Jesus Is The Way To A Better Life A Bailey 5.3

The speaker emphasizes that Jesus is the way to a better life. They share their personal journey of leaving and returning to the Lord. They discuss how life can be unfair but Jesus offers a better life. They reference Bible verses that highlight the importance of knowing and obeying Jesus. They also mention the hospitality they have experienced as Christians. The speaker talks about the concept of meekness and how it leads to a better life. They discuss how the gospel can transform and improve lives. They contrast the worldly pursuits of money, power, and pleasure with the humility and obedience that God desires. The speaker warns against the dangers of sin and the fleeting nature of worldly desires. They emphasize the importance of faith and the better life that God offers. Again, it's good to be with you this evening. I always enjoy coming and speaking to people and my brethren about the gospel of Jesus. Jesus is the way to a better life. As I mentioned, I quit the Lord for eight years of my life. Four years when I was in the Navy, four years when I was in college. I saw that there was not a better way. So, before Don and I married, I came back to the Lord. And I assure you, it is the better way. If you have problems in your life or you're confused in things pertaining even to life itself, it seems like the harder you work, the further behind you get. It seems that you take one step forward and two steps back. Life is just not fair. If it was fair, Jesus would not have died upon the cross. He had no sins. So, life is not fair. But he is the way to a better life. Recorded in one of the older books of the Old Testament, Job, chapter 14, verses 1 to 1, the New King James Version, it says, Man who is born of woman is a few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and he fades away. He flees like a shadow and he does not continue. We have one shot at this whole life. And I thank God that each and every one of us has the privilege and opportunity to hear the gospel. Can you imagine dying without knowing Jesus, obeying the gospel? Jesus said in John 10, verse 10, the New King James Version, He said, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. He came from where? Well, we know he came from heaven to the earth. So, when we leave the earth, we go to heaven. And we know that in John 17, verse 5, that Jesus prayed to the Father just shortly before his death. He prayed and he said, Glorify me, Father, for the glory I have for you over the world was. So, we know from that verse that he was in heaven and he was being glorified. Why did he leave that? For you and for me. We have a better life as Christians, both physically and for sure spiritually. Well, one way physically, I mentioned before we started tonight, I'm going to leave a bigger person than I got you. Because of your hospitality. And if I wasn't a Christian, this would have never happened. You think about it. I mentioned this to Adam and Eve. Look with me in Mark chapter 10. Turn with me to Mark chapter 10. And here Jesus is teaching his apostles. And Peter said to Jesus in verse 28, He said, See, we have left all and followed you. You know, Peter was a married man. And he walked with the Lord for over three years. You think about it. We know he was married because Jesus healed his mother-in-law. And notice what Jesus said back to Peter in verse 29. Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left our house, our brothers, our sisters, our father, our mother, our wife, our children, our land for my sake, and the gospels, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and lands and persecutions and days to come into our lives. Then he says in verse 31, But many who are first will be last. And the gospel preachers have not traveled many places on the earth. My brethren have been so hospitable to us, taking us into their home, feeding us. That's what Jesus is talking about. No one has left their house, our brothers, our sisters, our father, our mother, our wife, our children, our land for my sake, who shall not receive a hundredfold in verse 30. Now, your name won't be on a deed of land, but you'll be invited in gifts a hundred times. And we wouldn't have that if we wasn't Christians. That's the better life, even physically. But we know how much more we have spiritually in Jesus, because Jesus said in John 14 and 6, I am the walking, the truth, and the life, and no one can come to the Father except me. If you will turn with me to Matthew chapter, let's just go to the Beatitudes, Matthew chapter 5, the Sermon on the Mount. And notice what Jesus says, and this is the New King James Version. He says in verse 3, Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be costed. And the New King James Version in verse 5 says, Blessed are the meek. Well, the New American Standard uses the word gentle. And I thought about this, and I pondered on that. Blessed are the meek, or blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. That's what we're just talking about in Mark chapter 10. We that are Christians, we're to be meek. We're to be gentle. You see, I've been out west preaching, and Don and I have, and we've seen wild horses. I promise you, they're not meek. But if you take that wild horse, don't you just think about what we have as Christians. You put a bottle on that horse, and you put a saddle on that horse, and you get up on that horse, first of all, it's going to try to fuck you off. But after a while, that horse will succumb. And you pull the reins to the right, and that horse goes to the right. You pull the reins to the left, and that horse goes to the left. That horse now is gentle. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. That's what God wants us to be as Christians. I want you to look with me. