admin, Author at PastorLife https://pastorlife.com/author/3dm_p4st0r/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 03:07:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://pastorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/cropped-pastor-life-favicon-32x32.png admin, Author at PastorLife https://pastorlife.com/author/3dm_p4st0r/ 32 32 Signs at the Crucifixion https://pastorlife.com/signs-at-the-crucifixion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=signs-at-the-crucifixion https://pastorlife.com/signs-at-the-crucifixion/#respond Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:13:00 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=1051 Title: Signs at the Crucifixion Bible Book: Matthew 27 : 45-54 Author: Paul E. Brown Subject: Cross; Crucifixion; Jesus, Death […]

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Title: Signs at the Crucifixion

Bible Book: Matthew 27 : 45-54

Author: Paul E. Brown

Subject: Cross; Crucifixion; Jesus, Death of

Objective:

Introduction

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was of such profound significance that God called special attention to it by a series of miracles. These miracles--there were four of them--were signs. That is, the Lord sent them to convey to those present at the time, and to people of all future generations, certain powerful spiritual truths. So, let’s look at them together--these signs at the crucifixion--and as we do so, let’s pray that God will help us to grasp the truths being conveyed, and to apply those truths to our lives.

I. Darkness Over All The Land

The first miraculous occurrence is referred to in Matthew 27:45: “Now from the sixth hour there was DARKNESS OVER ALL THE LAND unto the ninth hour.”

Picture the scene. The Son of God has been nailed to the cross. The Roman soldiers, the priests, and the mob have now completed their foul deed in broad-open daylight. Then, suddenly a terrible, thick darkness engulfs the entire land. All of those present become fearful and confused. What was happening? Matthew tells us that it occurred at the sixth hour and continued until the ninth hour. The Jews counted 6:00 a.m. as the first hour, so that means that this strange darkness lasted from 12 noon, when the sun should have been at its zenith, until 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

This darkness could not have been caused by an eclipse, as some have supposed, for it was the time of the Jewish Passover, when the moon was full--and if it had been an eclipse, it would not have lasted even one entire hour. No, this darkness was definitely a result of God’s direct intervention. What was God saying--to them, and to us--by means of that supernatural darkness?

A. Darkness of the Deed Just Done

For one thing, it very likely was a reminder of THE DARKNESS OF THE DEED WHICH HAD JUST BEEN DONE. In the Scriptures, darkness often symbolized sinfulness. For example, in Ephesians 5:11 the apostle Paul said to his Christian friends in Ephesus, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” In John 3:19 Jesus said, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” So, by that three-hour darkness God was very likely reminding them and us of the shamefulness, the depravity of that terrible deed. Think of it! Sinful, finite men nailing the sinless, eternal Son of God to a cross. Surely that was the darkest crime ever committed.

B. Darkness of the Suffering of Jesus

But, in all likelihood, that unusual darkness also symbolized THE INTENSE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS. In the Bible, darkness sometimes symbolizes intense agony. The author of Psalm 88:6, crying out to God with a broken heart, said, “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.”

Jesus’ physical suffering must have been horrendous. Those who have studied the history of how crucifixions were carried out tell us that along with the indescribable pain there were cramps, dizziness, fever, and agonizing thirst. There was almost complete inability to move--and every attempt to gain any small relief for the aching, tormented muscles only brought about even sharper, more acute pain.

But as bad as the physical suffering was, his spiritual anguish must have been far worse, as he bore on that cross the sin of a lost and dying world--and the most horrible part of that spiritual suffering is pointed up in verse Matthew 27:46: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

As Arthur Pink pointed out, just the word “forsaken” is a tragic word. He recalled a time when he passed through a town which had been deserted by all its inhabitants--a forsaken city. What awful thoughts, Pink reminded us, are conjured up by the word, “forsaken”--a man forsaken of his friends, a wife forsaken by her husband, a child forsaken by its parents--but think of the frightening experience of being forsaken by Almighty God.

That’s what happened to Jesus as he hung there on the cross. It’s utterly beyond our comprehension. The great central reality in the life of Jesus was his fellowship with his heavenly Father. Even when he was despised and ridiculed, he could fall back for comfort and encouragement on his close fellowship with God the Father. As they put him through a mock trial, and Peter denied him and other forsook him, he still could be fortified and strengthened by the presence of the Father with him. But now, for those hours on the cross, for the first time ever that sweet fellowship was suspended, broken, taken away.

How could that be? We will never fathom it. It is beyond us. Clarence Cranford said, “It is like peering into a dark cavern whose depths we know to be there, but cannot see.” Martin Luther, the great reformer, tried to comprehend that cry of Jesus, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Luther isolated himself so he could give it his full attention. He fasted, prayed, and meditated. Finally he exclaimed, “God forsaking God? No man can understand that.”

And so we can’t. All we can know of it is that he did it for us, to pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. One part of that penalty is physical death, to be sure--but the primary part of sin’s penalty is spiritual death. Physical death is the separation of the soul, or spirit, from the body. Spiritual death is the separation of a person from God. That’s what sin does. God is holy and cannot and will not have to do with sin. In Habakkuk 1:13 the prophet said to the Lord, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity....” That’s why God the Father withdrew his presence from God the Son, because all of our sins had been laid on Jesus there on the cross.

Just think of it. Jesus never had one wrong thought, or spoke one wrong word, or committed a singe wrong act, nor did he ever neglect a single duty--yet every filthy thought you and I ever had, every ungodly word we ever spoke, every unholy thing we ever did, plus all of our sins of omission--all of that was laid on Jesus in one unfathomably tortuous bundle there on the cross. What he endured there is utterly beyond our comprehension--it’s beyond our frame of reference.

Isaiah 53:6 says that “the Lord hath laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all.” As Russell Bradley Jones said, “That statement staggers our minds. Think of gathering all the sin of humanity into one heap. What a seething mass of wickedness!” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 1 Peter 2:24 puts it like this: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree [in other words, on the cross--made of wood from a tree], that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed.”

