The Glory of God and the Souls of Men — Carter Conlon

Good morning, Times Square Church. This morning, I'd like to speak to you about the glory of God and the souls of men. If you turn to the your New Testament to the book of 1st Peter, please Chapter 4 and as you do that, we're going to pray together.

All of our visitors welcome this morning and I do hope you take time to attend the fellowship That's prepared for you after the service today. I think you'll be greatly blessed If you make the effort to do that.

Prayer for Strength and Spiritual Resolve

Now father, I thank you God with all my heart for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, I Thank you Lord that you've never called us To walk this Christian walk in our own strength. You've given us great promises and by these we become partakers of the very nature of Christ within us.

I Ask you God to deepen us today. Deepen this church. Deepen our resolve to walk with you deepen our understanding God of the days that we're living in. Give us a Heart to hear this word today. Give me the strength to deliver it.

I ask for this in Jesus name. Amen. The glory of God and The souls of men. 1st Peter chapter 4 beginning at verse 12 beloved. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. As though some strange thing happened to you.

But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed. You may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ happy, are you?

For the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part. He is evil spoken of but on your part. He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evildoer or as a busybody and other men's matters.

Yet if any suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf for the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God and If it first begin at us What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him and well-doing as unto a faithful creator.

Peter's Warning About Fiery Trials and Persecution

Now the Apostle Peter is writing in this Epistle to believers some of whom most likely had come to Christ under his preaching on the day of Pentecost. Now remember on the day of Pentecost there were people from all over the Regions of the known world to those people at that time.

They had gathered together in Jerusalem. You remember. They heard the early disciples in the upper room speaking with other tongues. They saw the glory of God upon them. Over 3 ,000 came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ that day.

Many of them of course returned to their own cities and towns rejoicing in the goodness of God. But there was an anti God sentiment at the time that Peter wrote arising in many of these places. It was not yet, but would soon be sanctioned By the government under the Emperor Nero in Rome.

Now Peter wrote this epistle approximately ad 62 60 to 63 somewhere in that vicinity. Under Emperor Nero in 8064 the Roman Empire began to collapse and when it began to collapse, of course, they'd be they blamed the Christians and An absolute bloodbath the government sanctioned bloodbath of the people of God was about to occur.

Now the Holy Spirit knew it and he wrote these words. Through the Apostle Peter to tell these believers you're going to come into a fiery trial. It's going to try you but it's not a strange thing. It's not something that has caught God unaware and it's not something that you shouldn't be aware of can happen at moments.

Throughout history and of course at the culmination at the end of time as we know it. There's going to be an insanity break out all over this world. There's going to be a persecution. There's going to be an anti God madness literally break out in the entire world as we know it.

Peter was telling the people it's not a strange thing when this fallen world rejects you you represent the very creator that they refuse to acknowledge and obey and Jesus told you that these things would happen.

Don't be shaken by these things. Seasons of trial will come and go. They have throughout the past now some people in the world. For me to be speaking these words this morning in various places throughout this world Islamic countries for example where Believers have come to Christ and are suffering greatly for their profession of faith.

This would be nothing strange to them. It would not be a futuristic message. It would be an absolute now message. They're living at this moment. I remember several years ago when word came to me that Pastors in Vietnam had their families and children taken away from them and many had been driven into the jungles where they were in hiding.

And they were being fed by local villagers. So under those conditions these words would not be some strange thing. Something that they didn't anticipate they would know that this is a reality. It has happened it is happening to other to believers in various parts of the world and one day I do believe it's going to break out all over the world.

There's going to be an anti God sentiment. You're feeling it now. I think many of you in the workplace. There's just something that's arising in people's hearts there's something of a scorning there's something of a Of a stirring in the heart to ultimately blame God for the mess that this world has gotten itself into.

The Coming Shaking of Heaven and Earth

Writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12 once more the Lord says I shake not the earth only but also heaven and This word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of the things that are made.

Now that means created. There's a not there's a one final shaking coming to this world, and I'm not sure That it's not going to be in my lifetime folks. There's a final shaking of Everything that can be shaken.

The world is going to spin out into distress nations nation upon nation people are going to be so afraid. They're going to start heading to their home countries looking for security in familiarity and in culture and such like things.

Nation will rise against nation. There be calamities and earthquakes and famines and pestilences break out all over the world. There be wars and rumors of wars. As mankind finally the cut the rebellion of mankind against God finally reaches a culmination.

All of this attempting to be as God that started in the hearts of men from the Garden of Eden and will Cultivate or culminate at a time when if Christ himself didn't intervene man would eventually destroy the entire planet that you and I live on today.

