Sermon "End of the Age Instructions" by Rick Shabi, August 7, 2021

one month from today as calendars go on september 7th you and i will be back in this room observing the feast of trumpets that's just how close the fall holy days are it's the day after labor day this year and i know as you are preparing for the fall holy days because once we get into the first day of the seventh month and the feast of trumpets the whole holy days just happen they happen right on top of one another as we go through trumpets and then day of atonement and then feast of tabernacles and of course the eighth day so they'll be here before we know it and i know you are all thinking about that physical preparations are going on as we go away for eight days during the feast of tabernacles but there are there is you know much much in those holy days that we need to be contemplating before we get to them now just like before passover god tells us prepare yourself examine yourself be thinking about what you're going to be doing what you're going to be observing and while we don't have that explicit command in the new testament regarding the fall holy days we know that we should be preparing for those ahead of time we don't think about the feast of trumpets until the night before we're coming together we're not going to get a whole lot out of it we're not going to understand the meaning of it the way that god wants us to we have to be preparing ourselves we have to be thinking about these things and each year god gives us a better in-depth understanding of his of his plan you know as we when you look at the feast of trumpets it signals the end of this age when jesus christ returns which he will return with the accompaniment of a trumpet he says in matthew 24 verses 30 and 31 the age that we are living in now ends it ends and a new age will begin the age we live in now called the christian era or the church era as some will call it began with jesus christ's death when he and we celebrate on that on passover so as we go through this holy day season you know you and i have been living in an age that began back with christ's death when the church began and jesus christ works with us in a body in the church led by his holy spirit continuing through continuing through the feast of trumpets when he returns and this age ends the bible tells us clearly that jesus christ and god they are not the god of this age satan is the god of this age and when jesus christ returns he will take the kingdoms of this earth and they will become his he will be king of kings he will be lord of lords and the current god of this age as it says in second corinthians 4 4 he will be deposed and we picture that on the day of atonement and then there will be a the ushering in of the reign of jesus christ a time of peace joy abundance harmony on earth the likes of which mankind has never seen that we picture at the feast of trump during the feast of tabernacles and then all the time beyond that as the eighth day pictures we'll talk about more of those things as we get into the holy days but remember the rich rich meaning that god has given us as we ho as we head into this holy day season now just one month just one month ahead of us you know another notable thing that happens on the feast of trumpets the bible tells us is the resurrection of the first fruits let's turn back to first corinthians 15. you know sometimes people from the outside will wonder what is this feast of trumpets and it looks like just an old testament thing but trumpets trumpets are there accompanied by these things that will occur when jesus christ returns and certainly the resurrection of the firstfruits the first resurrection comes accompanied with trumpets in verse 51 of first corinthians 15 it says behold i tell you a mystery we that is the people of god now those led by his holy spirit i told you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptable must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality that will happen as this age ends and everything in the world as we know it changes with the return of jesus christ just as when jesus christ died the world was going to change in ways they couldn't imagine and the world has never been the same since jesus christ lived and died and gave his life to us in acts we haven't gotten to there in the bible studies yet that turned the world upside down and the disbursement of this the dispensing of the gospel throughout the throughout the world we go over to second timothy we see the apostle paul i'm sorry not timothy thessalonians it's not it's not second thessalonians actually first thessalonians 4. first thessalonians 4. in verse 13 paul talks about this momentous time ahead of us as well i don't want you to be ignorant brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep lest you sorrow as others who have no hope for if we believe that jesus died and rose again even so god will bring with him those who sleep in jesus for this we say to you by the word of the lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord will by no means precede those who are asleep for the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of god and the dead in christ will rise first as god calls us as we become his disciples as we live our lives disciples as we talked about last week dedicated to him committed to him allowing his holy spirit to bring us through the process of purification and spiritual maturity that he wants us to have that's the day you and i look forward to the return of jesus christ and for the people who do and live their lives the way that jesus christ expects and wants as he calls us that's a momentous day but we have to be doing something between now and then knowing is not enough what the truth is knowing what the feast of trumpets pictures isn't enough now is the time that we are getting ready for the feast of trumpets if we are letting this time go by and as if we're just looking to the time when jesus christ returns and magically will be there we're missing we're missing something the time is now for us to be preparing for the feast of trumpets and the fulfillment of it back in matthew 24 you know that very well as the olivet prophecy and as jesus christ would talk about the end of the age