Preventative Maintenance (Part 2)

Thanks for tuning in to No Compromise Radio with pastor and author Dr. Mike Abendroth. Today on No Compromise Radio, we'll be hearing Pastor Mike open the Word of God in a recent message he preached at Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Now let's join Pastor Mike in progress as he preaches through the scriptures verse by verse with No Compromise.

Living in Light of Christ’s Return

Pop quizzes. Pop quizzes. Why do professors and teachers give pop quizzes? Well, I give pop quizzes maybe because I want to make the students suffer. No, just kidding. I want them to be ready because if they just wait until the exam at the end, they might not study throughout the time.

So when you think the Lord could come back at any moment, it helps you live a holy life. Jesus said, be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known of what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

For this reason, you be ready too, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will. Not sure if he's going to come tonight. No wonder Robert Murray McShane said to all his friends, the young preacher who died at 29 years old, do you think Christ will come tonight?

No, no, no. Then he would always repeat that text. The Son of Man comes at an hour when you think not. G. Campbell Morgan, the predecessor of Martin Lloyd Jones said, I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that maybe before the morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned.

If the Lord is coming back soon, holy living. Matthew 25, Jesus said, be on the alert for you do not know the day or the hour. Mark 13, be on the alert because you do not know when the master of the house is coming.

I say to you and I say to you all, be on the alert. Don't be taken off guard. The Lord is coming back. No wonder John said, amen, come Lord Jesus. No wonder Paul goes on to say in chapter 16, oh Lord, come.

No wonder Jesus taught us to pray, thy kingdom come. Luther said, I preach as though Christ died yesterday. He rose from the dead today and he's coming back tomorrow. I think we have to watch out for the return of Christ, but also we should watch out for corrosive behavior and corrosive doctrines in the church.

The same word is used in first Peter five, be on the alert, your adversary, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Spiritual warfare is real and if you turn on Christian TV, by the way, there's no really such thing that I know of, it's usually all crazy stuff on supposed Christian TV.

There's a battle, there's corrosive influences that you better watch out for them. Ever take a flashlight and you say, well, I don't really, can't figure out why this flashlight won't work and so you open it up, you try to slide the two or three D-cells out and they don't slide out, why?

Because there's been a leak and you look in there and you have to pound it down on the workbench and out comes the three gross D-batteries with all this corrosive, nasty stuff in there. Never be a Duracell battery, only Energizer, but sometimes the Energizer just leak all over.

I used to work for Duracell. One quick story, the first service didn't get this. They have these big display things for retail stores and so I was unregenerate, I was about 22, got a job for Duracell and they've got these big displays from Energizer and so you just pick those displays up when no one's looking and you take them down into the trash compactor that they have in the corner and you push this green button and it's funny what the thing does.

Okay, back to the point. Listen, this isn't just for elders. Oh, the elders stand sentinel for the church and hold sound doctrine, yes, Titus chapter 1. The elders guard against false doctrine, yes, but this is to the church.

You are responsible. You can't just say, well, you know what, it's unloving to stand up for truth and to watch out for these kind of things and spiritual warfare. The elders do it. I don't even like it when the elders do it, but that's their job.

No. Well, it's unloving if you ever watch out for these spiritual influences that corrupt and say something about it. Sorry, it's unloving if you don't. This is the charge from God. No wonder Mark 14, Jesus said to the disciples, keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Watch temptations come, corrosive, worldly, demonic influences come. Watch out. The Corinthians should have known that they were judging each other. Influence of bad theology, chapter 5, chapter 15, can't be lulled into some lethargic apathy.

It's time to wake up, to be alert. Positively, I could say, be alert for opportunities to evangelize. Be alert to opportunities to serve. I'll just push that snooze button for one more year. Number two, in light of your calling and who Christ is and what he's done for you, your love for the church, be watchful, number one.

Standing Firm in the Faith

Number two, stand firm in the faith. See that in verse 13. Stand firm in the faith. NAS and ESV translated the same way. This is for the group. Lock your shield with the person next to you and you stand ready.

