Shepherds' Conference Update

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This will be more of a testimony and exhortation just kind of sharing some things from the conference.
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It was good it's always good to be able to get away and be still and and know that the
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Lord is God and to Just learn to have an opportunity to be able to learn and sit back and look at your life and examine
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What it is that the Lord might be bringing across as a theme a lot of times you go you'll hear a lot of messages or go to a lot of classes, but you will
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Have something that sticks out And that's kind of like what I'm going to share when
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I when I get there, but Probably just a couple things to share about the conference itself
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Not only was it's good to be a way to have good teaching It was good fellowship
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You fly in on an airplane with somebody that you know and sitting beside you or close by and you can go
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Talk to them and just kind of share things here and there we had rooms I was rooming with pastor Steve Cooley we had a
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Joining room with Mike and Chris and the door was open once in a while and we would just kind of go back and forth and just bounce things off of each other and just encourage each other and sharpen each other and I got to know
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Chris Jensen a young man who he just has a passionate desire to serve the
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Lord to glorify God and he'll let you know, but the Conference was a tremendous
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Blessing to him and it was a blessing to me to be able to get to know him and to talk to him
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About what had God had done in his life and what God was doing in his life
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Those few short days that we were there. It was a testimony of the grace of God It was it was a tremendous time.
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They all they took care of us as usual. It was a great great Conference if you would please open your
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Bibles and I apologize to those that were in Sunday school because you're going to get a little Bit of a repeat on a couple of points
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But in first Thessalonians if you would open to that epistle and before I before I get there
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It's going to be a little while because it's about half introduction then it'll be about half half the scripture going and looking at a few things because I want to kind of lay a foundation of A class that I attended and then bring in some scripture that after during and after kind of came home to me
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As I was thinking about this class the class that I went to was entitled caring hearts calloused hands caring hearts and calloused hands and it had a
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Subtitle of motivating members to do the work of the ministry when
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I picked that class. I picked it so that I Would be able to go and learn as a church leader
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Some things that when I came back I'd be able to use to help encourage the church members
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To go on in the faith and to serve in the church and as is typical what the
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Lord does as many times his ways are above our ways and his thoughts above ours and Really it dealt with me quite a bit.
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I mean I I was really challenged. I was Convicted I was stirred. I was spurred on to to ministry and I want to share with the things that that I brought out got out of that class that dealt with Helping others to catch an eye or catch a vision or catch a passion for ministry
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But one of the things that I had picked up what he had said it was a Kurt Gibbons Gebhardt's who had taught this class he said in order to generate a servant heart a servant heart for ministry leaders must exhibit that and I can remember one of the things
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I talked about with one of the men at the conference when I was growing up I never really was around any
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Christian elders there were none that I knew of men that were older when I before I was saved and at the beginning of ministry everybody that was saved was about the same age and We were always praying that God would bring aged men into the church so that they could impart their wisdom in their
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Godliness and walking their journey with the Lord for many years and It did not take place
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And Deb and I have talked about this in the past and it looks like what pastor Mike was talking about this morning that what the
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Lord did would allow us to get old so that we could be the aged men and Women so that we could try to help younger people and it's the
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Lord's doings. It's marvelous in our eyes and and You know, I never saw that but I want to model that I desire to to be someone who exhibits a passion for ministry and church leaders must lead their people where they are disinclined to go you know if we had an announcement here if we had one of these little things here and it said big event and it said
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Come to the church. There'll be a bus out front. We're all going to Disney World. Whoo. Yeah, we'll all
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I mean It's easy to get a group of people To do that wouldn't it? I mean if we had we said it's free.
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You can all go to Disney World. No problem Everybody would be inclined to do that.
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But when it comes to ministry in the church it's it's something that we have to not only model, but we have to encourage each other because When we get in the trenches
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It gets difficult at times and we get tired in the work But not tired of the work and we just I was just encouraged as I went to that class
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And hearing the things that encouraged me to keep on keeping on He says that I Kurt said in the class that it was sometimes
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We have it backwards in the church We think sometimes that God is our servant, but God is not our servant and He is never to be put below us or if I could put it this way
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Life is about us Serving God. It's not about God serving us.
