kind of build, well, in many cases, a fake scenario of God being right there with them. The truth is that God has apportioned, distributed His Spirit among us, and we can have the mind of Christ, we can have the mind of God, and we certainly must have the Spirit of God within us. But He Himself has chosen to

separate Himself from us. Well, there's a really good reason for this. Somewhere along the line God has decided, I believe it was back in the days of Abraham, that his people are going to become his people and be known as his people and live as his people by faith by sight. Not by a physical, five physical sense knowing of the presence of God in their lives. This is going to make it very difficult in one way but you can see clearly that

this is going to separate the kind of people that demand that God perform for them and the kind of person who relinquishes to this God his sovereignty, his individualism, and his decision to become a part of, to bless, to welcome into his family those of us who live by faith. Faith is not seeing.

I remember someone telling me that they had had this vision. And, you know, I don't remember the details. I hardly listen to those stories. I'm sorry to say, but, you know, I don't. And because the more you listen to them, you know, the more they don't make sense and the more you feel obligated to take them apart. and it's and it's not really helpful in a lot of situations and you know i kind of take a live and live attitude on that and you know if if that's your experience and

that's your experience it's not mine i've never seen gold letters in the sky. I've never had feathers falling out of the ceiling or gold dust. I've never had an angel speak to me. I've not seen Jesus standing at my bedside. You know, I've never had those kind of things. So perhaps, you know, I'm not here to judge another man's servant, but I had someone telling me that God had spoken to them and it was an audible voice and he said this and he said that. And when they were done with that, I said, are you the least bit ashamed to tell me that? Well, they were just shocked because, you know,

I should be impressed by that. Shouldn't I be impressed by them having this experience? Well, I wasn't impressed, but I wasn't impressed because I knew the promise of Jesus Christ. He didn't say if I go away that I'm going to come back and we're all going to live together in harmony. And the Father's going to come and I'm going to come. We're all going to have a big family supper. What he did say was that if I go away, I'm not going to leave you comfortless. Now, I know we live in an age today where the absentee father is a big part of a lot of children's lives,

and it's a shame. And in many cases, you know, it's a very destructive shame and scandal because children need fathers to raise these children. Unfortunately, we're four or five generations into this now, and even if fathers do try to be a part of their children's lives, they do it with no understanding, and in many cases, there's no love, there there's no wisdom there's not a lot of knowledge and um and and fathers essentially relinquish those teaching things to professionals and uh

and that kind of stuff so um it's unfortunate but i have to mention it because that's really the case that Christians find themselves in. We have an absentee father, and Jesus, knowing the pitfalls of an absentee father, introduces this idea by saying, I will not leave you comfortless. Now, children who suffer from an absentee father suffer not only because their father's absent, but because it's a comfortless absence. Now, what, and that is that they don't know why he is gone, they don't know where he is, they don't know anything about him.. They don't know where he is. They don't know anything about him.

They've convinced themselves, or their mother has convinced them, that their father's no good, and he doesn't love them, and he doesn't care about them. And, you know, people get involved in developing an attitude in that child that they have no business to do, which is absolutely devilish, absolutely satanic for a woman to turn her children against their father but unfortunately it happens every day what mothers are doing to these children it's not really expressing a fact that their father is away but they are But they're destroying the comfort that can be due a child,

that a child can very well understand. I don't know, I've never heard of, perhaps there is, I've never heard of a child who resented his father for going away to war. Now, it's because the purpose for which he's gone doesn't involve rejection of the child. And I think that for us to pretend like God is not away is much more

detrimental than understanding why he is. And if we understood why he is a way, perhaps there will be a comfort with that. And to have the comfort, even though there's an absence, and then find that Jesus is saying, look, I know he's far away. I know that, you know, and when you pray, you pray, our Father, what's the rest of this? Which art beside me? No, which art in the tree outside? Which art what? In the church?

It's our Father who art in heaven. Jesus did not make this a secret he is an absentee father i know that has a negative connotation to it but bear with me a minute or two this is the situation you're going to find yourself in not as an orphaned child, but you're going to find yourself in the situation of an absentee father with comfort. And how does that comfort take place? This is the promise that, I mean, let's face it, in the Old Testament, they didn't have this comfort they just didn't have it uh you find the old testament prophets and and you know wonderful men dedicated to god crying out for you know some kind of uh a feeling of presence of the lord or you know asking for their comfort asking for his protection and these kind of things that I think as New Testament Christians we take advantage of, or as I say, we invent little stories to make us believe

that he woke you up this morning by sending a little bluebird to sit on your windowsill and sing, or giving you a parking place at Walmart. However, Jesus is saying, I'm not going to leave you comfortless but i am going to send to you what a book didn't mention a book preacher didn't mention a preacher he didn't mention prophets he didn't mention religion he didn't mention wow libraries full of books shelves christian bookstores um you know hymns and songs and you know a little plastic jesus to sit on your dashboard or a cross to hang from your mirror or to wear around your neck no no no none of these things were mentioned what was mentioned the very thing that our churches tell us,

ooh, you need to stay away from that. What is it? His spirit. It's his spirit. And what is our pastors telling us? Oh, no, you can't go by the spirit of God. You need to go by the Bible. Well, you're telling me something that jesus did not say

he didn't say if i go away i'm going to leave you a book he said if you if you if i go away the comforter will not come but when he does come he's going to lead you and guide you into all truth now see there's the comfort the father's proximity to us is not as large a factor as we might have thought. And if the Father has instituted, put into motion, and mechanized this system of communication between us and Him, we can live by faith. We don't have to see Him. We don't have to experience any miracles by him we don't have to have him drop feathers from the ceiling or any of the rest of this hogwash that people put so much stock into i don't even have to have him heal me i don't have

