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God's means to God's End; Saving a Bad World. @truthinlovenetwork
Appreciate it, brother. Can you hear me? So it's not really that important and I'm glad Jonathan did all that introduction so I don't have to do as much. But I did want to let you know who we were kind of how it started a little bit of history so at the end of 2019 I Needed an outlet.
People have different outlets so people go to the street talk to you neighbor. I needed an outlet and just like many other people I was on Facebook and around that time it was really popular to go to a Group Community group For sale type group and people were selling things online Live and I was like I can do that.
I can go on here and I can do that and I can share Jesus. So that's kind of how it started with me. I needed an outlet and That's where I found it and I started the podcast early 2020 and then God began to send friends to me.
Dan was the first one. Actually, he and I spoke I think a number of years ago about doing something together, but then the Lord brought us together Early 2020 and we began the truth and love podcast. God brought more friends to us and that began the truth and love network and then as that developed we began the labor podcast which is on Thursday and We're thankful that y 'all pray for us and support us.
We really appreciate it and the Lord has brought us together for this labors conference weekend. I'm really thankful for that, but it's not about us. Just wanted to introduce To you. I'm Robert tonight and I'm thankful for you.
And I'm really I'm gonna say this all weekend long I'm really really thankful for Vertical and all that they've done and hosting us and so you're going to get tired. Like that's probably literally gonna be true.
That I'm gonna be thanking you so much because I'm so grateful for you guys and what you've done to open up your doors to this conference so Let's begin on the topic for tonight. God saving a bad world God means for God's in All right.
So I hope you have a pen and a piece of paper with you tonight. If you take notes, if you don't have a pen or piece of paper with you tonight Log it in here and Stick it in there somewhere and hopefully you can recall it because if you if you look at the schedule.
But if you do not look at the schedule tomorrow night We're gonna have a a Q &A with the guys and we hope that you guys will be asking questions of the panel. And we're gonna have another Q &A Sunday after the service ask Questions then and we would love to try to answer.
I'm not one of those that has the $5 worth. Some of my other brothers do and and they can give you some pretty good answers but I have a kickstart for your list of questions and If you want to write this one down if it intrigues you and you want to bring it back up you can ask it.
Ask it Friday. During the Q &A session. So here it goes. Here's the start off your list for the Q &A Sessions the questions that you may want to ask so our first passage is Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 through 14.
Now listen closely. Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and there are many to enter through it. Now here's the interesting part. For the gate is small and the way is narrow.
That leads to life. There are few who find it now, here's the second passage Revelation chapter 7 verse 9 after these things I Look and behold a great multitude which no one could count from every nation and all tribes and people and come standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
Clothed in white robes and palm branches when their hands. Boom these passages blew just blew my mind. So which is it? In eternity, are there going to be you that find it or in eternity? Are there going to be such a number such a multitude that we can't even count.
There's your questions for the Q &A tomorrow night. This this does relate to our presentation tonight. But I wanted to give you a head start on your Q &A and maybe you can look it up. Come up with the answer and you you'll be ready for it tomorrow night.
But I'm going to go with Revelation chapter 7 verse 9 that God is going to be saving a lot of people and I think that We would pretty much have a consensus among us all that God is going to save a lot of people.
The question is how is he? Or how has he been doing that and that's what I want to bring to you tonight that presentation. How how easy and how has he been doing that? I? Want to steer us in a direction and get us to a point where we are looking at what is God doing?
From a certain perspective from a biblical Perspective and I hope tonight will be a little interactive. So I'm going to be quoting some verses that you're probably familiar with. And so you can you can help me finish them starting in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 in the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.
We're starting our perspective. Okay? Genesis 1 31 God saw that all he had made and behold it was. Wait a second. Very good. Genesis 1 31 it was very good. Absolutely. Genesis 2 16 through 17 the Lord God commanded the man saying from any tree of the garden you may eat freely.
But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat from it. You will surely die. Romans 5 12 just as sin entered the world through one man. Death through sin and in this way death came to all men.
First Corinthians 15 22 For as in Adam all died. So in Christ all will be made alive. John 3 16 for God so loved the world that everyone believing in him will not perish but have everlasting life. And Matthew 28 18 through 20 all authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. So what have we learned about God?
God has created and here's our perspective. God has created the heavens and the earth. It was very good. The whole world. We have a bad world now. God is good. Caring and loving. But towards whom his entire Created world.
He has a plan to save a bad world. God's plan is global. God has a global plan. So those points should be leading us to ask These questions or at least it did me. So if God's plan is global number one.
Why do I focus so much on my own salvation and my own sanctification? Why do I focus or why do we focus on reaching and discipling our family if God's plan is global. Why am I spending so much time? Why are we spending so much time folks focusing and reaching and Discipling our neighbors.
