231 - The Last Will Be First, and the First Will Be Last#
231 - The Last Will Be First, and the First Will Be Last
(JP Text Group - 整理 of The Little Prince of Heaven)
Luke 13:22-30
22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” 24 He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! As this new week begins, we affirm our faith and belief in Your words. The words Jesus spoke to us are the standard for our lives. The moment I believed in You, You accepted me. In life, no matter what I encounter, I am willing to look up to You, entrust You, and You will help me; please give me strength to understand my faith clearly. Bless every brother and sister who seeks You, let them be renewed by You, and know You more. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen! Hallelujah!
The topic of sharing is: The Last Will Be First, and the First Will Be Last
Many people may not understand this phrase. In the Bible, Jesus mentioned similar things several times. Looking at the background of this story, Jesus was teaching people in the towns and villages as He was going to Jerusalem. Jesus was now going to Jerusalem, and He was facing the Jews. The audience was mainly Jews. Do the Jews know the law? Yes. This is not content meant for the Gentiles; it is mainly for the Jews, many of whom have some legalistic thinking, so Jesus wants to simplify this matter. Jesus taught people in various towns and villages, one of which was to tell people how to be saved.
In verse 23, someone asked Him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
The person asking this question may have observed a fact: although there were many crowds listening to Jesus preach at that time and many were healed, indeed very few people sincerely followed Jesus and believed in Him. Many were there to be healed, some were there to fill their stomachs, and some followed not to believe but to find fault with Jesus, like the Pharisees and scribes who sought to catch Him. Our Lord hopes that everyone can put aside their prejudices and fully accept the blessings from heaven. The gospel is for everyone; our Lord desires that all be saved and does not wish for anyone to perish. This is the will of our Heavenly Father.
But the problem is that when people hear the gospel, not everyone believes or fully accepts it. Even today, the Lord Jesus hopes that what we do is to tell the gospel to more people. The gospel is good news, and we should tell more people about this good news.
During Jesus' preaching, one person was very concerned about another question: “Lord! Are only a few people going to be saved?” People are concerned about the number of those saved. Today, many people are curious and never care about their own lives but always care about whether someone in the Bible is saved or whether someone in our church is saved. Is this important? In comparison, we should first focus on whether we are saved. Many people are listening to Jesus preach, many are following Jesus, yet this person asks, “Lord! Are only a few people going to be saved?” This should be the concern of our Lord. We should first care about whether we are saved.
This person is concerned about the number of people, how does the Lord Jesus respond? Jesus said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” It seems that Jesus did not answer this person's question directly about whether it is many or few, but rather tells him: you should not focus on the number of people; you should care about entering through the narrow door. Do not worry about how many will enter the kingdom of heaven in the future; this has nothing to do with you. Even if you are the only one entering the kingdom of heaven in the future, that is fine. Amen!
Even if there are billions of people in the kingdom of heaven in the future, so what? If you do not enter, what does it matter? So this person is concerned about the number of those saved, yet Jesus says: you must strive to enter through the narrow door. What Jesus cares about is entering through the narrow door. Many people are always worried about whether others are saved, and Jesus means here: you should care more about whether you are saved. The number of people saved has nothing to do with you. Many people focus on external prosperity, the number of people, the completeness of the configuration, and the grandeur of the buildings, but the Lord Jesus cares more about whether you have His life inside.
Jesus said: you must strive to enter through the narrow door. How do you strive to enter through the narrow door? What does the narrow door refer to? In the region of Israel, they have large city gates, and there is a small door on the large gate, which is called the eye of a needle or the narrow door. This is what Jesus means when He says you must enter through the narrow door; the narrow door actually refers to Jesus Christ, He is that narrow door. Why does it tell the Jews to strive to enter through the narrow door? Is this door particularly hard to enter? Are the Jews all too fat to get in? It requires letting go of many things.
