11/09/2018
TOPIC: Accepting, is not Recieving JESUS
(giving is never complete without receiving the gift)
Text:Matt18:1, 2
READ CAREFULLY:
there was an old begger living arround the street, this begger has no known ledge of his relation he only remembered his name, unkown to him he has a reation (a cousine) who was wealthy, a day came , this his cousine came in a lemosine searching for him at the begger spot he used to stay, and finally was told by some other begger where he brother used to stay. when the cousine found him, he knelt down in the mud and said'' i am your cousine" but the man(beggar) was surprise, he said i know i dont have a realtive or a family, the only family he knows are these his fellow beggar, but the cousine said'' you do, and i am the only one left''. he ask him to follow him , but the man(beggar) refuse, then the man gave him an envelope from the man (beggar) father who is dead with the man(beggar) name on it, the man was very happy but yet refuses to follow his cousine , so the cousine wept and left in his car.So each day the beggar would bring out the envelope admires it and put it back in his pocket but he never open the envelope, this is what he does everyday until he dies. He was taken to the mortuary where the attendants there while removing his clothe find a brown envelope in his pocket, they opened it and so a paper but could not read it since it was a WILL, so they sent for a lawyer and the lawyer reveal to them the content of the letter that it has this man(beggar) name on it and and he(beggar) was entitle to multi millionair estate with five cars in it, and a multi millionair business .But he died never opening the envelope, so the properties where given to the government.
WHY ACCEPTING IS NOT RECEIVING
God gave us a gift(his only begotten son JESUS), this gift he gave us carries a gift in it, just as the envelope giving to the old man containg also a letter in it.
comparing CHRIST with the envelope, Jesus was not the actual thing God send to us He (Jesus) but in Jesus lies the blessed gift God want us to have, but before you have that blessed gift you must accept Christ first.
for example , you were giving a biscuit in a package, you need to first accept the package first before you can eat the content in the package.
Jesus said; I am the door to the sheepfold, which means you need to pass through him(accept him) to enter into the sheepfold (before coming into Gods presence).
this is where so many people stop, just as the poor begger who accept the gift but never recieved it by reading the letter and benefiting from it, most people accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour but never receive Him into their life, theg only come to the cross of calvary but never get on the cross of calvary for their old life to be crucified.
others talk about his death, sufferings and miracles, but never experience what was in christ.
they will come to the door of the sheep fold(Jesus Christ), admires the door(i.e talk about Jesus and his works on earth, and his characters) but never enter into the sheep fold(never experience a change life)
Just like a hungry man who comes to a bakery and is given access by the manager to take as much bread as he wishes , but he stood at the door and admires the textures and designs on it for many days and still die of hunger because he never enters the bakery.
our text Matt18:1, 2....the desciple asked Jesus who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?..And Jesus said, verily i say unto you except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter kingdom of heaven.
The disciples were only focus on Power and position, like so many believers today, but Jesus brought a child and said they need to be like the little child, because only a child will open a package to see what is inside, they need to go beyound the door and receive what is in Christ and be transformed.
You need to received Christ too and be transformed, it is not just accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour alone, but also experiencing him as your Lord and Saviour God bless you
