Luke 10:10-16

Luke 10:10-16 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Hear ye him is the message of the New Testament. “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” (Luke 9:35) When we represent Jesus and tell people about him, we are feeding them the WORD OF LIFE. If they reject the WORD OF LIFE, they will be like Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, under great judgment. There is no halfway house in God. Either we receive the Word wholeheartedly or we have rejected it. If we don't live for Christ with our whole heart, we have rejected him. We are not name-plate Christians, taking the name, but not living it. Christianity is leaning on Jesus and his revelation with every ounce of our strength.

Many will reject the message of Christ because it is nonsense to them. To them it's provincial and does not consider what the world is really like with its differing cultures and beliefs. To them Christianity is but a religion of the ignorant, the low caste. Disbelievers usually view life as a happenstance, a random accident, a statistical aberration, an evolutionary phenomenon. But to Christians, life is a planned environment, created by God for an eternal purpose: to produce sons and daughters in God's family by faith. To those who are name-plate Christians, who sorta believe, Christianity is often earning your way to heaven by doing good or by being better than other people.

As a drunk, I might say that I am not as bad as the drunk down the street; therefore, God should accept me. To those who skew the gospel, people have to earn God's acceptance. To believers, acceptance is a product of faith in Christ and HIS WORKS, not our own. To the world in general, godliness or goodness comes from doing good, but to Christians, godliness comes from Christ. For us, goodness derives not from keeping our plate clean from sin, but from depending entirely upon the ever flowing blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses and keeps cleansing us from all sin. In the final analysis, for the world, life is basically eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die, but for us Christians, life is doing the Father's will: loving him with all our heart and others as ourselves, even our enemies.

Many around us have no time for Christ. They might take his name, but outside of attending a few traditional services during the year, they tend to lock Christ out of their lives. But either at their death or when Jesus returns, they will see God. Then they will lack words of defense for the way they have lived their lives. God will expose their every sin: every harsh word will resound anew; every unkind action will face the light. Sadly, the throne of judgment is too late for repentance, for the just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17) At the judgment seat, God will deal with sin and its consequences. He will deal with the doubters, the rejecters, and the blasphemers of his dear Son. Jesus says, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. These places were destroyed by fire. God is not a liar: what He says will be done.

Therefore, pray that those who reject our Christian testimony or the Christ in us might see the light. Pray they will follow Christ wholeheartedly, allowing his words to penetrate their inner being. Pray, for outside of Christ only judgment remains. Today is the day to accept his provision, to live a life hidden with Christ in God, to share the gospel message with those who do not know him or who have strayed from the truth.