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It's about us Satisfying or pleasing the Lord and not us being pleased or or being catered to all of our lives life isn't about our so -called needs and the
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Christian life and church life isn't about having a perpetual mountaintop experience or living the extraordinary life
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Whatever that might be or every believer is to be cozy and comfortable and catered to Of course, it's not to be man -centered
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Life is to be God -centered And God must be glorified in the church
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And he's in God is glorified in his church in the church When the people as we sang there were like three or four hymns tonight that we sang trust and obey
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There's something that follows faith trust and obey the obedience I can't remember the other one, but it has something it had something to do with When God saves us there's something that comes out of our life
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And that's what we're going to see when we turn to the book of 1st Thessalonians Paul put it this way in 1st
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Corinthians 10 31 whether therefore you eat or drink or Whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God John the
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Baptist had it right when he when it was penned by the Apostle John in John 3 30 When he's speaking of Christ, he said
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Jesus must increase. I must decrease and when
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Paul said that in 1st Corinthians 10 31 that whether therefore we eat a drink or whatsoever we we do and Do it all to the glory of God He always made a an emphasis on the doing always on the action always
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We've heard it aptly said and it's rightly said that it is it is faith alone that saves
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But the faith that saves is not alone that something must follow and when when Paul penned in in Ephesians chapter 2
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And he said that by grace he is saved through faith and that not of yourselves It's the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.
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He went on to say that we are his workmanship Created in Christ Jesus Unto good works and the reason the or the purpose of the theme of the clock this class that I went to is that he was very concerned and sometimes on a
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Sunday night you feel like you're preaching to the choir because you you have those that are faithful and he did the Pastor Mike's admonition this morning to come this evening and to be blessed and a fellowship but nonetheless
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We can still be encouraged in and strengthened and and bolstered in the in the resolve that we have to serve the
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Lord It is absolutely necessary and vital for us to be a people who exhibit works in our lives to be not those that sit back and think that things are
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And expect as in our culture as in our day that everything will be handed to us on a silver platter
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That everything will be cushy that everything will be easy The Word of God When God saves us, it's it's wonderful to be forgiven and to receive eternal life
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But nowhere in God's Word does it say that salvation ends with us? That's very important to understand.
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It doesn't end with us when God does a powerful work of salvation upon us
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It is accompanied by good works it is accompanied by a faith that that springs into action because God expects from us sacrifice and personal death and service and think of some of these words in the scripture agonizing and wrestling and running an
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Enslavement to him in love and ministry and labor and work To come forth from his children in a vibrant church and a functioning church
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That is getting things done when it comes to the furtherance of the gospel and equipping saints for the ministry
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That's the type of church that God is God's ordained passion And it should be our passion also now this brother who taught this class ask
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Some questions and he put down some principles and I'm going to give you a couple of them. First one is when you meet a believer
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Someone that you're talking to and you don't know what church they're from Don't ask them where they attend church
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And I thought this was very interesting to get a conversation going because anyone he said can come into a church building and occupy a seat
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That's easy But he said rather asked the brother or sister. Where do you serve
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God by serving others? Where is it that you serve God and what are you doing to minister to others one -to -one face -to -face in?
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Ministry and that will distinguish between the obedient and the disobedient second question or principle that he brought up was we must expand the
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Imagination of our hearts and when we're thinking properly about ministry when it comes to ministry
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That our goal ought to be the glory of the Lord and we might say that But do we live that way because sometimes we can do the things that we do to try to draw attention to ourselves
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Or even to draw attention to our church. It's great for us to minister It's great for us to have concerts and in institutes and seminars
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But not to toot our horn it ought to be so that people speak well of the
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Lord and he brought out the point and it Is very true in our day and age that Christians are obsessed with themselves totally obsessed with comfort totally obsessed with self gratification and church life
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Is a constant struggle and he put it He said is a constant struggle Between a three -eyed between us and a three -eyed creature and the three -eyed creature are three words that begins with I and it's isolation
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I don't need anyone. I can get along alone and it's wrong. It's wrong type It's a wrong thinking 1st
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Corinthians 12. You look there every part of the body is necessary Independence is the next one. I can handle it.
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I'm okay, but not we can't do anything without our Savior's power and grace In our lives in the last one it begins with I it doesn't start with the sound of I but into me
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Everything today is about being into me all about me revolving around me the universe I'm the center of the universe and no, it's not us who's to be at the center
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It's others and then the last point before I get into the the scriptures and it's a very convicting and challenging question
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We can ask ourselves and maybe when we're discipling others over the last three months
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Whose life in Christ is different because of your ministry?
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Over the last three months whose life is in Christ is different because of your ministry.
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Who have you? spiritually made an impression upon Who have you left your mark upon by sacrificial ministry and he kind of made a difference between service and ministry
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He was basically saying it's easy for some people even just to do something for someone just to stand at the door and hand out a track or to see or to hand out a a
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Bulletin in the church or to cook a meal for somebody and just kind of drop it off or to write a card but not really engage yourself or not really give of yourself as in first Thessalonians if you're there if you look in chapter 2 and in verse 8
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Paul said he was so affectionately desirous of the Thessalonians that he was willing to have imparted unto them.
