Sermon: Be Ready

Text: Matthew 24:36-44
(North Toronto, March 17^th 1991 PM)
(Glen Vowell, February 23^rd 1997 AM - Band Weekend)
(Whitehorse, April 13^th 1997 AM)

When I was young, I hated making my bed. I figured, why make it when I’m only going to mess it up again?

As I grew older, I came to appreciate the nice crisp sheets and freshly made bed, but the grogginess of morning still kept me from wanting to make it when I got up. Why make it when I get up? Why not wait until bed time and then just make it before I go to bed?

Well, I supposed I might be too tired when I go to bed, but then if I’m too tired when I go to bed, then I probably don’t appreciate it anyway – at least not for long before I’m asleep – so I’m back to not making it at all.

Can you tell that I am a procrastinator?

There are a lot of things in life we prepare for ahead of time: careers, marriages, children. Some even pre-arrange their funerals. Unless of course you are a procrastinator like me.

Or maybe you were all boy scouts, and girl guides when you were kids – remember the motto? “Be prepared”.

It’s good to be prepared, to be ready, and lots of us are well prepared for just about anything… but are we? Are we prepared for the most important event in history? Are we prepared for our own Judgment before the throne of God?

Matthew 24:44 tells us “So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Are you ready? Are you prepared? No one knows the time when Christ will come. Just like in the days of Noah, it will come quickly – not without warning, because we have been warned, just as Noah warned the people of his day – but at a time we do not know.

Many people will miss their chance because they are unprepared. You and I have been warned. Are we ready?

NO ONE KNOWS

These days it seems there is always someone predicting the end of the world – and some are even bold enough to put a date on it. There are some who claim they know exactly when Christ is coming and believe the scriptures tell them exactly when that is. But I don’t think they are reading the same bible I am, because Matthew 24, Verse 36 tells us no-one knows when Jesus will come again. The only thing we know with any certainty is that he will definitely return one day. 

You might think the angels would have some inside knowledge about this. They are working with God day in and day out, and for much longer than any of us. They not only know the scriptures, but listen to the very words uttered by the almighty directly from his mouth. They have a pretty good grasp of what is happening on earth and have even participated in some of the most important moments in history. They do God’s bidding, and yet even they have no idea when God will send his son again.

God’s word clearly tells us: “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father.”

That verse even states that Jesus himself – the son - has no idea when he will return. Like some modern day fighter pilot, he is on standby, sitting in the ready room, waiting to jump up and go on his next mission,  not knowing when that will be.

Verse 30 tells us “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” And yet even he doesn’t know the day or hour of his arrival.

Perhaps like me, you have sat in an airport at some point, waiting for your flight? You sit there an hour before there’s even a plane at the gate, ready to board it, knowing that in a few hours, you will be hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Yes, you probably have a departure time, but there isn’t even a plane there for you to board. But you know it’s coming. You trust that eventually it will arrive, and when it does, you must be ready. You are prepared to board. You know what will happen when you do, and you are looking forward to your destination – even though you may never have been there before and have only heard about it. If you’re not ready, however, you might miss your flight and your vacation or business trip would become a disaster very quickly.

Only God the Father knows exactly when Jesus will return, and although we don’t know exactly when, we do know he is coming. We are looking forward to it. Only God the Father has a complete understanding of everything, and only He can discern the right time for Jesus to return.

Nonetheless, we can be certain there is a day coming, known by the Father, and when it comes we know that we must be ready for it, because not being ready… well, let’s say for now that would not be good...

THE DAYS OF NOAH

In our text, Jesus reminded us of what it was like to live in the days of Noah. Do you remember the story? It wasn’t just about fuzzy animals climbing aboard a cruise ship to sail the ocean for a few weeks. God gave Noah a revelation, and prepared him for a cataclysmic event that would wipe out the face of the earth as he knew it.

Noah was not only working hard to build a boat in the middle of dry land, which seemed absolutely crazy in and of itself, he was also out there telling everyone to save themselves, warning that if they didn’t build themselves an ark, they would all perish. He couldn’t tell them exactly when, not that the people cared. They laughed at him and carried on with life the way they wanted to; eating and drinking. They acted like they didn’t believe there was a God, like they were the masters of their own fate and that nothing could hurt them.