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 10. For sure, dear father in law, he knows that through Jesus was better life. But did he resist it? Yes. And you've got Isaiah. And I'm going to read all of this. But notice, it says here, and you look at the context. So let's just start out verse 15. The sheep were sprayed forth from the steppe for Jesse, that's David. And who did the lineage of David? Jesus. Now go down to verse 6. And the wolf would dwell with the lamb. Talking about the church. Talking about Jesus. The meek. You know what I mean here? The wolf, well notice what he says, would dwell with the lamb. This is a New American chapter. And the leopard would lie down with the young dove. And the calf with the young lion. And he said, what is this talking about? You think about the apostle Paul. He was like a wolf. Wasn't he putting Christians to death? In Acts chapter 8. In Acts chapter 9. Wasn't he bringing havoc upon the church? He's like a wolf. And it says, verse 6, they would dwell with the lamb. I'll tell you the power of this gospel. It took a man like Paul, who was on the road to Damascus, to get Christians that were Jews and bring them back to Jerusalem to have them punished. Now the wolf is with the lamb. That's the power of the gospel. The gospel is a better life. It made a better life out of Paul. It'll make a better life out of all of us. Only the humble, the meek, will be in heaven. The Arabs, when I say the Arabs, we had this brother in Belize had to have emergency surgery. And several of us presidents of the states were able to get the funds up for him to have that surgery in Chateaumont, Mexico. And we were down visiting, and he said to me, and he looked at me, and he said, Alton, why would a Lamb American help a poor man? And I said, because he was my brother. That's why. He'd have a better life, even physically. He could have been dead. What about spiritually? Well, we know that we have a better life and the only life that can be better is through Jesus. But the world doesn't look at it in that way. Jesus said in Acts 20 and verse 35, it's more blessed to give than to receive. And if you look at that, how is it more blessed to give than to receive? Well, if you ever help someone and you see the expression on their face and the gratitude and the appreciation, that's your reward. That's your reward. And it's a better life. It's a better way. Solomon teaches us. Jesus corrects our misconceptions of a better life, and Solomon spoke of the fragility of pleasure, possessions, and prosperity. In Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verses 1 through 11, Solomon had it all. He was a king. He was a wise man. He had fame. He had popularity. Because you remember the Queen of Sheba came and visited him? You would think, he's got the better life. But you know what Solomon said? It's all vanity. Life outside of Jesus is vanity. And Jesus corrects our misconceptions of a better life. The world thinks that money, power, prestige is a better life. But God teaches us humility. Obedience is a better life. Why are so many Americans unhappy? Why are we one of the leading nations of suicide? It's because we're putting our trust in things of the world. I've often said this. If everybody in the world could go to hell, I imagine this building tonight would be full. But what about faith? What about faith? You see, God wants us to obey Him walking by faith. He's given us a better life physically and spiritually. We think that sin, we think that the things of this world, adultery, fornication, covetousness makes this life better. King Ahab, he coveted Naboth's vineyard. He thought if he could just have that, he would be happy. In 1 Kings 1 and verse 2. In 2 Samuel 13 and verse 15, Abraham, he forced his half-sister to have a sexual relationship. He thought if I could just do that, I would be happy, it would be better. But then it teaches that he hated her even more than he loved her after he committed a sexual immorality with her. Jesus said in Mark chapter 7 and verse 20, beginning, What comes out of a man that defiles a man? It's not, He said, What comes out of a man that defiles a man from within out of the heart of men foreseeing evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a man. We are no different from those of the first century on. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the world, and the pride of life. And it says in 1 John chapter 2, verse 15 through 17, in verse 17 it says, The world is passing away. Man thinks that a better life is the things of this world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it. In Titus chapter 3, beginning in verse 3, For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceased, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy and hatred, and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God, our Savior, came here, now we have a better life. Secondly, Jesus is a way to a better marriage. If you think about it, even before sin entered the world, in Genesis 2, 18 through 24, marriage comes about. Family. We know it wasn't true in heaven because Jesus said that angels do not marry or are given to marry. So, in heaven there's no marriage. But here on the earth, God wanted us to have marriage. Why? Well, one reason is procreation, replenish the earth. A second reason, so we would understand the concept of the church. If you will look with me to Ephesians chapter 5, and Paul is teaching the church from the Roman prison, and notice what he says in verse 22. Wives, you submit to your own husband as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, and also Christ is what? The head of the church. He's talking and teaching concerning the church. Yes, God set up the concept of marriage here on the earth. He is the one in Genesis 2, 18 through 24 because God knew it wasn't good for man to be alone. God wanted man to replenish the earth. So, he made man a male and he made a female. And so, look at verse 24 of Ephesians 5. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ. See how many times the church has been in this scripture? If God had not instituted marriage all the way even back before sin in Genesis 2, how would we have understood this concept? We wouldn't. Throughout all of mankind, marriage, families, is being taught. Husband, verse 25, you love your wife. Just as Christ also loved the church, and he gave him another family. He added the word church. And notice, let's go all the way down to verse 32. Paul says, this is a great mission, but I'm speaking concerning Christ in the church. So, being a better way through Christ is for a better marriage. Some say, we have to work each day to be a Christian. That's true. You have to work each day in your marriage. I'll tell you what. If someone said, I've never had a cloth in the road in my marriage, you'd be careful they're feeding something else if not so. I'll tell you this. Don and I, we've been married 48 years. It's about a month after we married. You know, we must have had one of those clumps in the road. Because Don said, Al, let's never go to bed at night. Never go to sleep. Do not let the sun go down upon your eyes. And I got to thinking, I said, you know, that's a pretty good thought. I said, I don't need to be the next morning. But let me see. Did I go to sleep like that, with that thought? If you put it, I've eaten a lot of crows, men. But we've never in 48 years, ever said goodnight, angry with each other. You've got to be, Jesus is a way to a better marriage. Jesus is a way to a better home. As parents, in Proverbs 22 and verse 6, pray up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he will not depart from it. He will not depart. That is not purposeful. That word, it, refers back, my thoughts, to the training. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he will not depart from what? He can quit the Lord. He won't depart. I did that, for 80 years. But I couldn't depart from the training that I, my parents had given me. And I'm thankful to God, that they did that. And children, in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 1 and 2, children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment, from Deuteronomy 5, 16, with promise. In Proverbs 13 and verse 1, a wise son needs his father's attention. Turn with me to John chapter 19. In John chapter 19, Jesus is hanging off the cross. He's been crucified. And he, his mother, is at the cross with him. He saw his mother, it says in John 19 and verse 26. And he saw the disciple who he loved. I believe that was John the Apostle. And notice what Jesus said. Woman, behold your mother. And then Jesus said to the disciple, you remember it said he saw the disciple whom he loved standing by his mother. And notice it says in verse 27, behold your mother. Jesus is not safe as he's hanging on the cross he's not saying, woman, behold thy son. Look at me. That's not what he says. Because it was recorded for us he's talking about who's going to take care of his mother. And he said, woman, behold thy son. And then he said to the disciple, he said, behold thy mother. And from that hour, he took her to his home. Why? Turn with me to John chapter 7. We know that Jesus had four brothers. And we know he had sisters. Why didn't one of, Jesus was the only one. Why didn't one of those brothers take care of his mother? John chapter 7, let's look at the beginning in verse 1. After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee. He's up in Galilee. Jesus did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews, the leaders of the Jews, they sought to kill Jesus. Now the Jews' feast of the tabernacle was at hand. And his brothers therefore said, you come from here and go down into Judea that your disciples also may see the works that you are doing. You know what that, they were admitting that he was good, he had done miracles. Now notice in verse 4, for no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to do it openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For even his brothers did not believe in him. It very well may be that Jesus wanted the apostle John to take care of his mother because his brothers was not believing. Who would you have wanted? I would have wanted someone that knew and loved the Lord. And Jesus is a better way to a better home. Jesus is a better way to a better life. As Christians, we have the opportunity. Turn with me. You know, let's turn to 1 John chapter 3. In 1 John chapter 3, and let's go to, well, let's just go and read some verses in that chapter. Let's go to verse 16. By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives for him. So Jesus is a better way for life. He teaches us how to love. He teaches us the extent that we're to go in our love. He teaches us to lay down our lives for our brethren. In the United States, I've never known this, but we know that it happened back in these days. But whoever has this world's goods, verse 17, and he seeks his brother's needs, and he shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? He said, My little children, let us not love in word or in song, but in dignity and truth. That's a better life. That's a better life. And notice what he says. And by this we know that we are of the truth, verse 19, and shall assure our hearts before Jesus. For if my heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things. I knew of this brother. He was going about trying to do good, all that he could. But he kept beating up on himself. Have I done enough? What else can I do? And so his heart was what? Condemning him. Verse 20. If our heart condemns us, you do the best you can do in the Lord to have that better life, even if the Lord knows your heart. Notice what he says. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows what? He knows all things. He knows whether you're putting forth your best foot forward to serve him, to have that better life. He says in verse 21, but the beloved, if your heart does not condemn you, we have confidence towards God. Jesus is the way to a better life. Most people think that a better life is things of the things that we see and the things that we do here in the worship. But we know that that's not the way. We know that the better life is through Jesus. Jesus is a better way to worship. Jesus said in John chapter 4 verse 24, that God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. Many people want to worship God the way that they want, but in Matthew chapter 15 verses 8 and 9, their worship will be vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. Their worship vain. They do not wash their hands when they eat bread. These Pharisees, they thought of themselves as the elite. They were better than anyone. They thought of themselves really better than Jesus. They even denied who he was. And Jesus said to them in verse 3, Why do you transgress the commandments of God because of your tradition? What they were saying, the Pharisees were saying, you have to wash your hands before you can eat. Well, that's a lot of God's work. It's not. For God commanded, say, in honor of your father and your mother, and he who curses his father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say, whoever says to his father or