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Not only the gospel but he said but also our very own souls because you were dear to us and It's and I said this morning and ambassador pastor
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Mike has said this in preaching It's one thing to to love to preach or to love to teach But it's a different thing to love those that you're preaching to or teaching or it's one thing to love to disciple other people
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But do you love the people that you disciple? Do you love those and do you pour your heart and your life into them in the in the pattern?
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for scripture is this that we are to be Sacrificial if the answer to that question whose life have you made a mark upon is nobody
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Then that believer Misunderstands the endpoint or the goal of God's redemption in Jesus Christ.
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We are not saved and Baptized and added to the church for it all to end with us.
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It's very clear I mean the pattern that pattern is foreign to scripture which teaches us that we are saved and then we are
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Inobedience because we are saved be baptized and we are added to the church and we become devoted servants and ministers in that local body
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It cannot end with us It must not end with us because if it does if we don't do that Which God has called us to do to be ambassadors for Christ to further the gospel, then it will end with us
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I mean if we if we think that way Humanly speaking but God of course spurs his people on graces his people to be those who would live differently and Be those that would share the gospel so that others would be saved and would be
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Brought up and edified in the church and equipped for ministry And so what I'd like to do is
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I'd like to show you some of these points in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 Just three quick points that I that I see that I think
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I could use here this evening That kind of bring out and kind of put a biblical illustration to the class that I attended firstly
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We're going to see that God marked out this these this group of people for salvation
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God Marked them out and we see that in 1st Thessalonians 1 and in verse 4
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Paul said after he introduced himself and and this this
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Salutation the beginning this greeting and then he says he gave thanks to God for them and he made mention of them in his prayers and in verse 4
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He says knowing brethren beloved your election of God or God's choice of you
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God had marked out this this group of people and it was evident in the fact that the
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Apostle Paul on his Second missionary journey Acts chapter 16 and 17 went to this area
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Macedonia went into Greece goes into this city preaches the gospel He's there as the scripture says in in Acts 17 3
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Sabbath days reasoning in the synagogue Some would say that he was only there just a short time
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Some would say well, he he may have only been there reasoning in the synagogue and then got booted out because of the
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Jewish Oppression coming down upon them and they left that he could have been there longer
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But either way he's here and he preaches the gospel and people are saved God marvelously does a work and a church is established, but God has an intent here
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God as our brother read tonight in the scripture 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 12
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I believe yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus That's the that is the intent of God for the people of God that we're going to live as new creatures in Christ Created in Christ as new creatures new creations old things are passed away behold
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All things are become new we're people who it has been ordained by God that we should should
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Be people who are people of good works Paul the writer in Titus chapter 3 verse 8
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Says this is a faithful saying in these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works
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It is absolutely clear in the scripture that when God marks a people out and God sets his love
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Upon a sinner and God by the working of the Holy Spirit draws them to himself
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They are chosen of God. They are forgiven. They are They have been revealed the
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Holy Spirit reveals to them their great need of a Savior because of their great sin and they become
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God's children they are saved that you will mark it out because because of that new life in Jesus Christ Their life will be changed and there will be fruit that comes out of that person's life
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It's just like a baby being born I don't know the last time that you've been around a newborn baby
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When when a woman gives birth to a child it is it is inevitable it is
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It is regular it is customary that that child is going to cry that that child is going to want to hunger for food and drink and and and Go after the bottle and reach and grab for things and as the baby begins to grow
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That because of the life that it has it begins to do things it begins to try to speak it walks
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It it has accidents And it begins to talk and then it grows and it crawls in it and then it begins to walk and then it begins to run
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And it grows up and it matures so too in the life of someone who is born of God It is a it is inevitable.
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It is it is commonplace. It is regular I mean, it's supernatural that God is doing this but we become a people who are marked out by God to be a people who will in their lives bring forth fruit a fruit of repentance fruit of righteousness a fruit of the
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Spirit got worked in by the Holy Spirit of God but when it comes to when it comes to Service, we will be a people who want to be associated with the people of God We want to fellowship with Christians will desire to join a local church
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We want to to roll up our sleeves and get busy when it comes to the things of God and we see this in this
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Group of people here at Thessalonica look in verse 3 Paul when he remembers them he doesn't remember the fact that they just came to Christ and they sat on a couch of ease and that it was just a
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Red rosy life and everything is just cushy And I know that I'm saved once saved always saved and nothing is going to come out of my life
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Notice what it what he says he remembers without ceasing Your work of faith your labor of love and patience of hope in our
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Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father a faith which is followed by works
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It is not a lazy faith or a fruitless faith But it is a faith
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That that works and shows itself in action It springs into action and he also says your your labor of love it is it is not a conditional love
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It is not something that's fickle, but it is shoe leveler. That is put that is
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Put to love it is action. It is doing something. It's not just saying. Oh, yeah, brother.