A preacher was speaking to a group of men, trying to explain the crucifixion of Christ. He said to the men, “Now will one of you tell me, in your own words, what did the Lord Jesus do at the cross?” An elderly man, with tears in his eyes, looked up at the preacher and answered, “He swapped with me!” He had it right. That’s exactly what Jesus did--he swapped with you and me. You and I are the sinners. He was perfect. We are the ones who deserve to suffer the penalty of our sins. But he swapped with us.

As John MacArthur points out, one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith is that Jesus never sinned, yet he became sin for us in that he took upon himself all of the punishment that you and I and all the rest of mankind deserve for all of our sins. Even though he bore our sins, he never became a sinner.

C. Darkness of Judgment

But darkness in the Bible also sometimes symbolizes JUDGMENT. When Pharaoh refused to set the people of Israel free, one of the punishments that God sent upon Egypt is described in Exodus 10:22-23: “And moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

So, the three-hour darkness at the cross likely was intended also to symbolize THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD UPON THOSE WHO REJECT JESUS and his sacrificial death. In Matthew 22 Jesus told a parable about a king who gave a wedding feast. In verses 11-13 we read:

“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

In Jude 13, the inspired writer refers to unsaved persons as “wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” It is said that a well-known atheist named Hobbes cried out in his dying moments, “I am taking a fearful leap in the dark!” How terrible will be God’s judgement upon those who refuse, while in this present life, to turn to Jesus--darkness, for ever and ever!

Now let’s read verses 47-50:

“Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elijah. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”

Those verses contain profound and powerful truths, also--but we’ll confine ourselves in this message to four specific signs which occurred in connection with the crucifixion. We turn now to the second of those signs:

II. THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS RENT

In Matthew 27:51 we read, “And, behold, THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS RENT in twain from the top to the bottom....”

There were two veils in the temple at Jerusalem, the second of which is most likely referred to here. It was a thick, heavy, ornate veil, of huge dimensions, which hung over the entrance to the “most holy place.” The “most holy place,” or “holy of holies,” was the inmost room of the temple, and symbolized to the Israelites the presence of God. Once a year the high priest would go behind that great veil, into the “holy of holies,” to sprinkle blood on the ark of the covenant and make supplication for the sins of the people. All of this was, of course, highly symbolic. The huge veil shutting off the “holy of holies” symbolized the fact that man, because of his sin, is separated from the God, who is holy.

But as Jesus hung on the cross, a tremendous thing happened. It was the time of the evening sacrifice, and the priests were in the temple performing their assigned rituals. Suddenly, as they look on in amazement, the great veil covering the “holy of holies” is violently torn apart from top to bottom.

A. The Sacrificial System was Ended

For one thing, this no doubt symbolized the fact that the Old Testament sacrificial system, with the priesthood and all the attendant ceremonies, was ended.

B. The Way Opened to God

But that wasn’t all. This ripping apart of that huge veil also symbolized the fact that Jesus, by his death, opened the way for men to enter into the very presence of God. In Christ there is eternal salvation--forgiveness, cleansing, and continuing access to the Father. In Hebrews 10:19-20 we read: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.”

So then, no person need go on separated from God. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, his death being symbolized by the rending of the veil, the way to God is open to all who will repent and believe. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

III. EARTH QUAKE AND ROCKS RENT

But now let us turn to the third of the supernatural signs which were given as Jesus hung on the cross. In the last part of Matthew 27:51 we read: “...AND THE EARTH DID QUAKE, AND THE ROCKS RENT.”

Although earthquakes had no doubt occurred before in the land of the Jews, it is obvious that this particular earthquake was of a miraculous nature. That is evident because of the particular time at which it occurred, in connection with these other supernatural events.

Picture that scene. The darkness has come; the veil of the temple has been mysteriously rent by the hand of God; and now, as the soldiers and the mob stand there frozen in terror, the very earth beneath their feet begins to rumble and shake. What was God saying by means of this earthquake?

A. Symbol of God’s Anger

Sometimes in the Bible a quaking of the earth symbolized God’s ANGER, as in Psalm 18:7: “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.” Jeremiah 10:10: “But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” So, perhaps this earthquake which occurred while Jesus was on the cross was, for one thing, a reminder that sin angers God--and it was man’s sin, yours and mine, that sent Jesus to the cross.

Some folks have a distorted view of God. They think that love is his only characteristic and that his only response to our sins is to be sad. Well, it certainly is true that God loves us, and how thankful we are for that wonderful reality--and it is also true that sins breaks God’s great heart. But it is also true that sin stirs God’s wrath. The reason God gets angry at sin is because he loves people, and he knows that sin robs people of their potential. Sin tears down lives, breaks up homes, rips the foundations from under precious little children, ruins, destroys, and causes untold misery, so God gets angry at sin. Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 12:29 declares, “For our God is a consuming fire.”

B. God’s Presence and Power

At other times in the Bible God sent an earthquake to remind people of his PRESENCE and his POWER. We read of what happened prior to God giving the Ten Commandments, in Exodus 19:17-19:

“And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.”

Look at the effect that the earthquake had on some of those present: Matthew 27:54 says, “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”

One of the greatest demonstrations of God’s power ever to take place was accompanied by an earthquake. Fast forward to the third day after the crucifixion. Here’s what we read in Matthew 28:1-6:

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

In spite of man’s willful, malicious intents and actions, God was nevertheless in charge of what went on at Calvary. His presence and his power were clearly manifested.

IV. THE GRAVES WERE OPENED

Now we come to consider the fourth of this series of supernatural events--these signs--that took place in connection with the crucifixion. We read in Matthew 27:52-53, “AND THE GRAVES WERE OPENED; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

Apparently the graves were opened at the moment the earthquake occurred. Then, three days later, after Jesus had risen from the tomb, the bodies of certain saints arose from those opened graves and appeared to many people in Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.” “Saints” in the Bible simply refers to saved people. So, we’re told here that Jesus arose, and then the bodies of those saints were miraculously made alive, arose from those graves, and appeared unto many. What was God saying by means of this mysterious event?