I'm not going to be a pushover. I'm not going to stand on some kind of ice of slippery theology, minimum spiritual disciplines. Hold your ground. What do you say? This is military language. You say to the people who are at a strategic spot or by a hill or by some kind of upper area that you need to keep in Korea or something during the war, hold your ground.

Stand firm. This is military language. Tough days require tough gospel standing. It's a battle. You say, well, you know, I just don't like all this contending and battling. Friend, this isn't for the elders.

This is for everyone. If you're a Christian, this is for you. Stand firm. I taught Gracie's basketball team once or Luke's team once about how you just need to keep your legs underneath you in shoulder width stance.

And I'd have them stand kind of like a stork and then I would push their forehead and over they would go. Not all the way over. I couldn't slay anybody in the spirit, but I could move them from their position.

Now open your legs a shoulder width apart and bend your knees and I would push on them. They couldn't get pushed back. They were standing there firm. Hold your ground. Defend the truth. Look at chapter 15 verse 1.

He says, I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you, which you received in which you what? Stand. Well taught in the words, stand your ground. I think maybe in the old days when I was younger, I kind of liked to fight for the faith.

Agonize for the faith. Defend the faith. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the relentless, ongoing, satanic, worldly smash against the gospel, sanctification, the word of God, Christology and the local church.

I'm tired. So now what? Okay. No, God uses these kind of exhortations to say, listen, you are a man under authority. You are a church under authority. You've been bought with a price. The blood of Christ Jesus.

And so now it's a good year ending message, a good year to start message. It's time to stand. Tired or not, stand. Not going sideways, not going backwards. It's easy to cave in, by the way, and it feels so good because then you're not labeled as unloving.

You're not labeled as, you know, oh, you know, that's the church that's known for what they're for and what they're against with some kind of derisive monikers against us. This church better be known for what it's for and what it's against.

Stand firm. What was Paul saying? Stability for the Christian. Sometimes stability comes from running, by the way. Flee immorality. Flee idolatry. Chapter 6 and Chapter 10. When you give in, when you don't stand your ground, it never ends.

Think this way for a minute. Oh, you know what? If we just give the Palestinian PLO folks Gaza, they'll quit. No? And then it's the Golan Heights and then it's Jerusalem itself. They're not going to give in.

Well, let's just give them civil unions for gay marriage, for gay relationships. Then it'll all quit. I don't think so. You know, I'm just tired of being the one labeled as unloving because I'm just trying to stand up for the Word of God.

And so I'll make concessions and I'll just run the white flag of I'm just tired and I'm going to quit. I'll give this doctrine away if you'll just say I'm loving. If you just say I'm in for unity. If you'll just say I love other people and want to be with their churches too.

Didn't Paul just say in 1 Corinthians 15? Be steadfast, immovable. If you don't grow, if you're not popular, it doesn't matter. Stand firm. Number three. If you're going to do these kind of things, you need this exhortation.

In light of what Christ has done for us, how can we not want to obey? Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Number three. Men and women and children. He's addressing the church. It's a second person plural.

It's ye. It's all y 'all. Act like men. By the way, that's why it's super bad to have some neutered Bible translation and gender neutral. There's a reason why he says act like men. By the way, this is the root word Andre.

You have to say it like that by the way. Andre. Not Anthropos, man, mankind, but even a more masculine word that means manly. It's Andre. And when you think about Andre, I always think about the most masculine man I could think of ever, at least in my day.

Andre the Giant. King James says quit ye like men. Here's what he's saying. He's not saying women are inferior. He's not saying women are sinful. He's comparing men and toddlers. He's comparing men and children.

He's comparing men and immature people. Be mature. Be courageous. Act like men. That's what he's doing. Get out of junior church. I don't know why I'm after junior church today. I really like junior church.

For a season. Maturity and courage are called for. It's time for the Corinthians who would say, well, you know what? Kids, you know, just live and let live or immature or okay, whatever. We did that for 15 chapters and look where it got us.

