Brother Jack Klemstein Sunday Morning 10/5/14

Brother Jack Klemstein Sunday Morning 10/5/14

Luk 14:16  Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

Luk 14:17  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

Luk 14:18  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

Luk 14:19  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

Luk 14:20  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

Luk 14:21  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

Luk 14:22  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

Luk 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luk 14:24  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

None of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.  Many people have ideas about God but we need to know God for who He is.  We will all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and give account for the deeds done in our body. 

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The object of the gospel is to bring you to Christ.  Perhaps you have never felt the need of Christ in your life.  The gospel will be very kind to you and show you the need that you have.

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Those that were bidden: we could apply this to the house of Israel, Christ did come to the lost sheep of Israel.  But this invitation has gone out to more than them.  It includes you and me.

We look at the excuses that were given and for many we would say, “Those are legitimate.”  We don’t read any sinful reasons.  They don’t show up in the excuses.  We need to take particular care to see what keeps people out of heaven. 

It is very dangerous; a spirit of complacency can take us over.  We can believe that because we are not grossly wicked we are candidates for heaven.  It is wonderful to be saved from sin but that is just a beginning.  We are worthless until we get rid of the corruption, when we get saved we are good for something.  Will we apply ourselves and allow God to use us for something or will we make an excuse much like the excuses given here? 

We are too busy.  Life is challenging, it is tough to scrape a living off of these rocks in Montana.  If you are not born and raised here it is pert near impossible.

However God doesn’t want us to miss heaven due to making a living or raising a family, due to being a good citizen, or because of our garden, or our sheep, or because we need firewood.  All legitimate things that need to be done. 

If they fill our lives up so that we have no room for God then we are the losers and we have cheated our eternal soul from being with God for eternity and all the blessings that are contained in that which passes our understanding.

The cares of life seem to multiply and at times they seem overwhelming.  We have to prioritize.  It will be there when we get back. 

Many times we are overburdened with cares.  If we are honest with ourselves some of those things could have been avoided.  There are a lot of needy people in the world and you may have a heart to help people, but you cannot help all of them.  God doesn’t overburden us.  He gives us our job and our duty and that is what we need to be faithful to. 

When we go and supervise someone else’s burden then we are taking on more than God wanted us to.  Some people are good at getting things done; are good at prioritizing.  They work systematically and get things done without a lot of burnout.  We can learn from those that are successful at living life.

God gives us knowledge and it is up to us to apply it.  Busy folks will have no one else to blame but themselves for missing out on what God has for them. 

Was the Lord serious about His invitation?  Did He really mean for them to come?  Was He really angry when they didn’t show up? 

There are things that people don’t think about God.  These people were not at the feast because they made the decision to not be there.  God didn’t send them to hell; they went because they chose to.

God said, “I want you to come.  This is for you.”  They all with one consent began to make excuse.  They were not there, because something else took priority.

When there is a chicken in every pot, people begin to grow self satisfied.  They have everything they need or want and there is nothing that they should be deprived of.  With all that time they should have, because they don’t have to worry, they never seem to think of God.  “We are doing fine.”

How are you doing spiritually?  When people ask how you are doing, how come our mind goes to our bank account, our family, our home?  If we are not doing fine spiritually then we are not doing fine.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Have you ever tried to buy a gift for someone who has everything?  All their needs as far as you can tell are taken care of.  Anything that they wanted, they have already been bought.  They don’t have overwhelming wants, they are already satisfied.  You are scratching your head and thinking, “What can I purchase for this person?

It is hard for God to help those that don’t think they need help. 

We must empty our heart empty of all the trash and prepare our heart to meet with God.  Let God know that He is more important than all of those wicked things that have kept you from entering in.

This lukewarmness affects God to the point that it makes him sick.  God cares about His creation.  He is not willing that any should perish but everyone come to repentance.  They that stand at the judgment will be there unprepared because they did not prepare.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

We don’t know everything that transpires in the heart of mankind because of the dealing of the Spirit of God but God knows.  He is faithful to all.  In the judgment it will all be made manifest.

