Category: Series

The Importance of the Church “In Such A Time As This”

Revelation 2:1-7

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

  1. This was a good church.
  2. They knew the truth and taught it.
  3. They were a faithful church.
  4. BUT – They had left their first love.
  5. Told to repent or God would remove their effectiveness.
  6. Take a closer look:
  • In Ephesians 4-5 Paul sets out to instruct this church to follow fully after the things of Christ.
  • He told them to make wise use of their time. -Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
  • He told them to be spiritually filled – Ephesians 5:17-18 – 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
  • Paul told them to worship Ephesians 5:19-20
Ephesians 5:19-20 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
  • Paul told them the importance of others – Ephesians 5:21 – Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
  • Paul told them to love family. Ephesians 5:22- 6:4
  • Paul told them to be a faithful employee. Ephesians 6:5-9h       Paul told them to protect against evil

For Such a Time as This

Introduction

Esther 4:13-17

13  Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 14  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 15  Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

16  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17  So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Signs that point to the great tribulation

Matthew 24:4-13 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Matthew 24:15-22 – When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

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Matthew 24:32-39 – Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:42-50 – Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let us begin with three questions

Verse 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

  • “When will this happen?
  • “What shall be the sign of Your coming?” 23-51.
  • “What shall be the sign of the end of this age – 9-22

In the weeks to come we will talk about how we should be ready for the end time.

  1. Where will we be when all this happens?
  2. What should we do as we prepare for the end time?
  3. What is going on today a sign of the end time or the rapture of the church?
  4. Is the spirit of the anti-Christ alive today?
  5. Could the anti-Christ be alive today?
  6. Is this really our time?

The Main Course

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

New Birth – Heaven

Today we will talk about the “–” which represents our life from the new birth to our going home.  We learned last Sunday that it starts with Jesus (the new birth) and ends in Heaven around His throne.  Eternity is what we all are longing for as believers.  This whole life that we as believers live is always with eternity in view.  Let us look at what this dash is all about.

It should be all about Jesus

Philippians 1:20  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Colossians 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Romans 8:35-39 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It should be all about surrender
  • Jesus lived a life that was all about surrender. – Luke 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
  • We are to surrender our will for His. –

Romans 12:1-2 –  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

    2 Corinthians 6:14-17 – Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

    This is a very blessed life

    Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that  walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

    This life is lived with the kingdom in mind

    Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

    Romans 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

    Matthew 6:19-20   Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

    Where it All Begins (the appetizer)

    I know some of you may wonder why I called this the appetizer.  Without this there is no main course.  Jesus is the beginning of this awesome experience, and what an awesome experience it is.  Without Him, I AM NOTHING.  With Him, I AM EVERYTHING.  I am saved, sealed, and delivered.  This it is the three course meal.  I am His, He has placed His seal of approval upon me and I will be safely delivered into His very presence. 

    1. Someday, everyone must to meet God. Hebrews 9:26-28 – For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
    2. God has one requirement to enter into eternal life. John 3:3 – Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
    3. Sin is a problem that God hates and it has to be dealt with. Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
    4. Because God loves the sinner, something had to be done. John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
    5. God has set the terms and they are nonnegotiable. Acts 4:12 – Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Acts 16:30-31 – 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
    6. Conclusion:
      a. All must die.
      b. Are you ready for that day?
      c. When you stand before God, will you be stained by your own sin or will you be clean because of the blood of Jesus Christ,
      d. Will you respond to His call now? –
    Romans 10:13 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

    The Gospel As Seen Through John’s Eyes – John 3:22-36

    The last couple of weeks we have seen the gospel as told to us in Jesus’s own words. Ye must be born again was His declaration. The remedy He gave was Himself. Condemnation was already here. Man is born condemned and Jesus declares He is the only way for condemnation to be removed. Praise the Lord, He removed it for all who believe in Him –

    John clarifies the difference between the Messiah and John the Baptist

    A. John the Baptist pointed men to Jesus.
    B. John stated clearly “I am not the Christ”.
    C. John was the friend of the bridegroom – indication here that John the Baptist was never a part of the church.
    D. The profound statement – v.30 He must increase, but I musts decrease.

    THIS IS THE KEY TO THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF CHRISTIANITY.

    1. If man is the center, it is not Biblical.
    2. If man claims any power outside of what God is doing through Him, he is not biblical.
    3. If man is pushing a personal agenda that promises riches and fame, he is not biblical.
    4. A true minister of Christ will NEVER try to bring attention to his self.
    5. A true minister will allow Jesus to be the one the light shines on

    John’s declaration

    A. God is true – v33.
    B. God the Father loves God the Son – V.35
    C. God’s way to salvation – v 36

    Here we see, in v 36 what Johns feels is of utmost importance.

    A. John repeats this in the book of I John 5:11-13 -And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
    B. God has given us the record (the proof) that eternal life is in Jesus.
    C. One must possess, not just confess.

    Romans 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

    D. Unbelievers will experience the wrath of God if they do not repent and turn to Jesus.

    Psalms 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

    1 Thessalonians 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

    1 Thessalonians 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Hebrews 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

    Revelation 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

    Revelation 6:16-17 – 16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?