Good morning,
“Sale Table“ Christianity
One of the interesting things that we have in America is what is known as the “Sale Table” where people can go to buy things that they would like or want for a lot less money then your would ordinarily pay for the items. The price looks good but you are getting something that is poorly made or old or a copy with false parts that looks good. If you have ever bought tools or jewelry or anything like this, you soon find out that you wasted your money. What most people who are looking for help and hope in their ordinary lives don’t realize is that our sworn enemy, Satan, has become a master at “Sale Table” answers to the overwhelming challenges of living in a sin controlled world. There is a wonderful example of this in the Old Testament when the people of Israel were sure that what they needed was a king to lead them. They came to the prophet Samuel and demanded a king. The Lord told him to listen to them and anoint the king that they wanted. When Samuel went to the family God pointed out to him, he saw a great looking man among the other brothers there. When Samuel asked the Lord if that was the right man, the Lord said, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1Sam.16:7) Later events made clear that that man was not a godly man.
In the New Testament, Jesus gives us another example of this in the parable of the three servants. “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip. (Mat.25:14) The servant with the five bags went right to work and soon doubled it and the servant with the two bags doubled his money as well. The servant with one bag had a very different view of his money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money for safekeeping.(v.18) He took the gift, but there was no way he was going to trust the outcome of this assignment since he didn’t trust his master. He saw his master as a hard man who was making unfair demands on him and the people around him. He just hid the money and now he was giving it back. He didn’t love his master, he loved himself. His master was not pleased. ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You think I'm a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn't plant and gathering crops I didn't cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. (vs.26,27) The master took his money away. So where does “Sale Table” come into this situation in our day and age? Remember what Jesus told his disciples? “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.(Jn.15:18) Those are words that Satan loves to twist. The fact that Jesus died and arose again to pay the price to our sins, sounds good, but what will that cost us if we live that way? The average Christian pastor these days likes to talk about the promises of God, but has little to say about loving obedience and willing service. The master said, But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.(v.29) Hell is the outcome of the “Sale Table” Christian. Please help us Lord to trust you and not be taken in by fear.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Roy Wisner
