The Covering

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. The context of this verse is doing an analysis of whether you have sufficient material to build a sufficient start the fight against an opposing army that is stronger than you are. As I got my masking for your governing that's going to come from Times Square Church in New York City.

Welcome to a call to the nation. In today's message Carter will take us to booth chapter 3 husband died. She was now taking care of her mother-in-law traveled to a promised land with favored provisions will available. Let's join Carter now as he opens in Luke 14 verse 28 with a message titled covering Luke chapter 14 beginning at verse 28 for which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it last after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to market saying this man began to build and was not able to finish what King going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him comes against them with 20,000 or else while the other still great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever view who does not forsake all that he has. He cannot be my disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt is lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned it is neither fit for the land or for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Now these are not just random thoughts from the mind of the son of God it all. Believe it or not interconnects is one single thought. When you begin to study Scripture that way study versus a come before thought the verses a come after you see what we have we have chapters and verses, but when this text was originally written. There were no such things. It was just one continuous thought that was written down and I want to examine this passage of Scripture. In that light now. Proverbs 2712's is a prudent man foresees evil and hides himself with the simple pass on and are punished. A prudent person, a thinking person a rational person sees the season in which he or she is living and according to the word of God by estimation says I'm not able I'm not able to withstand what's coming against is a feebleness in my heart is a fear in my life is a lack of strength in my character and I see what's coming and if if you're reading the news you see what's coming. I don't have to tell you, you could be telling me this, a pastor, you don't know the half of it is because I know that you live in your work in the secular world and secular community and and you know what people are beginning to say and you know how the beginning to think in if your rational person can be measure fear come into your heart. So God how my going to survive in the midst of this world are going to find the strength to be what you're calling me to be the prudent man foresees evil and hides himself the word hide means to to hide by covering he sees evil, and he covers himself so one of just expound on that theme a little bit.

An example of that is the book of Ruth chapter 3 that Ruth was a young girl who was brought into the promised land through relationship.

She was not an Israelite.

She was a Moabite but she married a young man from Israel and by virtue of that marriage relationship. She was brought in to that place of promise. Just like you and I have been none of us were born into salvation. We came into salvation by relationship. We were all outside of the kingdom of God. No matter how good we tried to be the Scripture says we'd all fallen short of the glory of God. There was not one in right relationship with God, not even one, by the mercy of God. We married in the sense the bridegroom Jesus Christ the son of God. We came into relationship with God through Christ and now we are, as Ruth was grafted in to the promised land. And she followed her mother-in-law after her husband's death into the promised land.

But even though it was a promised place she saw the difficulty of life, which laid before it was the land the promise and don't forget that Ruth came into that because of relationship, and also because she heard as well as her mother-in-law heard a promise that there was bread there. There was provision there. She came into the promised land, but life was difficult in this place and generous summer here today and you say Pastor Ike I came to Christ leaving the everything was going to be easy and it's gotten harder and some measure and once she understood that her best efforts could not. Helpers escape or lack of resources that her efforts could produce usually got everyday and she would go out into the this is supposed to be a place where there's a visit was plentiful bread, but she goes out into the field every day and she's consigned. It is picking up the scraps of wheat and barley. The people have left behind everybody else's gone through in the is seemingly they got all Brad never felt that when your life. Everyone else get all the bread and I get none if I hear one more testimony of victim on the screen doesn't anybody anybody goes through the valley of the shadow of death, never feel that way if anybody relates to me.

I'm so happy you got a new car on zombie was given to Leslie good lines not running at the moment and I can't afford a ticket for the subway and once he realized that all she could produce was just as little bit of strength and provision to get her mother-in-law through another day when she realized that it it wouldn't suffice there when she saw is is all life is going to be. Is this the promised land and is a legitimate question you can ask on the courses. It is this all that my life is supposed to be. Is there something I'm missing. Is there more for me when she realized that her own efforts can only produce so much strength, promise and future that she sought the covering of the one that she knew could provide for all of her needs. The Scripture tells us in Ruth chapter 3 beginning verse seven. Let me read it to and after Boaz. Indeed, not Boaz is a it was called a kinsman redeemer.

He was the one who had the right to not only bring into his family. Those that found themselves outside of this place of abundance, but he had the right to give them life and the right to bring them into the fullness of his inheritance, just as Christ when he rose from the grave and ascended to the right hand of God. We know today that everything that he inherited became ours.

Everything you want in his mind, it's yours. The fullness of peace, the fullness of provision the fullness of boldness, the fullness of courage, the fullness of the spirit of God, the fullness of wisdom and understanding knowledge as much is this human body can contain when Christ was sat down at the right hand of all authority in victory has victory became mind, and his victory became yard that's what this man Boaz represented so here comes Ruth now in the evening. This is after Boaz had eaten and drank his heart was cheerfully went to lie down at the end of the heap of great others. He was resting in a place of incredible provision.