to his disciples they might have wondered or they did wonder just like you and i would wonder what are the signs what will be the sign of the end of this age what will be the signs of your coming and the end of your age and those disciples ask him to that and we have that recorded in matthew 24 they tell us that they asked that question in verse 3 and jesus christ goes through the rest of that chapter that we know is chapter 24 and he gives them signs he gives them guideposts along the way when you see this happen this happened this happened you know that the end of the age is near he talks about things like pestilence pestilence a worldwide pestilence he talks about things like people being divided people hating one another people turning each other in people doing those things that seem so foreign to us maybe a year ago but today we turn around and we look at the news and we can see that happening he talks about things like lawlessness you know what's lawlessness who how what society could ever exist without laws but today we see the word lawlessness used quite a bit in our news today he talks about he talks about false gospels he talks about you know at the end of the discourse there he talks about as it was in the days of noah as it was in the days of lot the land would be filled with corruption extreme corruption the land would be filled with violence unexplainable violence different than what you have seen in the past and the land would become filled with it as it was in the days before the flood as it was in the days of la lot it would be filled with sexual depravity such as you can't even imagine and never think possible in the society that you live and christ said when you see all these things happening when you see all these happening things happening no the end is near he says down there in verse 8 as he begins talking about these these are the beginning of sorrows these are the times where times change they're no longer the way you used to you know throughout human history there's been wars and rumors of wars there have been pestilences in various places there have been famines in various places but things are different now the violence we see even in american cities and as we saw on the news in south africa that's raging down there is different than the violence we've seen in the past the attitudes that we see in the world around us are different we see a division in the divisiveness in the country among groups of people that is deeper than it ever has been and as you look at it you think there's no way that the two minds are ever going to meet again and we in the church have to be aware of those things and never let the ways of the world or the ideas or thoughts of the world ever divide us because god's will is for us to be one we need to be looking and paying real close attention to what god wants going forward and remembering our calling but as you go down through matthew 24 among the many things you find that jesus christ gives some end of the age instructions to his people he says all these things are going to happen but he gives us you and me some instructions that we should pay attention to so let's look at matthew 24 let's pick it up in verse um matthew 24 verse 30. we'll read down to verse 33. now verses 30 31 or what i referenced before but since i referenced them i will read them as well matthew 24 verse 30 says then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he will send his angels with the sound of a great a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other you know as the churches of the world don't really think jesus christ is returning i don't know how you can read the bible the plain words of the bible and see jesus christ is returning it's all over the new testament and if you don't believe that if you can't see that then you are just not wanting to see it there is a plan he will return he will take the kingdoms of this earth and be come king of kings in verse 32 he tells us you and me learn this parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also when you see all these things know that it is near at the doors what will be the sign of your coming what will be the signs of the end of age the age and jesus christ says watch those signs see what's going on be aware of what's going on around you back in matthew 16 he says a similar thing to the pharisees the pharisees in matthew 16. in verse 1 of matthew 16 it says the pharisees and the sadducees came and they tested christ asking that he would show them a sign from heaven and he answered it this way and said when it's evening you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red and in the morning it will be foul weather today for the sky is red and threatening hypocrites you know how to discern the face of the sky but you cannot discern the signs of the times look at the time they were living in jesus christ was the messiah that they said they'd been waiting for they saw how he was among the people they saw his method they saw his manner they saw him healing everyone who was brought to them they saw the miracles they knew they knew they do the old testament they knew the messiah would come but here he was among them and they weren't discerning the times at all he was there among them and they were just letting it pass right on by not paying attention to it at all as if they didn't even want to know and letting pride and letting resistance and letting all those things that humans do like he can't be the disciple he can't be the messiah we don't want to believe he's the messiah we don't want to believe that we're living in those times that have been prophesied since the in the old testament from the beginning of time we don't want to believe it so we're just going to kind of reject it and wash it away with our own ideas and our own thoughts they couldn't even discern the times they lived in to know this was the time of the messiah the most momentous time on earth shame on them shame on them look what they did look what they did as they didn't discern the times jesus christ tells you and me who are living in a time before the return of jesus christ he says you'd better discern the times you'd better be able to discern the times and see what times you are living in