I am rich and increased with goods:  the bills are paid six months in advance.  There is nothing that you can do for me.  God saw things differently.  You don’t know that you are wretched, miserable, blind, and naked.

Have you heard the story of the emperor that had no clothes?  He was deceived.  He wore the ‘finest robe’.  He was the laughing stock.  We think we have it all together but God sees it differently, “Man, woman you are not ready for the judgment.”  God has prepared robes for us.  So far you have rejected them and have not put them on.

Because you don’t eat what you ought to eat does that mean that you don’t eat?  There are a lot of things made these days that we call food that are not food.  If you examine the ingredients you will find that they contain things that will not sustain life but we could call them poison. 

If we are not benefiting our body with what we take in then we are taking in things that will not benefit.  It is the same spiritually.  If we are not taking in things that will bring peace, life, and contentment then we are subjecting ourselves to things that will not benefit us.  Not everything that comes in the eye, ear, or mouth gate are beneficial. 

Some say, “I am just not a reader. I cannot imagine myself sitting down and reading the bible.”  I want to ask you, “Do you read anything?”  You might say, “Yes I need to know what is going on.”

You need to know what is going on in the Bible and in eternity.  Excuses will not hold water in the judgment.  If I gave you a map with words on it that would show you where 2.5 million dollars of gold was would you say, “I’m not a reader?”

God has more than 2.5 million dollars worth of gold for you.  Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.

If you want to understand the Word of God then you can understand the Word of God.  Seek and you shall find.  Everything that you want to know He can help you understand about God.  He will give you that portion that will be a blessing for you but you have to apply yourself.

Christ has made a way.  It is up to you to take the way.

Luk 1:52  He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

Luk 1:53  He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

Jesus Christ came to seek and save those that were lost.  The Pharisee, the Sadducee, and the scribe didn’t feel lost.  “We don’t need you.  We have all that we need.” 

There are a lot of religious people that are satisfied with their religion but they don’t have Christ.  Their religion lets them live how they want to live.  It doesn’t get in their way.

The brother told of a white lie that God convicted him of.  The conviction of God:  Your religion may not get in your way like that. 

Living for Christ makes living the good life so appealing that you don’t want to live any other way.  We see the advantage of telling the truth all the time, respecting our brother, loving our enemy. 

Hating hurts the person more than anything.  Why would I want to destroy myself with this horrible environment of hatred?  Why would I want to destroy myself when I can give it to God.

Pro 29:18  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

We need to understand what we are missing out on by rejecting God, His invitation to his supper, His salvation, His eternal life, and heaven.  The things that you enjoy here will only be amplified greatly in heaven.  You will have the capacity to see, feel, understand things on a level that has never been heard of. 

People are worried about giving up on the thrills of this time world but what about eternity.  When you get saved you believe God.  When the Word of God tells you that He has gone to prepare a place then we believe that. 

This life gets better when we are prepared for the world to come.  We enjoy the things of this life more than when we would if we were desperately grasping onto them.

I still enjoy fishing but I don’t depend on it for my happiness.  Thank God we can mature in the things of God and reach the place where we have an abiding something that is so precious to us that it doesn’t matter what we are engaged in, in this life, our soul is satisfied.

That is something that you cannot understand unless you experience it for yourself and mine it out for yourself.

Hos 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

God puts responsibility on you and me.  One of those things is to know Him.  Have a knowledge of God.  It is in your grasp but you need to reach for them.  People say cop out phrases.  “I don’t have a memory like Brother Bill.” 

“I am not educated like Sister Timberly.”  But she has applied herself to learning.  You may say, “I don’t have a mind like that.” 

Spiritual life has everything to do with you applying yourself and nothing to do with your ability.

Billy Brey was an uneducated coal miner.  He preached the word with power.  There was a woman that got saved and couldn’t reason enough even to do what she was supposed to.  People found out that when she prayed, she got a hold of God and God would answer. 

The neighbors found out that.  They would come to her when they had needs and she would pray.  There was a man that had animals and the well went dry.  The man went to the little girl and asked her to pray.  She did and God filled the well up.