The large city gate is usually closed after 6 PM, and the narrow door is opened. In the evening, some people come with camel caravans carrying heavy loads. The camels are loaded with many things, and the narrow door can only allow the camel to pass through alone; it cannot enter with the load. They need to unload everything from the camel before they can enter. If they do not want to unload, they will get stuck there and cannot enter. What does Jesus mean? You must strive; He did not say that if you have such thoughts, you do not need to struggle to believe in Jesus.
Is it difficult for the Pharisees to believe in Jesus? Why is it difficult? Because they have too many of their own viewpoints and theories, they cannot accept Jesus. Many people are particularly rational and find it hard to accept Jesus because Jesus requires you to believe; you cannot analyze Him. Many people always like to analyze God, but you cannot do that. No matter how much knowledge you have, you cannot analyze Jesus. Amen! Even if technology develops for thousands of years, you still cannot analyze what Jesus has done. For example, can you analyze Him walking on water? Can you analyze Him raising the dead? For instance, when we lay hands on a sick person and their symptoms disappear, how do you analyze that? God's words are not for you to analyze; they are for you to believe.
If you want to analyze, you must strive to analyze. If you want to rely on your own efforts to enter through the narrow door, you must put down what is inside you. When John the Baptist first came, he said: the kingdom of heaven is near; you should repent. Jesus also said: the kingdom of heaven is near; you should repent. Then it says to believe in the gospel. In the original text, the grammar is reversed: you should repent because the kingdom of heaven is near. Some say, isn't that the same meaning? You should repent; in the original Greek, it means: you should put down all your past obsessions, and you will see that the kingdom of God is near. If you do not let go of your obsessions and rational things, you cannot see God.
The Pharisees and scribes could not let go of their obsessive things, the things they thought were correct. So when Jesus stood before them, they did not recognize Him because they could not see. Jesus is that narrow door; if your spiritual eyes are opened, you can see Him; He is God, the Son of God. If you are filled with rational things, to you, He is just a person, the Nazarene Jesus, the son of a carpenter, what is so great about that... what you see is not that narrow door.
Jesus Himself is the narrow door, Hallelujah! For the Jews, it requires effort to recognize Him because letting go of their own concepts is the hardest. In our lives, after believing in Jesus, we must continually let go of our own concepts, accept Jesus' concepts, and constantly let go of worldly thoughts to view the world through Jesus' perspective. This is difficult and requires effort. Strive to believe in Jesus. It is not about striving to be saved; it is about believing that Jesus' words are true, trusting Him, and the narrow door is Jesus.
John 10:7-9
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
This passage tells us that Jesus is that narrow door; He is the gate for the sheep. Where do the sheep enter? They enter through Him, salvation relies on Jesus. He has opened a new and living way for us to enter the Most Holy Place, to come before God. Amen! It says: all who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep do not listen to them.
This means some people do not want to enter through the door, do not want to go through the cross, and insist on being saved in other ways. People think they have their own way of salvation, but in fact, it is all thievery and wrong behavior. The sheep do not listen to them. I am the gate for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved. How can one enter this door of Jesus? What does it rely on? Is it by doing good deeds? No, it relies on your belief in what Jesus has done for you on the cross. When you believe this way, you will surely be saved; as long as you enter through this door of Jesus, you will be saved. Hallelujah!
There is another promise for you: they will come in and go out and find pasture. Sheep need to eat grass. After we believe in the gospel, the gospel is good news; after you accept Jesus, what you should hear is good news. If you have already accepted Jesus, and in the church, you often hear: you are rebellious, and God will discipline you, punish you, until you die. Is this good news? Inside the door of Jesus, there is no bad news; everyone should understand this. Many people have already entered the door of Jesus but are daily eating poisonous grass, hearing bad news every day.
But what does Jesus say? They are thieves and robbers; the sheep should not listen to them. Those who truly enter through this door of Jesus should hear good news: if you are sick, Jesus is your healing; if you are weak, Jesus is your strength; if you have no direction, Jesus is your guide; if the world does not accept you, Jesus is your Lord. We can always find hope in Christ; this is the good news, brothers and sisters. When you come to church, you should hear good news, which is completely different from the world. Thank You and praise the Lord! Amen!
