Marks of the End-Time Church — Denny Kenaston

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus this morning. I'd like to speak this morning on the marks of the end time church. And I guess I'd have to tell you for introduction Where the message came from.

The End-Time Church and the Burden Behind the Message

I got this message from the Lord when I was in Kenya in Africa in Kenya now Kenya is a little bit different than America as I view the country of Kenya and the Christians in Kenya and just the whole way that things work there.

I would say they're about 20 or 30 years behind us and that and by that I mean to the good. There are 20 or 30 years behind us to the good. But I do see the same thing happening in Kenya that has happened here in America.

So the message came forth out of a burden for the people of Kenya for the Christians in Kenya. But yet surely if it applies to them and they're 30 years behind us how much more does the message apply to us?

So thus came the message the marks of the end time church and the message came out of a burden. To enlighten the hearts of the people there and draw some clear lines in their minds about the way the church will be in the end times you see in Kenya.

They had a revival in 1953 there was a revival in Kenya. Yeah, I think it started in about 33 and it lasted till 53 or maybe all the way to 1960 they had a revival. I mean they had a real one that lasted and lasted and lasted it was called the East African Revival movement, that's what they called it and you can talk to the Christians in Kenya.

And they'll tell you about it, and they'll refer to it that way yes. So we remember the East African revival movement that they talk about it. They know of it. Well that revival ended I guess around 1960 it's hard to say when the revival ends because they usually Go very slowly in time, but this revival the history books say lasted between 30 and 40 years during that time there was a blending together of God's people and there's still a blending together there although Some of it shouldn't be there because you can see the Falling away taking place there in Kenya.

You can see it very clearly there are dead churches in Kenya. The Presbyterian churches they don't preach the gospel like they used to. But they used to preach it very clearly and powerful as much as 30 or 40 years ago.

The Anglican Church would be the same way, but now there's a falling away taking place there. And I was looking at the way that they were viewing all the rest of the Christians there in In Kenya, and that's where the burden came on my heart that maybe I should help these people to draw some lines in their minds About this church the end time church.

It was not hard to convince them that we are in the end times they know that. It's not hard to convince them that we are in the last days. But in Kenya, it's a little harder to convince them. That there's going to be an end time church.

That's going to be very different than quote the Christianity around them. And it's a little harder to convince them that there's going to be persecution come upon them because they live in much religious freedom and there's a Christianity has influenced the moral character of the country to such a point that even the lost people Live righteous lives compared to the way it is in America and even the heathen Governmental officials will will make laws and rules and regulations based on Christian principles.

We don't have any of that in America anymore. They don't do that, but in Kenya they do. Thus the marks of the end time church. You know Paul the Apostle Made this statement in 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and he made the statement in his day speaking to the Christians in his day.

He said the ends of the world have come upon us. The end of the world has come upon us and if Paul could say that to the Corinthian church. How much more should we then say it in our day that the end of the world has come upon us?

And I'm not standing up here to this morning to make any predictions about any of that. That's not what I'm doing, but I would say it does seem like the end of the world has come upon us. Now the end of the age is a very unusual time.

Biblical Signs of the Last Days

We know just from the scriptures that iniquity shall abound. In the end times in the end of the age iniquity shall abound and the love of many will wax cold. We also find in the scriptures that in the day as it was in the days of Noah.

So shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. So these in the end of the age is an unusual time. We read in the scriptures also that in the end time at the latter time there'll be a falling away.

We read also in the scriptures that in the end time the spirit of Antichrist shall increase more and more deception will prevail in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 through 9. There's a there's a list of characteristics of what Evil men will be like but I may I say this this is not just talking about the worldly people out there.

God God was not warning us about the worldly people out there. They've been like that in 1st Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 through 9. They've been that way all along. But he's talking about Religious people who have a form of godliness.

But they deny the power of it and their lives are being lived out there. They name the name of Jesus. Then they'll say they're Christians they say they believe God. They'll even say they believe the book.

But their lives will be filled with all kinds of evil things. You'll find them there in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 through 9. So the end of the age is an unusual time yet in the midst of all this there will be a church.

There will be a church. There will be a church that Jesus will rapture. There will be a church that eventually cries as one man even so come Lord Jesus. So in the midst of all these these mixed up things the iniquity the love of many waxing cold Days like the days of Noah the falling away the spirit of Antichrist.

There will be a church in the midst of all of that. And that's what I'd like to speak about this morning. The marks of that in time church. What will it be like in that day? We know it won't just all of a sudden be there.

