Serving for God's Glory: Part 1

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Serving for God's Glory: Part 2

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What a privilege and an honor it is to come to worship with you and to open up the
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Word of God. As Brother Keith has already said, we're not here to hear from men.
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We're here to hear from the Word of God and receive the Scriptures. The message is not from man, but from God.
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When the Scriptures speak, as Calvin said, God speaks. Scripture speaks,
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God speaks. Praise God. I'd like to speak to you about serving for God's glory.
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This will be a part one of a three -part series. Serving for God's glory.
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Serving for God's glory. So please turn with me to the book of 1 Peter chapter 4.
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We're back to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 4, we will be reading from verse 7 to verse 11.
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We'll not be able to get all this in in one. Matter of fact, it may be more than three parts.
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This is what we have before us is loaded up. What a wonderful privilege it is, amen, to come together this morning on this
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Lord's Day to hear God's Word. May we never take it for granted that we have this
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Word in our language. It is in our language this morning. Much blood has been spilled for that.
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Much blood. So hear the Word of the Living God, verse 7. The end of all things is near.
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Therefore be alert and sober -minded for prayer. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
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Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
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Verse 11, if anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God's words. And if anyone serves, let it be from the strength
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God provides so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything.
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To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever.
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Amen. May God bless His Word to our hearts this morning.
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Let's pray. Our Father, as Your Son, the
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Lord Jesus Christ taught the disciples to pray, the very first thing that should come out of our hearts, from our lips, should be,
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Hallowed be Thy Name. Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come,
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Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. So Father, here we have taught to pray to You, God, as coming before You in worship.
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And the first thing that should be upon our lips is, Hallowed be Thy Name.
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Our Father, Our Father. And then there's the kingdom and Your will.
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So Father, these things are paramount. And Lord, we thank You for Your Word this morning.
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We thank You that Your Word is eternal. And Lord, I pray that Your blessed Holy Spirit would help us,
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Lord, just not to understand these things that You have for us by intellectual insight, but Lord, that we would understand them spiritually.
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Spiritually. And Father, we need Your blessed Holy Spirit because only spiritual things can be spiritually discerned.
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So Father, may Your Spirit teach us, the Spirit of truth teach us the truth, who is
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Jesus Christ. Oh God, open our minds and may our hearts burn within us as Jesus spoke to the disciples on the road of Emmaus as He came behind them.
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And Father, we pray that Your Son would be magnified and glorified.
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And as we magnify and glorify Him, we magnify and glorify You. Father, sanctify us in this truth this morning.
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And I pray, oh God, may this truth burn within us. But more than that, Father, more than that, may we leave here changed.
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May we leave here different from the way we came.
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Better. Father, we praise You and we glorify You and we thank
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You that Your truth, Your truth sanctifies us. We pray, oh
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God, within this hour, may Your Word burn within our hearts.
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But may we be doers of the Word and just not hearers. By Your help and power, I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
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What should our lifestyle be in these last days in which we live in? These are the last days.
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The Apostle spoke this word by the Blessed Holy Spirit 2 ,000 years ago. 2 ,000 years ago.
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Last days. For the time is near. The time is at hand that Jesus is to come back.
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So what should our lifestyle be in these last days? How should our behavior be? How should we then live?
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What kind of behavior should the believer have in the last days?
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How should we live? Those questions seem so basic, don't they? They seem so simple.
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But it's so sad when you look about us today that we see people that have such knowledge of Scripture, but yet little lifestyle that backs it up.
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The old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Our lives speak.
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Our lives speak. So how should we then live? What kind of behavior should we have?
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These are the questions that the Apostle Peter answers for us in the text before us.
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This is going to be a series of admonitions here. That's introduced to us by this powerful statement and underscore everything that is said is coming from this one statement from verse 7.
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7 -8 The end of all things is near. The end of all things is near.
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The end of all things is near. Jesus Himself foretold that in the last days people as usual will be eating and drinking and marrying and giving in a marriage.
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People will be complacent. People will be doing the same thing as they do every day.
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Eating, drinking, and marrying. Working. Getting up. Going to work.
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Same old, same old. Matthew 24. Chapter 24.
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You don't have to turn. There has been an Olivet Discourse. Our Lord says in verse 36 -44.
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And you can turn there if you like. I think it would be good that we do read this together. And then
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Jesus said this. Now concerning that day and hour no one knows.
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Neither the angels of heaven nor the Son except the Father alone. As the days of Noah were so also the coming of the
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Son of Man will be. And then He says this. For in those days before the flood.
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He speaks about Noah's day now. Before the flood they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying and giving in a marriage.
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Until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn't know it.
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They did not know it until the flood came and swept them all away.
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This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. Jesus said. And He gives an illustration.
