Truth vs Fiction

TITLE: Truth vs Fiction
DATE:  October 30, 2019
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT: 9 Luke 20: 10-13 – ESV -And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant[b] to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

It really amazes me when I see football players banging their helmeted heads against each other.
 Now I know the official position is that they are  psyching themselves up for the game and maybe it works. But it  doesn't seem like a sensible thing to do.

• A similar kind of psyche-up was used, years ago, by champion prize fighter, Marvin Hagler. Entering the ring, he would pound his gloves into his own face. Most of his opponents, looking at Hagler’s seeming immunity to pain, began to rethink their strategy.
• No such rethink was necessary for the opponents of New York City golden glove's boxer, Daniel Cariouso.  Cariouso thought Hagler’s psychology was admirable so, for his next fight, he pounded his face.

         Cariouso, broke his nose and lost the fight which had to be cancelled.
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The text up above tells of how the vineyard’s son was murdered.

The plan to carry that action out was extremely self-destructive. When the Master finds out what they have done, they will lose not only their jobs, but their futures as well.

Their action makes as much sense as a prizefighter breaking his own nose.

Still, Satan, whom Scripture calls the’ Father of Lies’, has convinced countless people to be spiritually self-destructive. Thinking they can escape any judgment, they kill off the One Person Who could save them, who could make a difference in their eternity.

In Jesus’ day they put the Savior on the cross. In our time skeptics, cynics and unbelievers do their best to stuff the Savior back into His tomb. They try to explain away His miracles, misinterpret His teaching and refuse to acknowledge the truth that He lived, suffered, died and rose so that sins might be forgiven  and they might be saved. .

By the Savior’s power we have been brought to faith. We know the Savior's cross is the only thing that can call humanity out of self-destructive darkness into God's preserving light. Now we are entrusted with the privilege of sharing the Christ before too late day comes..

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, on judgment day everyone will see that You are the true Ruler and Redeemer of this world. They will be forced to acknowledge You are the world’s only hope. Grant that they may acknowledge that truth before4 it is too late. In Your Name. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html