There are records, thousands of testimonies written that testify to the working of God in the soul and life of mankind.  If we will apply ourselves like they did then we will experience what they experienced.  How much do you want God?  Are excuses more convenient? 

We tend to compare ourselves by ourselves.  If others think that we are doing good things and others think that we are a good person than we feel that we are a good person. 

We are taught in the Word of God that it is a dangerous thing to desire the praise of man.  The praise of God is essential; the praise of man is not.  Why should I work so hard for the praise of man?  It has no bearing on where I will spend eternity.

My focus needs to be on “What does God know, what does God think, and what can I do to please God?”  We need to make that priority.  If we are pleasing God, then God will see to it that we have a good rapport with God and man.  God will teach us how to be respectable.

Hos 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

God means what He says.  Let me tell you why God is so unmovable in what His Word says:  God made man upright.  God made man holy.  No possible sin or corruption could come from that man to begin with. 

Sin comes out of the heart.  Evil comes out of the heart, murder adultery, all comes from the heart.  It was not in the heart of man, evil had to come from an outside source.  Up to the time that the first man and woman rejected God then it was impossible for them to not be holy.

The Word of God talks about the operations of God.  It purges the heart and makes us holy as God prepared man to be.  I could not live without sin without Christ, but with God I can live without sin. 

We have brothers and sisters that have lived saints for a long time.  How is that possible?  It is through the blood of Jesus Christ.  If you reject that then you reject the Holy God that cannot tolerate sin or the presence of sin. 

God will not and cannot live in a dirty heart.  He is a holy God.  If he is to move in, all the filth must move out.  God takes that seriously.  It angers him if he cannot have that relationship that he wants to have with you.

There may be a young man that notices a girl while she never noticed him.  When he starts liking her, then she tries to find out about him.  God is just that way that He thinks that we are special.  He not only likes us.  He loves us.  He loves us more than we can comprehend.  If we could comprehend it then we would reciprocate it. 

You listen to the news, the radio, whatever that would indoctrinate you about how to feel about God.  “A man got murdered by a religious fanatic.  A preacher got caught with another woman.”  All this has happened. 

People do not have a clear view of God.  The spirit of the world will not give it to you.  You must seek God yourself. 

People here this morning, you are invited to the kingdom of God.  You are invited to be heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.  God wants you to live with Him forever.  I think that He thinks a lot of you to invite you to live with Him forever. 

A cabin built by a young man for a young lady is a special cabin because it was built for her.  Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.”  He spoke the world into existence.  He didn’t need an ax or a saw.  Now He says, “I go to prepare a place for you.”

There is record of a man that died.  He was a minister and lived in Africa.  He was taking a goat to his father and put it in the backseat of the car.  He had an old Mercedes and hit the brakes in his car as he was going down a hill.  The brakes didn’t work and he wrecked.  It crushed the life out of him. 

His wife and he had had a bad argument before he left and had said hateful things.  She said, “My husband must live.”  She prayed and believed God that He would heal him. 

He had been dead three days and was already embalmed.  She went to the mortuary and demanded that he give her the body.  She was going to take him to church.  They brought the body into church, graveyard dead.  He was prayed for and he came back to life.

There is actually video footage of this on the internet.  This man had a soul.  His testimony is that soul first saw an angel and then he saw people praising God.  He wanted to go and praise God too, but the angel said, “That is not for you.” 

Then the angel took him down the street and there were flowers there that are of brilliant colors that you have never seen.  The flowers there sang and turned as you walked by singing to you.  The angel then took him to stone doors like those in a cliff.  When they opened, the man saw hell.  The angel told him that was his destination.  The man asked why and was told, “You could not go to heaven with unforgiveness in your heart for your wife.”

Unforgiveness will keep us out of heaven.  “You don’t know what my husband or wife did to me.”  God knows.  He has a cure for every heart.  Will you make excuse?  “I don’t want to go to hell; I will take care of it later.”  You don’t know that you will have later. 

You have a choice for heaven and not hell.  I am afraid that many will make excuse like the excuses that we read this morning.  Many of them not wicked but just reasons why we cannot respond to God.