you know that word discern is an interesting word you know it's uh i have mark down here here in matthew 16 verse 3 comes from the greek number 1252 discernment in in this case it means to separate you know to separate something like look look at what's going on how do we separate the good from the evil how do we separate the right from the wrong there's a lot of separating that goes on and jesus christ says you know what you need to be able to be looking at those things and seeing what are the trends that are around you where are things going what time are you living in discernment is a very valuable thing to christians you know it takes us from people who just live in the world and accept everything the world says but if we have god's holy spirit we have to be doing some things through a biblical perspective we have to do some biblical thinking jesus christ says you discern the times and you discern the times through the bible you discern the times through the bible you look at what's going on and you will be aware you'll be aware but if you're not aware if you're going to just kind of bury it like the pharisees and sadducees did going to pass right by it and that day he tells us in first thessalonians 5 that day will take you unaware and for those of us who that day takes us unaware it's that familiar phrase that haunting phrase there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth so one of his instructions to us is discern the times look at what's going on think about what's going on just don't automatically act because you hear something in a world that's not under the sway of god but under the sway of satan you and i with god's holy spirit should be under the sway of god that we stop and we think and we look at what's going on around us we know the bible we understand it well we know the shepherd's voice but we look and we think and we seek god's will and look at it through the biblical perspective not through just the things that we hear every day in every way because this world is not looking out for us it's not looking out for mankind satan has never looked out for mankind satan has always been about destroying mankind and certainly destroying god's people in god's church christ said pay attention to the times look at it through a biblical view pay attention to what's going on let's go to first thessalonians 5 i mentioned that here a second ago because we see this word discern or the greek word appear in some other parts of the bible it's not necessarily translated discerned there but god inspired the bible it's the same word that he puts in these places so as the people who understood the greek language would read it they would know exactly what he's talking about even though our english translators chose different words here and there in first thessalonians 5 and verse 21 521 well as you're leading up to the file you know let's go back to the beginning of the chapter so we can see the context here here it is that you know paul is talking to thessalonica about the time of the end verse two you know yourselves know perfectly the day of the lord comes as a thief in the night people aren't ready for it for when they say peace and safety hey this is the way this is it you know what just do this everything will be okay this is the answer you've been waiting for everything will be okay if you just do what we say for when they say pace and safety then sudden destruction comes as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they won't escape you brethren are not in darkness you brethren you and me we're not in darkness that this day should overtake us as a thief you are sons of light and sons of the day not of the diet not of the night or of darkness so he comes down through there and and as paul finishes the chapter that we have here he says in verse 21 test all things the greek word test is that same greek word 1252 discern all things test all things pay attention to what you're hearing and think about it pay attention to it test it and then hold fast to what is true that requires some work on your and my part that requires us realizing we need to pay attention to what we're hearing and not believe everything we hear from the world test it is it of god is this a trend god would have or is this something different that's out there is it leading to something different that is not what god's people should be following first john first john four first john four and verse one the apostle john in the 90s a.d he's lived the longest of any of the apostles he's seen what's going on in the world he's seen the deception that has come upon he's seen people leaving the truth believing false prophecies believing false doctrines doing things that would separate them from god and he says verse 1 first john beloved don't believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of god because many false prophets have gone out into the world that word test easily and probably should have been translated as discern look at it distinguish what those spirits are leading is that spirit of what you're being told of god or is it of a world that remembers under the sway of satan whose mission is destroy people destroy humanity interrupt the plan of god destroy the church of god that's what the sway of the world is and who it's under test the spirits is this what god would have you know discernment discernment is not an option for the christian it's a requirement it's a requirement as you read through the bible it's it's there when we read things and we think about things your my job is not just to just you know sleepwalk through life our job is to test what god wants and then make the choice for him in some cases that's very easy and led by his holy spirit we'll make it in other cases we have to think well i'm going to read a verse later i'll pray empty myself a little bit you know we have to examine what our motives are we have to discern what are we about what are we wanting what are we looking for with some of the decisions that we make are we really wanting to do things god way god's way or do we really want to do it another way thinking that it'll lead to a path that it may not lead to we know for certain where god's path leads it leads to the resurrection of the first