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That two men will be in the field. One will be taken. The other left. Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill.
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One will be taken and one will be left. And then the point
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Jesus makes is this. And it's exactly the point that Peter makes. And we need to keep this in mind.
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That everything the apostles is speaking. Is commentary on what
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Jesus taught. He says. Therefore be alert.
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There's the key word right there. Be alert. Since you don't know what day your Lord is coming.
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But know this. If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming.
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He would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. And this is why you are also to be ready.
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Because the Son of Man is coming in an hour. You do not expect. And there's the point that Jesus is making.
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That we are to be alert. We're to be watching. We're to be praying. We need to be ready.
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We need to be sober. We need to be ready. For the coming of the Son of God. To come in power and glory with all of His holy angels.
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Even though this world continues to do its thing. There is going to be coming a day on God's calendar.
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That when Jesus is going to come back. And call His people home. Praise God.
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Spurgeon said this. Perhaps you can imagine how eagerly the householder watches men.
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When he expects thieves. Every little sound alarms him.
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He thinks he hears someone at the door. Then he fancies it as someone at the window. But he's on the alert.
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With eyes and ears. And his whole being wide awake. So ought we to be with regard to the coming of the
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Lord. As watchful as we will know that Christ would come tonight.
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End quote. We need to be ready. We need to be ready.
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And I really believe we're living in a day when the church is in a stupor. I really believe that we're living in a day.
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That the church is sound asleep. And Jesus is going to come unawares.
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And take His rendement. The ones that are ready. Home to be with Him.
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And then everything will come to a final end. Oh beloved. Oh beloved.
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This should be on our heart constantly. This should be on our minds eye constantly.
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The coming of the Son of God. And power and glory. The Christians and the early church.
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If you read this in the book of Acts. Especially expected Jesus to return in their lifetime.
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They expected it. His imminent return. Romans 13 .12
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The Apostle Paul says the night is nearly over. The day is near. So let us discard.
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That means put off the deeds of the darkness. And put on the armor of light. And the fact that.
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He did not return in their lifetime. Does not invalidate.
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His promise that He will come. Because Jesus said I will come again.
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And everything that Jesus says is true and has happened. And when He says He's coming again.
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He's coming again. This is the message that we need to trumpet. We need to trumpet and tell people that Christ is coming.
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Repent and believe the gospel. Repent and believe the gospel. Turn with me very quickly to 2
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Peter. We're heading that direction aren't we? And I don't know. The Lord may come before we get there.
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But even so come Lord Jesus. That would be greater. But 2 Peter chapter 3.
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Notice with me 2 Peter chapter 3. And by the way 2 Peter is all about warning us against false teachers.
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And about the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Have you ever seen a day with so many false teachers?
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Hungry for money. Hungry, greedy, covetous. Serving God.
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For what they can get out of it. False teachers, hirelings. Everywhere.
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But the day of the Lord is coming beloved. Notice what it says in the apostle
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Peter. The same apostle. He says here in chapter 3. And let me read verse 1 to verse 12.
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Because we need to get the content of what is being said here. Because it ties in to today's message.
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Because in 1 Peter 4 verse 7 he says the end of all things is near.
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Now he carries that message out by the blessed Holy Spirit in 2
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Peter. But notice what he says in 2 Peter in chapter 3 verse 1. Dear friends, this is now the second letter
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I've written to you. And in both letters. Both letters. I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder.
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So that you recall the words previously spoken by the Holy Prophets. And the command of the
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Lord and Savior given through your apostles. Above all, be aware of this.
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Scoffers will come in the last days. There's the last days. Scoffing and following their own evil desires.
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Saying, where is His coming that He has promised? And ever since our ancestors fell asleep.
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All things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation. So that's what they're saying, right?
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But notice what he says in verse 5. They deliberately overlooked this. By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago.
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And the earth was brought about from water. And through water. And through this.
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Through these. The world of this time perished when it was flooded.
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And by the same word. The present heavens and the earth are stored up for fire.
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Being kept for the day of judgment. And the destruction of the young godly.
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Dear friends. Do not overlook this one fact. With the
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Lord one day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay
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His promise. Can we say that enough? God is not delaying
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His promise. God is not delaying
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His promise. Listen to that. The Lord does not delay
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His promise. As some understand delay. But is patient.
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God's patient. He's patient with you. Not desiring.
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Not wanting any to perish. But all to come to repentance. Then He goes on to say.
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But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Isn't that what
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Jesus said? That's what He's doing. He's echoing everything Jesus has said. And that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise.
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It's going to be a very loud day. And the elements will burn and be dissolved. And the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.
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And since all these things are to be dissolved in this way. It is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness.
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There it is. We're to be holy. We're to be separated from the world. We're to be godly.
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And as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming. Because of that day the heavens will be dissolved with fire.