It's time to act like men. This is a military command as well. We're the valorous men. We're the manly men. We're the church that says we don't want to be children anymore. Tossed to and fro by various doctrines.

When the pressures of society come, where are the men? Somebody comes after the family, your personal family, and then where's the dad? He's in the garage hiding. Doesn't make sense, does it? Childish ways, be gone.

My favorite story about acting like a man is from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa days. Pastor Roman was talking to a couple on a Monday, and the husband was throwing things and yelling and knocking over things and acting very childish.

And so the couple came in. Their marriage was in trouble. And so Roman talked to the husband and said, follow me. They went down the dark hallway of the church into a room. Light's still off. Roman takes something, picks it up, hands it into the man's hands.

He accepts it. The light is turned on. They're in the nursery. It's a diaper. And Pastor Roman said, it's time for you to grow up and act like a man. And the next time you want to act like a baby around your wife, you go ahead and put the diaper on, do what babies do in diapers, take a shower, and go out and be a man to your wife.

I don't think there was ever a session two for that. Be manly. Be manly, church. Act like men. Don't be immature. You know, immaturity is fine if you're a brand-new Christian. If you're not a brand-new Christian, you ought not to be immature.

Now, this is right from the Old Testament way of thinking. When there's a battle going on, times are tough, listen to Joshua. Be strong and what? Courageous. There you go. 1 Chronicles chapter 28, David said to Solomon, his son, be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed for the Lord God, even my God is with you. Where are the men? Where are the godly men? I praise God we have many in this church. And I praise God we have many ladies here who keep their femininity, who act like men, who are not childish.

By the way, if you're struggling with this, ladies, think of a, here's what I want you to be, a spiritual Maggie Thatcher. Maybe you don't like her politics, but she was tough. Tozer said, the church at this moment needs men, the right kind of men, bold men.

The talk is that we need revival. We need a new movement of the spirit, and God knows we must have both. But God will not revive mice. He will not fill rabbits with the Holy Ghost. We languish for men who feel themselves expendable in the warfare of the soul, who cannot be frightened by threats of death because they're already dead to the world.

The true church's leaders heard from God and went ahead, wholly independent of popular support or the lack of it. They knew their Lord's will and did it, and their people followed them, sometimes to triumph, oftener to insults and public persecution.

And their sufficient reward was the satisfaction of being right in a wrong world. Conduct yourself in a courageous way. When things are challenging, Deuteronomy 31 says, Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.

He will not leave you or forsake you. Here's what this word means, to be manly. To carry out your responsibilities, even though it might cost you danger, but I have to do it. Be valiant, be brave, be mature.

And might I say, Bethlehem Bible Church, and you know this, and I'm very thankful for it, the way to mature is through the Word and through the Word alone. I'd like to get a zap and then I can be more mature.

I've been there, done that, it doesn't work. It's through the Word. I just want to take the easy way out. No, it's through the Word. No wonder 1 John 2 says, I write to you young men because you're strong and the Word of God abides in you.

How do you become strong? How do you grow up? It's all through the Word. God's ordained way to do this is through the Word of God. Philippians chapter 2, holding fast to the Word of life. The good news is when you grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, it helps with unity, it helps with your stability.

Focusing on the redemptive work of Christ strengthens the church. Don't let it ever be said of Bethlehem Bible Church or of you personally. Hebrews 5, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

Strengthened by God and Rooted in Grace

Well, the Bible says more about maturity, but we need to move on. So let's go to exhortation number 4. This is also a military command. This is also plural. This is also present. Be strong. The response of the Christian who has been called by God and saved, forgiven, is to be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men.

Number 4, be strong. Now here's a really neat thing with this one. It's passive, which means you have to be strengthened. So Paul is saying be strengthened. Get strength. In other words, we're weak and we need strength from the outside.

It's not in us. It's not native to us. It's not inherent in us. We need help from the outside. Become strong. Kistenmacher said in the passive voice, the verb means to be made strong through experiences that God prepares for the believer.