Sound familiar? I wonder if one day there will be a note in history similar to verses 38 and 39 about us and our society?

“For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”

Now, we all have to admit that it sounds a little crazy to say Jesus is returning. Perhaps you’ve even had the experience of explaining it to someone who politely listened, but whom you knew was holding back a snicker.

There are all kinds of believers around us today. Some say they don’t believe in God. Others say they believe in God, but their understanding of him is totally different. Some say they believe in God, but have no idea who or what he is all about. Some simply don’t care and go about their lives not caring whether God exists or not.

Unfortunately believing there is no God, or believing he would never destroy the earth, will not stop it from happening. The scriptures clearly state that one day there will be a judgment, and only those who have put their trust in the Savior of Man will be saved – the rest will perish.

It’s not a happy message. It might even sound crazy. But it is the truth. And a truth that is best headed.

Right up to the very day the flood came, people laughed at Noah and ignored his preaching. They didn’t believe what he was saying, and they were not prepared for what was going to happen. They scoffed at Noah until the rain began to fall, and then they clamored at the doors of the Ark crying to be let in, but it was too late. They all perished.

It is sad to think that when Christ returns - which could be tomorrow, or this afternoon, or even this very hour – there will be people lost simply because they are not prepared. Simply because they have not accepted Christ’s sacrifice for their sin, and therefore have no means of saving themselves.

Does that disturb you like it does me? Does that stir you? Does it motivate you to talk to people who might be amongst those who will be lost?

It concerns me to think that one minute I may be sitting talking to someone, knowing that I am no better or worse than they are, only that I know Jesus and have trusted in his precious blood to wash me of my sins, and the next moment I will be on my way to heaven and they… will be lost.

In an instant. In the twinkling of an eye. It will happen quickly. One second, your friend will be looking at you, and the next second you will be gone. One second, the Christian announcer will be on TV, the next there will be dead air. Can you imagine the free-way accidents at that moment when all the Christians disappear from behind the steering wheels?

THEREFORE KEEP WATCH

We don’t know the day or the hour when Jesus will return, but we do know he is coming. We know there will be some taken and some left. We know there will be those who will scoff until He actually returns. But what about you? Will you be one of the scoffers or one of those who are taken? Are you prepared?

What do we need to be prepared? We don’t have to commit ourselves to life in a monastery… We don’t have to give up everything we love unless what we love does not honor God. We simply need to watch and wait for Christ’s return.

When I was younger, we used to get ready early on Sunday morning, dressed in our finest, and stand in the front room of our house waiting for a big purple bus to come and pick us up – that was the Sunday School bus. When it came, the bus would stop in the circle in front of our house and wait for a minute for us to come out and climb aboard – but it wouldn’t wait long. The driver wanted us to climb aboard, but we were not the only ones he was picking up, and the minutes were precious.

We had to be prepared because the bus would not wait long. We would watch anxiously because we did not want to miss it. Like the parable in verse 43, we will miss Jesus if we are not ready when he comes, “like a thief in the night” he will be here, and then he will be gone, and if we are not ready, we will miss him.

In Egypt, during the plagues of Moses, the final plague was the death of the first born child. For the Israelites to be protected, they were to paint the blood of a lamb on their door posts so that the angel of death would not enter their houses. The children of those who did so were untouched. Since that time, the Jews have celebrated Passover, in remembrance of the passing over of the angel of death. But there is a newer meaning to this ritual. The ceremony was also a prophecy of the coming of Christ. So we sometimes refer to Jesus as our Passover lamb.

Without the preparation of the blood on the doorposts, the Israelites would have also lost their first born sons. Without the preparation of the blood of Jesus, we also will perish.

In California, where there are frequent earthquakes and rampant wild fires, and in other parts of the world where natural disasters threaten to occur without warning, people often keep a suitcase packed with enough clothes and goods that they can pick up and leave their homes at any time. They are ready. They don’t know the day or time when it will happen, but they are pretty sure it will happen one day, and they are ready to leave. Being ready to leave doesn’t affect their day to day lives. They get used to the idea and simply are prepared. But when it happens, they are ready.

