TOPIC: THE SOUND DOCTRINE OF CHRIST MAY INDEED SOUND LIKE A YOKE AND A BURDEN - BUT IT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE (PART ONE)

-THE SCRIPTURES-
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall turn unto fables….2ND TIMOTHY 4: 3-4.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and in His kingdom; Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine…….2ND TIMOTHY 4:1-2.

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing but doting about questions strives of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising,

Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and desolate of the truth: supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. For godliness with contentment is great gain…..1ST TIMOTHY 6:3-5.

-THE MESSAGE-
When Jesus Introduced His gospel to the world, one of the things He said was that His words would come as a yoke and as a burden to those that would receive them. But He was quick to remind us that such yoke and such burden were nothing compared to the yoke of sin and compromising lifestyle that is in the world. He assured us that His yoke, even His burden, is for the good of mankind.

In His own words. Jesus said:….”Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light”. see Matthew 11:28-30.

Jesus knew before hand that some that would come to Him would eventually find His doctrine burdensome – that some would even consider it as a yoke upon their necks! Therefore He was quick to point out that, yes indeed, His doctrines would appear as a yoke and even as a burdensome to some; He encouraged all by declaring that His so-called yoke and His so-called burden would eventually turn out as nothing when compared with the yoke and burden of sin that is in the world. He further promised that His yoke and burden are unto life eternal, but warned that the yoke and burden of sin will surely lead to certain sorrow and eternal death.

People of God; let it be known to all that name the name of our Lord worldwide, that the true gospel of Jesus Christ requires much endurance from whomsoever that must benefit there from. The true gospel of Christ has nothing to do with sensationalism or the euphoria and emotional displays that now dominate the house of God world-wide. When the true message is preached, it makes the people sober; it helps them to examine and re-examine themselves…

For we know that….” the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” …See Hebrews 4:12.

Brethren, sound doctrine is always hard and bitter, but to sinners and compromising believers. They are always itching for the message which will give them some moments of excitement and help them forget their sorrows even for some moments. They cannot endure sound doctrine – and those that preach sound doctrines are tagged “judgmental”. All they desire is that message that would make them laugh and clap in the house of God – messages that suit their worldly temperaments. And many preachers of this gospel have come under the spell of these fun-seekers.

Brethren, there is nothing hard or bitter or judgmental in the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Those adjectives are the coining of compromising believers and sinners within us. They use such phrases to blackmail those that preach the truth and thereby suppress sound doctrine. But they shall proceed no further.

Nonetheless, it is encouraging to note that these things did not start with us – they did it even with Christ Himself. In the Gospel according to John, in Chapter 6 thereof, Jesus preached a message to His disciples, revealing to them that He was actually the Bread of life – that His flesh is meat indeed and His blood is drink in deed; and that he or she that eateth His flesh and drinketh His blood dwelleth in Him, and He in him or her. That was the true gospel, sound doctrine – but it requires some endurance from His hearers.

But, brethren, it is recorded in verse 66 thereof, that when Christ finished that glorious and life-giving message….”From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him”. Yes, they went back because they could not endure sound doctrine – they went back because they felt that the massage was “too hard” for them to bear. They went back because they could not endure the truth. They went back perhaps because they felt that Jesus was referring to them and was judging them. They could not the endure the truth – they wanted something more exciting, more appealing to their senses, something more accommodating of their sinful pleasures and desires. And such is with us today.(This message continues tomorrow).