fruits it leads to eternal life we know the path of the world is not at all in that direction you know over we won't have to turn but in luke luke um 21 jesus christ luke's account uses the same the same statement that jesus christ said you know you can discern the sky you know what you know what tomorrow is going to be like because you can discern the sky but luke uses a slightly different word there than jesus christ said still has the meaning of discern but on this on this one it means to be able to to distinguish between the two you can distinguish between the what's going on you can distinguish as you read the sky you can discern what it means and so those words show up in the bible throughout here as discern and some other words as well let's look at one of them here in hebrews hebrews 5. hebrews 5 and verse fourteen as the author of hebrews is leading into chapter six that talks about the elementary doctrines of the entry elementary principles of christianity chapter five closes with verse 14. you know he's chiding the people here because they still need milk instead of being able to eat solid food because they are spiritually mature at least they're of an age they should be spiritually mature verse 14 the author says but solid food belongs to those who are of full age that is those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil they've practiced discernment as they've seen things and as they've done things it's like oh that that's not that's not of god that wouldn't be the thing to follow or do but this is good this is in line with the bible and as i think of it biblically and as god's spirit leads us in our thinking and directs us to the right path by reason of use we're able to discern have to use it have to practice it god gives us his holy spirit he's not going to make us be in his kingdom he's not going to make us have eternal life he's not going to make us do his commandments he's not going to make us do the things that he wants us to do carefully and diligently that's up to us he gives us the tools and too and discernment is a tool that he gives us through his holy spirit as as well paul in a verse that we're so familiar with back in romans 12 it talks about this discernment as well as part of our christian development romans 12 verse 1 verses 1 and 2. he says i beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of god present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to god which is your reasonable service and if we really recognize what god has brought us to that he has given us the opportunity at eternal life that jesus christ died that our sins could be forgiven that we have that opportunity of eternal life it is our reasonable service we are dead men we have no future without him what he has given us and asks us in return no one on earth could say that is a that is an unfair bargain he expects us to do what he wants us to do if we're going to have eternal life i beseech you present your body as a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to god which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world don't be conformed to them don't do things the way that they do or if you do think about it weigh the spirits test the spirit is this what god would have me do is this the way that christians that believe in god have faith in god trust in god believe in his return and understand the plan of god that it isn't going to be just all a bed of roses between now and the return of jesus christ is this how we is this what we would do and choose don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove oh that's that greek word there's that greek word discern that you may discern what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god look at the times look at the choices discern what's right discern which way is the way god would have you go discern what is the way of the world and don't don't follow that way don't be conformed to that let god lead you through what he wants you to do and the choices to make in first corinthians 12. first corinthians 12 here paul is talking about the spiritual gifts that god gives that he puts in his church not every single one of us have every single one of these gifts that are given as paul says but the gifts are there and he distributes to them as he will some of us have certain gifts others have certain gifts it's how we all bond together as a family and how the body fitly formed together because we're able to perform what god's will is together because not everyone has all the spiritual gifts in first corinthians 12 verse 10 breaking into the thought here and talking about the spiritual gifts it says you know to to one to another god gives the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits and so on to another different kinds of tongues etc so there are those who have the gift of discerning the spirits what is going on how are things going what are the trends where is this leading to because things don't happen well to those who aren't paying attention those who are asleep as we'll talk about in a minute things are going to seem like they happened just overnight because they were asleep during the time that these things were developing it's like whoa how did that happen well it's been happening all along if you were discerning the times if you were discerning the spirits it wouldn't take any of us by surprise it'll take the world by surprise and those who are asleep soundly asleep during this time survive surprise just as the pharisees now they still didn't admit that jesus christ messiah they never discerned that and never would never would admit it you know first kings three verse nine you don't have to turn there solomon prayed that god would give him an a spirit of discernment that he could he could distinguish between good and bad right and wrong truth and error as he led his people you and i should be praying that same thing god help me to discern what is going on let me see things the way you see them let me see things the way the bible says them let me make the choices as i do biblical thinking rather than just what i hear and the voices out there that are trying to urge me in one way but i'm watching what's going on and i see i see the times i see where it's leading