Everything that can be shaken will be shaken that means everything created and Not destined to be eternal leave this world itself is not an eternal Creation. This planet is going to be remade by the hand of God.

One day the very universe is going to be folded and Refashioned. There will be according to the scriptures and new heavens in the new earth but there is a time of shaking coming and Even many Believers will be shaken as it is out of a false sense of security.

People who found themselves in a religion that isn't that is not true or not quite true that is offering comfort without truth. That's offering protection and direction with without the commission or mandate of God behind it Will be shaken out of this false security.

The writer Hebrew says that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God Acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire.

If you are in Christ if Christ is in you you and I have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Everything around us could shake. Chile has seen that recently. Haiti has seen that just in the weeks before.

And only God knows will we go into a shaking similar? Maybe it may be not as physically shaking, but it might be a spiritual shaking the cultural shaking. We don't know what kind of a form it's going to take.

But I know one thing that I have the God of this universe living inside of my body if I'm a believer in Christ. And everything in this world can be shaken but the Christ within me sits at the right hand of all victory and all authority and The Christ in you and the Christ in me cannot be shaken.

Our God is a consuming fire. Everything that is unlike him will be put away one day. But everything that is like him will remain he will carry us. He will keep us he will the sacrifice of our lives that we present to him.

He will present that to his father as holy and Unblemished and fully accepted by God not only for time, but for all of eternity. The Prophet Jeremiah Speaks of a Physical place called Babylon now. Babylon in Scripture of course was a physical city a physical empire that had as its gold world dominance and succeeded in great measure in the past.

But it also represents a spiritual and political kingdom all the way through the scriptures remember in Revelation When the angel was flying through the heavens saying Babylon the great is fall and has fallen.

It represents a political system a spiritual system both politically arrogant and spiritually bankrupt. Attempting to chart its own course attempting to take this world over. Realistically, it's the fallen nature of man creating as his own Government creating his own religion trying to chart his own course ultimately trying to be as God.

Babylon, Human Rebellion, and the Last Days

Jeremiah describes the fall of Babylon and It's a it's a pitiful fall and it's a type of what's about to happen to this world that we're living in today. He speaks in chapter 51 Verse 54. He said there's a sound of a cry.

Folks, there's going to be a cry. There's a cry rising up. You can literally feel it. I don't know if if you're hearing what I'm hearing. I can feel this cry in the streets of New York City now. I Can see the anguish on people's faces.

If people did not think that other people would think they were insane they'd be yelling on the street corner right now. Shouting into the heavens. There's an inner cry. Is there peace somewhere? Is there security somewhere?

Is there safety somewhere? Is this world insane? Are we spinning out of control? What does it mean for my future? What about my education? What about my job? What about my family? What about my hopes that are in my heart?

There's a cry and Jeremiah spoke about that cry being in the physical city of Babylon. He spoke about waves sweeping over Babylon and is it possible that he saw in the spirit just waves as in Greece today.

For example as in Iran just waves of discontent people in the streets of the cities. Waves of people looking for somebody to blame waves of people running from block to block and corner to corner. Looking for for some way to express their anger at what this world has become.

Is it possible that Jeremiah saw this in the Babylon of our day? He saw weak sin sick leaders. Princes and leaders and governors that were just so drunk That there was no strength left in them anymore.

Have you noticed lately? Have you noticed so many leaders just falling like a decade like a house of cards lately so even those that have been champions as they expressed it over the years of Virtue and morality and the unspeakable things that they've been doing in private the whole time that they've been standing in On platforms and declaring that there's some new kind of morality.

Some new kind of virtue in society. Jeremiah just saw a weak sin sick leadership almost at every level. He also saw weary people. Jeremiah 51 58. The scripture says trying to put out all the fires. In other words trying to restore some kind of an order.

There are always a decent good hearted people whether they're Christian people or not or trying to make a difference. They're trying to do something to bring a sense of order back into society. But Jeremiah saw weariness on these people.

They were so tired. They were trying and trying and trying to do some good. But it seemed they were hitting obstacles at every at every turn. It was so difficult now everything had started to spin so out of control.

They didn't know how to bring about order anymore. Paul the Apostle tells us in 2nd Thessalonians that there's a weariness and a shaking in this world that will reach such a point in the last days. That people will consider submitting to a world leader who promises them peace and safety.

That's what the world is coming to. That's what the Bible says folks. This world is so going to spin out of control. It's so going to start to shake and it could happen in one hour. One hour Isaiah seems to indicate one hour Fearfulness.

He said I surprised the hypocrites. Ambassadors of peace are weeping bitterly in one hour. Everything starts to change as we have known it the world Gets so fearful that they start looking for a leader.