At the second coming, Jesus will come like a thief in the night. We need to be ready no matter when that happens to be. Not by sitting on the edge of our seats staring into the sky constantly watching, but by being prepared. While we carry on our daily business, we have our spiritual bags packed, ready to leave on a moments notice.

When a fire strikes a town, we have men and women who are trained to deal with the fire. Police rush to the site, Ambulances and Fire trucks arrive. The situation is controlled because people are ready and prepared. Being prepared doesn’t mean they go around setting fires so that they have something to do. They make it their business to be prepared. They learn the things they need to know. They study how fire reacts and how they can fight it. They take the time to tell people about the dangers of fire, and how they too can prepare. When the alarm rings, they drop all they are doing, and move out without thinking twice about what they were just doing. Something more important has called them, and they must go. Just as it should be with us when that trumpet call comes and we are called to be with Jesus.

CONCLUSION

So… Have I encouraged you to be prepared? Are you ready? Are you anxiously awaiting Christ’s return? Will you rejoice when it happens or will you be surprised?

Even though we don’t know the day or the hour – and don’t let anyone tell you they do – Christ’s coming should not take us by surprise. We know he is coming and we can be prepared and expecting Him.

Will He be happy with what we are doing when He finds us? Are we doing all we can to prepare by learning more about Him? Are we keeping our ears tuned to hear what He has to say to us? Are we ready to drop everything, to follow Him when he calls?

If not, then why not? Now is the time to begin getting ready. Start packing your bags and be ready. He is coming.

Sermon: Reading the World’s Best Seller

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
(Chatham Citadel – September 26^th, 1999 AM)

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about studying God’s word. One of the “Staples” of our Christian faith along with prayer.

Paul writes in 2nd Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” So far, so good. Most of us can say “Amen to that”, but how well do we know these scriptures? How do we know that these particular writings are God-breathed? How do we know these verses are so useful in our lives?

There is a story of a new minister who was asked to teach the boys’ classes when their regular teacher was absent. He decided to find out what the boys knew, so he asked them who knocked down the walls of Jericho. When every one of the boys declared that it was not them, the preacher was appalled at their ignorance. At the next deacon’s meeting, he told about the experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the walls of Jericho!” he lamented. The group was silent until one seasoned veteran of the church spoke up, “preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born, and if they say they didn’t do it, then I believe them!”

Now, before you laugh too quickly, perhaps it is time for a quiz… Not a hard one, and the only one that needs to know how you did is you, so here we go. There are five questions. I’ll read the question, then after a moment, give you the answer. Each time you get an answer correct, count another finger. When we’re done, we’ll see how many fingers you have up.

1. True or False – Jesus was born in Jerusalem?

- False – Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem where his father was returning for a Roman census Matthew 2:1 – in research by George Barna, only 61% of Christians, and 55% of non-Christians knew Jesus birth place.

2. True or False – As well as being known for doubting Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas is the name of a book in the Bible.

- False – While Thomas did indeed doubt Jesus’ resurrection, (John 20:25), stating that he would have to put his finger into the holes in his hand to believe it, there is no book of Thomas in the Bible. One quarter of Christians get that one wrong.

3. True or False – the phrase “be sure your sin will find you out” appears in the Bible.

- True – Numbers 32:23 – After Moses divided the Promised Land among the Israelites, the tribes of Reuban and Gad requested land on the east bank of the Jordan. Moses granted their request but made them promise to go to war to conquer the land on the West Bank. If they broke the oath, Moses warned them that God would know.

4. True or False – the phrase “God helps those who help themselves.” Is in the Bible.

- False – Thomas Jefferson is credited as having said this famous phrase. The nearest thing in scripture is “The Lord helps [the righteous] and delivers them.” (Psalm 37:39-40)

5. True or false – The commandment “Thou Shalt not Kill” was the second commandment on the second tablet.

- True – The two tables given to Moses (Exodus 20:3-17) were divided between commandments relating to God, and those relating to man. When Jesus gave the two greatest commandments, (Matthew 22:37-38) he was really summarizing the two tablets made up of four commandments which referred to Loving the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind, and six commandments relating to loving your neighbour as yourself.