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I or sister. I love you But you love them enough to do something about it when you find that they're in great need
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It is you will impart yourself you will give yourself Paul you read over and over again that he is he is expended by ministry
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One of the brothers and I can't remember his name that he puts at the end of one of the the epistles
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He said he was nigh unto death because he poured out himself for other believers had a love for God He was going to show it by obedience.
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That's what that's what they did But a love for other people not only believers But we also have a love and a burden for those that are lost around us and will do something
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To bring the truth of the gospel which saved us to them and that's what we're going to see in this church was quite evident
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But he kind of categorizes in these In these three faith hope in love he also says that you have patience or you have an attitude or you have an attitude of endurance a hope that endures and Hangs in there even in the trying times that come to us and of course they were persecuted like any other church
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But they would not give up and they would not quit and they would not flow throw in the towel
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They they weren't they didn't have a hope that would cave in at any adversity, but they kept on keeping on And we see when
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God work was working in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure
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So we see first of all that God had marked them out, but then I want you to notice this secondly
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That others had made an impression upon them or others had made a mark upon them
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And we see that in verse 6 well in verse 5 Paul says our gospel came not unto you in word only
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But also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as you know what manner of men
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We were among you for your sake The powerful gospel came from the powerful
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God to save them powerfully from their awful condition that they were in and in so doing they were changed and they
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Became followers of those who had brought them the message.
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That's what it says here. You became followers of us They were third generation
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Christians It was Christ who brought the gospel Paul and the Apostles came after second and those that followed
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Paul Were these first generation Christians is a real church with believers here who when they looked at the
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Apostle Paul They just didn't say well this guy is this guy's an imposter this guy's a deceiver
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This guy's just coming in here because he's got some some you know Self need of to build himself up in pride or to get himself a group of following around him
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So we'll just take care of him for the rest of life and think he's the the greatest thing going But they had seen his sincerity
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They had seen his genuineness and you read that if you want to read the way that he went in amongst these people in chapter 2 like a nursing mother like a
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Like a gentle father like one who as he as we read in verse 8 he wanted to impart his own soul
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He labored day and night with him. He behaved himself in such a way that he was blameless and he was above reproach and God had so worked in the
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Apostles Paul's life to to do a work of transformation there that the gospel that he brought was something that was real to him and it changed him and they saw that and the fruit of That in his life and they looked at him and they said we're going to follow him as he's following Christ And he says you became
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Followers of us and as I shared in the Sunday school class this word here is mimic mimetase where we get our word mimic from they were mimickers of The Apostle Paul they were followers of the
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Apostle Paul they became Models they followed Paul because he was a model and he was an example, and I wonder if we ever look at our own lives and We think that we're setting forth an example in others as they come to faith as God saves them and they come into the church body and They're looking at the people who've been saved or members of the church for a period of time
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Are we considering that others are looking at us to mimic us to?
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Imitate us to walk and talk and to act in relationships and to deal with the different situations as We are are we living that type of life, and that's a challenging question for us
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We know what it's like when if you those of you have had children and you may have said something as a
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Parent or done something as a parent and you see the little one do the same thing
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And you go oh, I got to correct that because that was that was not right because they are watching and in the church
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People are watching other people younger Christians are watching the older Believers who've who
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God has has saved previous that maybe know and have gone in their journey longer And they're looking for help.
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They're looking for an example And it's good that they're looking in the church rather than outside the church, and it's important for us
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To be that type of people and then lastly I want you to see this Not only did
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God mock them out for salvation And then they there were others who had made an impression upon them that the church at Thessalonica That so much so that they wanted to imitate or to mimic them to follow them
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But then they Themselves became a great example notice this in verse 7
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So that you after you became followers of us and of the Lord of course
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They had heard Paul's teaching about the Lord Jesus how he was Doing the
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Father's will going about living a pure and a spotless and a holy life and all of this had been given to them
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And they also not only followed Paul, but they were following the example of Christ he says then they became examples and that Greek word is described as a
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Seal that you could use to mark on wax or a stamp that minted coins that's the word here and the word is in the in the
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Greek is Tupos and we get our English word type from it And it's kind of like a die or a stamp, and he says you
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Were examples to all that believe in Macedonia in a ki the area around Thessalonica and what
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Paul is saying here is that he is commending them for being model believers he is commending them for leaving their mark on other people and Brethren, we're leaving our mark on other people and it is either good and profitable and useful to them helpful edifying or Maybe if we're bitter maybe if we're if we're out of tune with the
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Lord Maybe if we're we're entertaining sin or our fleshly appetites or we're just so focused on ourselves like I had spoken earlier is that the impression or the mark that we're leaving on others is tearing down is
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Separating is dividing we see Paul dealing with this and other churches like the church at Corinth Where they were just thinking about themselves and they were strife and there was envy and there was division in the church because of of their
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Desires and they wouldn't humble themselves But they lifted themselves up in pride and it caused problems that ought not to be the case among the people of God And I want to encourage you tonight
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For me for all of us here is that when we labor in the church
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And it's necessary that we do so that we we give ourselves in ministry pouring ourselves out our thought ought to be
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Whose life am I going to make a difference in? And you know, it doesn't take much
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It ought to go beyond giving the cup of water and the cup of water is good and the card and the meal but you know when someone has a need to be able to just sit down or stand stand up and look them in the eye and When they say or maybe you might ask the question, how are you doing be ready?