mother, whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God. They called it Corbyn. In other words, just give the money to us and you can negate your responsibility to your parents. But that's not the way. Jesus has a better way for even honoring your father and your mother and taking care of your parents. He said, you are hypocrites, in verse 7. He said, well did Isaiah, the prophet, say about you, these people draw near to me with their mouth and they cover me with their lips but their hearts fall from me. And in vain they worship me and teach me that doctrine of the commandments of me. We have to get this right. We do. And we have God's work. Because look at verse 13 of Matthew 15. Jesus is talking to the Pharisees who thought they were better than anyone else. You had Sadducees. You had the Pharisees. These were part of the elite. But the Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection. To me that's sad. You see, the Pharisees didn't believe. The Sadducees didn't believe. But notice in verse 13, every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. You better have it right in worship. We have to have it right here in the Word and have it in worship. Because every plant, every one that claims to be of God and they do not worship according to this Word, and Jesus has a better place in worship, because every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. He's fair here. If the blind leaders of the blind see the blind, both of them will fall in the ditch. Jesus is a way, a better way to worship. If you do a word search, the word Pharisee and Sadducee, where does it originate? Well, you have the book of Malachi. You have the book of Matthew. You have a time period of what, over 400 years. During that 400 years, the Pharisees originated. The Sadducees got on the scene. And so, Jesus is telling them that He is the better way and they denied Him. They thought their traditions would make worship better. What does Jesus expect of those who call Him Lord? In Matthew 7 and verse 21, we must obey. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 7. Jesus is speaking the Sermon on the Mount. And notice He says to them, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, I'll just say it to you. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and got many waters in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never depart from thee, you who practice lawlessness. Who is one of those people there? Judas. Look within Matthew 10. In Matthew 10, wasn't Judas an apostle? In Matthew chapter 10, verse 2, Judas named the twelve apostles. And Judas is one of them that's named here. And then what did he say to them? He said in verse 8, You healed the sick, you cleansed the lepers, you raised the dead, you cast out demons. Did Judas do that? But what did Jesus say about this in Matthew 7 and verse 21 and 22? Depart from me, I never knew you. I'll tell you what he's saying. We'd better get a Bible. We'd better be in the best relationship with our Lord that are there that we can be. Because I don't want him to say to me, Depart from me, I never knew you. Can you imagine Judas just depart from me, I never knew you. He walked with him over three years. He even himself performed miracles. But he didn't stay in the cold till death. He even sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. What should we do? We must repent of our sins and confess Christ before man. We must hear this word and believe it. I don't think I'll have time to say about this, but you can take it. There's five things that I teach. I want you to close, start closing. For you to become a Christian, you must hear God's word, you must believe it, you must believe Jesus. You must repent of your sins and what's written in verse 3, Jesus said, except you repent, you shall likewise perish. You must confess Christ before man in Romans 10 and verse 9 and 10 with a mouth confession is making salvation. And you must last of all be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins. And he will add you to his church, Acts 2, verse 7. You either do it here or you will do it at the judgment. I want you to think about this. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 4. In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16, he's talking about the last day. He's talking about the day of judgment is soon to start. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the day of Christ will rise for you will hear it. You'll hear it. You either hear it through his words today or you'll hear it at the coming of Jesus with his archangel, the voice of an archangel. And it ends, we who are alive shall remain, shall be called up together with the Lord. Do you know how many ages there will be at the judgment? You will hear it. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16. You will believe. Will you be repenting? Turn with me to Revelation chapter 6. In Revelation chapter 6, you either do it here or you will do it there. In Revelation chapter 6, look at verse 15. It says, Here the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the commanders and the mighty men even slept every slave and every free man. What did they do? They hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on up and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand? You will hear it. You will believe. You will repent. It is time to hide. Will they confess? Every knee of iron. Every tongue will confess. What about baptism? Turn with me to Matthew 3. In Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist is preaching and he is talking about Jesus. He is talking about him coming. Then look in verse 11 of Matthew 3. John the Baptist said, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he, speaking of Jesus, who is coming after me is mightier than I. Who standeth on high and not worthy to carry. He who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. That fire of hell. You will either be baptized in water here or you will be baptized in fire there. We have got to get it right. It is a better life here physically as a Christian. It is a better life spiritually. So, we know what we need to do. If there are any here today that are not Christians, we beseech you to become one. And you can either obey here or you will obey God. But it will be too late then. So, if you have a need of the gospel anyway, we bid you come.