Now, how did you do?

Of course, if you made a mistake or two, you probably aren’t the only one. You are in good company; many people have made mistakes, even in translating and printing the Bible. The first English language Bible printed in Ireland in 1716 encouraged its readers to “sin on more” rather than “sin no more”, and a 1702 edition quoted King David as having said “Printers” instead of princes “have persecuted me without cause.”

If you made a mistake or two, however, hopefully you are challenged to get out your Bible and study it more. Even when we find it difficult to understand, we should only be spurred on to dig deeper and learn more.

Phillip Brooks once said, “The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it and so they see only the dead letter.”

Again, John Underhill tells a story from when he was painting the home of an 89 year-old lady in Spokane Washington. She had a large family Bible prominently displayed on the coffee table. The lady remarked that it was 116 years old and a priceless heirloom.

After commenting on how remarkable that was, John added “It doesn’t matter how old the Bible might be, what’s inside is what matters.” And the lady immediately replied “Oh, I know. That sure is the truth. Why, we have family records and births and marriages and deaths that go so far back, all recorded in that Bible; we could never replace them!”

It warms my heart when I visit a home, to see a worn out Bible on a table, filled with bookmarks and old bulletins, scribbled in and underlined. It means that the book is read and studied. It means that the person who owns it considers it more than a trinket to be placed on display.

The passage we read from the book of 2^nd Timothy is a record of Paul’s instruction to the young man who was working in the church in Ephesus. In it, he reiterates the importance of scripture. Let me read for you again the three verses from 2nd Timothy 3:15-17:

“…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Without getting into a long discourse on how we came to have these sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament, and 27 in the new. Or how they can be split into Pentateuch, Poetry, Prophets, Gospels, Letters and other divisions. Or how the writing spans millennium, or how the central theme of Jesus the Messiah keeps cropping up all through the collection. Without dwelling on the thousands of years of commentaries, and exegesis, there is really only one question that begs asking; have you read it?

Paul begins by saying Timothy has known the scriptures from a very young age. His mother and sisters taught him and his understanding brought him to knowledge of Jesus Christ and faith in His Salvation.

It would be enough if that is all the Bible did for us, but there is so much more; it is useful for teaching us, for telling us when we are dead wrong, for setting us on the right path, and for showing us the better way. It is also full of comfort, and joy, as well as wisdom. There is something for every one, and for every circumstance. The catch? The only catch is that you have to read it – really read it - to understand it – and more than read it, to take it to heart.

Some people think they know the Bible. They can quote verses to you from it in almost any situation, and yet they can also somehow miss the point.

There was a lawyer one time who thought he knew the Bible and tried to use a quote from it in a case.

He thought he would make a great impression on the jury by quoting from the Bible. So he said concerning his opponent’s client, “We have it on the highest authority that it has been said, “all that a man has will he give for his life.” But the other lawyer knew the Bible a little better, and said, “I am very much impressed by the fact that my distinguished colleague here regards as a highest authority the one who said “All that a man has will he give for his life.” You will find that this saying comes from the Book of Job (2:4), and the one who uttered it is the devil, and that is whom he regards as the highest authority!”

For hundreds of years, the Catholic Church kept the reading of the Bible to the elite – the priesthood. The result was a biblically illiterate mass of people.

In 1456, Gutenberg completed his three-year project to print a bible using moveable print. Since then, literally billions of copies have been printed and distributed, and yet there is still an immense number of biblically illiterate people in this world.

Even now, Christian believers know little of the bible’s history, its content, its structure, or the doctrines it contains. There have been two thousand years worth of classic works on the Christian life, basic theology, biblical language, and biblical ethics. How is it then, that those who have devoted themselves to lifetime habits of study in areas such as law, medicine, farming, and industry, sales and science, have only an elementary level knowledge of the Bible?

How is it that High School students can be taught and understand the complexities of computers, foreign languages, DNA, and Euclidean geometry, but cannot understand the basic principles taught in the sermon on the mount, let alone know who delivered that sermon.

How is it that people can teach Sunday school for years in a church, but find new truths in a beginner’s bible study, or at an introductory course on the bible at university or a bible college?

