OUTLINE:

What is Heaven to you, primarily?
- A destination (and a place far from Hell), or;
- A place where you can fellowship with the Lord

False Profession of Faith
The Bible speaks profusely of false professors.

False Profession Is a Very Real Danger!
This has been the main artery supplying our lessons over the past year or so. The Bible tells us that there are many false professors (including teachers) in this world. (e.g., Mt 7:22, Lk 3:8; 18:9-14; Ro 10:1-3, etc.)

False Professors
One of the hallmarks of false professors is a distinct inability to APPLY godly principles in their own lives. Unconverted people still abide in their sins, seeking their own glory despite using all the right “language” and performing religious acts.

False Professors
Today’s so-called “Christian churches” are riddled with spiritually impotent people pretending to spread the good news about Jesus, yet, all they are equipped to DO is bring glory to themselves, their church buildings, etc.

Balance Statement
What I am NOT ever supposing is that I know exactly who I’m speaking to when I speak of false professors. The Bible tells me they exist, often in droves. (e.g. Mt 7:23; 25:31-41; 1Jn 2:19; 2Jn 1:7)

Lk 11:44
“Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

Lawyering Up
When confronted with truth, arrogance always “lawyers up” like its father, the devil, always looking for loopholes and ways to twist the simple truth in order to justify itself and its ungodly deeds.

Lawyering Up
Was the lawyer in Lk 11:45 concerned about his life insulting God, or was he concerned about the life of God insulting him???

Jesus despises selfishness.

“the key of knowledge”
The lawyers had frustrated others’ access to the Truth. Although they outwardly professed loyalty to the Word, inwardly they refused the One of whom Holy Scriptures spoke. (Lk 11:52; cp Ac 28:25-27; Mt 23:13)

False Professors
One of the hallmarks of false professors is a distinct inability to APPLY godly principles in their own lives. Unconverted people still abide in their sins, seeking their own glory despite using all the right “language” and performing religious acts.

“because they did not repent”
Jesus denounced the cities that were abundantly blessed with His personal ministry (Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum) - to whom much is given, much is required! Unbelievers in these cities were stubborn, arrogant, unrepentant.

“revealed them to infants”
Jesus uses the arrogant crowd’s own definitions of “wise and intelligent” vs. “infants” to thank His Father for His sheep. Jesus praised His Father for imparting judicial blindness to the arrogant.

The Burden of Life
The yoke of arrogance is impossible, depressing its wearers. Contrarily, Jesus’ yoke is “easy” and His “burden is light.” With God’s power, “all things are possible” (Mt 19:26); without it, nothing that brings glory to Him is possible. (Mt 11:30; 23:1-13; 1Jn 5:1-5)

The Book of Acts
Rather than learning from specific letters that often addressed a particular issue, we learn from the apostles "doing" or "living out" the Gospel. (why its called "Acts”)

Ac 26:17 [Amplified]
[choosing you for Myself and] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,…

Ac 26:18 [Amplified]
…to open their [spiritual] eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.’

Eph 4:12
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Synthesize
- Lk 5:32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
- Lk 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
- Conclusion: Jesus called people to repentance as a component of saving them.