i see buds on the trees that weren't there before and i understand the time is near i'll give you an example here back in proverbs 7 of a young man who didn't discern the times and just kind of went with his gut went with his feelings listened to the voices around him and never stopped to think what am i doing should i be doing this and we find this the old testament equivalent of the new testament greek words we were just talking about here in chapter 7. let's pick it up in verse 4. say to wisdom you are my sister and call understanding your nearest kin that they may keep you from the immoral woman from the seductress who flatters with her words that will tell you anything that you want to hear just come my way safety is here peace is here don't have to worry about it anymore this is the way to do it for the window verse 6 of my house i looked through my lattice and saw among the simple i perceived that's the greek or the hebrew equivalent i perceived or i discerned i'm sorry among the youths a young man devoid of understanding passing along the street near her corner and he took the path to her house he listened to the words i listen to the media i listen to what's going on i read the internet i look what all the voices of the world are telling me and hey they're all saying this is the way this is the way walk you in it this is the answer to all the problems a young man devoid of understanding passing along the street in her corner and he took the path to her house in the twilight in the evening in the black and dark night and there a woman met him with the attire of a harlot a crafty heart she was loud and rebellious her feet would not stay at home at times she was outside at times in the open square lurking at every corner everywhere you went there was that voice everywhere you go it's like this is what you need to do come to me come to me come to me so she caught him and kissed him with an impudent face she said to him i have peace offerings with me today i paid my vows so i came out to meet you diligently to seek your face and i found you i've spread my bed with tapestry colored coverings of egyptian linen i perfume my bed with myrrh aloes and cinnamon come it'll be great it'll be great just do what i'm asking you to do let us take our fill of love till morning let us delight ourselves with love my husband's not at home he's gone on a long journey he's taken a bag of money with him no one can catch us this is the right thing to do this is what you can do it's okay i will come he'll come home on the appointed day with her enticing speech all the promises all the flattering words all the enticement that you can imagine with her enticing speech she caused him to yield with her flattering lips she seduced him immediately he went after her he followed what she had to say as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks until an arrow struck his liver as a barred hastens to the snare he didn't know it would cost his life how important is discernment in knowing the path to choose to think about what you're doing to think about what you're planning to do and seek god's will and follow his will and not just follow everything we hear or believe everything we hear discernment jesus christ said discern the times pay attention to the times look at the buds on the leaves see where it's leading [Music] and this is instruction to us for the end times was do that do that let's go back to matthew 24. as we go further down the chapter we see christ giving another instruction to his his people down in verse 42 of matthew 24 after he gives the examples of men being in the field and one taken and the other not etc he says in verse 42 watch watch therefore for you do not know what our your lord is coming luke says the same thing in luke 21 36 but luke says watch and pray two two separate accounts matthews and luke's both words watched two different greek words both mean specifically stay awake keep awake luke's has more meaning is don't give any way to sleepiness don't give any way to sleepiness watch what's going on keep your eyes open don't fall asleep and leading up to verse 36 in luke 21 he talks about the carousing of this world the lures of this world that can put us to sleep that can kind of make us feel like everything is okay nothing's gonna go on and whatever the world is a safe place it sure doesn't look like the times then i've got plenty of time to do what i need to do he says you watch you pray you stay awake it specifically means stay awake and jesus christ accentuates that as he goes on in this in this discourse with his disciples in chapter 25 the first parable he gives is about virgins 10 virgins we know what virgins are in the bible those are the ones who who have followed god who have gotten rid of all the impurities in their life and who have worked through that in their lifetimes but these virgins are sleeping five of them are sleeping five of them are so sound asleep they don't even know what's going on right so the bridegrood crumbs you know the story five of them can go in when the bridegroom calls because they haven't been so thoroughly asleep the other five he says i don't even know you i don't even know you verse 13 chapter 25. you know as he says i don't know you the door is shut you're not going on he warns again watch it's this very same greek word stay awake stay awake for you you knew you know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of man is coming as the time of the end of the age draws near he says you stay awake you know it's the same thing that jesus christ said at his first coming remember what he said to the disciples as on that night that he was going to be arrested and he went off to pray we find it one chapter later in chapter 26 here as that evening goes on if we turn to chapter 26 in verse 36 this is the night of that passover when jesus christ is arrested and he knows what's coming about in his he is you know praying earnestly to god and he takes some disciples with him as he goes out into the garden to pray in verse 36 it says then jesus came with them to a place called gethsemane and said to the disciples those who were following him closely intently sit here well i go and pray over there and he took with him peter and