Apparently this was a reminder to the world of Christ’s pledge regarding the future resurrection of all of God’s children. Jesus had previously said, according to John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”--in other words, Jesus was saying, “though he shall die, his body will one day be raised from the grave, miraculously transformed, and united again with his soul, and he will dwell with me in heaven for eternity.”

How wonderful is Christ’s promise of the resurrection for the Christian. For the unsaved, the resurrection will be a terrible thing; the body will be united again with the soul, only to suffer the pangs of hell forever. But for the Christian the resurrection will mean triumph, glory, and everlasting joy.

One of the greatest chemists of all time was a fine Christian man named Michael Faraday. One day one of his lab workers accidentally knocked a silver cup into a solution of acid. It was immediately dissolved, eaten up by the acid. The lab worker was terribly upset about the loss. But then Faraday came in. Realizing what had happened, the great chemist put a certain solution in the jar, and in a matter of moments every particle of silver was precipitated to the bottom. Then the shapeless mass was lifted out and sent to the silversmith--and shortly the cup was restored to its original shape, shining more brightly than ever.

Surely if human genius can do a thing like that, the Almighty God who created us can one day take our decomposed bodies from the dust and miraculously make them over again. How tremendous is the promise of the resurrection for the Christian. When that grand day comes to pass, every believer may then say, in Paul’s words as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:54, 57: “Death is swallowed up in victory....thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ invites you, even now, to come to him. Repent of your sins. Commit yourself to him in faith. Hear him as he says, in Revelation 22:17: “...whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Come now, and unashamedly take your stand for Jesus.

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]]> https://pastorlife.com/signs-at-the-crucifixion/feed/ 0 The Need of Steadfast Faith in Christ https://pastorlife.com/the-need-of-steadfast-faith-in-christ/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-need-of-steadfast-faith-in-christ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:59:00 +0000 https://pastorlife.com/?p=10996 Title: The Need of Steadfast Faith in Christ Bible Book: Colossians 2 : 4-8 Author: William R. Shively Subject: Faith; […]

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Title: The Need of Steadfast Faith in Christ

Bible Book: Colossians 2 : 4-8

Author: William R. Shively

Subject: Faith; Faithfulness

Objective:

INTRODUCTION

Colossians 2:4-8

Everyone has a worldview. The things we are taught help formulate our worldview. The world system seeks to indoctrinate us through art, music, education, entertainment, etc. As Christians, we need to have a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview sees the world through the truth of God’s Word. George Barna reports that currently fewer than 10% of born-again Christians hold to a biblical worldview. The public school system promotes a worldview contrary to God. Every movie or song reflects someone else’s worldview. They tell us what to believe and how to live. Someone has said, “When public schools rid themselves of biblical morality they lost their map through the moral minefield.” Abraham Lincoln said: “The philosophy of the classroom in this generation becomes the philosophy of the government in the next.”  This holds true to religious teachings. We are witnessing the aftermath of our effort to remove the true God from our midst and replace it with vain deceit of fallen man.

“In our era of profound prosperity, never has childhood been so filled with trauma and unhappiness. Until the 1950’s, deaths of young people were due to polio, tuberculosis, or other diseases. Now, with these diseases all but eradicated, children die from stress-related causes. Five thousand a year take their own lives and 10,000 die from accidents caused by substance abuse. Two million young people are alcoholics. A child’s existence is so filled with stress that there are 3.4 million significantly depressed children, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Half a million children and teens are taking antidepressants.”

I. WARNING TO THE CHRISTIAN

A. PERSUASIVENESS OF FALSE TEACHERS. (v. 4)

          1. Beguile. “to deceive by false reasoning, to lead astray”

          2. Enticing. “subtle and persuasive argument that sounds right”

Steve Muller, president of Johns Hopkins University said, “Universities are turning out highly skilled barbarians because we don’t provide a frame of values to young people who are more and more searching for it.”

Michael Novak in his summation of current history, concluded, “In the 20th century, prisons and torture chambers have often been better places to encounter God than universities.” 

Philosopher Ed Mill: “The existence of evil is the most notorious evidence against God.”

B. PHILOSOPHY OF FALSE TEACHERS. (v. 8) 

          1. Definition of philosophy. “means the love of wisdom.”

          2. Danger of philosophers. (v. 8a) 

               a. Beware. “keep a watchful eye, be on your guard”

               b. Spoil. “to take captive, to kidnap” 

               c. Vain deceit. “empty, devoid of truth, teachings void of biblical truth”

Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins: “There is at the bottom of it all, no good, no evil, no purpose, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.”

Paul Kurtz: The Humanist Manifesto 2000: “As humanists, we urge today, as in the past, that humans not look beyond themselves for salvation. We alone are responsible for our own destiny and the best we can do is muster our intelligence, courage, and compassion to realize our highest aspirations.”

           3. Description of philosophies.

                a. Tradition of men. “handing down of theories and opinions of men”

                b. Rudiments of the world. “elementary principles”

                c. Teaching is not after Christ. “contrary to the teaching  of Christ”

Phillips’ translation of this verse is helpful: “Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world, and disregards Christ!”

Ted Turner: “You will do a lot better at saving yourself than praying to somebody to save you. I think the savior is right here. With our current technology, we can save ourselves.”

John MacArthur: “To abandon biblical truth for empty philosophy is like returning to kindergarten after earning a doctorate.”

