Gtcotr/ws052423
Matthew 10:11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.”
Worthy? What did Jesus mean? Who is worthy?
God is looking for good people. His eyes run throughout the earth, searching for those whose hearts are upright before Him so that He might show Himself strong on their behalf. Whether Ruth the Moabitess who was selflessly taking care of her mother-in-law, or Cornelius the centurion who was giving to the poor, God pays special attention to people who are doing good things.
Jesus called these people worthy. People who have a good reputation with God and are willing to help out a stranger in town. They may not be the most religious people in town, they may only be the most helpful.
We must all be watchful and not allow ceremony to take the place of service. Going through the motions of prayer, worship, family, church, or life in general without being connected to the heart and the why of what we do. Generations have traded service for ceremony.
I don’t want to suggest a disrespect for the law or for salvation. We need however, to set the record straight for those who are living hypocritical lives in place of a life that pleases God. God is not impressed with anything, including sacrifice, when your heart is not in it.
So says the writer of Hebrews when in chapter 10 he quotes:
Psalms 40 NKJV
6 ¶ Sacrifice and offering
You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering
You did not require.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”
This evening we are going to hear God’s answer to the question, “Who is Worthy?”. We will find both the question and the answer in Psalm 15.
Psalms 15 NKJV
1 ¶ LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your
holy hill?
·
These
are the questions of all time.
o Who is welcome to sit
at God’s table and have communion with Him?
o Who will be a citizen
of heaven?
· How dare anyone suggest there are requirements or that one person is accepted, and another rejected. But it is true! Some are simply not worthy. It unsettles us to think in those terms.
The truth rings through both the Old and the New Testaments clearly pointing the sinner towards a life change which only comes with true conversion. It might be said: “We cannot work our way to heaven, but only workers are welcomed in.” (Matthew 25) However …
Salvation is a matter of the heart and not a matter of the hands.
However It is certain that just as works alone cannot save, grace alone cannot prove. The message of grace and works cannot be separated. The single gift of grace on deposit in a life is fruit.
Salvation has never been proved in ceremony but rather in service.
Back to the question: “Who shall have communion with God and citizenship in His heaven?” Who is worthy to receive a welcome and a “well done” from Jesus? Now for the answer … and it should not shock anyone …
2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
Who shall sojourn in God’s tabernacle, and who shall dwell as a permanent resident in His Holy Hill?
Psalm 15 is first a picture of Christ and then of all who follow Him.
Let me be firm in saying that no one is saved by works. You must be born again. Every person is saved by grace through faith, and not by works. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus did not do good works so that He could become the Son of God. Jesus went about healing and helping, feeding and forgiving, leading and loving the multitudes because he was the Son of God.
We don’t do good works to get saved. We do good works because we are saved.
Salvation is a matter of the heart and not a matter of the hands.
Salvation has never been proved in ceremony but rather in service.
In Psalms 40 David wrote a prophetic word concerning the coming Messiah. The writer of Hebrews confirmed how Jesus felt. He said: “I delight to do God’s will.” This is the source of my joy. I never consider God’s will to be a chore, a bother, or too costly.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus …
God is looking for good people who are doing good things because they want to. If you are not one of those people, ask yourself why and then ask God to help you change. Don’t allow your relationship with God to become religion; Don’t allow your service to just be ceremony; Don’t allow your heart to get disconnected from your hands.
Live
the word because you love it! I delight to do your will O God.
