How many can you serve?72 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? I can only serve one. Today, I was doing some juggling. I was in the other room running the printer trying to get out some pamphlets. I was in here trying to conduct a service and I was doing a lot of juggling. It takes talent to do that, and many times you don't do a very good job. What if the printer made more demands on me than the service did? Or what if the service demanded more? Well one of them is not going to get served? Those are the problems you're going to deal with if you're trying to serve both kingdoms - the kingdoms of the world and the Kingdom of Heaven. And that is where the real problems are. Today, people are half-way in the world and half-way with Christ.73 Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." They're juggling! Suddenly Jesus is going to say, "Hey! We have someone down the road who needs some help, go." "But - But - But my wife! I've got a quarrel with her, I have to take care of it." No, He comes first.74 Luke 14:18-21 "But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So that servant came and reported these things to his master. 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 here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'"
"Oh, but they want me to come down and register with them." "No, no, I don't want you to register, I've already commanded you. What do you mean you went down and registered with somebody else so that they can get involved with what I've commanded you to do? You have all the authority you need. How in the world are you going to do My work if you get somebody else in our way! That's a burden, that's weighing us down. We have a mission, a very important mission. It's white with harvest out there, we don't have enough workers as it is! 75 Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." And you're going to tell me you've got something else to do?"
No, I don't think Jesus would register. I don't think we should either. I think He kept Himself unspotted, He went all the way to the Cross. They tried to trick Him, they tried all kinds of conversation, they tried numerous ways to get Him to drop His Kingship. But even at the final hour, when He went before the Caesars, He declared, "My Kingdom is not of this world." He would not bow down to them. He would not save His life. He would not bring His legion of angels down.76 Matthew 26:53 "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? He would not throw a stone at Baal. He did not come to judge the ways of the world.77 John 12:47 "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world."
How do we enter? Return as little children, learn the ways of the Kingdom.78 Matthew 18:3 "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." I think the biggest help that I can give you is, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven."79 Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, . . ." Always look toward the Kingdom. Look for what it is, where it's at, it is within you.80 Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." The Kingdom is a Government, it is us, we are His body, we are His representatives on earth.81 1 John 4:17 ...because as He is, so are we in this world. We must remain with Him,82 John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." and the world is very jealous of this Kingdom,83 Galatians 2:4 But this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage). because this Kingdom cannot be defeated.84 Daniel 2:44 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." The reason it cannot be defeated is because they killed Him! They killed Him according to the law!85 Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.") And that's all they can take. Once they've killed you, you're dead. There's nothing left to take.86 Romans 6:7-9 For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. Nothing left. And what's the importance of His death? He is the only king who ever rose from the dead.87 Revelation 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." Now that they have killed Him, they cannot kill Him a second time. Therefore, we have a King who is eternal. They still hate Him - you bet Satan hates Him, but they can't take Him again. It's a one-time shot. They had one chance and they lost it. The victory is in Christ.88 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.
With that kind of confidence, who can be against us?89 Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? We have everything going for us. Everything in the whole universe, all His power, all His miracles, we have been set free. But what's the requirement? Give your entire allegiance. Obey Him. Give your entire allegiance. He said, "Depart from iniquity."90 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." He commanded you, do it! He gave us the Sermon on the Mount. Implement it!91 Matthew 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock": He said, "Baptize one another." Baptize!92 Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Wash the sins away! Remember Him whenever you eat and drink. Remember Him!93 Luke 22:19-20 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." Remember what He went through. If He can do it, we can do it.94 John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." If they hated him, they'll hate us.95 John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also." However they respected Him, they'll respect us. And the ultimate victory is the conquering over death, and He has done it. That means we can do it, too. He is the first born. He is the Second Adam. He is the one who's showing us the way and the light and the truth, out of the world and out of bondage and into the liberty of God.96 Romans 8:21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The true liberty of the Kingdom. Again, don't get perverted minds. Not the liberty to go against God, but the liberty to work for God. You do not have to ask anyone, anywhere, any Caesar for permission to do God's work. Act on it. Strictly act on it.97 James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. And when they ask you what you're doing, your justification is Christ. "I was instructed to do this, the Lord has need of it and that's all the authority I need."98 Mark 11:3 "And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it.'" You don't need any further authority.