Jesus gets invited to another dinner party with the Pharisees, and talks to them about who will be invited to the banquet table in the kingdom of God.
Someone asks "How many people will get to heaven? Just a few?" Jesus pauses to reply, and teaches that only those who make every effort to enter the Narrow Door will be saved.
With one act of compassion, Jesus shows that the kingdom of heaven isn't coming with an army, heavy artillery strikes, etc to Make Israel Great Again... the kingdom is already here as Jesus takes things that seem insignificant and gives them massive significance.
Jesus drills the whole conversation about being prepared for his return to three simple but powerful words: Repent or Perish.
If Jesus' had a mission statement, what would it be? It might not be what you think it would be, and not only that, Jesus surprises the disciples by saying there's no middle ground. You're either in or out.
Jesus continues the discussion of "where your heart is, there your treasure will be," by warning his disciples against getting lazy while they wait for the master's return.
After warning his disciples about hypocrisy, Jesus warns them about greed – an inordinate desire to have an abundance of possessions. He tells them there is a better place to invest in the future than stockpiling resources.
Jesus leaves the home of the Pharisee who invited him for dinner, and prepares his disciples to face a crowd of thousands by saying, “Be on your guard against hypocrisy.”
In our humanity and our near-sightedness, we tend to forget that God has been at work for decades and centuries before we ever arrived on the scene, and that what we are participating in today is just another chapter in His story of redemption.
The Doctrine of The Church Matthew 16:13-20; Ephesians 5:25-27 INTRO If you are new to River City, or visiting with us today, we are right at the end of our…