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And the elements will melt with heat. But based on His promise. His promise.
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We wait for a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
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Now that's a mouthful. And let me say this is going to happen.
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It's going to come to pass. Peter spoke of it 2 ,000 years ago. And it does not invalidate that it's not going to happen even in our day.
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And I believe we're closer than we've ever been. I like what Ravenhill says.
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You know the hand is near midnight. The midnight call is coming.
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And he says the minute hand is about to strike midnight. That's how close we are. And we are close.
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Just look around us. Look at what's happening. I have never ever seen so much violence filling this earth.
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And that's the way it was in Noah's day. Violence filled the earth. It was a very violent, violent generation in society.
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And then God brought the judgment. The storm came. And it came unawares.
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A preacher of righteousness, Noah, preached to them for over 120 years as he was obeying
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God to prepare the ark against the storm that was about to come. And the storm came.
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And as you well know, the great record, the account of the great flood that flooded this entire earth.
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Not only did, if you read the scriptures, the water flood come out of the skies for 40 days and 40 nights, but water was literally bursting from the ocean floor, from the earth itself, and exploding and cracking this planet.
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Now, even people who are living in fear, they think a great asteroid is going to hit this earth. I was in the barbershop yesterday and they were talking about this.
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In the barbershop, in public, they say, yeah, there's an asteroid that's heading toward this earth. And they said the magnitude of it, if it hits the earth, it's going to be more powerful than hundreds of hydrogen bombs.
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And I sat there and I listened to my barber talk about this. And they were sharing.
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Actually, another lady came in and they were actually discussing this in seriousness.
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And I couldn't help, but I started speaking outward and just from my heart as I'm speaking to you right now.
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And I said, you know, these people say an asteroid is coming to this earth and actually, eventually, according to the book of Revelation, there is an asteroid that is going to hit this earth, that's going to devastate this earth.
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And I said, by the way, that's God's wrath that's going to happen. I said, people need to wake up.
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Not because the news people are saying it or the scientists are saying it, because the word of God says it. I said that.
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Not much was said afterwards, but that's okay. Said it in love?
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Revelation 22 .20, He who testifies about these things says, Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Jesus is coming soon.
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Even so come, Lord Jesus. That should be the heart cry of every Christian. And as Peter says in 2
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Peter 3, See, the end of all things is not that the earth...
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That doesn't mean that... A lot of people misinterpret Jesus says, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
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What He's talking about is passing from one state to another. God's got a purpose for this earth.
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But it's got to be burned up. It's got to be purified. God washed it and cleansed it on the first judgment in the flood.
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This next time when He comes back, there's going to be a finality to it, but He's going to purify it. And notice what it says.
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Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire. And the elements will melt with heat.
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An extreme heat. It's almost like God's going to take this earth and just put it into the oven.
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But based on His promise, we wait for a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
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And everything's going to be new. Now, there's a lot of different... The reason I mention this is there's a lot of different interpretations when it comes to verse 7a, that the end of all things is near, the consummation, what
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He's talking about. Let's first look at this. The consummation of all things.
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So Scripture makes it very abundantly clear that we are to be in everyday living in the light of the second coming of Jesus Christ with expectation.
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Expectancy. I believe that's the key word for us today. That's all we're going to be able to get to.
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And this is, you can actually say, an introduction to all everything else that's going to follow. We're going to look at prayer and sound judgment.
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But as much as I wanted to get to the rest of the admonitions of fervent love and so forth, we're not going to be able to get to it today.
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But what we have before us is enough. Believe me. This is enough to put a seal on it and to meditate on it and to chew on it because we need this before our eyes and our mind.
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We need to be reminded, don't we? We get so caught up in this world. We get so busy.
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And I'm speaking to myself as well. We get so caught up in doing our labors and those things are good.
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But even the good things can cloud us from what God wants us to see. The paramount truth is that Jesus Christ is coming back and we need to be expecting
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Him to come back at any moment. And the important thing is that we shall truly see the
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Lord face to face. One day. Very soon.
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And very soon, I say, we will all stand before Him and give an account to Him for the deeds we have done in this body.
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Even the Christian. People say, no, hold on. I didn't know that I had this waiting for me.
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I thought that my sins were forgiven. Our sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ.
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We will not stand in condemnation with the sins against us. That's washed.
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That's under the blood. But we're going to still give an account for our deeds that we've done as a believer.
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There's a book of remembrance and there's the book of life. The books will be open.
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And we're going to also be judged how we lived. We don't hear enough of this today, do we?
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We're going to be judged by how we live, beloved. And why we did the things we did.
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And the motives. And how we lived and how we served
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God from the day we were born again. And we'll determine how we are to be judged or rewarded on that great judgment day at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.