the two sons of zebedee and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed and he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death stay here and watch with me same greek word stay here and keep awake with me stay awake he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed saying oh my father if it's possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as i will but as you will then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to peter what you couldn't even stay awake with me one hour you couldn't even stay awake that little bit of time and then they weren't discerning the times it was going they didn't realize what was going to happen that night christ gave them plenty of warning i will the son of man will be crucified but they didn't get they didn't even discern in his face the the intensity and the sorrow of and the distress as it says that he was going through so they were tired and as he went to pray they fell asleep then he comes back and he's not happy with them so he tells them again verse 41 watch and pray stay awake stay awake and pray lest you enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak and again the second time he went away and prayed in verse 43 he came back and he found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy you know when they slept when things happen so quickly they weren't ready when the when the people came to arrest jesus christ they weren't ready for what was going to happen they didn't stay awake they weren't discerning the times they weren't paying attention to what was going on and what did all those disciples except john and a few of the ladies do when they didn't stay awake they all scattered they all scattered when the time came they ran peter denied christ three times said he would never do it none of the other disciples were there at the crucifix john john was the ladies were but the rest of them scattered it took them by surprise they repented they repented they understood what they did and for the rest of their lives they stayed awake they stayed awake they didn't sleep they didn't slumber they didn't let things take by him by surprise any longer first peter 5 and verse 8 another very familiar verse that has the same greek word translated watch in matthew 24 and in luke 21 and in matthew 25 and where we were just in first peter 5 verse 8 peter warns be sober be vigilant there's that same greek word be sober be vigilant be awake you know to be vigilant you got to be awake you have to have your eyes wide open be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour how easy would it be for a lion to devour something that's sleeping but if it's alert if it's awake if it sees what's going on around them if the eyes are wide open and it knows the times and it knows the seasons it can resist it can run it can flee from satan and run to christ resist him he says as he goes on in that verse stay awake proverbs 6. i always like to tie in an old testament chapter here in proverbs which is full full of wisdom and if we haven't read through proverbs for a while we might take it slowly through the book of proverbs and digest what it's saying in there because there's so much truth and so much instruction that god has put in there and sometimes there can be the danger of i've got this goal of reading one proverb a day or you know or same thing in the psalms and we miss we miss the meat that's in here in proverbs 6 verse 10 you know where talk talks about sleep and it has a spiritual as well as physical implications proverbs 6 10 a little sleep a little slumber a little of the folding of the hands to sleep so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your need like an armed man you'll be startled you'll wake up you'll panic you won't know what to do and you may run how sorry would that be for those of us who knew that we would run when that day comes when jesus christ warned us and gave us instructions stay awake pray discern the times stop and think before you do things and make choices is it of god or is it of another spirit let's go back matthew 24. see the third instruction that god gave his disciples here in this holiday prophecy as they asked what'll be the signs of your coming at the end of the age and he tells them and tells us what we should be doing as that time approaches matthew 24 and verse 44 says therefore christ says you be ready you be ready for the son of man is coming in an hour you don't expect you be ready he's not saying consider it think about it be ready because you don't know the time time's too late when the events of the campaign that goes on they're not too late you can still you know have your robes washed away in the great tribulation if that's what you choose to do by the actions that we take now too late when those things happen the time is now preparing for those things as we see those buds occurring we drop down to verse 45 well yeah verse 45 who then is a faithful and wise servant who was master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing how do you get ready by so doing by so doing the greek word be ready is simply be prepared you know to prepare it takes work it just doesn't happen automatically if you wait until the morning you're leaving to go to the feast of tabernacles and you've done no work ahead of time what a mess you've made of yourself none of us would do that if we let the time fly by and we're not making ourselves ready at this time for the return of jesus christ for the time that he's going to be knowing the things that we know how pathetic is that how short-sighted is that be prepared is what he's saying you know again in matthew 25 as jesus christ says these things he goes through the parables and he mentions it in verse 10. while they went matthew 25 to buy the bridegroom came and those who were ready those who were prepared same greek word those who were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut and those who weren't ready were left out they wasted their time they slept it away they played while they should have been working christ said be ready he gives us the tools he gives us everything we have to use them he's not going to do it for us jesus christ has already done enough for us more than we could ever