Why are we so locally focused? When God's vision is global. We'll get there. I want to walk us through God's means in saving a bad world. We know from the New Testament in John. And I'm gonna I'm gonna read it from the New American Standard 95 so this is this is it always been an intriguing interesting verse to me.
We know that that Jesus was there from the beginning. John chapter 1 verse 3 all things. You have to listen to this verse very carefully. All things that came into being through all things came into being through him apart from him.
Nothing came into being that has coming to being. Nothing came into being that has coming to coming to being. It's almost like he's being repetitive. He's saying the same thing twice. But what I figured out is that in my mind, I like to draw pictures.
I draw a circle and This is where we can have a difference a good biblical theological difference between the Jehovah's Witness. Everything that has been created is in that circle. And Jesus is outside that circle.
He's not a created being. So everything was created by Jesus. We also learned from John That all things were made by for and through him. He was there at creation where man was introduced into the world.
Adam and Eve were given what we call the creation mandate and I'm also going to be referring to the kingdom mandate and I hope I'm correct in Comparing those two terms creation mandate and kingdom mandate go Fill the earth and subdue it.
They weren't to stay in the garden for perpetually they were to leave it and fill the earth and I think it should be understood that when they were told to go fill the earth and subdue it that they were to be Taking God with them because of man's disobedience.
Sin entered the world. They wanted to stay in the garden and continue eat the forbidden fruit. However God's command and his plan for his his world did not change. Man was forced out of the garden and was not welcomed back.
They did go out and began to fill the earth. But because of sin it was now Very difficult and not very good. Because of sin man was tempted To not take God with them and most of them did not. The hearts of men were evil and sin continuously however God always had a remnant.
God destroyed the earth with a flood due to man's sin, but saved no one his family. God told Noah fill the earth and here again. We have that creation Kingdom mandate go fill the earth. And of course, they also should have taken God with them.
Population begin to grow. But they failed to obey God and fill the earth. They decided to stay in one place and build a tower to heaven. Keeping with his plan God dispersed them to fill the earth as they would do it themselves and he confused their languages.
God's plan and concern for his creative world never changes. The man again and again it goes far from him. God always knew this and we as believers now because We've been unveiled we can see Looking back with 2020 vision man is unable.
They were unable to accomplish this task. Therefore God intervenes. He narrows his focus. God chooses a remnant so that through them through this people group God would send someone That That would save the world.
God's promises. God promises Abraham a land and that he would be the father of many nations. Then we have Jacob Who became Israel and then we have from him the twelve tribes of Israel. We have Moses whom God uses to take the people out of slavery and into the promised land.
God gives him his give them his law through Moses and promises that One will come that is greater than him Moses. Generally, the rest of the story is God keeping his remnant together despite their best efforts to mess it up.
So that through them through this people group He might save his created world. From Genesis to Malachi. God continuously reveals Through promises that through them one would come to save the world so that he could feel his created world for his own glory.
God told them to go Feel the earth go save the earth go grow my kingdom and every time they failed by narrow narrowing his focus I Mean that God went from commanding them to go fill the earth to Okay, we're going to Keep these people.
We're going to save this certain people group so that through them a Messiah would come he himself would come and Save his world. Then we have Mary whose lineage we can take back and trace all the way back to the beginning and she was given The promise you will bury son.
His name will be called Emmanuel, which is God with us. He shall save his people from their sins and Now we get to Jesus and we begin to start back on to the world again. John 3 17 says that he did not come to judge the world.
But that through him the world might be saved. And then John 3 16 again for God's to love the world. That he gave his one and only son everyone believing in him Will not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus accomplished this by his life death and resurrection. Victoriously he ascends to heaven where he is seated at the right hand of God. John 67 Jesus says but I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I'm leaving or if I do not leave the helper will not come to you.
But if I go I will send him to you. Now if you would mark this next statement Jesus work his work and ascension Provided the ability for his people to now be empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey Where they could not before.
Jesus work and ascension provided the ability for his people to now be empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey where they could not before. Now he sends his people out to fulfill that creation or kingdom mandate.
To fill the earth by God's means and by God's power. Matthew 28 19 and 20 which we've already cited all authority has been given to me. Jesus says in heaven and on earth go therefore make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I've commanded.
I will Be with you even to the end of the age. God has always had his chosen people through whom he worked in the Old Testament. He had physical Israel now in the New Covenant. He has spiritual Israel.
Fulfilling his promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the sands of the shore and the stars in the sky. Romans 9 6 to 8 says. But it is not as though the Word of God has failed.
For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel. Nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants. But through Isaac your descendants will be named that is it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God.
But the children of promise, but the promise are regarded as descended. We are Israel. We are spiritual Israel. We are his workmanship. Ephesians 2 10. We are his temple. 1st Corinthians 3 16. We are his ambassadors.