John 14:5-6
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Actually, Jesus said, I am going back to prepare a place for you, and when I have prepared the place, I will come back to take you. The way I am going, you all know. Thomas was quite practical, actually a bit doubtful, so he said, “Lord, I don’t know where you are going.” Jesus said clearly: My kingdom is not of this world; my kingdom is in heaven; the Son of Man will be killed and will rise from the dead on the third day. He spoke very clearly because for more than three years, Jesus has been preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus also said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. Thomas heard this but did not take it to heart, or he heard it but doubted, so he said, “How do I know the way?”
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” Is this a hypothetical sentence? To put it another way, we can come to the Father through Jesus; Jesus is that way. Jesus is that narrow door; when you enter into Christ, you enter before the Father. Thank You and praise the Lord! So salvation is very easy: believe, and you will be saved. Many people make salvation very complicated; I have never thought that salvation is hard to understand. As long as you are willing to believe, you will be saved. What we should focus on is: after being saved, how can we eat that grass, rather than thinking every day about whether I am a sheep? This matter is up to Jesus. Do not worry about where to go in the future; God will lead you.
Look at verse 24, Jesus said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. I tell you, many will try to enter and will not be able to.
The future refers to when Jesus comes again; at that time, many will want to enter but will not be able to. We use the story of Noah's Ark in the Old Testament to tell everyone that the ark represents Jesus Christ; can you understand this? It also represents God's salvation.
Genesis 7:15-16
15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female, of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.
In verse 25 of this text, once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking,
Isn't this the same as Noah's Ark? Now Jesus is speaking in a metaphor, but when we go back to Genesis, we know that at that time God commanded Noah: In 120 years, I will destroy the world with a flood; you must build an ark according to my commands. If Noah wanted to be saved, he could not think of a way himself, like building a house or a spaceship. God told him to build an ark; you must do it according to God's way to be saved. There is only one way for us to be saved: believe in Jesus. Besides this, there is no other way to salvation.
After Noah's Ark was built, 120 years had passed. During these years, it was the time when the door of the gospel was wide open, the door of salvation was wide open. Perhaps many people saw Noah's family's unusual behavior and said, “What are you doing?” Noah said: In 120 years, God will destroy the world with a flood; we are building an ark so that everyone can enter; you can come with us. Did anyone believe him?
On the contrary, people thought Noah's family was crazy. How many people think we have problems believing in Jesus? They think we are not doing our jobs; why not enjoy this world? Why sit here on Sunday listening to sermons; what is the point? It is better to enjoy the world. So at that time, many people must have laughed at Noah's family, even ridiculed them. Noah's family did not doubt themselves because they knew what they were doing. Hallelujah!
After 120 years, the ark was completed, and the world changed. The most rebellious were not the animals or other creatures, but humans. The animals were obedient; all creatures with blood and breath came to Noah in pairs and entered the ark, and they all followed God's commands. Many people do not read the Bible and say that Noah was very tired; he had to find all the animals around the world in pairs. You are wrong; it was not Noah who went out to find them; it was God who commanded those animals, and those animals found Noah themselves. Otherwise, with so many living creatures flying in the sky and walking on the ground, could Noah find them one by one? And there were many insects; how could he find them? In the end, they followed Noah into the ark. How many people entered with Noah? Just his family. After they entered, when the time came, God shut the door.
Now is the time when the door of grace and salvation is wide open; will this door ever close? Will that day come? And God clearly tells us: He will destroy this world with fire the second time. Some say: If God destroys the world with a flood again, I will sit on a spaceship and fly into space. God will destroy space too; where will you fly? The second time is completely different from the first. This time we tell the world that we do not know how many years will pass, but that day will surely come.