to have him heal me or make me speak in tongues. I'm not a person who believes that that's wrong, by the way. But I'm saying that I don't need these manifestations because he put within me his very spirit. And all I have to do is, what have I told you to do? Over and over and over again. What have I told you to do? I told you, do over and over and over again what have i told you to do i told you keep his commandments that is what assures that he has access to us never disobey your conscience that teaches us to listen to what we know within ourselves and to take time every day to hear

the voice of god if we do that and we're hearing the voice of God, and we do obey our conscience, and all these things are made available by keeping the commandments of God, do I really have an absentee father? Well, in proximity, yes. And perhaps even in manifestation. We expect God to do certain things for us. We pray and he needs to perform. And many times the way I hear people talk, they act like he's some kind of a monkey on a chain somehow, that he just does what he's trained to do. He's a page boy. He's a valet. I don't know what your idea of him is, but he's a sovereign God. By the way, just as a side comment, I think that he's in heaven and we're on earth

because if he was on earth, we wouldn't be anywhere. It's very much like the little boy outside you know in in at noon looking at an anthill with a magnifying glass and all of a sudden the sun focusing just right and the ant he's looking at just goes because he's just he just burned him alive do Do you know, you can't find an encounter with God any different than this. Man, he made all kinds of precautions. When Jesus appeared to Moses on Sinai, man, he had to cover his face. He had to push him into a crag and a rock

so he wouldn't destroy him. And people, if they felt that they'd seen God face to face, what was their first concern? I'm going to die. See, these people knew who God was. We don't. Nevertheless, because he's an absentee father, have you got over that being a negative comment? Maybe I need to use some other name for him.

But nevertheless, because he's away from us does not mean that he wants to be. He wants to be near us. He told Moses, I want to be near my people. And Moses says, well, we want you to be near us he told moses i want to be near my people and moses says well we want you to be near us essentially okay i'm making the conversation up have mercy on me will you but there was a reason why the lord says if i'm going to dwell among you there's a couple of things i'm going to have to have one of them is you're going to have to quit this sinning business.

And what do you want us to do? I want you to love me with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Well, we can't do that. I also want you to love your neighbor as yourself. Well, that's an impossibility. Okay, I'll tell you what. Here's 10 commandments. If you keep these 10 commandments, I'll count that as righteousness

for you. How's that? And you look them over and you think, well, I can do every one of those. That's not a problem. And so the Lord's saying, good, do that. Oh, and I'm going to need a place to live. So I need you to build me a temple. And it needs to be built the way I say to build it.

Do you remember the temple that you saw when you were here? Wow. Did Moses actually walk around heaven and see things? Sure he did. He always makes reference to like you saw in the vision, like you saw in the mount. So when he was on the mount of Mount Sinai receiving the law, he was transported and shown things that

were amazing. But there he saw the temple of God. He said, I want it to be built just like that. And not everybody can walk in there. Because you see, if you do, you're going to be vaporized. This is a problem. So he understands that there's a difference between he and us. He understands that this distance is actually keeping us alive. But his desire is still the same. He still wants to be a part of us.

He wants to be a part of us. And he wanted that so badly that he took a part of him, the pre-incarnate Christ, and allowed him to take on human flesh to be a part of us and so jesus came to the earth was an example to everyone who have has ever read about him and understood him this is what the lord expects of us this is the way we're supposed us. This is the way we're supposed to go. This is the way we're supposed to live. But that's still not all. There's a culmination of all this, this whole plan to all come together

in one big event. And that's his coming. Things are going to get bad on the earth. I know you've been told that you're not going to see the tribulation, but that's a lie. Sorry, but you will. And you need to be ready for those kinds of things. This is what he's saying about this steward. You know who a good steward is? A steward is a man who watches. And you're going to have to watch. Watch what? Well, going to have to watch. Watch what?

Well, let's continue to read. How am I going to know? Well, let's continue to read. Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us? Or even to us? Or even to all? Jesus replied,

Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat, food, in due season? Sustenance. Blessed is that servant, whom, when his Lord cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

You've heard the stories about where Jesus was judging the men who were given particular talents, and they were given certain cities to rule over. I wonder where those cities come from. Those of you who believe you're going to heaven when you die, you got a little theological problem. There's only one city there, and it's coming here. So, you know know there are no cities there to inherit so where are these cities well the cities that are on this earth today and that when jesus comes back to this earth he says where i am there you may be also oops does that put us back here on the earth after our resurrection? Absolutely.

That's exactly where we're going to be. And we're going to inherit those cities. And he's saying that a servant who watches will find that he will likely be made to rule over everything that I own. What does he own? You remember on the Mount of Temptation, Satan tried to get Jesus to, he says, you bow down and worship me, I'll give you all these cities. And Jesus says, no thanks, I'll get them on my own. Well, he eventually will. And the Bible says that behold, all the kingdoms of the earth are become the kingdoms of our God. These kingdoms are cities.

And he gives them to the people who are watching. Then he says that a servant would say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men's servants and maid's servants, and to eat and drink and be drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour which he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder,

and will appoint his portion to the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes will be absolutely forgiven?

Nope. You do what's worthy of stripes, you're going to be beaten with stripes. Well, Jesus said, But that servant that's worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required, and to whom much has been committed they will ask the more. Ah, it's time gone already. So sorry. I'd love to get an email from you. If you have a

question or a comment about what's being said, I'll be glad to deal with that as well. You can write me an email. Just write to Don at ThinkRedInc.com or you can write to Think Red Inc. Ministries, PO Box 718, Pytown, 87827. Alright, until next time, Think Red Inc. Bye-bye. you've been listening to don c harris of Think Red Ink Ministries. Email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredink.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you