I think it's safe to say that that this in time church is going to become the end time church. Gradually, it'll be a gradual thing. But I believe as the days continue to go on. It'll get clearer and clearer and clearer.

The end time church will be clear in the last days. There'll be no question in anybody's mind who has an open heart at all where the church is and where the church is not. Now it's not that way now we must say it gets very confusing.

Oh, I give my own testimony. I've grown within my heart sometimes trying to discern Where is and where isn't and what is the church and what is not the church? I've grown in my heart trying to discern where do you fellowship and where do you not fellowship and where the lines are drawn?

But I know as the days draw nigh the days when the coming of the Son of Son of God is. Then in that day, it won't be it won't be gray anymore. It will be clear. It'll be black and white. What will this end time church be like?

Will it be like the church at Ephesus? Will it be like the Church of the Laodiceans? What will it be like? Some some Bible teachers would say that the The seven churches there the last one is a picture of the church in the last day.

Well, it may be a picture of a false church, but it's not a picture of the real one in the last day. What will it be like? The scriptures would give some clear understanding on what the church is like and and I'd like to say this, too.

I don't plan to get real detailed. I don't feel like I have all the answers. I don't want to stand up here this morning and tell you I know just exactly what this in time church is going to be like. I'm not going to do that.

But I do believe there are some characteristics that we see in the scriptures that we can go by. They're clear guidelines for us and I Guess the motivation of the message for us this morning is that we just let there be a Cry come out of our hearts.

A Remnant Church Called Out of Apostasy

Oh Lord. I want to be in that number in that day so Marks of the end time church. First of all, the end time church will be a remnant church a Remnant church you sisters know what a remnant is. You go to the you go to the The fabric mark to buy some material and you know.

They have the material all rolled up on a big roll and I'm not sure how much is on there 50 yards or so of material on a roll and once they've cut off of that and cut off of that. Then there's just a little piece that is left.

That's a remnant and you can go in there and buy that for for less than what you buy the other material for. The word remnant means the piece that is cut off of another piece. That's what remnant means.

We find the principle of remnant all through the Bible but The word remnant means it the principle of remnant signifies the coming out. When we're speaking about the church and we're speaking about God's people this this end time church is going to made up be made up.

Of a lot of people who have come out of the so-called churches. There's no way you can get around it. The Scriptures clearly teach us That there will be a falling away and that falling away brothers and sisters that falling away is not going to be People falling away from a true church.

It's not going to be that way as I see it. No, the whole thing is going to fall away and then people will be coming out of that now. I believe they'll still be true churches even during that process. But as an overall it's going to be that there is a falling away and then people will be coming out of that.

Which is falling away and that will make a remnant. So if you feel like a remnant today, then that's why there's there's people around here in this room already. Who felt like a remnant already for three or four years as you wandered around?

There's some remnant out in Nebraska and there's some remnant down in Mississippi and just about everywhere you go. You find people who feel like that. They feel like a remnant. They feel like they've been torn off of something and they don't quite know where they belong just yet.

And my heart goes out to people like that. People that are sincere people who who love God people want to do his will and and obey his word. But yet they find themselves Very confused because it's not clear yet.

It's not clear yet. It's a real struggle for them to to find their way out of where they're at and into where they need to be. But as the days go by it'll become clear and clear and clear but you know something I've noticed about this remnant and now I'm speaking about the scattered remnant and It works brother Mose.

It works like clockwork every time. You take a little piece of that remnant and drop them in the middle of a true church and they'll know where they belong. Just like that. They won't need to go home and pray about it anymore.

The reason why they struggle now is because they're out in the middle of the world out there and they have convictions upon their heart. But they look around them and they don't see it being lived out anywhere else.

But when you drop them down in the middle of a real church, they fit in right away. They know where they belong right away. They don't have any more fasting and praying to do. There's an answer of wisdom and an answer of the Spirit of God within their heart.

So this in time church is going to be made up of people just like that. People who are wandering people who were lonely people who were searching people who have been tried in the fire praise God. That'll make a strong church won't it?

A Church Shaken by God

So may I repeat it? I do not see a falling away from the church. But rather a church falling away in a remnant coming out of that and thus will be formed a remnant church. Number two a Church that has been shaken by God turn to Hebrews chapter 12 for some scriptures there Hebrews chapter 12 this this end time church will be a church that is shaken by God.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 26 through 29 to the end of the chapter there. Let's read 25 also so it makes more sense. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth.

Much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. Whose voice then shook the earth, but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven and this word yet once more.

Signified the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have.

