Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
In 1987 construction began in Pyongyang, North Korea on what would be the tallest hotel in the world. After a few years the frame was finished, and it was supposed to open in 1989. It is a 105 story 1,083 ft structure that dominates the city’s upper atmosphere, but because of finances, the project came to a grinding halt. It is claimed to be the largest abandoned building in the world and people have dubbed it the hotel of Doom, and the Phantom Hotel. It has been reported that the building has no electricity, plumbing or anything else on the inside, and has never hosted a guest in 35 years.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
This hotel is the epitome of not finishing what you started.
Luke 14:28-30 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
When a person is baptized by submersion into the name of Jesus Christ, you rise up out of the water to begin a new life of service and obedience to God. There is no turning back when you become Christian, because the only thing behind you, is the sinful life from which you left. We are called to come out and be separate. It’s one thing for an unbeliever or the ignorant to be involved with sin, but one of the most immoral and wicked things is when someone willfully and rebelliously chooses to reject God’s will. Instead of continually growing in the teachings of Christ, they renounce biblical truth. These are the most wicked people on the face of the Earth, and worthy of damnation.
Can you imagine giving your most precious gift to a friend, but then they choose to throw it right back in your face. Would you ever offer it to them again? What would be the point? They’ve already proved by their actions that they are undeserving of it. God offers the greatest gifts that you could ever possess, the gift of his mercy and Grace; and the teachings of His Holy Word. Those who turn away from them are unworthy of salvation.
Hebrews 6:4-8 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Some people who profess to be Christian are going to fall away. Instead of having a desire to continue to walk in goodness, righteousness and truth, they will abandon Christian teachings and choose to walk in evil, wickedness and lies. They should have never become a Christian in the first place because they make a mockery of the faith.
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Once you become a Christian there is no turning around. Obviously there will be some who do, but they will come short of eternal life. We are cleansed of our past sins through the blood of Christ, but this group of people leave the faith and go right back to the sins that they once departed from. They started to build their lives on the teachings of Christ, but never completed the tower, mocking God in their disobedient rebellion.
Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
God chose to save Lot’s family from Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot’s wife is an example to anybody who is going to become a Christian, and then attempt to return to their past life. After being picked to be rescued from the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, she turned back, showing that she was unworthy of being saved, and was punished by God and died.
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Esau’s life is symbolic of someone who would inherit eternal life but turned away from it. He cried about it later, but he couldn’t find a place of forgiveness because of what he had done.
Hebrews 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Judas did the same thing when he betrayed Christ, which led to his own demise. Those who draw back from doing God’s will, He will have no pleasure in.
Hebrews 10:36-38 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
The Christian Life is a day by day process of continuing to lay the building blocks of faith, building a tower of faithfulness and obedience to God, and completing the course that God has set before us. It’s about finishing what we have started and never turning back, unlike…..
…..The Hotel of Doom.
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 