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Romans 14, verse 10. Paul says this, For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
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Listen to that. We will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Does that make you tremble?
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For it is written, he says, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.
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Verse 12, So then each of us will, will, not might, we will give an account of himself to God.
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Be careful how you live. Be careful how you think. Be careful how you pray.
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Be careful how you walk. Walk circumspectly. Serving the
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Lord. Glorifying God. Make sure that the body that God has given you, that you glorify
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God in your body. For you've been bought with a price. 2
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Corinthians 5, 10. Paul mentions it again. For we, he does not, if you notice the terms that he uses here, so then each of us, he's including himself.
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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether it be good or bad.
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So the Apostle Peter says, by the Holy Spirit, the end of all things is near.
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The end of all things is at hand. This is the message we need to hear, is it not? It's at hand.
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And by the way, the Greek word for the word end is never used in the New Testament as a chronological end.
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As if something simply stops. It's actually rather, it's a word that means consummation.
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It's consummation, it's a goal that's being achieved, it's a result that's going to be attained.
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Or a realization. God has a plan. God has a purpose. Everything that God does has a plan and a purpose.
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He orchestrates everything by his sovereign will and his power. God has a glorious goal.
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Aren't you glad? And we as Christians, aren't you glad that we know what that goal is?
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That goal is the glory of God. God's glory. Did you notice how
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Peter ends that part of this section?
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So that God may be glorified. Through who? Jesus Christ. In everything.
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To him be the glory. In everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever.
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Amen. He gives a benediction to it. So there's a consummation of all things.
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And he's calling believers. The apostle Peter here is calling believers to live obediently.
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And that's a key word here. And the expectancy of Jesus Christ to come in the light of his coming.
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We are to live holy. Conduct ourselves. Godly. Live obediently.
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To be obedient to the commands of Jesus Christ. And expectantly in the light of Christ's glorious return.
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The end of all things has had a hand. The end of all things is near. It is imminent in other words.
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It's imminent. And the attitudes the believer in Jesus Christ are to have in the end times.
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Are to be holy like unto Jesus Christ. Now we have already seen. As we've looked at this passage.
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In 1 Peter 4. That the Christian is to have the attitude of commitment. In verse 1 and 2.
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Let me read it again. Verse 1 and 2. Therefore since Christ suffered in the flesh. Arm yourselves also with the same understanding.
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Because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished with sin. And in the remaining time in the flesh.
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No longer. To live in the remaining time in the flesh. No longer for human desires.
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But for God's will. So there you have the commitment. The attitude of commitment.
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And then. He says. In verse 3 through 6.
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There's an attitude of wisdom. For there has already been enough time spent. In doing what the
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Gentiles choose to do. Carrying on an unrestrained behavior. Evil desires. Drunkenness. Orgies.
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Carousings. Lawless idolatry. And they are surprised that you don't join them in the same flood of wild living.
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And they slander you. That's one of the reasons. They persecute you. You don't join them.
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And they will give an account. To the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. Do you know how many times he speaks about the judgment?
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And then he says in verse 6. For this reason the gospel was also preached. To those who are now dead.
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So that although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards. They might live in the spirit according to God's standards.
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So there you have the attitude of wisdom. Do you have commitment? Do you have wisdom? Now today
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I'm going to just look at verse 7. And I like for us to look at sound judgment and serious prayer.
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There's no way. We could do a whole series on prayer. So much is said about prayer.
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But there's something that goes along with prayer. I think a lot of times we overlook. And it's being alert. It's being sober.
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It's being watchful. So look with me.
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In verse 7. Then Lord willing we will pick up the rest.
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And continue this next Lord's Day. Sound judgment and serious prayer.
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That's the admonition. Now there are several admonitions here. If you look closely the admonition.
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The first admonition. Or command. Is to be alert. And be sober minded for prayer.
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The second admonition is. Maintain constant love for one another.
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Fervent love. Depends on the translation you have. I like the word fervent personally.
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Because it means to be stretched to the limit. Fervent love for one another.
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Then he speaks about love covers a multitude of sins. And then the next one is be hospitable.
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That's the next admonition. Hospitable to one another. Without complaining.
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We are to do it with a giving heart. Without grumbling. Without complaining.
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To be thankful that we have this opportunity to serve. Just as Jesus served.
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Giving. And then he says. And just as each one has received a gift. Use it to serve others.
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As good stewards of the very manifold grace of God. So if anyone speaks.
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Let him speak as one who speaks God's word. And if anyone serves. Let it be from the strength God provides.
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So that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. See it's all about the glory of God. See the commands.
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And the main goal is God himself being glorified. Isn't that the way the
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Christians should live? That is the purpose that we live. Yes we are to live holy.
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We are to conduct ourselves wisely. To walk circumspectly. But even that.