II. WALK OF THE CHRISTIAN

A. GROUNDED IN CHRIST. 

            1. Steadfastness of faith in Christ. (v. 5)

            2. Scriptural foundation in Christ. (v. 6, Christ Jesus the Lord, Col. 3:16)

            3. Sufficiency of Christ. (1:27-28; 2:9-10)

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (1:27-28)

B. GROWING IN CHRIST.

            a. Rooted in Christ. (v. 7; John 15:1-8)

            b. Built up in Christ.  (v. 7; Luke 6:47-49)

C. GRATITUDE TO CHRIST. “abounding therein with thanksgiving”
LESSONS FOR LIFE:

1. All teachings must be filtered through the truth of God’s World. (Col. 3:16-17; John 17:17)

2. Children need to be taught the Word of God so they can develop a biblical worldview.

3. College students must not be enticed by professors who undermine biblical truth.

4. We all must grow in Christ. We must seek Him fervently, believe in Him firmly, and live for Him faithfully. 

5. Education is important, but a steadfast faith in Christ is essential. 

6. A worldview without Jesus is empty and worthless. Jesus is our wisdom, our life, and our hope. (Col. 1:27)

The Beatles, John, Paul, George, and Ringo were all smiles on the poster from the ‘60s. Forty years later, photos of today’s rock groups (even the Christian groups) show faces of anger and discontent, even hatred. They reflect a culture that is no longer happy, that no longer wants to hold your hand but would rather blow you away.

William Brown is the president of  the Christian college of Cedarville University. “He tells of an informal chat with a group of Russian teachers while He was in Moscow. He had noted that everyone seemed to know I was American, even when he walked down the street.

“I asked, ‘How is it that people know I am not Russian?’ I knew it wasn’t my clothes. When I walked around town I wore jeans and a Chicago Bulls jersey, just like half of the Muscovites I saw.

‘Is it the way I walk?’

The teachers laughed. ‘No, it’s not the way you walk.’

‘Well what is it?’ I playfully demanded. They talked among themselves for quite some time. Then they became very somber. One of them spoke up.

‘It is your face,’ she said through the translator.

‘My face? What is so different about my face?’

They talked among themselves, nodding slowly. The teacher looked at me for a moment and then said softly, ‘You have hope.’” 

Someone said: “Faith and love find their truest expression only in the biblical reality of hope. Faith makes all things possible; love makes all things easy; but hope gives all things meaning.”

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]]> My Hope Is Jesus https://pastorlife.com/my-hope-is-jesus/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-hope-is-jesus Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:28:00 +0000 https://pastorlife.com/?p=10485 Title: My Hope Is Jesus Bible Book: 1 Timothy 1 : 1-2 Author: William R. Shively Subject: Hope; Jesus, our […]

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Title: My Hope Is Jesus

Bible Book: 1 Timothy 1 : 1-2

Author: William R. Shively

Subject: Hope; Jesus, our Hope; Faith; Hope in Father God

Objective:

Introduction

1 Timothy 1:1-2

A nation or an individual without God is also without hope. People in America are becoming more anxious about the future of the world. Is it any wonder when we continue to turn away from our Creator? How can the teachings of atheism and evolution offer any hope? They cannot for they have no message of hope! The gospel is a message of hope found in the Person of Jesus Christ, “who is our hope.”

In our English usage of “hope” is a desire or a feeling of that which we want to happen. The word “hope” in the Bible speaks of our confidence in God. Our confidence is based upon what the Lord has done for us in the past and what He will do in the future.

I. BASIS FOR OUR HOPE

A. OUR HOPE IS IN GOD OUR SAVIOR.

The title “God our Savior” appears only in the Pastoral Epistles. In the Old Testament God is the great deliverer, the source of salvation. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is spoken of as the Savior. It is correct to think of God the Father as our Savior for man’s salvation was planned by Him.

It was God the Father who “so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son.” (John 3:16)

It was God the Father who “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.” (Rom. 8:32)

It was God the Father who “commendeth His love toward us.” (Rom. 5:8)

It is God the Father “who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.” (Eph. 1:3)

B. OUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

While God the Father planned our salvation, it was the Lord Jesus Christ who came to earth to be the sacrificial Lamb. Jesus paid the debt of sin by taking the sinner’s punishment. Our only hope of getting to heaven is found in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is our hope for the present and for the future.

II. BLESSINGS FROM OUR HOPE

A. WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE (Rom. 8:24)

Sinners are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As saved sinners, we have hope (confidence) in the finished work of redemption by Christ on our behalf.

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” Romans 8:24

B.  WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE (1 Peter 1:3)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

We have a living hope for the Lord has given us life through the new birth. We have received the gift of eternal life. We now have hope beyond the grave.

C. WE HAVE A REJOICING HOPE (Rom. 5:2)

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:4

We have joy in our hope. Someday we will see the Lord of glory and we will share in His eternal glory.

D. WE HAVE A GLORIOUS HOPE (Col. 1:27)

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27

The Christ who lives within us is the reason we have “the hope of glory.” We belong to the Lord Jesus. We are as assured of heaven since Jesus is in heaven seated at the Father’s right hand.

E. WE HAVE A WITNESSING HOPE (1 Peter 3:15)

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15

Peter wrote to a people who were suffering for their faith in Christ Jesus. We have hope in the midst of suffering. We have hope of a better future because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Suffering may be our lot on earth but not in heaven. We have a witness to the lost when they see us going through troubles and trials with hope.

F. WE HAVE A PURIFYING HOPE (1 John 3:2-3)

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3

The risen Christ will someday come for His very own. We shall see Him in all His glory. He is coming for us. Since we have this hope in Christ, we want to be ready at His appearing.

G. WE HAVE A BLESSED HOPE (Titus 2:13)

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13

We are keeping our eyes on that eastern sky for we know our redemption draweth nigh. Jesus will make His glorious appearance soon.

H. WE HAVE A STEADFAST HOPE

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” Hebrews 6:19

Someone has said: “Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea, but in the highest heaven. It is fixed in the surest of all places—in the sanctuary of heaven itself.”

John Phillips: “Our hope is an anchor cast upward to the inner sanctuary of heaven, where it lays hold of Christ and cannot be moved.”

Anchors are used to keep ships from drifting with the tide. When we are saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, our souls are anchored to the rock of ages. We are anchored to the Lord Jesus Christ who keeps us from drifting.

I. WE HAVE A GOOD HOPE

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” 2 Thess. 2:16

In this verse, Paul listed the Lord Jesus Christ first and then God the Father. Paul emphasized the unity between the Father and the Son.

He prayed for the church of Thessalonica. In his prayer he reminded them of the love, encouragement, and comfort received from the Father and the Son. The good hope was given to us at the moment of our salvation through grace.