This is what we tell the world: come in, and let us enter into Christ together. It is the same as Noah preaching the gospel: come in with us. The age of grace is the time for evangelism. God did not say, “Only your family can come in; let everyone else die outside.” The gospel is for everyone at that time; unfortunately, no one believed them. Our time is a bit better; there are still some people who believe, but the majority still do not believe. After all, those who believe in the Lord are a minority.
Matthew 24:37-41
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 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; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Jesus is actually telling us something: the last days will be just like the days of Noah. Since we know the days of Noah, people were eating and drinking, marrying, which proves that Noah indeed preached the gospel to them, but they ignored it and continued doing what they were doing. Is this the same in our time? When we preach the gospel to many people, they are still eating and drinking, ignoring us, until the day Jesus Christ comes again, just like the day Noah entered the ark. We are now in the ark; you have already entered into Jesus Christ, so your salvation is guaranteed.
In verse 39, they did not realize the flood was coming. So when Jesus comes again, you will not know, so the flood came and took them all away; the coming of the Son of Man will be like this. 40 At that time, two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Why will one be taken? Two people are together; do not say: are you saved? This has nothing to do with you; you should care about whether you are saved. This is important. Even if they are our family, they cannot replace him; if he does not believe, there is no way to replace him. Brothers and sisters, this is very important. It is the Lord giving us the opportunity to preach the gospel, but we can only preach the gospel; we cannot force others to believe. Why are there two women grinding? Two women are doing the same thing; one believes, and one looks like she believes. Two men are in the field, doing the same thing; one believes, and one looks like he believes. Do you understand? Similarly, in real life, in the church listening to the sermon, one believes, and one looks like he believes. When Jesus comes again, He will take away the one who believes.
Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking, saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ He will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’ (Luke 13:25)
Let me ask you a question, brothers and sisters: will the Lord not recognize His sheep?
John 10:1-5
1 “Very truly I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
Does the shepherd know the names of the sheep? As long as you truly believe in Jesus Christ, He will surely recognize you. When He has brought out all his own, He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. What is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep? They know each other; it is absolutely impossible for a problem to arise: what is your name? This will never happen in the kingdom of heaven. We are people who have sinned and have poor memories; the Lord Jesus will absolutely not forget you, nor will He forget every deed you have done for Him. So you must believe that at the moment you accept Jesus, you know the Lord and recognize His voice.
Verse 5 says, the sheep will not follow a stranger because they do not recognize his voice; they will run away.
A stranger refers to a voice that is different from Jesus. I have told everyone before that sheep have a characteristic of being near-sighted and have poor discernment; they only listen to the voice of the shepherd. Although their eyesight is not good, their hearing is very good. We may see things wrong, but we will not hear things wrong. Here it speaks of two voices, referring to recognizing the voice of Lord Jesus. The sheep will not follow a stranger because they do not recognize his voice. What kind of message should we convey to people in the church? The message of Jesus Christ is for the Lord's people. Hallelujah!
If others tell you another message, like the law that says you are rebellious, you are doomed, be careful, God will use a thousand ways to discipline you. This is another voice; this is the voice of a stranger. You should not follow him; you should run away. Do not say: I want to discern. Save it, sheep; many people insist on discerning and end up being eaten by wolves, losing themselves.
I remember there was a testimony where a brother said: The Lord Jesus loves all people; the Lord Jesus also loves prostitutes. Starting tomorrow, I will go to the red-light district to preach the gospel. He went and fell into temptation. When you encounter such a voice, you should run away; it is obvious that you cannot withstand it. Many people think they are stronger than Jesus. The Lord's sheep will surely be recognized by the Lord, and we will hear His voice. Now can you discern? Do not tell me you still cannot. Can you distinguish between good news and bad news? Can you distinguish between condemnation and non-condemnation? You need to read the Bible more; is it condemnation or non-condemnation? This is a requirement.