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In living holy and godly. Is to glorify God. It's not about us.
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It's not that we may be someone great. Actually we should be someone lesser.
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As John the Baptist said. When Jesus came upon. And the transition of the ministry.
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John the Baptist said. Behold the Lamb of God. Who takes away the sin of the world. And then he says.
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I must decrease. He must increase. That should be the way we view our
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Christian life. We should always be decreasing. Jesus forever increasing.
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That's the admonition. So our admonition today. Let's look at this one. Sound judgment.
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And serious prayer. Sound judgment. And serious prayer. Each one of us.
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Needs this today. And I'm speaking to myself as well. I need to hear this.
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It's sobering. And I love admonitions. Don't you? I love warnings.
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Because behind the warnings. Is someone who cares about my soul.
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Behind the warnings. As hard as they are. As tough as they may be.
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And as convicting as they pierce my heart. I need this. I need this.
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Because my soul needs to be alert. And I don't want to be found asleep.
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And be in a casualty. And be in casual. And lukewarm. My fire for God needs to be burning.
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My first love needs to be everything. And be burning brightly in my heart.
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These are admonitions that are to be just not heard. But to be obeyed. Now beloved.
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I could preach this. Until Jesus comes. But if we're not obeying this. We'll fail in God.
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That's why James says. Just don't be hearers of the word. We must be doers of the word.
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We must put it into practice. Have you ever seen a day in your life. That people know more about scripture.
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And about the things of God. And yet they fail to obey. Now this doesn't mean that we have failings.
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We do have failings. We fail many times. But we need to have a heart direction.
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Toward the things of God and God himself. Oh may God help us.
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In this desperate hour. In living out this by the grace of God. And that's why we need the
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Holy Spirit. That's why we need to be filled with the Spirit. Because we cannot do this without our strength.
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We need the strength of God. We need the grace of God. I don't know about you. I need every means of grace possible.
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I like what you said brother Keith. I'm going to take all the means of grace I possibly can. Look around us today.
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People can't even go to church. We was coming here.
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From Kay Springs. On the Lord's Day. And the Rolator Park was packed folks.
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On a rainy day. Having some kind of event going on.
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On God's Day. Shows you where people's heart is. We have a nation that has forgotten
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God. We have a nation. And you read Psalms. I think it's 19 maybe.
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Not 19. That's what brother Keith brought out today. Psalm 9 I believe. The nations that forget God. Shall be turned into hell.
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Now that's a serious warning. But it's a truth. What's going to happen to a nation?
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God. God judges nations. Does that mean that God's not loving?
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No He's loving. I think God's very patient. Don't you? Or we'd have been already burned up.
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We'd already be dead. He allows us to live another day. We have breath today.
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Well beloved can I say that we are to obey these commands.
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These admonitions in the light of the second coming of Jesus Christ. With an attitude of expectancy.
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So the first one is this. It's clustered together with two. The end of all things is near.
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He said. And again. That is your foundation.
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That is the foundation of all these admonitions. Every admonition is to be lived in the light of Jesus' coming.
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With expectancy. And then He says this. The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert.
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Don't you love that word? Be alert. Be sober minded. For prayer.
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In other words. We are to use good judgment. Sound judgment. Scripture says.
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That God has not given us the spirit of fear. But of love. Of a sound mind.
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Discipline. A sound mind. Love. In other words.
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We are to have sound judgment. We are to stay calm. We are not to panic.
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When everybody else is panicking. Martin Lloyd Jones said that. Faith is not panicking.
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That's what faith is. It's not panicking. Stay calm.
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Stay focused. In order to pray effectively. How can we pray effectively if we are confused?
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If we are clouded? And by the way. Prayer. The word of God. What teaches us how to pray?
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The word of God. So how can we go to prayer unless we have the word of God open before us?
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This is so important. Because in order to pray effectively. And write according to God's will.
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We must pray according to what God says. And how do we know the directions?
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How do we know the instructions of righteousness? The word of God. The word of God is the compass.
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It is the director. It is everything. And how to pray.
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So if you want to know how to pray. Open the word of God. Like I already mentioned.
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Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. And if you break that down. Word by word.
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And piece by piece. And verse by verse. And concept by precept by precept. It's beautiful.
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Because everything there is the blueprint. And how to please God in prayer. So we are to have sound judgment.
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We are to pray effectively. Sound judgment. And sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
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That's what he says. It means to think biblically. It means to think biblically about and evaluating each situation in life.
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With wisdom that God gives. And that wisdom comes from fear in him.
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How we need wisdom. The wisdom of God. With wisdom in a mature manner.
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Correctly. Remaining calm. Under pressure.
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Under pressure. Sound judgment. Sober spirit.
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Means not that we are carried away by our emotions.