And not only that, it's for prayer. Lord, help me to be strong. Help me to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy 2. Now think about that Old Testament again. Be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. What's he say here? Be courageous and strong. Kind of ironic too, isn't it, that the Corinthians so despise weakness? And Paul is saying you're weak and you need strength from someone else, the Lord God.

Be strengthened. Paul said in 2 Corinthians, my grace is sufficient for you, quoting Jesus, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

And when God strengthens you, then it's Philippians 4 quoted properly, I can do all things through him who strengthens me, whether it's the context of contentment and then anything else he calls you for.

Be strong. And then lastly, number five, be loving. This one isn't a military term. This is a Christian term. It's from the word agape. And remember J. Vernon McGee, he'd always say, this is not agape.

This is not sloppy agape. This is agape. So let's find out. Be on the alert. Stand firm. Act like men. Be strong. Number five, be loving. Verse 14, let all that you do be done in love. Everything you do, you think about what God the Son has done on your behalf, a good demonstration of sacrificial love.

And so you work in that sphere too. One man said, love frames the letters closing. Let all that you do be done in love. Wouldn't have this solved the problems for the Church of Corinth? Unity issues solved by love.

Spiritual gifts issue solved by love. No wonder Paul says in chapter 8 of this book, love builds up. Do everything in love. One radio Bible teacher says love compliments and balances everything else. It's the beautiful softening principle.

It keeps our firmness from becoming hardness and our strength from becoming domineering. It keeps our maturity gentle and considerate. It keeps our right doctrine from becoming obstinate dogmatism and our right living from becoming smug self-righteousness.

These just compliment one another, don't they? I think about if I'm too tough and not kind enough at times, then I have my lovely wife who will say, honey, you need to be kinder, you need to love more.

And then sometimes if she's not tough enough or firm enough, I might have to say, honey, you've got to be firm. And so we compliment one another. These verses compliment each other as well because there's the tough, strong, stand, act like man, watch out.

And then you've got the other tender side. Do things in love. 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul's like, I was like a tender mother taking care of you. Do everything in love. Right after, be manly. 1 Corinthians 14, pursue love.

1 Corinthians 13, love is patient, love is kind, not jealous. Love sacrifices. 1 Peter 4, 8, above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. You're fighting, you're in a battle, you're in a warfare.

But don't forget, you're not supposed to turn your guns and shoot yourselves. You don't shoot the other people, you don't shoot people on your side. Love the enemy as well. But make sure when you're caught up in all this warfare that it doesn't become cannibalistic.

Love covers a multitude of sins. Galatians 6 says, so then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men and especially of those who are of the household of faith. So it's been another year, the Lord has been faithful and good.

He's protected us. And now we have some marching orders. These are good marching orders. These are good marching orders for this time. Well, I don't really know what's going to happen with the world and our president and the politics and the world system.

I'm afraid for my children. I think that kind of talk needs to be replaced with this. I have been made so I can know God and He knows me. And it's time to be strong. It's time to be courageous. It's time to stop acting like a baby walking around going, you know what, the sky is falling.

The sky isn't going to fall. One day it's going to open up. It's going to be rent in two and the king's coming back. And in the meantime, it's time to not walk around going, you know what, politics and guns and issues and social, economic and racial and everything else, all these issues, they run my life.

I've got some news for you. Act like men. Be strong. The world is going to cave in. The world acts exactly like the world. And now we have the privilege of being Christian emissaries and ambassadors for the gospel.

When the world is the worst, the gospel rides swiftly on its chariot. So these are good marching orders because can you imagine how much better we have it in the states today than these people did back at Corinth?

We're on the opportunity list for all kinds of ministry and we stand firm against the truth, against the falsehood for the truth. I think you know what I need to do. I think I need to put these five commands in front of my Bible and replace it, replace the Eisenhower.

I think maybe this should be in front of my Bible instead and probably in yours too. Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 830 and 11 a .m. and Sunday evenings at 6 p .m. We're located on Route 110 in West Boylston, Massachusetts. You can check us out online at bbcchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.