Many people say: you cannot let me do a little thing; doing a little thing is condemning me. Wrong, the Lord wants you to have a more abundant life; anything that brings condemnation will bring curses and death. Can everyone distinguish this?
“You people who are doomed to perish, you are the ones abandoned by God.”
“If you do not obey the law of Moses, you will not be saved; I see you do not look like you are saved.”
This is the voice of condemnation. Many times we turn some of God's requirements, which are meant to help us live better, into a form of condemnation, and we do not want Him. If so, your life will remain the same; it cannot change. I now tell everyone: on Sundays, come and listen to God's word more. This is a requirement; it is beneficial to you. What the Lord gives you is definitely good news. Anyone who does not enter through Jesus is a thief, so you need to discern whether it is the message of Jesus Christ.
John 10:10, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;...
Since it is a different voice, the purpose of the thief is to kill and destroy. Very simple, right? If you believe in Jesus and think you are Jesus, but it results in your family being destroyed, your wife leaving you, and being abandoned by everyone, this is the behavior of a thief. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. If you believe in Jesus correctly, your family should be more blessed; if after believing in Jesus, your family is full of enemies, you may be believing in something else, the voice of a thief. Shouldn't this be easy to distinguish? Those who enter into Christ will be given abundant life. How can one be saved? Believe and you will be saved.
John 20:31, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
You believe that Jesus is the Messiah; this is the content of our faith. The Messiah is His title; Jesus Christ, He is the Savior, the Lord who saves you; He is the Son of God. If you believe this way, and by believing in Him, you may have life in His name. Is there any mention of actions here? No, so believing can lead to salvation; it is very simple.
In verses 26-27 of this text, at that time, you will say: ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
It seems that Jesus has no other words to say to this group of evildoers, is it repetitive?
At first, they said: Lord, open the door for us.
The Lord said: I do not know you; I do not know where you come from.
Then they said, “No, how can you say you do not know me? You have eaten and drunk with us, and I have seen you teaching in our streets.”
Jesus said, “I do not know you; I do not know where you come from.”
Does Jesus really not know where they come from? They are not sheep in this circle, so Jesus is no longer responsible because the door has already closed.
I once meditated like this: during Noah's Ark, the flood did not rise all at once; it rose gradually, which proves that when the rain began to rise, many people began to believe Noah's words: it is true! Many people began to run to the mountains, began to knock on Noah's ark: open the door for us... Noah wanted to open it, but he did not close the door; he could not open it. Now do you understand? Can Noah go out? Now tell the people around you: once you enter into Christ, you cannot go out, so believe and you will be saved. Hallelujah! Even if you want to go out, you do not want to come out; there is abundant life inside. Are those outside regretting it? So do not wait until one day to say, “It was true!” It will be too late.
Revelation chapter one says: Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. Why? Regret, their hearts will be filled with sorrow, but at that time, it will be too late because the door of grace has already closed.
Verse 26 says, at that time...
They began to get close, right? We ate and drank in your presence; who told you that eating and drinking in front of Jesus can lead to salvation?
Some say: I have been to church.
Who told you that going to church can lead to salvation?
Some say: I have attended a Bible study.
Who told you that attending a Bible study can lead to salvation?
I am a doctor of theology.
Jesus does not look at certificates.
It does not matter what special meetings you have attended or what church you have entered; even if you have been to Israel, it does not matter. Many people have had a brief encounter with Jesus; they know Jesus. Think carefully about how many of your friends do not know the name of Jesus? But not everyone believes in Jesus.
At that time in Israel, it was the same situation; many people had seen Jesus, and Jesus was very famous, always followed by crowds wanting to eat or see miracles. Jesus satisfied them, but these people were not saved; they only knew Jesus but did not accept Jesus as their Savior. Jesus said, “I tell you, I do not know where you come from; you evildoers, away from me!”