Let us have grace whereby we may serve God. Acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire. So God is going to shake this in time church. This church is going to be made up of individuals who have been shaken.

This in time church is going to be a church that has been shaken because let's face it. We all know just Excuse me. We all know. From just sitting for the last two weeks and hearing all the messages that there's plenty of shaken that needs to be done yet in the life of this church.

There's plenty of shaken that needs to be done yet, and God is going to shake the church. Why what is God's motive for shaking the church? What is God's motive for shaking you? What is God's motive for shaking the world?

He's gonna shake the whole world. What is his motive his motive is found in verse 27 that those things which cannot be shaken may remain? That's why God is shaking the church. That's why God is shaking your life.

That's maybe how you feel this morning. I feel like I'm being shaken. I feel like God has a hold of me, and he's just shaking me and shaking me. It will amen if you feel that way praise God for that. You know why he's shaking you you've got some things that are loose on you.

And God knows that he shakes you. They'll fall and only the things that are going to remain will remain and God is shaking you for that reason. So let me encourage you this morning as Individuals if God has a hold of you, and he's shaking you then just let go of those things that he's shaking.

Sometimes we want to hold on to the very thing that God is trying to shake us loose from and you know what happens. You know how it is if you get a hold of something. For example you take a magnet and put it on something and try to shake that magnet off.

You won't shake it off real easy. Sometimes you have to shake it harder before the magnet falls off of the piece of metal again. That's the way it is with God. Oh. Let us be pliable in his hand so that when he does shake us.

Those things which are loose and need to fall to the ground will just fall. Don't hold on to him. He'll shake you harder yet. He will shake you harder yet. But we don't want to get too far on the individual.

I want to stay on the church this morning. God is going to shake the church also. And I think it's safe to say we have some shakings yet ahead of us as a Congregation we have some purifying yet to go through as a congregation.

Why why would God do that because God is changing? He's shaking the church so that verse 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved God wants the church to be a kingdom that cannot be moved.

That cannot be moved and As we look ahead and realize some of the things that we go down through the message some of the things that the church will go Through we can recognize right now. Yes. The Lord needs to shake the church.

So that it is a kingdom that cannot be moved in the midst of what is going to come on the church in the last Days, it needs to be a kingdom that cannot be moved. So God is in the process of shaking. As we've looked in the newspapers lately he's shaking ministries.

He's shaking preachers. He's shaking churches he's shaking families and He's shaking individuals. We live in a day when God is shaking Many things but this end time church will be one that's been shaken by God.

So if our heart does rise and say Oh Lord, we want to be in that number. We want to be part of that church. We want the the glorious privilege and the honor of being part of the church. That is going to go to the end time.

A Bride Made Ready for Christ

If we want to be part of that then we must say amen. Lord shake us. Shake us as a congregation. Number three revelation 19 marks of this end time church. She'll be a church that has made herself ready.

Revelation 19 and verse 6 revelation 19 and verse 6 and I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundering saying Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reign it let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him.

Why. For the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready and To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints.

And he saith unto me Right blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me these are the true sayings of God. The end time church will be a church that has made herself ready For the coming bridegroom over to chapter 21 same book revelation 21 verse 9 through 11 and These verses I don't claim to understand all what it means, but I know it makes my heart flip-flop when I read it I guess that's what it's for.

Until we understand more clearly what it means many times. That's what Bible prophecy does it just makes your heart leap with joy. Revelation 21 verse 9 and there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues and Talked with me saying come hither and I will show thee the bride the Lamb's wife.

And He carried me away in the spirit to a grade and high mountain and showed me that great city the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God and her light was like unto this Unto a stone most precious even like a jasper stone clear as crystal and we're not going to read on there.

But if we read on we'd hear we'd read all the description of the heavenly city. What does that mean? I'm not sure what it all means. But I know that that heavenly city is the bride. And I know that the church is the bride and I know that the church will be the heavenly city.

But I don't know how all that will be worked out. But I know it makes my heart leap with joy, and I know it's something wonderful. And I know it's something far above what we can imagine even now. But let's remember this that church will be a church that has made herself Ready for the coming of the bridegroom.

Just like it is the only way I know to understand clearly or explain clearly what that means is to look back into the the Jewish wedding and realize how it was there and in the Jewish wedding when the when the the bridegroom came and Asked if he could be married to the young lady.

Then they were espoused to be married and that's exactly where we are at we are a spouse. We are in a spouse virgin to Christ. We're not married yet. We are not married. We're only espoused and after the end that that agreement of a spousal was made then the bridegroom went away.