2nd Corinthians 5 20. We are the body of Christ. 1st Corinthians 12. We are the bride of Christ. Ephesians 5. We are his new creation. 2nd Corinthians 5 17. We are his workers. We are his laborers. We are the means in which God is using to save a bad world.
Doug Wilson uses the analogy of an omelet in his documentary on saving the world. He's way smarter than I am. So I'm going to try to explain it the way I understood it. Which is probably different than what he meant.
So this is how I understood it. Jesus is the creator of the recipe. Jesus is also the chef. We are the egg. You are the egg in the omelet. All the ingredients all the other ingredients in this omelet are all the different aspects of your life.
Jesus uses You as the egg to permeate and hold all things together. So that it can be molded shaped and even flipped by Christ. Here's where we can begin to answer our question from the beginning. Why is our focus so local when God's plan is global?
Because it is his means to accomplish his end. In other words God's ways are higher than our ways. God's wisdom is foolishness to those who are perishing. God's means to save the world is by working at the grassroots.
It is with you and me. So therefore Doug Wilson says don't be a bad egg. Do the things in your life that fulfill your moral your ethical and your spiritual obligations. Pay your bills. Work hard and be honest.
Love your wife as Christ loved the church and respect your husband as Christ has commanded. The list could go on and on and we could go much deeper in application and we will on Saturday. However, I hope you see the point.
Don't be a bad egg. Do justice love mercy. Walk humbly with God. Micah 16. And while you're living this life for Christ. Remember this Christians have a bad habit of living without joy. Because of the bad world they see around them.
Without a doubt there is a bad world. There is evil in the world. Our world is marred with sin. We see and feel the effects of it daily. Sometimes in greater measures than we would like. We allow this vision of the reality of the world to manipulate how we live in this world.
We have lost our joy because of how we interpret this bad world around us. We see a sinful world and We wallow in impending and inevitable doom. However, this is not a biblical perspective on this bad and sinful world.
Please throw away this bad perspective. Here are two ways I think are biblical ways to view this bad and sinful world. Number one think of a piece of fruit. Think of an apple. Once this apple is full It's bad.
And once it's gone bad, it's of no use. Because it's going to continue to decay and eventually go away. Here Hebrews 12 27 this expression yet once more denotes that removing of those things which can be shaken as Of creative things so that those things which can be shaken may remain.
God's going to shake so that those things that can be shaken will be shaken and they'll be removed and Those things that are his will remain Can't be shaken. Bad Cannot be sustained. Once an apple is bad. It's bad.
You can't fix it or doctor it up. Just like every evil empire in history has fallen so what every simple thing in this world. Doom and destruction are not in our ultimate future. Evil cannot sustain nor remain that which can be shaken will be and removed.
Do you. I hope you can see what I'm trying to say. If you see something bad It won't stay it will not be here forever. Number two first Corinthians 15 26 25 to 26. Jesus must reign until all his enemies are put under his feet.
The last enemy is there. Jesus defeated his enemy. He is defeating his enemy. His enemies will one day be defeated once for all. Hebrews says it like this chapter 2 verses 8 B. For in subjecting all things to him.
He left nothing that is not subject to him but Now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. Therefore when you see a bad world see it through the lens of a Savior that wins a. And bad things cannot be eternal because of the fact of their very nature is bad.
Keep these things in mind when you see murder evil politics hunger Cancer and all other evil things. They will all receive this double portion of the reality of God in the end. Because they are bad because they are evil just for that very fact.
They cannot be sustained and they will go away they will rot and decay. And number two Jesus is putting all of his enemies under his feet. Brothers and sisters. We are co-heirs. We are brothers and sisters and serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We have been brought from death to life by the Lord Jesus Christ. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. We have been commissioned or mandated with a victorious path. We can pursue it with all of our being and with joy and with confidence because Jesus has already secured the victory for the glory of God and the good of his people.
Grace and peace to you. My brothers and sisters walk by faith stand firm in Christ and Be strong in the Lord in the power of his might. And remember that Jesus is King. Go live in the victory of Christ.
Go speak with the authority of Christ. And go share the gospel of Christ. Let's pray together. Father thank you for this opening night of the laborers conference. Where it's not about us. It's not about us Men or us this conference or our podcast.
We just want to point to you we want to hear from your word. We want to love Jesus. We want to exalt Christ and we're humbled that you have given us the opportunity to do that. With these brothers and sisters that you have given us this fellowship that we have together even with people that we don't completely agree with.
Father you've given us the like mind that we Remain faithful to the truths of Scripture and the foundations of our faith and where we disagree father. You've given us the heart To sharpen one another and learn from one another.
Father. We're humbled that you would choose us to save to be saved and be a part of your global work to save a bad world. Help us. To be the children. The husbands the wives the fathers and mothers the neighbors that you would have us to be Help us as we share your gospel and help us to be careful to give you all the glory and praise and honor in Jesus.
Name.