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to help when you get the answer to the question Because the question the answer that question might come back and it might be
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I am absolutely miserable. I Just can't go on today. I'm depressed
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I'm without I'm grieving. I'm sorrowful. I don't know what to do next and What we can do is we can then begin to feel ourselves backing off.
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I didn't mean to get into this but know what we ought to do is step forward and and exhibit labors of love and work of faith
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So that we desire as the Apostle as as the the writing in Jude the there is is that we ought to so labor to make a difference in the life of Those around us and it begins in the church
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Helping those who are in great need and the Apostle Paul here Not only says about them that they did this and they made us their mark on other people
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They did it in the church. No doubt and and locally in Thessalonica, but in Macedonia and Achaia Notice he says in verse 8 for from you sounded out the word of the
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Lord not only in Macedonia Achaia But into every place your faith Godward is spread abroad. They were evangelistic
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They sounded out the gospel that word in the Greek is they reverberated. It is a trumpet blast
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It was an echoing through the vales and the hills all around so to speak that the gospel went forth and they were so desirous that they loved people enough that they would make sure that the gospel got out and It did as the
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Lord had commissioned in Acts chapter 1 in verse 8 where it says that were to be witnesses both in Jerusalem in Judea and Samaria and then the uttermost parts of the earth and they did that locally in Thessalonica They preached the gospel and then in the area of Macedonia and Achaia That was national around where they were and then in every place internationally their faith
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Godwood was spread abroad and their desire was To be like a stamp to be like a die so that they could be a type they could be a model
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They could be example that somebody else could follow and their desire with all of their hearts was
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To make a difference in the life of someone else. So hopefully maybe this week you could you could think of that question
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Who is it in the last three months? Whose life is different because of me whose life has
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Had an impression or a stamp put upon it for Christ for the truth for the glory of God a mark has been put upon their life by our sacrificial ministry of going face to face and dealing with needs and speaking to people and really really
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Ministering going beyond just doing something that's superficial but but entering into that person's life so that we truly could make a difference to have and be known as people who have caring hands and calloused hearts
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It's about the Shepherds Conference is you have about four or five sermons every Sunday Every day every
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Saturday every Thursday and it's just one after another and by the time you digest the first one in comes the second
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And so I want you to get a taste of that tonight because here comes the second sermon This is like the preach -a -thon.
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So here we go. I have a 50 -minute sermon. We're gonna jam into 20 minutes. How's that sound?
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Even the little ones know how to laugh now about that just a quick introduction basically
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MacArthur's first message was why every self -respecting Calvinist is premillennial and He got in a lot of trouble for that The blog wars are going crazy.
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That is to say that John is wanting people to believe in a literal return of Christ literal thousand years and little
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Jerusalem, etc, etc, and everybody is wondering what's going on and why would John do that and I'm not here to answer any of those questions
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But I am here to answer this question if you know Jesus was going to come back in one week from tonight
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What would you do? What would you do one week? He's coming back
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If you were a pastor and you knew that in one week Jesus was coming back. What would you tell your congregation?
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We tell the unbelievers in your congregation repent. That's right. But what would you tell the Christians? I Know when my father went out of town for the week.
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It was free and Easy and by about Thursday night.
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My mom would say you know what Mike? Dad's coming home tomorrow night It's still tomorrow night then on Friday afternoon, she'd say dad's probably driving home from Tulsa right about now
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That room would be cleaned the dog would be combed and water the dog feed the dog.
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I mean it is a mad Scramble dad is coming home. Hurry up and get ready.
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And when it comes to eschatology We have people here that are pre mill. We have people that are on mill
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We have people here who are I don't think any post mill. We have people that don't even know what a mill is and So frankly,
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I don't really care where you come from theologically as long as you believe this
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Jesus is returning soon and it should affect the way you live Ethical eschatology in other words.
