Good morning and welcome in everybody. 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.
Over the centuries, many people have made their living out in the woods as lumberjacks, but in the days of the steam engine, there was a great problem with communication between the workers. Back then they didn’t use cell phones and two-way radios like they do today, but instead a lot of them relied on what they had available, a steam whistle! After felling a group of trees, they would attach cables to move them where they needed to go, but many times they were working so far away from each other, that the only way they could communicate was by giving a few tugs on the steam whistle. There was a worker known as a whistlepunk, who was in charge of a long cable, similar to galvanized clothesline, that was run through the woods for this very reason. It was attached to the steam engine operator’s whistle, and when he pulled on that long cable, the whistle sounded a loud warning. When you heard it, you had better make sure that you were in a safe place, because the massive logs were about to move!
This reminds me of the Christian Life
If loggers didn’t pay attention, they could get severely hurt or even killed by huge logs. Likewise, a Christian must listen closely to Men of God who have been charged with the responsibility of warning us of the dangers of sin. The only way that you can be kept out of harm’s way is by keeping your ears open to the truth, and listening closely each time they sound the warning.
“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:” Hebrews 12:25
A fire alarm can only protect you, when you run out the front door. Scripture can only help you, when you obey what it teaches. A preacher can only save you, when you pay attention to his warnings.
“Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7
It takes more love to warn somebody of the error of their way than saying nothing at all. What parent among you wouldn’t yell at their child to stop dead in their tracks if they were about to fall off a cliff? What parent among you wouldn’t chastise their teenager for getting involved with the wrong crowd at school? A true man of God will warn others about the consequence of sinful behavior, which is exactly what the Apostle Paul did with his life. As a spiritual dad to the church, he loved them dearly, but he constantly warned them of the consequences for sinful behavior. In order to truly love your neighbor as yourself, you must speak the truth with them, warning them to get off the tracks of sin before they get hit by the oncoming train!
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19
We live in a world filled with false prophets who grow in number each day. They bless those who are living in bondage to sin, rather than rebuking them with scriptural truth. They don’t care about saving a soul from damnation, they care about people kicking more money into the offering plate. Why do you think so many prophets of God lived in caves? It’s because they were hated by the impenitent. Why was John the Baptist beheaded? Because he was hated by the impenitent. Why was Jesus crucified on the cross? Because He was hated by the impenitent. The world hates the message of repentance, along with those who preach it. Rather than listening to those who preach God’s warnings, many of them will turn their ears away from the truth, and die in their own sins.
2 Timothy 4 ¹ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We live in a world that professes the virtues of love, but the reason why many of them won’t enter into eternal life is because they never loved the Lord Jesus enough to repent of their sins. There will be plenty of people in this world who love each other right into the fires of damnation. Although they sit around holding hands and singing songs of love, without love for Christ Jesus and genuine repentance, they will all perish together.
“Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: Proverbs 11:21
“Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5
Much of the world doesn’t seem to have a problem loving each other, because even sinners love other sinners. Even though there was great wickedness in the days of Noah, people loved each other enough to get married. But imagine when a few of their wedding receptions were cut short when the flood came and destroyed them all. The problem is that they never loved the truth. They never paid attention to God’s warnings which is why His Messengers have been so hated throughout the centuries.
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10
Jesus loved this world so much that He warned it to repent or perish. His Apostles preached the same message, urging them to turn from darkness to the light.
“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;…. Colossians 1:28
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly… 1 Thessalonians 5:14
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;…2 Corinthians 5:11
“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 1:23
“But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” Luke 12:5
Logging is a very dangerous business, but impenitence is far worse because it can result in ones eternal damnation. To avoid getting hurt, lumberjacks needed to listen to the steam whistle, and we must do the same, each time we hear a man of God…..
……Sound the Warning.
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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