possibly repay him for doing by offering his life god the father for giving him eternal life and giving us the hope of eternal life they've already done plenty it's our job to get ready and to use the tools that god has given us they've already given us the holy spirit that helps us overcome our laxity our ambivalence our desire to come compromise to overcome the sin that does so easily beset and all those things that we have to do in our lives as god will work with us as he works with us to make ourselves ready let's go let's talk about so doing let's look at a few verses where the same greek word that's kind of strange when it's translated so doing we know what it means but back in matthew 5 19 we find the things that we need to be so doing that as as we might even think his his return is delayed we better be about so doing the things that he did so that we are ready we find one here in christ's sermon on the mount matthew 5 19. now he's talking about the ten commandments and validating them for the new testament church these are just as applicable today but even more so because now they're the spiritual application of the ten commandments and not just the physical requirement of them matthew 5 19 jesus christ in his own word says whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whoever does there's the greek word translated so doing in matthew 24 44 but whoever does and teaches them he'll be called great in the kingdom of heaven so what do we do we obey god we follow the commandments earnestly diligently carefully exactly the way jesus christ said to do exactly the way he expounded them in the new testament this is what you need to do you need to be so doing up until the return of jesus christ becoming more and more the person that he wants more and more like jesus christ that's what disciples do become more and more like their master and the teacher and he kept them perfectly i have a long way to go before i keep them perfectly i think i think probably all of us do things that we need to learn and and be ready be ready for matthew 3 we go back a couple chapters in matthew 3 and verse 10 matthew 3 and verse 10 says and even now jesus christ well talking here or john the baptist even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire does not bear i think in the old king james it says does not bring forth good fruit bring forth does not bear is the same greek word translated so doing in matthew 24 44. every tree that says does not bring forth good fruit is chopped down you know last week we talked about the verse in matthew 15 was it verse 16 somewhere in that john 15 16 god has appointed us to go and bear fruit that's our job when he gives us his holy spirit it's not supposed to just lay there dormant oh i have god's holy spirit therefore i'm sealed until the day of his return no no no he expects something to be done with it work to be done with it getting ready being prepared using that bearing fruit so that we are pleasing to god so when he looks at the tree that you and i are he says this is a tree this is a tree that has grown and used what i have given it very well if there is no fruit they're not so doing if the fruit isn't being developed they're not doing what jesus christ commanded in matthew 24 and verse 44. matthew 13 matthew 13 and verse 23 parable of the parable of the um the seed and the soil matthew 13 verse 23 who he who receives seed god calls puts the truth in our minds he who receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it who indeeds who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundred fold some sixty some thirty the word translated produces is so doing the same greek word the seed that receives that hears that works that goes to work as it is so doing will produce fruit some 100 fold some 60 some 30. so doing that's what god wants from us ephesians 5. ephesians 5 i'm sorry ephesians 4. ephesians 4 verse 16. we're very familiar with chapter four here jesus christ pretty much outlines the plan for his church the body that we must be in we must grow in the body he's working with us individually but he works with us in a body as well things that we learn that we can never learn on our own that's why he puts us in a body and we learn in that body verse 16 cutting into the thought here says from whom the whole body the whole body that's everyone in this church in orlando everyone in jacksonville everyone around the world but we're in our different locales and are the bodies that god has put us in and placed us in today from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies every joint i don't know how many are here today but you know if we have everyone who was in orlando there would be 120 joints or more that were here in orlando knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share causes growth of the body for what reason the edifying or the building up of itself in agape exactly what jesus christ wants to see his body develop how does that happen well by the way the greek word for so gooing so so doing is the word causes there in verse 16 the same greek word by which every part does it share brings forth if we use other translations where it's been translated before brings forth growth of the body for the building up of itself in love you know when god says every joint he means every single every single person we're all family when one of our joints in our body isn't working some of you have this happening right now the body suffers doesn't it it isn't able to function the way that it should when a joint is out of whack or as few joints are out of whack life becomes difficult we can't do and produce all the things that we do it's the same with the body of god every what every joint provides all working together that the body can build itself in love you know how we work together you have each of you have a talent a gift of god we all do god hasn't brought any of us in here without some talent or gift that he wants and he knows exactly what this body needs to work together as an effective body are we using it what part of your body would you just choose i'm going to let it lay dormant i don't care if i ever use it again none of it right we want all the joints of our body to work together we want to be mobile