Last time I shared about evildoers; in the original text, it refers to lawless people, who in God's eyes are sinners. What kind of people are called sinners? Unbelievers, so these evildoers, Jesus says He does not know them; He does not know where they come from because they do not believe in Jesus. Have they entered through the door? Not yet. Anyone who does not enter through the door, Jesus says He does not know; climbing over the wall does not count.
Let me explain a biblical typology. After leaving Egypt, God told Moses: I will bring my people out of Egypt and into a land flowing with milk and honey. This matter was eventually known to the Philistines, who followed the northern royal road into Canaan, but the Israelites walked through the mountains below, crossing two rivers, which typifies the way of the cross, the way that the Lord Jesus has prepared for us.
The one above clearly has no way of the cross; those people wanted to climb over the wall to enter Canaan, but in the end, none were left alive; they were all killed. So Jesus says He does not know them. Many people do not know how to enter the church, but if they do not believe in Jesus in the church, Jesus does not know them either. Think about it; if we come to church and do not discuss Jesus, are we not evildoers? This is the real evildoer. Coming to church and not doing Jesus' work, isn't that an evildoer? It is obvious that they are thieves, taking away many people's lives. Many churches engage in business, MLM, direct sales; this is actually the behavior of thieves. In the church, we need to give people the life of Jesus Christ.
If we wave the flag of Jesus in the church and act like the Almighty God, killing and setting fires, this is the behavior of robbers. The Lord Jesus will say, “I do not know you; you evildoers, depart from me.” So when Jesus says He does not know them, He will not wrong this person. Our salvation is not based on our good behavior, nor is it because of which country we are from; it is based on whether you have the Holy Spirit inside. When you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart; this is the guarantee.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 Now it is God who strengthens both us and you in Christ and has anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
When you accept Jesus, you should have a strong heart: today the Holy Spirit is anointing you. In the past, in the region of Israel, if a person wanted to be king, he had to be anointed by a prophet pouring oil on his head to become king. Do you know that in the New Testament, everyone is a king? You are not anointed with olive oil but with the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, when oil was poured on someone’s head, the Holy Spirit began to work in him. When we accept Jesus, the power of Jesus begins to reign in you, and the Holy Spirit also dwells in your heart, and the Holy Spirit acts as a guarantee in our hearts; a guarantee is a sign that tells you: do not doubt. In the future judgment, it will not look at which country you are from or which faction you belong to, nor will it look at what you have done, but whether you have the Holy Spirit inside. If there is no Holy Spirit inside, you are an evildoer, an unbeliever; their end can only be thrown into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 13:29-30
29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
At that time, Jesus said to this group of people, you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but how did the people treat the prophets in Israel's history? They rejected them, humiliated them, and killed them. At this time, what did Jesus say? Those whom you persecuted, they are now with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but you have been cast outside. Isn't it a pity? This passage is directed at the Jews; how are they saved? By relying on the law.
Last week, a brother told me that their pastor said: how can we abolish the law? We must be saved by the law; we cannot abolish the law! He argued with the pastor for a few sentences, and I said: you can tell him the truth, but do not argue. Later he sent me some things, and I replied to him. About half a day later, thank the Lord, their pastor said he had been wrong in his previous teachings. This is truly the work of the Holy Spirit. It is rare for someone to change so quickly; initially, he was so fiercely opposed, but later he said: I want to hold a workers' meeting to announce this matter; I previously taught that we are saved by the law, and now I understand that we are saved by faith. In fact, this is not something we invented; the Bible says it very clearly. He just did not understand some scriptures, and after explaining them to him, he understood. Thank the Lord!
Everyone should believe clearly; at first, they do not know how to be saved. I tell you: believe and you will be saved; you need to believe clearly, not understand first and then believe. Can you see the difference? When we believe, most of the time we do not understand, but after you believe, you need to believe clearly and know what you believe in.