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We should have a doctrine of the end times so that it affects the way we live I watch all these blog wars on the internet everybody debating all these issues and and I want them to Do that it's fine
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But there is an ethical a moral component to the soon return of Christ if Jesus was coming back in one week
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I would tell you to do six things and I want to tell you those from Scripture tonight first Peter chapter 4
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Please first Peter chapter 4. Let me give you six end time imperatives. I think I haven't preached this here since 1999 before 2000 rolled around and we had the y2k fever remember that Someone was a seminary graduate and they came here and they said, you know pastor
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I'm so glad for your verse -by -verse teaching I'm a y2k expert and I'd like to do a conference at your church on y2k
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And I said, well that probably wouldn't work out. And so he left the church And I went someplace else to talk about how we don't have the technology to make pencils after y2k
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So anyway, here we go the world is ending What do you tell the people of God?
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Sell everything and sit up on the rooftop Lay back and let God Quit your job
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Be idle Here we have from Peter's lips inspired by the
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Spirit of God six exhortations So that we realize that if Jesus is coming back soon
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I believe in the eminent return of Christ that we should do something about it
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That we should respond and that's basically the Christian life. It's like singing And preaching the pastor preaches from God's Word.
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There's a response with the choral or a chorus There's a word of God spoken.
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There should be some kind of response and Peter is writing to these suffering Christians Accused by a
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Nero and the Romans they were hated and he says in first Peter chapter 4 verse 7
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I have to just skip pretty much the introduction for this 20 -minute message yet The end of all things is at hand first Peter for seven
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If we are a church that realizes the end of all things is at hand even now or in one week something will
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Spiral out of that that is holy living and then he says therefore enlist six things that we should be busy doing and again
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Whatever you believe the leadership has a certain stance We are pre mill, but if you're not pre mill, you certainly will agree with me that holy living is at the core of End -times theology and so without a bunch of charts and graphs and a bunch of debates every well respecting and self -respecting
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Amil pre mill post mill pan mill will be or should be someone who believes in ethical end times ethical
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Eschatology and basically he says the end of all things is at hand. It's imminent. It's the end
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Romans 13 it says for now salvation is near to us then when we what? Believed and the shortness of time remaining not in my sermon
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But in life should motivate us to do these things and there are six and they just follow straight through I believe preaching should have not only the main point from the text
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But also the sub points and they're just right there And so the first duty that every Christian should remember in these last days
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Jesus calls last days very often that we're in now after the resurrection and ascension
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He says in first Peter chapter 4 verse 7. The first duty is you must have sound judgment.
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You must be of sound judgment 7a You need to use your mind in this kind of end times chaos the end of all things is hand therefore what be of sound judgment
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The words of sound judgment mean to keep safe and the mind keep your mind safe guard your mind think properly
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This was in contrast to a demon controlled mind in Mark 5 Where here
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Jesus observed the man who had been demon possessed sitting down clothed and in his right mind
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We need to be right minded as it comes to thinking about the end of days The world would say you need to be tolerant
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Peter would say be biblical the world would say be open -minded The world would continue to just trumpet that the
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Bible would say be closed minded in the old days And I've said this many times from this pulpit Someone would say well,
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I'm very open -minded Well, that's a virtue today, I'm open -minded you say to a
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Jew back in Bible days Oh, I'm open -minded and he would say we'll stop it be closed minded open -minded means you'll let anything come into your mind
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And you'll let anything go out You want to have a biblical grid so that you process all the information that comes into your mind.
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This is biblical Therefore it's true. That's not biblical. That's anti gospel, etc Etc and jettison the stuff that you don't want but keep the stuff locked in that is good and right
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You have to be good thinkers We have to take every thought captive as Paul says in 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 10 Examine everything carefully using our minds having an eternal perspective even
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Not only that if you see in verse 7 number 2 the second duty for Christians knowing that Jesus will be returning soon
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Not just sound judgment, but number 2 Sober spirit you must be of sober spirit and it's right there in the text be of sound mind and Sober spirit this here isn't an imperative.
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This is an imperative He says I want you to be clear -minded No, spiritually intoxication for you.
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No fuzzy thinking No relativism There are black and white truths be in full possession of your faculties
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Clear thinking about you clear thinking about your sin clear thinking about the Savior clear thinking about the return of Christ He says the same thing in first Peter 5 8 be of sober spirit and beyond the alert
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And he gives a reason why this should happen for what purpose for the purpose of prayer for the purpose of prayer
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This is a general term for prayer and it's plural private public all kinds of prayers
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Use your mind think clearly this so goes against go into your closet and just repeat chickamaka.