Realistically, they know they need God but are unwilling to submit to God so they will submit to a man Who ultimately will portray himself to be God. Man will come on the scene who portrays himself as a man of peace, but ultimately will exalt himself and and blaspheme God.

But then the scripture tells us that this day will not come. Except there come a falling away first. There'll be a great great falling away of the professing Church of Jesus Christ folks. You go into the verses of Scripture and just simply study it get yourself a commentary and study it for yourself and it is conclusive.

There will be a great falling away. Many many were in the house of God many professed to be Children of God sons and daughters of God. They had the they had the language. They had the Bibles. They had the clothing they had the right speech and.

But suddenly when all of this shaking begins They will be shaken. And they'll be shaken right out of the house of God. Whether or not they ever fully belonged there that would be up to God to determine that.

I don't really know. But I do know that Paul said there will come a falling away now. You can't fall away from somewhere. You haven't been. There'll be a turning from from at least some knowledge of God.

They perhaps had a knowledge of the cross perhaps had an understanding of redemption. I don't. I don't know but is it possible it never went very deep. Is it possible that they came to Christ under a false pretense a wrong understanding of God?

Never fully appreciating what it means to be part of the Church of Jesus Christ never understanding. Why you and I are left on this earth as a testimony of the reality of the Christ who went to a cross and now sits In eternal victory, is it possible that there are multitudes in the house of God for the wrong reason?

Jesus' Teaching About Hatred and Persecution

Let me show you why go to John chapter 15. I think the Lord has shown me why there's going to be this this falling away in The last days as we know them. John chapter 15 and Verse 18 now these are these are red letter words.

These are the words of Jesus right out of his mouth. He's speaking to his own disciples. Just before the cross. John chapter 15 verse 18. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.

If you were of this world, the world would love his own but because you're not of the world. But I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you the servant is not greater than his Lord if they have persecuted me.

They will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they'll also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake because they know not him that sent me. Chapter 16 verse 1.

These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he does God's service and These things will they do unto you because they have not known the father nor me.

But these things have I told you that when the time shall come you were you may remember that I told you of them and These things I said unto you at the beginning because I was with you. But now I go to my way to him that sent me and none of you asks me.

Where are you or whither goest thou now verse 6, but because I have said these things unto you sorrow Has filled your heart. I Think here's the here's the key to why there will be such a falling away.

Sorrow has filled your heart. Can you imagine the people the disciples sitting at that table and Suddenly Jesus is talking about seemingly being overcome. Taken to a cross he's talking about to his own disciples that you're going to suffer.

Some of you are going to be killed some of you are going to be put out of the professing religion of that day. You saw many of you are going to be hated because you are people of truth and you stand For the God of truth these things he said are coming your way.

Didn't Jesus say in the world in this world. You shall have tribulation. He also said woe unto you when all men speak well of you. Now I Can see if I was among these disciples sitting at the table now how many people were there who didn't sign up for this?

The Cost of Discipleship

I Can see people sitting there. Well, wait a minute now. I thought we're gonna go out and do miracles. I thought we're gonna multiply bread and fish and feed people. I thought we're gonna have ministries didn't where we send out two by two to cast out devils and heal the sick and and do all these wonderful things and This is going to do a lot of good for the world it's going to help us with our self-image.

And such like and now all of a sudden we're he's telling us that it's life is going to be hard. It's going to be difficult and he said because I've told you these things sorrow filled your heart. I wonder how many people in the church today just even hearing these words saying well, hey, I didn't come here for this.

But that's in your mind right now. You're feeling exactly the way the disciples felt at that table when Jesus was speaking to how didn't come here for this. I came here because I was hungry. I came here because I needed healing.

I came here because my father didn't love me and I needed a father figure. I came here. I came here for some reason, but I didn't come here to be hated. I didn't come here to be killed. I didn't come here to be cast out of the synagogue.

I didn't come here to be a partaker in Christ's sufferings. That's not the reason I came here and sorrow not just the loss of Christ. The miss the lack of understanding of where he was going but sorrow began to fill their hearts.

You imagine what's going to happen to the professing church when everything starts to unravel around people when people have sat in churches and the whole Gospel has been about how wonderful your future is going to be and how Marvelously rich you're going to be and what a destiny of power you're going to have.

How are you going to be at the top of your corporation and everything comes crashing down? You imagine the sorrow that starts filling people's hearts as people begin to say well, I didn't sign up for this.

I didn't I didn't come to church for this. I didn't come to church to lose my job. I didn't come to church to be hated. I didn't come to church to lose that promotion because I I'm not cooking the books and I'm speaking truth and honesty.