Grace ensures that you will never be disappointed because “He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6

LESSONS FOR LIFE

If you are a child of God, remember that you have hope even during your darkest day for your hope is Jesus.

The world has no hope to offer for it has no hope. We must give the message of the gospel to the hopeless masses without Christ.

According to Scripture, the person without Christ is without hope and without God. (Eph. 2:12) If you are without Christ, come to Him in repentance and faith. Jesus will save those who come to Him.

I was blessed by the personal testimony of Dean Mattern which was given at the Gideon’s meeting on Friday night. He told of his childhood and how his dad (a devoted atheist) said that there was no God. He shared how his father and mother divorced and how he became involved in street gangs. Dean became involved in all kinds of sins. He was addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex and other vices.  Dean was arrested numerous times and put in jail. He described his hopeless and seemingly useless life full of sin. Dean began to search for the meaning of life. He read books of various religions and was involved in several of them. Dean turned 21 in a jail cell in Alabama. He used the tobacco from other prisoner’s cigarettes butts to roll his own from whatever paper he could find to use. He was tearing pages from the book of Leviticus to roll his cigarettes when he started to read the Bible. Dean read the gospel of John over and over again. Dean became a believer in Jesus Christ the Savior his father had told him who did not exist. He would later become a preacher of the gospel. Today Dean lives his life just witnessing to people who need the gospel. The power of God’s Word saved this man from sin and hopelessness to a life filled with hope and purpose. He experienced like many of us that Jesus is our only hope.

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]]> The Lord of the Harvest https://pastorlife.com/the-lord-of-the-harvest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-lord-of-the-harvest https://pastorlife.com/the-lord-of-the-harvest/#respond Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:21:56 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=2150 Title: The Lord of the Harvest Bible Book: Matthew 9 : 35-38 Author: J. Mike Minnix Subject: Soul Winning; Witnessing; […]

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Title: The Lord of the Harvest

Bible Book: Matthew 9 : 35-38

Author: J. Mike Minnix

Subject: Soul Winning; Witnessing; Testimony; Harvest Time

Objective:

The Lord of the Harvest

J. Mike Minnix
Introduction

Matthew 9:35-38

"Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

One of the clearest illustrations used by our Lord to explain the condition of the lost, and the duty of the saved to share the means of being saved, is found in the analogy of a ripe harvest and the need for harvest workers. Since so few of us live on farms these days, we may not immediately catch the significance of this teaching. In the days of Jesus many people lived off the land and grew their own crops, so they understood clearly what Jesus was talking about.

Imagine with me a field of vegetables ready for picking, with the crop growing ripe. In that case, the vegetables must be picked immediately or they will be lost for good. Each vegetable is worth money to the farmer and he is anxious to get them picked and out to the market before they ruin. Now, imagine that he calls on his workers to go quickly into the field to gather the crop, but instead of moving out to reap the harvest, the fieldhands sit around waiting for their next meal or complaining about conditions on the farm. Needless to say, the farmer would be looking for new workers.

Now think of something far more critical. Consider the field in this passage as the souls of men and women who will perish if they are not brought to the saving grace of Christ in a timely manner. Christ is Lord of the field - of the harvest - and He knows that each soul is in danger of being ruined - being lost. The souls are ripe but must be harvested now. He calls on those who are the fieldhands - the members of His family - His Church - to go out and harvest the crop. What do the field hands do? Many of them sit around waiting for the Lord of the Harvest to bless them with more spiritual food. Some are complaining about things don't like on the farm (the church). All the while, the crop (the lost soul) is rotting in the field. The loss is great. The price is horrifying. The Lord of the Harvest is grieved beyond measure.

That is the picture we have before us in this passage. The owner of the field is God Himself. Jesus tells the disciples to plead with the Owner, the Lord of the Harvest, to thrust out workers into the fields before it is too late. Note with me three important points which I trust will cause us to become workers in the field of souls which are ripe for harvest.

I. The Passion in the Harvest Work

Jesus was and is filled with passion for souls. He said of Himself, "I came to seek and to save that which was lost." His passion took Him all the way to the cross of Calvary, where He laid down His life for the sins of the world. Note with me the visible signs of His passion.

A. The Eyes to See

First, He had the eyes to see the need. The Bible tells us that Jesus often lifted up His eyes and looked with compassion on the people as being sheep without a shepherd. Sadly, the eyes of His servants are often fixed on personal, selfish, and earthly things rather on that which is of interest of their Savior.

Christ had His eyes fixed on heavenly and eternal things. He saw the suffering caused by sin and cared about each person. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He still looks out into this world with eyes of love and desires that workers be thrust out into the field before the souls perish. He calls on us to lift up our eyes to see the harvest before us and to get busy about sharing the gospel with our generation.

And, don't say that it is a lot harder now to wintess and win souls than it was then. Jesus was crucified for sharing His message of grace and salvation. Every disciple of Jesus was put to death, with the exception of Judas, who committed suicide, and John, who was exciled and whose form of death is unknown to us. Paul, the writer of so much of our New Testament was put to death by the order of Nero in Rome. No one has ever threatened to kill me because of my witnesss. Sure, sharing your faith may not make you popular with some people, but your goal is to please the Lord. Jesus sees our lost world and cares for each soul, and He calls us to care as well - and to do something about it.

Not only does Jesus have eyes to see, but notice ...

B. The Heart to Feel

Jesus was moved with compassion in His heart for the lost in the world. This phrase "moved with compassion" means to feel deeply within about something and to be moved to do something concrete about those feelings.

When Jesus wept at Lazarus tomb, the people standing by said, "See how He loved Him." Yes, Jesus has a love that glows and shows.

We will never witness for Christ unless we are close enough to Jesus to feel as He feels and to care as He cares. When the human heart is fixed on pleasing self and getting things, there is little room for caring about those dying without Jesus. When we draw close to Christ, we will feel His heartbeat and sense His love for a lost world.