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Hilo I should have bought a Honda 5 ,000 times. You need to use your mind Should have bought a
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Honda is easy one The one that Kim was tried to somebody came to Kim and they were trying to get her to speak in tongues and they said
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Was that you? No. No, that was shaman a shaman a pop pop pop It was Jack MacArthur John's dad and he said this man grabbed me by the arm and said now you need to get the gift of tongues now you repeat after me
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Chickamaka. Hilo and I thought that's kind of a funny one chickamaka. Hilo I don't know where that comes from. But Jack MacArthur looked at this man and said number one don't touch me
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So anyway, that's a different sermon using our mind is what Paul's after and what's Peter after here in this particular passage
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Prayer with the mind for the purpose of prayer. We should be a praying people knowing that the world will end number three
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The first duty is sound judgment second duty is sober spirit third duty is you must keep fervent in your love for one another
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I'm not using alliteration. I'm trying to use the biblical words from the New American Standard sober judgment
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Sound judgment sober spirit fervent in your prayers. Do you see it in verse 8 above all? It's important Keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins
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If I wrote a list of six things you should do because the world's going to end so far. I'm 0 for 3.
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How about you? Seriously, wouldn't be great to just run up your credit cards get a $25 ,000 limit and you just run the thing up That's one of the things
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I'd love to do if I knew the end was gonna happen Wouldn't you I mean, I'm just trying to be honest.
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It wouldn't be right wouldn't be good But maybe all that debt that these people have on my expense and I'm gone would be would be helpful to help turn them to The Lord, but that would be another story
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But see I wouldn't come up with this list and the Bible is so counterintuitive
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We think of this this and this and we're very pragmatic and there's a flowchart But here you can imagine
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Peter Peter writing to people that are really struggling and to them It might be the last day that they're alive these are the kind of people
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Peter is writing to that some of their friends have been tarred and Impaled on a gibbet and lit for Nero pleasure and Nero's light for his parties where he would eat
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Flamingo tongues by the hundreds Kim and I got to go to that place. It's just amazing what
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Nero would do This is real -life stuff and Peter says I want you to keep Fervent in your love for one another a fervent means to be stretched
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It it is a runner or a weightlifter whose Muscles are stretched out to the maximum.
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He says I want you to stretch out It would be similar to me saying love
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God with all your heart soul mind and strength and love your neighbors yourself here He says stretch out your love strain
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Stoop it will cost you to love people at the very end Lots of times we don't get a reason for things
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In the Word of God, sometimes my kids ask me for a reason and I don't tell them but here it's helpful at times
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And he says because love what covers a multitude of sins Proverbs 10 love covers all transgression.
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It keeps on covering over and over and over We still are the body of Christ and we want to be faithful to the end
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I could ask you the question now when people sin against you. Are you quick to cover?
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We're in the end days. Oh, you don't realize who you did that to and how you did it It's been said love is blind.
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I Would say no love covers love covers a multitude of sins
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Show me a bitter person and I'll show you someone who needs by the grace of God to cover other people's sins more often
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I like FB Meyer. He said When we see a brother or sister in sin, there are two things we do not know first we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin and Second we do not know the powers of the forces that assailed him or her
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We also do not know what we would have done in those same circumstances
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People will sin against you people will sin against me We want to cover up those sins and put as I call it the sin
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Asbestos blanket upon them Christians forgive because we have a forgiving Savior Shortness of time should motivate us to live.
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I think I'm gonna make the sermon. Let's go number four Sound judgment sober spirit stretch out in your love for one another and number four show hospitality
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Can you imagine the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine. No, that's not a good pop song
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It's the end of the world as we know it and I've got some things to do it's time to be up and Adam and Here number four show hospitality.
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You see it in verse 9 be hospitable to one another without complaint Be hospitable without Complaint what a great need we have these days for being hospitable in local churches
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Dear Abby had a column and it said quote I am presently completing the second of a third year survey on the hospitality our lack of it in churches to date of the 195 churches
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I have visited I was spoken to in only one by someone other than the official greeter and That was to ask me to move my feet
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The world thinks hospitality is like poor Richards almanac and you know, well fish and visitors smell in three days
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Other people say hospitality is the art of making people want to stay without interfering with their departure
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Went over your head. That's okay. It's the end of the world Here though biblically the word means love of strangers
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Fill us where we get Philadelphia and seen us where we get stranger where you love strangers. I mean, it's easy to love one another
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It's easy to love each other here. But frankly in this text It's not if you invite somebody that you know it from church over to your house.
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You're showing hospitality That's good and wonderful and you're serving them but here is loving strangers
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Loving strangers and it's easy to grumble, especially with some of the some of the idiosyncratic behavior of strangers
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But here is hospitality without grumbling without murmuring You imagine those who are traveling and persecuted and here he says, you know what?