At that time, the Jews thought: we are saved; how could those fishermen be saved? How could Jesus be saved? They looked down on Jesus. It is precisely those people who are saved; they do not rely on actions or the law but on the grace of Jesus Christ. People will come from east and west and north and south, referring to the Gentiles. An undeniable fact is that in the future in the kingdom of heaven, there will be more Gentiles than Jews. The reason is simple: the Jews have rejected Jesus for nearly two thousand years. Where has God's work been for these two thousand years? Among the Gentiles. Do you know how many Gentiles have been saved? So Jesus says: people will come from east and west and north and south, and they will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
The Jews actually looked down on the Gentiles, especially the Pharisees and scribes. How unfortunate it is; they had all the timing, location, and resources in their hands, but they did not use them and did all sorts of nonsense: turning the temple into a den of robbers, thieves coming to steal, kill, and destroy; the Pharisees were doing these things in the temple. Jesus came to give people a more abundant life.
Indeed, there are those who are last who will be first; those who are first will be last. The latter half of this statement is an encouraging word for us. Many people say: the Jews are so blessed; they have known God for so long and can recite the complete law. So what? They do not accept God; it is precisely this completeness that has turned into knowledge, blocking them from recognizing the grace of Jesus Christ. Some say: they have believed in the Lord for so long; I believe in the Lord later; I cannot compare to them. Do not compare like that; you may believe in the Lord later, but that does not mean your life is small. The timing of belief does not indicate anything; faith that comes later can surpass faith that came earlier.
If you are a preacher, you must be careful; do not say: I have been preaching for decades. So what? Those who come later may surpass those who came earlier. I am much older; I have eaten more salt than you have walked roads. So what? In Christ, this does not matter; what matters is whether you sincerely want to follow Jesus. In the past, there was a sister in our church who had just believed in the Lord Jesus and did not know Him well. She said she did not want to be baptized here; she wanted to find a famous pastor. I had already contacted one; there is an old pastor in Shanghai who is 97 years old, and she wanted him to lay hands on her for baptism because he has a greater spiritual aura. This only represents that her life is so small. That being said, some people have believed in the Lord for decades and still do not know whether they are saved; then those of us who come later have surpassed them, right? That is great!
Another thing: the grace of the last days is greater than that of the earlier days. Do you know why? The earlier people have walked many roads; they know where the pitfalls are. If you listen well, you will be blessed more than they were and can avoid many detours. You do not have to go through many years of law, pain, condemnation, and exclusion; you can directly receive grace. Isn't that better? So the last will be first; those who come later will be first. Do not think the Jews are too blessed; they have seen Jesus with their own eyes; you are more blessed because the Holy Spirit is with you every day.
Acts 13:45-48
45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; they began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
At that time, such a thing happened; Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel of grace, and the whole of Jerusalem was stirred; many people came to follow them and listen to their preaching. When the Jews saw so many people, they were filled with jealousy; they began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Is this slander? Is this a fact today? The same thing is happening; God's power is still being manifested.
Paul and Barnabas boldly said: “The word of God had to be spoken to you first.” Brothers and sisters, at first, did God not entrust the sheep to the scribes and Pharisees? They did not take it seriously; people under the law understood God's grace better than we do. The church under the law also knows, but they say: there cannot be too much grace. It is not that they do not know; they want balance, but this results in problems.
Did the scribes and Pharisees know God's grace? Did they know about the coming of the Messiah? But when He came, why did they not accept it? They were filled with jealousy; this is the real reason; they were afraid that Jesus would take the sheep away, so they killed Jesus. As a result, His disciples rose up again, and the whole of Jerusalem was even more stirred; they contradicted His words and wanted to get rid of them. In fact, the same thing is happening today. Paul and Barnabas said: Actually, the word of God was first given to you, but you rejected it. They did not say: you rejected me, and you are doomed.
Who did they reject? It seems they rejected Paul and Barnabas, but in fact, they rejected the word of Jesus Christ, determining that they were unworthy of eternal life, so they were unwilling to receive that abundant life and unwilling to enter and eat grass. So we turn to the Gentiles; the same word, when it came to the Gentiles, they heard this and were glad, praising Paul and Barnabas. Do not do this; do not praise a particular preacher; it is easy to become proud and fall. Praise the word of God; this word is amazing! Jesus is amazing!