He went back to his father's house. He went back to prepare a place for his bride where they could live together and have a happy life together. And while he was away preparing for that the bride she stayed at her own home.

And she prepared herself for the day when the bridegroom would come she had much preparation. She did sewing she made herself clothes to wear she probably made curtains and things for the house. And and she was putting up food, and she was preparing herself and preparing her.

Her her belonging so that when the bridegroom came to get her she'd be ready to meet him. And that's the picture that we see here in Revelation. Here's the marriage supper of the Lamb, and here's the bride and the bride is made herself ready.

There'll be no church caught up to be with Jesus that has not made herself ready. There will be none. I know that many people have a lot of ideas about what all that means. And I'm not up here to say what all of it means today.

We've been hearing for two weeks what it means to make ourselves ready. But all I'm saying is this end time church will be a church that has made herself ready in Ephesians chapter 5 we get a little more insight into that.

Let's read over there for a minute. Ephesians 5 25. Husbands love your wives. Even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Why that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a Glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish now.

There's the church. There's the end time church right there. It's a church that has made herself ready. She's holy. She's without blemish. I'm not saying she's sinless. I'm saying she's holy. She's without blemish.

She has no spot. Her heart is prayer is prepared. Her heart is upright. Her heart is pure. Her heart is clean. She's made herself ready for the bridegroom to come and she's waiting and watching for that bridegroom.

You see going back to the Jewish wedding again. The bride didn't know exactly what day the bridegroom would come. She did not know that she needed to be ready. He didn't say I'll come on this day. He just said well, I'll come sometime around here.

And that's all she knew she had to be ready for him and she was watching for him. And I imagine there the last few days before the bridegroom came you could find that bride. Looking out of her window at night before she went to bed because the bridegroom always came at night.

Came at night and he'd gather together or some of his friends and they'd come with torches and and. And come to the house to get the bride so I can just imagine her each night as she went to bed is the days drew Night and she wondered well, will it be tonight?

She'd look out her window and and look out into the distance into the night and see what I see any little flickers of light. Out there. Do I hear any noise? Can I hear the the sound of the bridegroom coming?

No, no I don't know if it's tonight or not. And she'd lay her head down on her pillow that night with an expectancy in her heart and wonder will he come tonight for me? Will he come tonight? And there was a longing within her heart as she Longed for the bridegroom to come and get her and there was a peace and a satisfaction in her soul.

Because she knew that when she was ready for him to come and all of her garments were made ready and all the provisions were made. And she can lay her head down on that pillow again tonight. I hope it's tonight and in the next morning when she rose up again with this with the lighting of the day.

She'd think well, it wasn't last night. But maybe it'll be tonight and all through the day as she worked out through her day. She began to ponder. I wonder if it'll be tonight. I wonder if it'll be tonight and all I could just imagine the anticipation that was in her heart.

This is the anticipation that will be in the heart of the church. The other last days the church will be ready for the bridegroom to come prepared a prepared church praise the Lord fourthly. This end time church will be sound in doctrine.

Sound Doctrine and the Whole Counsel of Scripture

2nd Timothy chapter 4. And I guess we hear a lot about that about this very subject right here these days and not just from this pulpit but from many different sources as Periodicals come through my house a message from David Wilkerson and I got some other periodical the other day.

I'm not sure what the name of the man was. But you keep hearing this this tune is coming out clear. It seems that God is giving this very word to the church all over this country. Why. Because right now it's gray.

It's not black and white. There'll be a day when it's black and white. But right now it's gray and there are people in churches out there who are gray in their minds. And they're trying to find their way.

So the word keeps coming out through periodicals and through sermons that you hear the church of the end time will be sound in doctrine. She will have to be sound in doctrine and those words come ringing out into the heart of the remnant that Stagger and wander around in this country.

The church will be a sound in doctrine Church. And those people begin to study the Bible and they begin to search the scriptures and as they search the scriptures and look at the setting. That they're in they say it doesn't line up.

This doesn't make sense. It's not sound in doctrine here. They say they believe the Bible, but they don't live the Bible anymore. What is wrong? What is wrong? Now the message is coming clear. I believe out of the heart of God for those struggling saints all over this country so that they can be clarified in their mind and Find a place of peace and rest and know that they are going the right way that it is the Spirit of God.

That's telling them. This is the wrong place. You need to get out of here sound in doctrine. 2nd Timothy chapter 4. We should read from verse 1 through 4. I Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.

Timothy preach the word the instant in season out of season reprove rebuke. Exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. Why for the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine, but after their own lush shall they heap to themselves.

Teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. Now this is a warning that was given already to Timothy and if it's a warning to Timothy.

How much more of is it is it a warning to us? The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. The time has come when they do not endure sound doctrine. There will be those who will not endure sound doctrine.

But brothers and sisters there will be those who will endure sound doctrine. Paul didn't need to warn Timothy about that. He knew that that's assumed. There will be those who will endure sound doctrine in the last days.

There will be a church that will be clear that will be on that will be sound in doctrine. There will be sound in practice that will live holy lives. There will be a church like that. It'll be worldwide in the last days.

It won't just be in America. It'll be worldwide. Praise God. Sound doctrine is word doctrine. If you don't have word doctrine you have no sound doctrine. There are churches today who hardly know this book.

All they talk about is experience doctrine. Experience doctrine is not sound doctrine. Word doctrine is sound doctrine. Talk about their new revelations. We need to test our revelations with the book.

You know, I was looking at a little revival book about George Brunk's meetings and they had a big banner that went across the back of the Of the tent that said the whole gospel for the whole world. I Was pondering that a little while back and I thought to myself.

Well, you know, there's another one that goes right alongside of that the whole Bible for the whole world the whole Bible for the whole world. There will be a church in the last days that will live by this book.

This whole book will be for the whole world. It doesn't matter whether you're red or yellow black or white it doesn't matter whether you're a Chinaman or whether you're a Vietnamese or whether you're an African or whether you're an American.

This book is the book of God and it's sound in doctrine and this book. It will make anybody holy that will live by and believe it and I believe with all my heart. That anybody who opens their heart to God and to his word.

They're going to end up living by this book all the book and our and our our findings have been just exactly that. You can find yourself a bunch of people in in Africa and Romania and and in Russia and in China.

And all kinds of places around the world and you go there and sit down and talk to them and you'll find out there. There's a remnant church over there in Kenya, too. And there's a remnant church in Ghana, too.

And there's a remnant church over there in Russia. There's one in Romania and there will be one all over this world before we're done. How will you be able to tell this remnant church this remnant church will be sounding doctrine?

And I don't believe I don't believe that the remnant church will pick up will pick up our weapon and go to war with the Antichrist someday. I don't believe it. No way. It may be it may be now that you can find a Christian scattered here or there who will pick up a weapon and go to War, but the remnant church will not go to war because the last wars that will be fought will be fought under the direction of Antichrist, how can the church pick up arms and fight for the Antichrist?

But we are finding. We sit down with our brethren in Kenya. They don't believe in going to war. We sit down with our brethren in Ghana. They don't believe in going to war. God's people don't go to war.

We love we all we overcome evil with good. We don't go to war. There's a there's a church in Kenya in Kenya who had who suffered good during independence you see Kenya only has their independence for about 23 years and there was much persecution to the church in Kenya because they would not fight during independence and Their own people turned on them and persecuted them.

They were persecuted on both sides the British wanted them to fight Against the Nationals and they wouldn't fight and the Nationals wanted them to fight against the British and they wouldn't fight and they were Persecuted on both sides because they would not bear arms During that revolution that took place in Kenya 23 30 years ago.

But the church will be sound in doctrine. Didn't we just read there in Ephesians chapter 5 that is by the washing of the word that the bride will be made ready. That's how the bride will be made ready by the washing of the word.

So it's safe to say that the church which is the bride which has been made ready will be washed by this book. There will be an attack on the Word of God there already is. But it will become greater and greater.

We know that as we look into other countries The Word of God is a book that you have to hide when you're in Russia. The Word of God will become that in America someday. It'll be a book that you'll have to hide and Maybe that goes against your theology, but I just believe that America's got a rude awakening coming a rude awakening but The end time church will cling to this book.

They'll cling to the Bible. Let us fill our hearts and minds with this book this powerful word this life-changing word this life-washing Bible. Let us live out of God's Word in a clear way. That's the that'll be one of the clear signs of the end time church brothers and sisters.

It's because we live out of this Bible with a clean a clear way that when you drop a little piece of the remnant in The midst of the congregation they know they belong here right away. Why do they know they belong here?

It's because they sense a purity they sense a consecration and they can see with their eyes a bunch of people who are living out the Word of God. Let us never let us never water down the Bible. Let us never water the Bible down so much that you can't tell the difference between us in the world.

The way we look the way we talk where we go how we act. No. The church the end time church will be a church that is clearly distinctly different from the world. It's not the world getting more and more and more wicked all the time.