I didn't come for this and There are many many people in the last days Paul says they're going to fall away you know in them, it's you know, it's very hard to get people to join the military and peacetime and I've talked to some soldiers over the years and I found some of the stories very humorous.

Peacetime recruiters you see because there's no war going on in peacetime they have to create some incentive for the people to join and Some I'm not indicting the military, please don't understand me.

But some might be inclined to paint things a little rosier than they are. I remember I was speaking to one soldier and he said I in the recruitment center, they told me that I was going to see the world and Better myself and I said the only thing didn't tell me is that you see the world all right 10th class with somebody screaming at you all the way and they've neglected to let me know that you can't get killed if a war arises and I thought like I thought I was just gonna.

I thought I was just gonna be become a man or a woman. I thought I thought I thought I was gonna wear a nice sharp uniform. I thought my self-image was going to improve and of course I was offered four years of education after I got out.

And then suddenly a war breaks out. You imagine somebody in the army going up say always knocking on the CEO's door say excuse me, sir I didn't sign up for this. I Signed up for a uniform shiny shoes a four-year degree after I get out my Teamwork teamwork was a big thing.

We're gonna gonna learn to be part of a team here and I didn't sign up for any war to crawl through mud and to be beat up and shot at and lose friends. No, sir Imagine if the military would let people okay.

All right, we understand son go home then but that's exactly I believe the way It's gonna happen in the Church of Jesus Christ when things start to get really rough. People say well, I didn't I didn't.

I came here because I you know, I was told I'd get a better self-image. I I came here because it was all about being part of a team now I I joined because I was gonna learn things about God and life and my destiny and Nobody told me I was gonna get shot at and people gonna hate me and it was gonna be difficult and Society was going to turn against as Europe already has going to very much turn against God and the things of God.

Nobody nobody told me I might not get a promotion I might not even keep my job if I'm an honest Christian in the workplace I didn't sign up for this. Remember Jesus said because I've told you these things sorrow has filled your heart but yet there's a time of war too as well and When a country's at war and it's it's a it's a just war in a sense as much of an oxymoron as that may seem.

There are times even even Solomon says there's a time for peace and there's a time to fight. I Remember in World War two my father told me There was a madman overseas that was creating his own hell and he wanted the whole world to live in it By his rules.

It was really a hell. He was creating on earth and It was going to take away freedom. He's going to affect every family was going to affect governments and industry the entire future actually the known Western world Would be in jeopardy if this man were allowed to succeed.

I Remember my father telling me that Young men were lining up young women were lining up at recruitment centers to get in many of them got in underage. They wanted to fight because it was a just cause.

My father was stationed in England flew 26 Bombing runs over what was then enemy territory? He told me he said the the b -52 he was flying and crashed twice and Yet he would recover physically within a few days and be back on the next run going over again and I asked him about these things and he said you just had to do it because freedom was at stake our families the future.

The Church's Mission in Spiritual Warfare

You see these young men and women knew they were at war. I fear for this church age because I don't think we really know why we're on the earth that I don't think many of God's people Understand what this is about.

There's another madman. His name is Satan and he's created a hell. This is not just for time. It's for eternity and He's wanting the whole world to go there not just for a short season. But forever and as the Church of Jesus Christ you and I have been called to stand for what is right to stand for what?

Is true we're not coming in to this church. So we can have a better career and more gold in the bank and a greater destiny and shiny shoes. Oh folks, there's been such a dearth of understanding. We've lived in a church age that that's that's come under the influence of the peacetime recruiters.

That's all that many preachers are today. They're they're just simply peacetime recruiters. Standing in pulpits and they don't themselves don't understand the battle. So they're and they're creating these reasons why you should be part of the church.

Oh, do you you come with if we give you a swimming pool on the battleship? Will you come? If we provide a bowling alley, will you come and what what will it take for you to come and be part of this folks?

Do you understand that people are going to hell for all of eternity? Do you know that do you know that people in New York are going to die in their sins? If they don't know the gospel of Jesus Christ if you and I are not out there.

Willing to fight in the trenches of this society to see men women and children come home to God. Do you know they're going to die for an eternity? This is why we're on the earth. This is why God left us here as a church.

That's what it means to be part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Don't think it's strange, but trials have come your way. Don't look for a way out of these trials because some of them are not going to go away.

You're going to have to learn to walk through them in the glory and strength of Almighty God. You're going to have to trust God in the midst of your struggle. If all Christian people do is live to escape every trial tell me how is God ever going to be glorified?

Biblical Examples of Faithful Endurance

If the Hebrew boys had bent their knee when Nebuchadnezzar Stupid band played their tune before his statue. Could you imagine if they had bent their knee? The fourth man would never have been seen in the fire decrees would never have been made the glory of God would not have come.