Now let me share something important with you in regard to seeing and feeling the lostness of our generation. In a world where the secular society has set the boundaries or lack thereof for moral behavior, it is easy for the Christian community to become negative and even hateful toward sinners. If we are not careful, we become like the Pharisees that Jesus confronted again and again in His ministry while on earth. Because of their self-righteousness, they cared little for those struggling in sin and dying unprepared to meet God. They set themselves up as judges rather than loving believers who were serving a loving God. Listen, dear people, our duty as Christians is not to make America or the world more moral but rather our calling from God is to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. We must see the lost souls of men and women through the eyes of Jesus - through the eyes of love and compassion.

And then notice ...

C. The Mind to Understand

The words "to see" in the text come from a Greek word meaning by implication "to know". Jesus did not just look at people, but rather He saw them through eyes of love. He did not just see what they were wearing or gaze at their station in life, but rather He looked within and saw their needs. He understood the condition they were in. He saw what sin was doing to their lives and what it meant to their eternity.

The word used to describe the "fainting" of the people living in sin speaks of their having been flayed, as if their skin had been torn. Jesus was not speaking of an outward appearance but of an inward pain. It was not the Law that hurt them, it was the sin they had committed that created the "fainting" within. In other words, the Law of God was like alcohol on an open wound. Rather than bringing relief, it created even more pain. The Pharisees poured on the alcohol, but it only brought agony and resentment from the sinful population. The open wound was still there. Jesus came to pour on grace, the Balm of Gilead, that heals the wounded soul. He came to heal and to forgive. He came to bring peace to the heart and healing to the soul.

  • We who are saved know that Jesus did not come to condemn us but rather He came to convert us.
  • He did not come to penalize us but rather He came to pardon us.
  • He did not come to forsake us but rather He came to forgive us.

Our minds often judge people by outward appearance. We can easily get caught up in climbing a social ladder or gaining our esteem from our home or income. There is nothing wrong with success in this world; however, success is dangerous if we lose sight of the hurting person right in front of us. No person ever became a harvest witness who didn't make up his or her MIND to do so. If we have the mind of Christ, we will determine to share our faith with others. Nothing makes us more like Jesus than seeking to help save that which is lost - to help bring those who are unsaved to the Savior.

But consider one more thing ...

D. The Will to Work

Why do we not take the harvest of souls seriously? We do not have the WILL to work in God's vineyard, that is our problem. A member of a church I pastored a number of years ago told me that he did not have the spiritual gift to be a witness. I shared that there is listed in the Bible the gift of evangelism, which every Christian does not possess. However, every Christian is to witness and work toward the harvest of souls, and can win souls to Christ. He just could not accept that fact, until one day he forced himself to show up at our visitation night. He went out to see a man who was lost - a man who would not even talk to me because I was a pastor. In fact that man had driven me off his porch one day when I tried to visit with him. But, that layman knew the man and he was able to talk to him. Amazingly, within a few months, the man many said would never be saved - the man with a hard heart - came to Jesus and was born again. The witness of a man who said he could never witness was the answer.

Listen to me, some of you who say you can never witness are the very ones God has chosen to speak with someone who is lost. Perhaps no one else can reach that person. You must have the faith and commitment to do what God asks you to do. It all begins when one person has the "will" to work in God's vineyard.

We've look at the Passion for the Harvest work, so let's look at ...

II. The People To Do The Harvest Work

A. The Believers To Do The Harvest Work

A strange story appears in Mark 5 regarding our Lord as He came to the coast of the Gadarenes and was confronted by a man possessed with a legion of demons. He cast the demons out of the man and into a herd of swine. The swine ran straight away over the side of the hill and into the water where they were drowned.

Two prayers were offered after the swine ran over the mountainside. First, the people who owned the swine came out of the nearby city and prayed for Jesus to leave their coast. They asked Him to depart. Strangely, Jesus answered their prayer with, "Yes." He departed.

The second prayer is amazing as well. The man who had been gloriously delivered and saved asked Jesus if he could go with Him and be near Him. Jesus refused his request by saying, "No." Strange isn't it? Jesus answered the prayers of the evil ones and denied the prayer of the delivered! Why?

Jesus did not deliver the poor demon possessed man just to make Him comfortable. He brought him out of the kingdom of the devil and put him in the Kingdom of Heaven. He meant to make the man useful. He knew that the delivered man could go back to his home and share what God had done. Imagine the testimony this man had wherever he went. He could tell of the awful nights among the tombs. He could relate the experience of shattering the chains which held him. He could show the scars where he had cut himself with stones. Then, with tears and joy, he could tell of the precious Lord Jesus who had come to him and delivered him out of his sorrow and madness. Somehow, I believe that this man must have told this story hundreds of times to crowds who listened with rapt attention. That, ladies and gentlemen, is just what we must do. We must tell what Jesus has done for us. Our story may not seem as dramatic, but our salvation was and is just as important.

You see, Jesus did not take the redeemed man with Him because He intended to send him out to be a witness. Could it be that Jesus has not called us to be with Him in heaven just yet because He has work for us to do right where we are? Sure! He has me here to serve Him and make Him known and the same is true for you. Are we doing that? Every believer has a story to tell of salvation and grace - of the joy we know in serving and living for Jesus - of the peace we have through His presence with us. Perhaps that is why we have two or three hours of public worship a week in His house but we spend the bulk of our week out in the everyday world. You see, it is out in the world where the mission field is and that is where He sends us to share our story of salvation with others.

Note also ...

B. The Bounty Within The Harvest Work

Jesus pointed out that the harvest was ripe and plentiful. The impact of Jesus' words relates that the harvest is far too vast for the few workers who are available. Jesus is calling for more workers because the harvest is so great. The harvest is greater today than ever before. There are more people around us without Christ now than ever before, yet in many of our churches we are baptizing less people each year. The harvest is growing, but sadly the harvesters are declining. There is a bountiful crop out there and we must get in the field and labor while it is yet day, for the night comes when none of us can work in this earthly field for Him again.