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We cannot allow our emotions to dictate our life. Our feelings.
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That's why we are to live by faith. Not by emotions. Now if I live by emotions.
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I'd be in serious trouble. Wouldn't you? Because some days I don't feel so saved. But I know
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I'm saved. I know I'm saved to the uttermost. But you know what I'm saying. Some days
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I wake up and I think. There's a wall. There's a cloud there. And I can't break through.
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And I say. Oh God, what's going on? But God hasn't gone anywhere.
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God hasn't moved. Scripture says for us to draw nigh to God. And he had drawn nigh to us.
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So God is God. God doesn't go by feelings and emotions.
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God is God. He goes by his word. Because he's faithful.
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Sound judgment. Sober spirit. Means that we're not carried away by our emotions and our passions and our feelings.
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Thus maintaining a proper eternal perspective. How can we get the eternal perspective?
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Beloved, I'm telling you. If ever there's a day that we need to keep our noses buried in this book.
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And we need to be in the word of God. And in prayer. It's today. And that's how we get the eternal perspective.
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Is in this book. The 66 books of the word of God. The dust saith the
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Lord. John MacArthur says this. The doctrine of the imminent return of Jesus Christ should not turn the
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Christian into a zealous fanatic. Who does nothing but wait for it to occur.
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Instead, it should lead the believer into a watchful pursuit of holiness.
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End quote. Now, what's that backed up with?
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He just got that out of the Bible. Go with me to chapter 2 of Titus.
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This is a very familiar verse. Passage, I should say. But if you go to Titus.
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It's right after 2 Timothy. Chapter 2. One of the very reasons
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I'm bringing this out. Because we're living in a day, beloved.
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Where people are taking the grace of God for license to sin. Have you not seen this?
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Just read the book of Jude. And you'll get the truth from that.
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Because we're living in a day that Jude says they are ungodly. For some people, they're designated for this judgment long ago.
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They come in by stealth. They are ungodly. Turning the grace of our
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God into sensuality. Licentiousness. Denying Jesus Christ as our only
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Master and Lord. Now, that's pretty much. There's a reason why the apostle Paul brings this out in chapter 2 of Titus.
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Because he's speaking about the grace of God. That God's grace teaches us how to live.
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God's grace teaches us how to live. Look at verse 11 to 15.
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For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people. Now, it doesn't mean that all people is going to be saved.
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It basically means all people are invited to hear it. That's the external call.
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So, you read that. The gospel comes. The good news is for all people, right?
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But only the elect, those that God has ordained to believe, will believe.
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And then he says this. God's grace has appeared bringing salvation for all people. Then in verse 12 he says,
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Instructing us, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, worldly desires.
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And to live in a sensible, there's the word sound judgment, sensible, righteous and godly way in the present age while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great
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God and Savior Jesus Christ, our glorious return. That is the blessed hope. That Jesus Christ is coming back again.
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And He gave Himself. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession eager to do good works.
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And then he says this. Proclaim these things in courage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
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And there you have in light of the second coming of Jesus Christ God's grace that has saved us.
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He teaches us by grace, by His favor that He's bestowed upon us that He instructs us to deny godliness and worldly lusts.
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Godlessness. Ungodliness.
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That's basically what it means. And worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, godly way in this present world.
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Now how much clearer can it be? I think that's ABC to me.
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And when I see this, that God's grace teaches us to live holy until Jesus comes back.
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We are to live like this in the light of Christ's coming. Sound judgment.
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Sober spirit. Now that basically speaks about the grace of God training the believer.
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Teaching the believer to live holy in the light. Back to Peter.
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Sober spirit. Sober in spirit. What does that mean?
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Describe someone who is mentally sound. Sound mind. Mentally alert.
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Watchful. Living in the light of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Watching and praying.
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Watching and praying. You can read the story. In Matthew 26.
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When the disciples went to sleep in the garden of Gethsemane. And Jesus prayed and wrestled all night and sweat.
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And His sweat became blood. Beloved, that's praying. We would never know prayer like that.
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He was on His face. And Jesus went a little further. And He fell on His face.
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And He was wrestling with the Father. And He was saying, this cup be taken from Me. He wrestled three times.
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Wrestling that He was going to drink of the Father's wrath. Because of our sins.
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And then He resolved. Nevertheless. Nevertheless, not
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My will but Thine will be done. And He drank that bitter cup. And in that bitter cup.
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Was the wrath of God. Jesus comes to the disciples.
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After resolving that. And fighting and wrestling and praying. In prayer.
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All night. Then He finds them sleeping. And I honestly believe
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He was grieved. That they could not even pray or watch with Him for one hour.
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The Scripture says. And then what does He do? He warns them.
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Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation.
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And then He says this. The Spirit is willing. But the flesh is weak.