She's going out gleaning the fields every day and coming home with just as little bit of supply that barely gets sooner mother-in-law through to the next day, but now she knows there's a man who has supply as a man who can redeem her as a mannequin grafted into that place of provision and give her the life that this place of promise gives to those who belong to Christ, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain, and she came softly uncovered his feet and lay down reverence as a prudent man perceives the evil and and hides himself by covering she came into that granary and she just uncovered the blanket that was around his feet and she lay down beside him is is not happened at midnight. The man was start at the darkest part of the day messing and he turned himself in there. A woman was lying at his feet and he said who are you enchanted, I'm Ruth your maidservant take your maidservant under your wing for you are a close relative take me under your wing will God. Jesus son of God, don't let me live beneath my inheritance any longer. Must be the cry of the bride of Christ. Now I have lived gleaning. I've lived the leftovers of lived on so little when you sit in the storehouse, and you have a supply that is greater than anything I could ever procure with any amount of my own effort and strength and I see the day ahead of me is going to require more than I have and so in humility and it requires humility would come in and lay down as it is defeated Christ and Satan. You redeemed me you have the power to redeem me from poverty in my spirit. You have the power to redeem me from hopelessness in my mind, you have the power to redeem me from cowardice and my testimony.

You have the power to redeem me from selfishness. It causes me to cling on to every little bit of stuff that I get in have nothing left over for anybody else. God, you have the power to make me other than what I am have the power to take me somewhere I could never go on my own strength and you have the power to make me what I could never be in opening text. Jesus is asking this question. Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it and if you can see what lies ahead of you, and you have an honest heart. I'm not asking you the question. Do you have enough strength to be victorious.

There build enough strength to stand in your college young person. When a professor mocks Christ and mocks God and mocks God's word. Do you have enough resorts to stand, you have enough power to make a difference.

You have enough power in your testimony, your song everything that God has made you into to affect those in your neighborhood or community or going into an ever deepening trajectory of darkness. Do you have enough power to make a difference continue to withstand evil in the evil day. Is there something of faith in your heart that sufficient to turn evil back the causes of the stand in the street corner valves often say I am going to make a difference by the grace of God within me. I'm not going to walk around in my neighborhood like somebody does. Does gleaning for enough strength to get through the next day because my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills like God has all strength. Can you survive is which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down and count the cost, where there is enough to finish it. List entries laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin the market, lest he stands up and says I just want you to know him a Christian but is no resource behind it to back that statement saying this man began to build, but was not able to finish or what king going to make war against another does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000 is supposed why this message is on my heart today is because we are going into a fierce battle, not just today but tomorrow not just tomorrow but the day after hell is on a roll right now. Darkness feels like it has the upper hand. There is there is a move underfoot to eradicate everything associated with God and Christ out of this society out of our schools out of our colleges out of our politics out of our homes out of every facet of society to vilified to marginalize to demean the cost down to castigate the people of God as if you and I are worthless of no value of nothing to contribute to society where only dividers and destroyers of this wonderful new order that much of our world seems to be embracing. And so the question is do you have enough resorts to meet this that's coming against you. That's what Jesus was asking his disciples, and a prudent person takes a an honest inventory of his own heart, and there's no shame in saying no.

I don't. I can't. I don't have the courage you have enough strength to survive the onslaught of darkness coming our way. You have enough light within you to both see the bridegroom at midnight and point the way to others to find. Do you have enough oil in your lap when it gets dark and confusion begins to abound on an even deeper level to say, behold, the bridegroom come out. I see him.

Can you see them with me dear see the hand of God, you have sufficient oil in your lap. You have confidence direction and word of hope for others when everything around them and now seems to be falling apart like the apostle Paul when the ship that took a long journey begins to come into a storm. Everyone loses heart the whole thing starts falling apart. Do you have the confidence of the apostle Paul that God placed within him is it with the new do you have a word of hope you have a direction for life. They cannot only bring you to the place that God has for you like but it will bring all those that are willing to listen to your voice.

You have enough strength to survive the cursing of your good name and character. Can you survive the accusing of your right being wrong can you survive the unjust plane that will be heaped upon you is this rebellion society begins its eventual decline, and believe me it's decline is coming and it's here now and it's going to declining rapidly. Do you have enough power to stand face first into the wind. Just as Jesus said of John the Baptist and yet still remain unshaken when things don't turn out the way you thought they would.

John had a clear view in his mind of what was going to look like he baptized the son of God and Inuit in a clear view of what this kingdom was going to look like, only to end up in jail himself somewhat confused as he is disciples to go to Jesus and say would you asking are you the one or do we look for another and another was John was in Jesus. I really didn't ever think it was going to go this way when I baptized you. And when I heard of your power and when I sent people to follow you.

But Jesus turned and said to the crowd what you think John is a read that can be shaken by the wind know there was something inside of that man that gave him enough power to stand and not lose his testimony even when it didn't turn out the way he thought it was going to a lot of people give up on God because when the light doesn't turn on think they create this idyllic view in church of what the light was going to be late and it doesn't turn out that way the wind comes and carries them away like chaff.