Think about Daniel for a moment if Daniel had just said okay 30 days no big deal I'm being threatened on the job. If I'm caught praying I'm going to be thrown into a den of lies. Can you imagine if Daniel had caved in to this insanity?

How Poverty stricken we would be today. How how little of an example we would have of What God will do for those who make the choice to go through the hard places and trust him? Think about Joseph all that he had to go through just so God could put the provision of heaven into his hand for a starving world.

Think about David if he had come out of Minding those few sheep and had walked into the camp of Israel seen Goliath and said well. Well, he's a that guy's big all the best. Good luck to everybody. I hope hope somebody has the courage to fight this giant.

You imagine Paul if he had chosen not to suffer if he had stayed on the shores of some comfortable place And just pulled out his pen. I don't know if he's even allowed to write anything of the scriptures I dare say it would be a whole lot more shallow than what we have in the Word of God today.

I don't think he'd have the revelation. He got that revelation through suffering. He got that revelation through being Crawling out from under a pile of stones being taken into hostile arenas standing before kings and governors standing before Caesar himself being willing to be put in prison for the cause of Christ and Because of that Paul can say to us today.

Oh. That you could see what I see. That you could see the Christ of heaven sitting at the right hand of all authority and power and understand That he is the fullness the one who fills all in all he is the head.

We are the church. We are his body. That you can understand that the gates of hell cannot prevail Against the church of Jesus Christ. We're not in this for a picnic folks. We're in this for the glory of God and for the souls of men.

There's no other reason you and I are left on the earth. And if we can't accomplish either one of those it's time to get out of here and get to heaven now. But while we stay here, we fight for our sons.

We fight for our daughters. We fight for our families. John the Apostle was willing to endure suffering even in his old age and loneliness. But yet in the midst of that suffering and loneliness not running from it not appealing to mercy because he was an old man in the midst of that suffering and loneliness and the coldness the dampness of a terrible prison Jesus Christ came to him and the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ was open to him and because of it you and I Have a glimpse into heaven a glimpse into the future a glimpse into the glory of God.

And it was all done for you and for me. All these men and women of God in the scripture they ran the race they carried the torch they paid with blood. For what we have today. What insanity to think they paid all of that so I could just have a better destiny.

It's time to call this diabolical theology what it is. It's right from hell itself. Oh. You and I have been handed the torch. And I believe it's the last lap. I believe with all my heart I can see the finish line folks you and I've been handed the torch.

And the question is what will we do with it now? How will we run in this last generation? Will we fall away when times get tough or will we determine in our hearts now? For the glory of God and for the souls of men.

Standing Firm for God's Glory and the Souls of Men

God Empower me to finish this race. This cannot be finished and no amount of learning is going to get you through this. No amount of church attendance is going to do this for you. There's got to be something so deep done in your heart.

It's got to be something of God. That will cause you to stand when everyone else is running. That will cause you to have a song when everyone else is screaming that will cause you to be a voice for reason and a voice for Sanity and a voice for God in the midst of a multitude of opinions all of which are off track except for that which represents the mind of God.

It's time. It's time for the church to stop caving in in the workplace. It's time for young people in colleges to stand up for what you believe in. It's time for kids in high school. There was a young lady just recently saved in this church.

She did an oral report in her school. And she did an oral report on how sin kept me bound but Jesus Christ set me free from former lifestyles. It's time to stand folks it's time to stand. It's time for professionals to stand.

It's time to be a Christian. Don't think it's strange if the world doesn't love you for this. Don't think it's an unusual thing unless you've come to Christ under a message. That's telling you you should be loved and powerful and That every desire of your heart should be fulfilled in knowing Christ to save you if you've come under that peacetime.

Recruitment you're in for a terrible shock folks. We're at war. We're in a spiritual war for the souls of men. To see people brought to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is not a physical thing.

There's not something you fight with our hands or natural abilities. We fight it in the prayer closet. We fight it with a lifestyle of honesty and kindness. The fruit of God being evident and born in each one of our lives.

Isaiah's Vision of Harvest Amidst Judgment

Isaiah The Prophet. Let me just read it to you for time's sake in chapter 24. Saw something he saw our day. I believe in chapter 24 in verse 10. The city of confusion is broken down. Every house is shut up that no man may come in.

I think Isaiah saw a time of people hiding in their homes. Unable to go into the streets. There's a crying for wine in the streets. All joy is darkened. The mirth of the land is gone in. The city has left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction.

When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree and As the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice. They shall sing for the majesty of the Lord.