Why is it that when I talk about Bible Study, it is viewed as a task that is the sole responsibility of the pastor to undertake? Why do people think that a poor lay person has not the ability to comprehend the deep meanings contained in the Bible? Oh, my!

Let me say it now, clearly and without qualification. If you are not in a bible study, either in your own personal time, or with a group of friends, then you are starving yourself spiritually. There are plenty of good books at the Christian Book store to get you started if you feel uncomfortable with sitting down with only the Bible in front of you. There are friends and neighbours who would likely love to join with you to talk about the scriptures, and there are plenty of books to help you when you get stuck, as well as people in the church who will try to answer your questions.

Don’t wait for the Church to start a bible study that fits your personal socioeconomic demographic. Just do it! What are you afraid of?

We are blessed with a freedom to study God’s word. Unlike other countries where people are persecuted for even owning a bible.

Robert Seiple, president of World Vision in 1990, tells of a bible he has seen. A Russian Armenian owned it in 1915. He was beheaded while he was reading it. Mr. Seiple described the pages as large, thick, and well used, with a reddish stain inside that permeated most of the book – the stain of the man’s own blood – one of more than a million casualties of a religious and ethnic holocaust.

In the 1970’s, in the same country, a large shipment of bibles was sent from the west. Ceausescu, dictator of Romania, had his lieutenants confiscate them, shred them, and turn them into pulp. As if as some sick joke, they then had the pulp reconstituted into toilet paper and sold to the West.

All of this for a book that we take for granted. A book that many of us have several copies of in our homes, and rarely do we turn their pages. What a privilege we have to be able to read it.

Curtis Cartmel, a candidate for Salvation Army Officership in Williams Lake, BC told me of how God was challenging him to memorize the New Testament. He has worked with the people in Russia, and in other countries where the Bible is difficult to get a hold of. He felt that one day he might be in a place where he would not be able to have the bible, and wanted to make sure that he could carry it with him always, even if he did not have the book.

Where is that kind of dedication to God’s Word in the hearts of us who call ourselves Christians? Where is that kind of drive to take God’s word and apply it to our own living?

Let me leave you this morning with a poem by Amos Wells to consider:

I supposed I knew my Bible,
Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,
Now a bit of John or Matthew,
Now a snatch of Genesis,
Certain chapters of Isaiah,
Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),
Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs --
Yes, I thought I knew the Word!
But I found that thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through.

You who like to play at Bible,
Dip and dabble, here and there,
Just before you kneel, a-weary,
And yawn through a hurried prayer;
You who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book,
Just a paragraph, disjointed,
Just a crude, impatient look,
Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible through. [1]

---

[1] Leading the Way by Paul Borthwick, Navpress, 1989, Page 139

Sermon: The Parable of the Cars

Text: Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23
(Trenton, Summer, 1989 - On Radio)
(North Toronto, April 14/91 AM)
(Wallaceburg, September 5^th, 1999 AFT)

I want to tell you a parable this morning. It goes like this:

One day at a car dealership not far from here, four men went in. Each was looking to buy a family car. As luck would have It, they all bought the very same car, all on that very same day.

Now the first man took his car home and proudly showed it off to his wife and neighbors explaining all of the great features and how he had gotten such a wonderful deal. But that night, the car was stolen because he left the keys in the ignition and forgot to lock his doors.

The second man took his car home and also showed it off. It drove well, but unfortunately, the man didn't. On the third day he had the car, he drove around a curve at too high a speed and rolled the car into a ditch. It was totaled.

The third man brought his car home and it drove well, going many miles, but he didn't follow the maintenance schedule and take care of it. It wasn’t very long before it started giving him trouble. He blamed it on the fact that the car was built on a Friday, on the way his wife drove to work, on the guy who was supposed to repair it (even though he never took it to him), and anyone else he could think of, but the car simply fell apart around him.

The fourth man took good care of his car. He looked after it, followed the instructions, maintained it regularly, and drove carefully. His car took him 1000 miles, 10,000 miles, even 100,000 miles requiring only regular maintenance and checkups.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

If Jesus come today, he would probably use things around him in parables just as he did in Israel. I wonder if he would have told the parable of the seeds something like this? But just as the parable of the seeds had meaning, the parable of the cars holds the same meaning. Listen carefully to see if I am right.