we want to be productive we want to be everything that we can be you know one of the things that covet has brought about that i see in society but i see it in in the church as well we've gotten away from service a little bit you know we're all called to serve when you're a member of a family you have your job that you do you do the things that those in the family when it's working together it all works well i didn't grow up in a family with a lot of kids but i remember hearing the stories from my mom and dad about how you know one had eight kids and one had six they all the kids had all the jobs that they had to do none of them just had time to just lay around and do nothing and watch tv or play video games this one did this this one did that and parents kind of understood i see where the interests are and the family worked together they didn't have the leisure that we have today there was structure in it and the family worked together if we all lived on a farm and had to produce our own food we would find out just how valuable it is to have all those joints working together and so god wants in his family to do that we need to be you know we need to be looking at what we do how do we work how do we serve in the local congregation how does everyone get involved what's your talent what's the gift that god you god has given you how do we work together so that we can see god build this body build the body in jacksonville build the body of whatever congregation you're in as you're listening in on the web how does he do that it takes every joint working together so the body can work the way that god intended it to do he built it he supplied it he provided everything here and you and i need to be part of that we need to be doing the things that god said we need to be so doing in our lives in our personal lives but in the body that god has placed us in as well and if we're not we're not so doing we're not getting the benefit of what god wants us to do we're not growing together as the body that he wants us to he's not able i won't say not able god can do anything but if we hold him back because we are holding back on ourselves and we're just don't have the time don't have the interest you know there are there are opportunities you know we had to cancel a service here because we just didn't have enough people willing to serve in a sound system last week not enough people to be able to do that and i think god taught us a lesson to that we need more people participating in the church working in the church there's a whole lot that goes into putting a sabbath service on each week and you don't have to do all the physical stuff there's a lot of work that goes in keeping a body together we have people who can't attend who all they want sometimes is just a phone call just a message just an email just a short note i know you're there i love you i'm praying for you so they feel that they haven't been forgotten and it isn't just one or two i hear it from a number of people we can all do that that's serving that's bonding the body together that's joining it together in love that's remembering our brother and remembering who we are we can be where god wants us to be you know i would i would shudder if my elbow just one morning said well you know i really want you there but i'm just gonna take the day off i don't have to be there you know what god told us where he wants us to be and what we need to do are we doing it are we doing are we so doing the way god said to be so doing if we will if we are he'll provide what he wants us to have who he wants us to be we'll see the growth we'll see the agape we'll see the building up of the church in that in that regard have to be doing it in our personal lives too it's an individual calling and the church calling as well let's go to revelation 22 because right here at the end of the bible in jesus christ's own words as he's talking about the people who will be in his kingdom the ones who will be with him for eternity in verse 14 we find that same word so doing greek word so doing verse 14 blessed are those who do there it is blessed are those who are so doing his commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life they may enter through the gates into the city do you want to be in god's kingdom christ gives us the instructions he says as you see the end of the age coming here's what you need to be doing here's what you need to be focusing on discern the times read the times see what you're being told see where you are and make the choice and use that distinction that god gives us a spirit to see what's right what's good what's leading to eternity and what's not leading to eternity what is god's will and what is not god's will and do his will discern the times he said be prepared just like in revelation 19 i didn't even turn to revelation 19 i should have when we were talking about be ready in greek 20 90. let's be prepared remember it says in revelation 19 the bride has made herself ready she's made herself ready can't do it without the tools of god can't do it without each other but it's our work it's our that we have to do we have to be doing the things we have to stay awake as jesus christ said we can't be lulled to sleep we can't be just give our lives over to the cares of the world and say oh how wonderful this is and all this every answer to all of our problems is in the world it's not god's world the god of this world and the spirit of this world is not god he is in us that's the spirit that we follow but that's not the spirit of the world tells us that and the end of this age is coming be so doing he said that's as we see the end of the age coming as we look forward to the physical fall holy days this year be thinking about that be looking as it says in second corinthians 13 verse 5 which also you know if you look at that word examined in second corinthians 13 5 it's discern what's your real motive what are you doing why are you making the choices that you make let's look at keeping the holy days let's learn from the holy days let's follow christ's instruction as we go through the end of the age

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Length: 63min 21sec (3801 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 07 2021