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We need to contribute to the needs of the Saints practicing hospitality Romans chapter 12 verse 13
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We need to pursue that and it's not just for ladies. Do you know it is an elder qualification to be what?
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hospitable Godly ladies must do it. Yes, first Timothy 5 if she's been if she's brought up children if she's shown hospitality to strangers
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That's true. We need to have open homes Traveling ministers
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Inviting strangers who would Be shown the love of Christ not being hospitable to fault not hospitable to false teachers.
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You say well, you know what? I'm not rich Clarendon said it's not the quantity of the meat but the cheerfulness of the guests which makes the feast
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Shakespeare said small cheer and great. Welcome make a merry feast. I don't know how to do this
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First Thessalonians 4 9 Dave probably talked about this this morning now as to the love of the brethren
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You have no need for anyone to write to you for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
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I Don't know if this qualifies biblically here for hospitality, but we've got those we have
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Chi and Annie here tonight No, they're not she and Annie have been coming in from Harvard and from MIT By the way,
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I didn't go to Harvard Law School and speak on Friday just because of the weather So that got canceled, but thank you for praying
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They said we'd love to stick around for Sunday night services But it's hard to go back all the way to Harvard and MIT, especially when you don't have a car so somebody the church has been bringing them and then how about you as a congregation me included just pick a time and the
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Makarov skis did that several weeks ago Let's just get anybody that wants to stay as they've been traveling farther and farther to just stay away at our homes open up our homes and So what the house is not that clean or you don't have the best food or whatever just it's the idea be wonderful It's the end of the world.
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We should be hospitable number five. We've got to hurry up verse 10 is found a
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Duty number five you must serve with your spiritual gifts use your spiritual gifts It's the end of the world as we know it use your spiritual gifts.
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That is just so wild It's so contra what I'd normally think as each one has received a special gift by God Sovereignly first Corinthians 12
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Employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Implying that if you have been given a gift as a
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Christian and you have and you don't employ it you are not a good what? You're not a good steward, but God you don't you don't understand
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I'm gonna graduate from school and then my ministry now is studying for school when I get out of school. That's when
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I'll minister The end times are near We've all been given spiritual gifts, and we're all to use them if we're
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Christians if you've received a gift Minister to one another and there are two categories of ministry that are now
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Existing speaking and serving and you find that in verse 11 whoever speaks let him speak as it were the utterances of God whoever serves
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Anything besides speaking let him do so as by the strength which
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God supplies So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever amen
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If Jesus was going to return in one week He would tell us through his apostolic messenger
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Peter There is going to be a return and I want you in the meantime to serve my bride
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It's one of the first things I do I'm gonna go to Shepherd's Conference. I'm going to India I'm gonna go to Germany and I'll say something like this to many of you this time
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I said it to Scott Walkton. Hey Scott by the way when I'm out of town Would you look after my?
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Bride Would you make sure that if there's some kind of snowstorm there certainly wouldn't be a snowstorm in the middle of March or anything like That but if there were some kind of weird thing going on Would you just take care of my wife and Janet's their home alone as well
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Would you take care of Janet when you go out of town you're concerned for the bride and here Jesus is going to return soon
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And here he says serve the bride He adds a great doxology so that in all things
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God may be glorified through Jesus Christ You want to give glory to God use your spiritual gifts?
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So I'm not that good at it. That's all right And lastly number six
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Suffer to the glory of God The last duty for Christians in these end times be of sound judgment sober spirit fervent and love show hospitality use your gifts and lastly
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Suffer to the glory of God mark ever preached a sermon at the Shepherd's Conference And he said pastors prepare for prison now
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He's talking about the homosexual agenda and other things and Peter basically says don't be surprised at trials at the fiery ordeal among you verse 12
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Which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you And then he goes on to say in first Peter chapter 4 13 and following there is going to be trouble and if you suffer for Christ Rejoice if you suffer for being stupid or sinful
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Don't And then he says in verse 17 for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God And if it begins with us first What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel if it is with difficulty that the righteous are saved?
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What will become of the godless man and of the sinner? Therefore those who also suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls
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This is just like what Christ did to a faithful creator in doing what is right
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Friends there is a short time between now and Christ return pre meal a meal or whatever meal you are
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I hope your study of eschatology Forces you to be a holy person if you know every fact about eschatology
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But you live an unholy life with no ministry. I have no respect for you
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I'll love you. I want to help you, but your study of end times no matter what the mill is pre meal
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Or I'm ill should force you to say I want to live more. Holy Studying eschatology should make you confident.