THE FIRST CAR: STOLEN

The first type of car, was the one stolen the same night it was bought. It is the seed that fell on the path. It represents someone who hears the word, but ignores what that word has to say to them. This man took his car home, but ignored the security features – the locks - that would have saved his car from being stolen that night.

In scripture, the seed that fell on the path couldn't take root and was plucked up by birds that passed by. The message of the gospel didn't sink in. Like someone not listening to what I am saying this morning, but instead thinking about what they want to have for lunch. The words of the gospel are heard, but they bounce right off again, unable to sink in.

People might tell you that the gospel is just so much dribble spoken by people who are half crazy. But If you hear the gospel and half believe it – that is, you find it interesting, and maybe even attend church, but you won’t let it affect your life - then you haven't taken the time to lock your doors and secure your faith. God is very real, and you can anchor your roots in His word, so that you will know the word will not be stolen from your heart when someone tries to steal it away.

Everyone can hear and understand God's word. It has meaning and application to every life. Some might try to convince you otherwise. The devil will tell you that it isn't true. But the only thing that can really stop the word of God from taking root in you is your own heart. If you haven’t already - find a bible and read it. Find out what God has to say, then take it further: let it sink into your heart. Every word can be applied to your life in some way. There is enough material in the bible to have kept preachers going for centuries. Volumes have been written on the truths contained in just a single verse. How can anyone say there is nothing in scripture that can apply to them directly?

Isaiah talked about people like this almost five hundred years before Jesus came, when he wrote:

"You will be ever hearing but never understanding, you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." (Isaiah 6:9 & Various)

Open our eyes, and our ears. Read the owner’s manual and lock the doors. Look into the word of God and find the message it holds for you today. Lock it in your heart and keep the key safe.

SECOND CAR: WRECKED

Now, remember the second driver? His was the car that was rolled in the ditch because he didn't know what he was doing. This car is like the seed that fell on the rocky places. Both represent the kind of person, who hears the word and receives it, but they are careless with it, and it can’t make the impression it needs to, to really be effective. It doesn't go deep enough, and it only lasts a short time. As soon as trouble comes along, control is lost, and this type of person winds up lying in a ditch somewhere blaming everyone and everything except themselves.

I wonder how many people you know who are like that? I wonder how many people you talk to every day, who have been involved in a church, who were regular attendees, who were considered fairly, or even very religious, but who suddenly thought that it wasn't enough and turned away? Jesus described them this way, in Matthew 13:20-21. He says they have:

"received the ... word and at once received it with joy. But since it could not take root, it only lasted a short time. When trouble came, or persecution, you quickly fall away."

Once you receive the word, you must let it sink in. If the man with the second car had only thought about the laws of the road that were laid down for his own benefit, he might have followed the speed limit on that corner and been safer. If he had taken a drivers education course on how to drive the car safely, he might have not only saved the car, but enjoyed it far more as well.

Some of us are people who like to dive into things; to jump on the bandwagon. Our society is very much like that. In spite of recycling, and maybe even partly because of it, we are an “on demand”, “throw away” society. Everything is available instantly and is tossed aside when it is no longer useful to us. Razors, glasses, plates, cups, bulbs.... friendships ... marriages.

Most things come with a cost and a value. If you’re like me, then you often look at the cost right off the bat – how much is it going to cost me? Can I afford that?. But how many look at the value? If I buy something for 10 cents here that lasts me 10 minutes, but can buy one over there for a dollar that will last me a lifetime, which is the better value?

Most people consider the price, but not the value when they first look for something. We must consider the cost, not just in an initial look at the pricetag, but in the entire value of the proposition. In any relationship, there must be commitment, because without it, failure is certain when times of trouble come along. How much more should that apply when we are talking about securing an eternity in heaven. The benefits far outweigh the price – it is great value! But we must expect there to be a higher price.

Christ will see us through our hardships. We are promised that He will never let us down. Romans 8:31 tells us:

"What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

And in verse 35:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword?"