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Only Jesus went a little further. Peter, James and John all fell asleep. At the greatest moment.
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God in the flesh. Jesus. The greatest moment in His life.
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As He was about to go to the cross. But really it was one right there in prayer.
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For Him to overcome and to endure the cross. And to endure all that He was about to take.
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Was settled in one. Right there. And it was given to us.
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As we look. He was literally sweating. And then profusely.
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And then His sweat became blood. And if Jesus Christ saw it important to pray in His life.
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How much more should we? Good night. Another occurrence of this phrase.
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Watch and pray. Is found earlier in Jesus' ministry. When He prophesied about the end times.
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In Luke chapter 21, 34. Details many events given. And Jesus warns again.
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He warns again. That they would happen suddenly. And He says this. Be careful.
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Your hearts will be weighed down. With carousing and drunkenness. And anxieties of this life.
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And that day will close on you. Suddenly like a trap. Doesn't that hit all of us?
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That hits me. Because we get so caught up. Into the anxieties of this life.
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And then God says. Listen to my Son. Hear ye Him. He says in verse 34.
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Be always on the watch and pray. That you may be able to escape all this.
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That is about to happen. That you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. What a word.
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Watch and pray. Watch and pray. The word translated watch.
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Let's look at that word watch. What does it mean? It means to have an alertness.
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Alertness. Of a guard at night. Now let's talk about that.
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In the most simplest way. A night watchman. Let's talk about the night watchman.
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Must be even more vigilant. Than a daytime guard. Have you ever thought of that?
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In the daytime. Danger can often be spotted. In a more clear way. And from a distance.
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But not at night. A night watchman. Night watchman.
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Notice Jesus speaks about the midnight hour. Not the midday hour. Midnight hour.
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In a time when people will not know. And they will be asleep.
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And in the night everything is different. Right? It's dark. Critters come out.
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Thieves come out. You notice at dark time. That's when all the mischief and evil.
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That's when it happens. Most of the time. You do have some now in broad daylight. But at night time.
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That's when it's the worst. So at night time. A night watchman.
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He must use his senses other than sight. To detect the danger that's coming.
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He is often alone in the darkness. And without defenses he would otherwise employ.
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There may be no indications of enemy attack. Until it happens. So he must be.
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Not only vigilant. But super vigilant. Because it's at night.
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Suspecting it or any moment. For any danger to come. This is the type of watching that Jesus is speaking about.
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Be vigilant. Watch at night. So basically Jesus is warning us.
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That we are too easily distracted. Isn't that the case? I'm too easily distracted.
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You're too easily distracted. There's plenty of distractions in this world. To keep us from prayer and the word of God.
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Even good things folks. And he speaks about the physical cares of this life.
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Don't let it weigh you down. Don't be caught unawares.
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If we do not continue to discipline ourselves. We will.
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So there is discipline in the Christian life. There's sanctification in the Christian life. We must discipline ourselves.
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We must do this. Especially when we're alone. I'm telling you because the flesh is weak.
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Isn't it? It's too easy to enter into a temptation. And to fail God. Oh you can recover from it.
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But I'm telling you. That recovery sometimes is a very hard recovery. But God has plenty of grace that's greater than all our sin.
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Praise God. And he's willing to restore us. Amen. He's a restoring
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God. Our biggest problem is the world, the flesh and the devil.
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And myself. Ourselves. That's the flesh. So you ever think about this.
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What about the opposite of being sober minded? The opposite. It means to be in a frenzy. It is to be in madness.
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Have you ever seen a frenzy mad world like this one we live in? Just get on the road. I'm on that road every day.
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On a milk truck I got people that are frenzy in a mad way. At good night I'm thinking people please.
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And I have to pray for sanctification. Lord help me to be patient. It's crazy.
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Isn't it? It's the Greek word. You know what the Greek word means? Frenzy, madness, mania.
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Isn't that it? Mania. Mania. Have you noticed that's a word that's come into our
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English vocabulary via psychology? Yeah. We get it.
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But if we're sober minded. If we be of a sound of mind. Sober minded.
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We will be alert. Watching and praying. And a word that is susceptible to wild mania thinking.
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The church must be sober minded. That's you and me.
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We must be sober minded. Especially in these last days. Watching to prayer.
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Watching to prayer. Be calm. Kenneth Weist, commentator, said this. Be calm and collected in spirit with a view to giving yourselves to prayer.
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That word watch once again carries with it the idea of alertness and self -control. Temperance.
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It's the opposite of being drunk. It's the opposite of being asleep. If you turn with me to 1
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Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians 5.
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Notice what he says in verse 6 and 8. Let me back up a little bit.
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Let me go back to verse 1. About the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters. You do not need anything to be written to you.
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For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say peace and security.
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Then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains on a pregnant woman. And they will not escape.