Now let me share something very important with you. We know that some people are atheist - that is, they do not believer there is a God. Then there are others who are agnostics - they simply admit that they do not know for sure if there is a God. Reaching an atheist or agnostic with the gospel of Jesus is our task, but there is a new group in our age that is even more troubling. The new group has been given the title, APATHEIST. That means they simply don't care one way or the other. They are apathetic regarding the existence of God. They feel that it doesn't matter one way or the other and it isn't worth their time to attempt to even consider the idea. This is the fastest growing group of non-believers in America and around the world today. As Christians, we must have Jesus so real in our lives that the apatheists will have to take note of it and consider the idea that there is a God and His Son is Jesus!

Also, consider ...

C. The Burden For The Harvest Work

One can almost hear the burden of our Lord as He looks out on the fields of human life and sees so few helping to bring them in. We must re-double our effort to reach the lost. We will usually become active and do whatever creates a burden within us. I heard a woman telling about her experience of seeing here husband after he came home from one of our middle east wars. He horribly wounded. He has lost an arm, a leg and one eye. Instead of seeing her life as now being burdened with caring for him everyday, she was moved with energy and love to do so. She never sees it as something she is "stuck" with but rather as a great opportunity to commit her love in an even greater way to her husband. God bless that dear wife - that precious woman. We need that when we see our broken and hurting world.

Without a burden, we will sit idly by and miss our opportunity. I have noticed that a report directly to a church from a missionary who has been in a place of difficult service will always increase offerings to missions. I wondered, how can I give you a report of the lostness of our age - a report that will move you to join the effort to witness and evangelize? It is easy - look at your morning newspaper. Just listen to the stories of suicide, murder, rape, theft, greed, hate, bitterness, drugs, abortion and a multitude of other actions and emotions plaguing our communities. Sometimes we can see these things in our own families. When we see these situations, we must not fall into the trap of criticizing the problems and the people, but rather we must determine that Jesus is the only answer for our times. We have that answer - the answer is Jesus! We must have the burden to take that message to our world.

We must look at ...

III. The Prayer For The Harvest Work

A. The Sovereign Of The Harvest

We need to understand that the harvest of souls does not belong to us; it is the Sovereign Lord who owns the fields. It is He who has sent us out into them. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so send I you." Jesus said, "All authority is given to me, in heaven and in earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Reaching out to people who need grace and forgiveness in Jesus is actually His Church doing His work. We are responsible to HIM. My duty is not to the lost but to the Sovereign Lord who saved me and calls me to serviced in the harvest field of human souls. No Christian has the right to be AWOL (absent without leave) in this great work. If we are obedient, we will be busy in this matter of witnessing for Him.

B. The Sending Into The Harvest

Thus, He sends us out into the fields. Note that the Great Commission is a command and not a suggestion. It is an obligation and not just an option. We are not encouraged to go, we are called to go.

A moment ago we looked at the demoniac who pleaded to go with Jesus and was sent home to share his witness. We noted that it is better and more honorable to go in His service than to simply sit near Jesus. Yet, in the Church Age we can do both. We can go for Him and be with Him. That is what He said. "Go and I will be with you."

I think this morning of the angels that were sent to Sodom and Gomorrah to warn Lot and his family. When Lot's family hesitated, the angels seized them by the hand and brought them out. We cannot make people come to Christ, but we can urge them. We can plead with them. We can help them along.

There could be someone here this morning that you know to be lost or someone who has never made public a decision for Christ. Perhaps during the invitation, you should gently but loving let them know that you are willing to walk forward with them when they are ready. That hand on the shoulder may be all that is needed to make the difference. Do you remember how frightened you were when you stepped out for Christ? It is a bit intimidating. A friend by one's side can help relieve that anxiety.

There could be someone here this morning who knows that another is praying for you but they are not present to urge you. It could be a praying mother that you remember. It could be a witnessing friend who has urged you to respond to Christ. As surely as a real hand would urge you, let their prayers and hopes call you to the altar today.

Yet another could be here who has the greatest urging of all. It could be that the Lord of glory has been calling you and you know that. You know it is His voice down in your heart. He is telling you that He died for you and rose from the dead for you. He is calling you because he cares for you and does not wish for you to perish. Listen to Him and obey. Come to Him today.

Conclusion

Pastor Billy Strayhorn tells about an experience he had several years ago: "I was standing in line at the grocery store. In front of me was a boy about eight or nine years old. He was looking over the display of candy bars. I remember thinking `Good choice!' When he picked a big old Baby Ruth and laid it on the counter. The cashier rang it up and told him how much is was. The boy reached in his pocket and pulled out a bunch of pennies, nickels, and a single dime and plopped them on the counter. The cashier gave him one of those looks and started counting. Then the chasier looked up and said, `You're 12 cents short. You need another 12 cents.' The boy's shoulders drooped, his face dropped, and he went from grin to groan in less than a second. "Just as the cashier started to tell the boy the put the candy bar back, I reached in my pocket and put 12 cents on the counter. The boy's face lit up like Christmas. He said,`Thanks, mister.' And he took off, but then he turned around and came back. "He held up the candy bar and asked, `Hey, mister, you wanna bite?' "I said, `No thanks, you eat it.' "Then he looked at me real careful, like he was studying me, and asked, `How come? How come you did that?' Before I could answer, he got a look of recognition on his face.`Oh, I know you, you're that preacher. Jesus made you do it, didn't He?' "What could I say but, `Yes, He did.' "Then he said, `I sure like Jesus, and I'm glad Jesus makes nice people like you. Bye.' Then he was gone.

"I don't know who touched whom more. I DO know that I've never gotten that much pleasure out a 12 cents before or since. I didn't do anything special, but with God's love and 12 cents I was able to touch a little boy's life and bring glory to God simply by obeying Christ's command to love our neighbors as ourselves." [Parables, Etc. Dec 1995. Page 1.]

There is a world out there that needs to know that Jesus is real. They need to know that Jesus makes people different. They need to know Jesus in a personal way. The harvest is plenteous, but the workers are few. Would you pray to the Lord of the harvest for workers to be sent? If you do, don't be surprised when he answers your prayer by thrusting you out into that ripe, ready, harvest!

