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Anybody watch the reentry and splash down of the last space mission? During the mission, the spaceship went the farthest that anyone in space has ever gone. They traveled at the fastest speed that anyone has ever traveled. When Cheryl and I were watching, it seemed like the guy at NASA kept calling the ship a different name. Artemis 2, Orion and Integrity. Did anyone else catch that?

Why the three names? Artemis was the NASA mission name. Orion was the capsule type, and Integrity was the name the crew chose for their specific ship. The name was chosen to state the crew’s core values of trust, respect and the “integrity” of over 300,000 components and the people who built them.

That’s pretty cool. Last Sunday Heidi and I were talking about the historical moment and she wasn’t impressed at all. She said, “It’s not like they went that far, it’s just the moon.” I said, “Not that far? What are you talking about? Do you consider Hawaii to be far away?” “Absolutely,” she replied, “But I can’t see Hawaii from here and I can see the moon.”

How do you argue with such logic?

What is next for space travel? Land on the moon. Build some type of living situation? All that is great, but it is not Good. This morning, I would like to encourage you to figure out where you go from here. Let’s read our main text. Luke 3:1-14

First thing we need to do is determine whether or not what we read in the bible is true. I would like to point out the first 3 verses of Luke and give you a little background on Luke. Chapter 1:1-4

Luke was a doctor. Colossians 4:14. Luke wrote the books of Luke and Acts. He traveled with Paul. Acts 16:11-13. Luke was not Jewish. Colossians 4:10-14.

Luke recorded eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus. He gives details that are verifiable. Like During the reign of this guy and the governor was this guy and this guy held this position and these were the high priests at the time and it happened at this location. A lot of details that could make or break his writing, but all it does is support his findings. Gotta love that, right?

So, let dig in and see what we can learn from the writing of Luke about the time that he was preaching and baptizing and Jesus showed up.

One thing we need to learn is point 1.

1. Get rid of all evil in your life.

Luke 3:10-14

Romans 6:12-14

How many of you go out to eat? Stacy was sharing that when, her and the girls went to Branson, they ate a restaurant called Local Flavor. She said that it was delicious. It was like home cooked meal and the even the sign on top of the building says, “Home Cooking.” Cheryl and I love to go to Branson and we love to try new places to eat and this one will be at the top of our list.

Donnie gives us ideas of things to do and shows to see and he gives us his opinion of what they are like and we will do those too.

If you go to a restaurant and when they bring out your hamburger, you get about halfway through it and it has a hair smashed into the burger, are you going to finish that burger? I mean the first half was delicious or did that hair ruin it for you?

I remember working at ICI and having dinner one night. I was sitting with one of my Marine brothers that I was in Desert Storm with. As he was finishing up his meal, he opened his Twinkie and started eating it. A couple of bites into it and he pulls a red hair out of the bite he just took. Chewed it up and swallowed it and said, “Brenda (his wife) must have gotten a hair in my food.” Puzzled, I asked, “Does Brenda work for Hostess? You are eating a Twinkie.” Let’s just say that he lost his lunch when he figured it out.

Sometimes we act like we think God is okay with some sin in our lives. He is really okay with me gossiping, being a busy body, saying mean and hateful things about other people, jealousy, self-righteousness, judgment, and the list goes on, little white lies, harshness, bitterness, and it goes on and on.

I don’t know what you might have in your life. What I do know is that God knows. You can fool me, you can fool yourself, but you will never fool God. “Give yourselves completely to God.” God doesn’t want part of you, he wants all of you.

2. Just because you go to church doesn’t mean your gonna make the team.

Luke 3:7-9

Matthew 3:7-8

Matthew 7:21-23

I love to pick on Chief fans and they love to pick on me because they are jealous of my team. The Dallas Cowboys. America’s Team! The most valuable team in sports.

Now, let me explain something, if Ronnie were to own Chef jerseys with his name, Wheeler, on the back. Had his favorite number 85, 8 for the number of Superbowl appearances and 5 for the Superbowl wins of the Cowboys. If he had pads and a helmet and wore them to all the practices, go to all the games and be on the sidelines with the team, as much as he would love that, he would not be part of the team.

The Pharisees and other leaders thought that they were on the right track. They prided themselves because they had knowledge, because they could trace back their ancestry to Abraham, because they when to church, because they lived strict “law of Moses” filled lives. But yet John calls them out. John gives them a what for in front of all those that had gathered. John lets them know that they are missing the what really needs to happen.

Wes made some great points last week. One of them is this one, that going to church does not save you. Jesus saves you. When Jesus saves you, you want to be in church. You want to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ and learn more about God and His love.

Now going home to be there with Cheryl doesn’t make me her husband. Being her husband gives me the desire to be home with Cheryl. Does that make sense? I can’t complete a checklist….

• Joint bank accounts, check

• Own a home together, check

• Take vacations together, check

• Sleep in the same bed, check

• Buy her gifts, check

• Share in her joy, sorrow and frustrations, check

None of those things make me married to her. But being married to her gives me the desire to do those things…. even if I don’t feel like it.

Being a follower of Jesus will change you. Using a reference that Wes used from Ephesians 2:8-10 “8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

You are God’s masterpiece, a new creation in Jesus, to do the good thing He planned for you to do. But I am saved by Grace and yes you are. You are not saved so you can act like the world. He saved you to act like Him. But what if I don’t want to.

Point 3 tells us…

3. The Lord will get rid of the dead weight.

Luke 3:9, 17

Matthew 7:15-19

Every job that I have ever had, employees were expected to do their job; to be productive for the pay that they receive. I think that is probably true just about everywhere but the government. Even at home, I was expected to do certain things or I would get into trouble. Things have not changed much since I got married either. People like to think it is a free ride.

Just believe and be saved and never worry about anything else. Live however you want, because God has you. Jesus said, “Those that endure to the end will be saved.” And You must bear fruit or you will be pruned, bundled up and thrown into the fire. To, “Go and make disciples”. I want to be clear, you don’t earn your salvation, you don’t get a better spot in Heaven by the more that you do. When you have repented of your sins, you are making a statement that you are turning from your old way of life. You are allowing God to recreate you in Christ Jesus to do good works. Not because you have to, but because you want to.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Are you doing the will of the Father? Is your lifestyle pleasing to God?

Where Do We Go From Here