All who were appointed for eternal life believed. I will tell you in the simplest way: many people talk about predestination, and they do not know whether they are saved. Predestination means: God has given everyone the opportunity to be saved. Different eras have different ways of salvation, but the content is all about Jesus Christ. Can everyone understand this? The issue of eating in the Garden of Eden; the issue of entering the Ark in Noah's time; the issue of looking at the bronze serpent in the wilderness; it does not depend on whether your actions are good or bad; in the time of Jesus, it is about whether you believe.
So the methods of each era are slightly different, but the content is all about Jesus Christ. All who were appointed for eternal life believed: it does not mean that God gives him a chance and does not give you a chance; God gives everyone a chance. Some choose not to believe, and some choose to believe; as long as you follow the way of that era, it is fine. Many people say: What if I did not hear about Jesus in the past? You are worrying too much; does such a thing still happen today? What about the Tang Dynasty? What about the Song Dynasty? Do not forget that there was a way to be saved in that era; you do not need to worry about God's matters. Just worry about whether you believe and tell others to believe. This is what it means that all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
Do not end up not knowing whether you believe after hearing about predestination; if so, do not listen. The last will be first; the first will be last. What does this mean? This is a warning to the Jews: do not think that Abraham is your ancestor; so what? Those who are first will be last; you will be placed last.
Romans 11:25-27
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Brothers and sisters, here we see a problem: now compared to the Jews, who is ahead? They are actually the last to be saved, and what is God's method of salvation? It will be after the full number of the Gentiles has come in that all Israel will be saved. It is not automatic salvation. I have just made it very clear; there is only one way to be saved: believe in Jesus. After our number is complete, they will believe in the Lord at that time; do you think that is unfortunate? At first, in the simplest times, they threw it away; they did not want it; they insisted on believing in the most difficult times. Now is our best time, so while the number of Gentiles is not full, hurry up and believe in Jesus. Then all Israel will be saved; here it is repeated again: it is not automatic salvation; how to be saved?
As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.” (Romans 11:26)
Are we saved this way? Jesus Christ is our Savior, who comes from Zion. Where are the Jews now? One is Mount Sinai, and one is Mount Zion; they are still at Mount Sinai, still under the law of Moses. We are at Mount Zion, so they will be saved last, looking up to the Savior who comes from Mount Zion. How will all their sins be taken away? By believing in that Savior.
It also says: “When I take away their sins,” when will our sins be taken away? When we believe in Jesus, so when the Jews believe in the Savior who comes from Mount Zion, their sins will also be taken away. This is the new covenant I have made with them.
We are already in this new covenant; this fulfills the biblical saying: indeed, there are those who are last who will be first; those who are first will be last. Take this opportunity to believe in Jesus. Every year in November and December, I encourage everyone to evangelize because Christmas is coming, and there are gifts. You should tell others: the gift God has given us is Jesus Christ. While the door of grace has not yet closed, accept Jesus as your Savior. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
If you have not yet believed in the Lord, you can pray in your heart with me: Loving Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus has cleansed all my sins on the cross, died for my sins, and rose from the dead on the third day. Now I ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and help me; I have entered through Your door, lead me in my life ahead. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, I pray.
In the name of Jesus, I bless the brothers and sisters who are listening to the sermon; you believe, and believe clearly. Although we are in the last days, we enjoy even greater grace in the end. The last will be first; do not be satisfied now and stop moving forward; continuously renew your thoughts and enjoy more of His blessings in Jesus Christ; know Jesus more. You can recognize His more abundant provision in your life, trust Him, and rely on Him. You are also a channel of blessing; believe that the Heavenly Father can bless you, and you can bless others. You have already received this blessing, so tell those around you about this good news. Hallelujah! All glory belongs to our Heavenly Father. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!