The devil comes with his dirty voice and says God is failed to God made promises he didn't keep you can be sure he did that with John you can be sure he tried to do it with Paul, you can be sure that forked tongue was whispering in the ears of Daniel as well. Luke 1432.

It's his roast while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and as conditions of peace and see the point is if you can say yes if you can honestly say yes I have the resources it will take the stand within me then you're in danger of two things. Number one, making peace with your own powerlessness and to say well that's the way it is. I'm just powerless that I'm always going to be powerless, or even worse beginning to agree with your enemies. You see, that's why even many in the evangelical church today are splitting off on the issue of gay marriage because they don't have in themselves the power to stand for what they knows the truth and are beginning to agree with that which is a lot in that which is powerless and that's what Jesus said, consider the cost of what you're about to do. Consider the cost of building this to our do you have a sufficient resource to finish this journey, or you going to be one understands it and is marked at when you started to build and can't finish in here now is the key.

So likewise, whosoever view does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. No listen, this is not about material goods is not about giving up your house, your lands, your home, your job, it's okay here I am under disciple not is not what is talking about is talking about self effort, self strength, self-confidence is talking about everything that we think is sufficient member. The context of this verse is doing an analysis of whether you have sufficient material to build up sufficient strength to fight against an opposing army that is stronger than you are. And so if you realize that you can't win the battle in your own strength then you put away army of 10,000, and you put away your materials and Build the tower and you go to the threshing floor you come under the covering of one who has the supply that you're going to need to do poorly what you have. Jesus was not making a restriction for people following him he was simply making a statement, you can't means you won't be able to if you don't forsake your own strategies and own ways of thinking that things should be done if you don't find the strength of God you can't resist you don't have enough to finish the tower.

Your arm is not big enough to stand against this imposing enemy as Sawyer called to let it all go, I must recite the limitations of my own self and find the covering and the resources of the one who can supply me with the power of his endless life. It's that simple. I must die and he must live. He must become the source of most of. I must have enough sense to do a careful analysis and sake partner Conlin in his own strength, and with his own zeal and even with all the history of our travels through in the past does not have an abstract to get through the days are coming and going to face all about it so I have to just like you put away my little bug integrated say stand before God is a God. I don't have the strength to get through. When I'm in have to face in the coming days so I'm asking you I'm asking for your covering.

I'm asking you to grab me into the supply of iTunes U and humility. I don't, the better because I don't come with a list of things are done or not done I just come to you.

I just cannot poverty I just came in my knee. I just can't because you are my kinsman redeemer. That's why I come, I come because I realize that I'm turning "green every day and you are sitting in assessing floor at the foot of a mountain of supply that I will never need to be everything that I'm called to be is a Ruth resort. The hopelessness of her own efforts, she sought to hide in the covering of the one who could redeem her God allows you and I to come into that place of his provision and to be so strengthened, to be so encouraged to be so given another life. Another hope, another future, the people see us even in the midst of persecution.

People see us and they say whenever you have on Thursday for that, whatever it is you have of God and do whatever it is you found that's what I want. So the question becomes that of my testimony. My life is lost the ability to create thirst, what shall I do about your original scripture in Proverbs a prudent man perceives the evil in hides himself by covering, but the simple pass on and upon as the prudent man says God I don't care what anybody says I'm going to you. I'm going to admit my need.

I'm going to ask you to cover me.

I'm going to ask you to draft your life in the mind on when asked to be a co-inheritor of your provision. I'm not living less in the promised land than what I can and is available to me through Jesus Christ. I'm not staying in mediocrity when you said my life is to be a testimony and undeniable testimony of the reality of God. So that's where I'm going and that's how I'm going to live my life. The problem will never find this because proud to bend your knee. The proud. 10. Two men lay down at the feet of the kinsman redeemer and say cover me please I need you to get through the days that are ahead of us we going to need the covering all of us when I was a cop would be going into a building where there could be danger inside would say to the guys that are still outside cover us were going while excellence in God. No cover me and Bohnen. I'm just going into whatever you have for my life that's from going and I know I will need strength more than I have and there's no shame in admitting that so I want to encourage you today.

If God is tugging at your heart if you know it's the Holy Spirit.

If you're in the same place that I am and have been many times and it is no that you can't do what you feeling assured without the strength of God give you wager resources against what comes against you and you you come up short. I don't have enough to build a tower, and I don't have us enough strength to defeat that in the have the courage to say all Ruth did as she came to the threshing floor.

She laid down his feet and said cover me in the kinsman redeemer Boaz did everything else. He went to the gate. He bought her at the gate. He did everything all that was required of her is to come to the feet of the Redeemer and say cover. That's all. Thank you for joining us this week for a call to the nation with Carter come from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information log onto TSC done NYC next TSC.NYC you can count on a powerful message each week on a call to the nation with Carter, and