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But you. But you brothers and sisters are not in the dark for this day to surprise you like a thief.
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For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.
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So then let us not sleep. Let the rest. Let the rest.
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But like the rest. I'm sorry. But let us stay awake and be self -controlled.
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For those who sleep, sleep at night. And those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
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But since we belong to the day, let us be self -controlled. And put on the armor of faith and love and the helmet of hope and salvation.
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For God did not appoint us to wrath but obtained salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us.
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So that whether we are awake or asleep. We may live together with him. And therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.
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There's the word. Watch and pray. So the admonition had special meaning to the
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Apostle Peter. Because, well, he fell asleep, didn't he? Watch and pray.
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Watch and pray. Be on alert. Because you do not know the time your
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Lord is coming. Mark 14 .38. Again, stay awake and pray so that you will not enter into temptation.
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The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Ephesians 6 .18. Pray at all times in the spirit with every prayer and request.
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And stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Colossians 4 .2.
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Set your minds on things above, not on the earthly things. Simply basically means to be alert in our praying.
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And to be controlled so that we know what's going on. Beloved, there is no place in the
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Christian life for casual, lazy idleness. Apathy.
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We must be alert with an attitude and a spirit. A sober prayer.
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Like in Nehemiah's day in Nehemiah 4 .9. So we pray to our God and stationed and guarded because of them day and night.
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An expectancy, an attitude towards Christ's return involves a serious, a sound, balanced mind.
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And an alert, awake. Be ready. And the test of our commitment is our obedience to Jesus Christ, plain and simple.
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Obedience to His command. Obedience is everything, beloved. Be doers of the word and not just hearers.
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So, we need to be praying right. And then we'll be living right.
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Spurgeon said this, God's thoughts of you are many. Let not yours be few in return.
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Let me close with one application. I think it says everything. Go with me to Luke 18.
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I think this says everything. This is the parable of the persistent widow. And notice in the light of what
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Jesus is saying in this parable. That Jesus Christ is speaking about that.
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First of all, praying. Persevering. Now He told them a parable in the need of them to pray always and not to give up.
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Not to faint. Never to give up. Persevere, beloved. Beloved, persevere.
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Always to pray and not to give up. There was a judge on a certain town. Who didn't fear
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God or respect people. And a widow in that town kept coming to him saying, Give me justice against my adversary.
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And for a while he was unwilling. But later he said to himself, Even though I don't fear God or respect people.
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Yet because this widow keeps pestering me. I will give her justice.
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So that she doesn't wear me out. By her persistent coming. And then the
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Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says. Will not
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God grant justice? Will not God grant justice to His elect?
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To His elect? Who cry out to Him day and night? What a question.
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What a question. And I leave you with that question today. Will not God grant justice?
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To His elect? Who cry out to Him day and night? And that's our problem. We don't cry out to Him day and night enough.
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We need to be praying. We need to be sober spirited. We need to be watching and praying. And then
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He says, Will He delay helping them? God doesn't delay.
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He's always on time. We think He delays but He's not. And then
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He says this in verse 8. I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice.
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Nevertheless. Nevertheless. And here's another question.
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When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? When He comes back, and what's
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He talking about? Will we be watching and praying? Will we be persevering?
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It comes down right to that, doesn't it? May God help us. And may
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God grace us to be so until He comes back. Let's pray. Father, we thank
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You for this time. Lord, this is a sobering message. This is a message that we all need.
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Lord, it's a message I need. Oh God, help us, I pray. Oh Father, I pray.
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Fill each and every one of Your people with Your Spirit. That Lord, that we will be spirit minded.
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Lord, that we'll be of a sound judgment. We'll be sober minded. Good judgment.
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Sound judgment. Be on alert. And when You do come back, we're not going to be caught off unawares.
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We're not going to be like about the virgins. The five virgins that did not have oil in their lamp.
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Oh God, keep us full of oil. Oh God, I pray.
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Give us oil in our lamp. Until You come back. Lord, I pray that we just do not leave this place just hearing this and not thinking serious about it.
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Lord, help us to put this into practice by Your help. Oh God, we must draw nearer to You than we've ever had before.
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Because the day of Your coming is coming soon. May we be ready.
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May we be sober. May we be watching and praying. Until Your Son comes back and the sound of the trumpet sounds.
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And then we will all be with the Lord. And Lord, then we will see You face to face.
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And we will give an answer and account to the deeds that we've done in our body. Oh God, that sobers me as I pray this.
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Lord, help us to live, walk circumspectly. Lord God, guard our minds. Guard our thoughts.
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Help us, oh God. In these ways, You've given us Your Word. And that is sufficient.
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That truth that You have given us is sufficient for us to live a godly life.
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For Your glory. And we praise You for this. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.