Christ is not a quitter! He went to the cross, suffered a humiliating, horrible painful death and took upon himself all of the sins of the world, so that you and I, just two insignificant people among millions, could personally be saved from the consequences of sin that is within us.

That is the message of the gospel. Receive it, believe it and be saved. Let it take root in your life. Search for God, and He will be found. Matthew 7:7 says:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

When you find it, commit yourself to it. Join a small group and study the owners manual. Be ready for times of hardship and trust that by following and applying the rules of the road, Christ will be with you. Read the instruction manual, take the drivers education course and obey the road signs. Then you will be able to navigate the corners safely and can avoid ending up in that ditch.

THIRD CAR: FELL APART

The third car was the one that was not taken proper care of. It is like the seed that fell on thorny ground. This person is one who listens to the instructions and knows them well, but for whatever reason, chooses to ignore them along the way.

We all know that anything worth keeping requires care and maintenance on a regular basis. If things are not maintained, they fall into disrepair and decay. Perhaps you have heard the word of God. You have received it. You actively try to live like you believe God wants you to, but neglect taking time with him, you rarely or never study his word, and you’ve given up on praying with Him?

Before you know it, you begin to drift. You begin to lack Christ's presence in your life. You begin to fall back into your old, ungodly ways. You ignore the rust holes and the broken pieces. You become one of those who gives the church the name “hypocrite” because your life does not demonstrate the truths you say you hold to.

Who would want to buy a car when they see the same model in disrepair and falling apart? When something needs fixed, you fix it or it will begin to cause you other problems.

I remember one time when I had a screw fall out of the tailpipe clamp on my car. I didn't have time to fix it, so I left it. A while later, after several pot holes, the end of the tailpipe fell off. I still wasn't willing to take the time to fix it, so I tried to tie it up with a coat hanger. A little while after that, the muffler fell off. I figured then, it was about time to get it fixed, but by the time I made it to the garage, the whole pipe from engine to trunk needed replacing.

If only I had replaced that one small screw, the whole assembly would have stayed in place and I would not have had the expense of replacing the entire system.

Many things in our lives try to crowd out Christ. Jesus said in verse 22 of Matthew 13:

"The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth chock it."

Day to day living is not a bad thing at all, but it can make us forget about God, let alone that Jesus died to save us from our sins.

If you’ve been married for any length of time, you know that the day to day chore of simply living and getting by can wear on your relationship with your spouse. You can begin to take them for granted, and unless you maintain that relationship with the occasional date, or time talking, or otherwise spent with each other, the relationship can crumble. How then can you expect the relationship with Christ to be any different? It also needs time and maintenance.

Wealth is another deceiver. When things look good financially, we can begin to feel so secure in this world that we forget there is a coming world into which we cannot take these comforts. Imagine being so focused on such a few short years that you can forget the eternity ahead. That sounds a little like my teen years! And what an amazing deception!

We must let God's word into our hearts, we must understand Christ's presence with us, and we must maintain our Christian experience.

FOURTH CAR: GOOD CAR

The fourth type of car was the one that was taken good care of. It is like the seed that fell on good ground. All of the security precautions were observed, all of the rules of the road were followed. Regular maintenance was performed, and the car served the driver not only for 1000 miles, not only for 10,000 miles, but even up to 100,000 miles.

This is the man who heard the word and didn't ignore it. He listened to what it said to him, and he put it into practice. He found Christ and asked him into his heart. But it didn't end there. He read the rules of the road and obeyed them. He read the owners manual and followed the instructions that were given in it. He took the drivers education course and applied what he learned. He met with other drivers to share tips of the road and share the fun of driving. He maintained his faith. He made sure Christ was still with him, and that he was still with Christ.

Because he did all this, he was able to keep his car running, to keep his faith going. It ran like it was supposed to. Even when he hit rough roads, he knew he was safe because he had discovered how to trust in God and obey his commands.

Naturally, I hope you will be like this fourth man. But probably you feel at least a little bit like one of the first three. So now you have heard the parable – “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”.

How does this parable relate to you, and what are you going to do about it? Christ can find the time for you when you need it, why not find time for him right now.