There are some Christians here today who want to witness and you try occasionally, but you find it difficult. Remember this, you are not called to be successful but to be faithful. Why don't you just come forward this morning, bow here and renew your willingness to go to the field of harvest and work. He is calling workers. Can you hear Him? How many are listening? I pray many will listen this morning and will respond to Him by making a new, public commitment to be a harvest worker in the field of the world that is ripe for harvest.

Let us respond now! Each one, come as God calls you.

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]]> https://pastorlife.com/the-lord-of-the-harvest/feed/ 0 The Offense of the Cross – Lord’s Supper Sermon https://pastorlife.com/the-offense-of-the-cross-lords-supper-sermon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-offense-of-the-cross-lords-supper-sermon https://pastorlife.com/the-offense-of-the-cross-lords-supper-sermon/#respond Sun, 23 Feb 2025 19:08:39 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=2262 Title: The Offense of the Cross - Lord's Supper Sermon Bible Book: 1 Corinthians 1 : 18 Author: J. Mike […]

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Title: The Offense of the Cross - Lord's Supper Sermon

Bible Book: 1 Corinthians 1 : 18

Author: J. Mike Minnix

Subject: Cross; Cross, Offense of; Blood of Jesus; Lord's Supper

Objective:

The Offense of the Cross - The Lord's Supper

Dr. J. Mike Minnix
Introduction

Today we are going to remember our Lord through the Lord's Supper. This act of worship obeys our Lord and keeps our focus where it belongs - on the death of our Lord and the blood of the cross. Christians must never forget how they got to where they are today. It was not our good works wonderful personalities that brought us obtain salvation. Jesus paid for our entrance into God's family through the blood He shed at the cross. He is The Door! No one enters the kingdom of God through any means other than Jesus - the Door of Life. Lest we forget, let us consider His sacrifice for our sins as we receive the elements of the Lord's Supper this morning.

I Corinthians 1:18 reads:

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

A young reporter waxed dramatic many years ago about a coal mine cave-in. He wrote, "God looked at the grief in our town this week and he wept." The editor sent him a note saying, "Forget the cave-in at the coal mine and interview God." What if we could interview God, what would we ask Him, or more importantly, what would He say? What might be His favorite topic? One thing is certain, He would talk about the death of Jesus on the cross. You might wonder how I know what God would talk about. Well, I've read what He had to say throughout human history, as recorded in the Bible, and I note that His theme was the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross.

In Genesis 3 He spoke of it when He told the serpent that he (the serpent) would bruise the heel of the seed of woman, but that Seed would crush his head. That statement from the Father foretold the victory of Jesus at the Cross and the defeat of the evil one.

In the Book of Exodus the cross is seen in the blood upon the door of every obedient Jewish family. The blood caused the death angel to pass over God's people. Here again, we see a foreshadowing of the cross of our Lord and the deliverance it provided for those who trusted God's provision.

We see this again in the serpent that Moses lifted up on a pole in the wilderness for the healing of the people's sins. Those who looked upon that serpent lived. In the New Testament we are told that the incident in the Old Testament was a direct picture of the cross of Christ in the New Testament. And so it continues, from Genesis to Isaiah, and on into the New Testament. God loves the theme of the cross - the wonder of the shed blood of the Lamb of God.

If we took time this morning to simply remind ourselves of all the passages in the Old Testament alone that refer to or allude to the blood atonement - which points directly to the cross of our Lord - we would tire ourselves out after hours of reading scripture passages. Writers and preachers have often referred to the subject of the blood of Jesus as the scarlet thread through the Bible, and that is indeed what it is.

It is interesting to note also just how much space is taken up in the gospels dealing with this subject. Clarence E. Macartney, in his book The Faith Once Delivered, points out that most biographers spend very little space in their books on the death of the person highlighted in their books. For example, he states that Nicolay and Hay wrote a huge study on the life of Abraham Lincoln covering over 5,000 pages. In that work only 25 pages were devoted to the death of the great president. In a biography of Daniel Webster the author wrote 863 pages, but used only 5 to tell of his death. But consider the New Testament. Matthew spent one third of his text in describing the death of Jesus. Mark also used a third of his writing and Luke a full fourth of his gospel regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus. John used just one half of his gospel to discuss events surrounding the death of Jesus. We don't have to ask what interests God - He has shown it by the numerous times it is the theme in the Bible.

It is further interesting to note that the matter of the blood of Jesus, which concerns the Lord so much, is considered to be offensive to so many people in our world today. This has always been true. That is what Paul says in Galatians 5:11, where he speaks of the offense of the cross. We see the cross in cemeteries, on top of ,and even as jewelry to adorn people's dress and style. But don't be fooled by the abundance of the images of the cross, the message of the cross is still offensive to the world.

A leader of a church group said recently that Jesus was only an example and that no one could go to heaven through the death of another. A leader in the National Council of Churches stated in an interview that he would not want to go to heaven on the back of another man, even if it was Jesus. Some churches have actually purged their hymnbooks of hymns that mention the blood of Jesus because they consider the gospel of salvation through the blood of the cross offensive.

Why are people bothered by the cross? Why do some consider it offensive? Note three reasons the blood troubles many people this morning just before we receive the Lord's Supper.

I. The Cross Reveals A Lie

The cross is foolishness to the world. In fact, the cross causes people to lie about their sinful condition. The cross seems so foolish to people that they lie and claim that sin is not really a problem. The cross, however, reveals the lie of mankind regarding sin. If sin does not exist, there is no need for a cross. If sin is not a horrible thing, the cross is foolishness. The mere existence of the cross reveals the lie of those who deny sin and who deny the awfulness of sin.

At the cross Christ became sin for us, in other words, God dealt with sin at the cross through the shed blood of His Son. So a look at the cross tells us what God thinks of our sins. No other means was available for even one of us to be forgiven without a perfect sacrifice - Jesus was that sacrifice - for no other perfect life has ever existed on this earth.

It has been interesting to me to note how difficult it is for people to admit sin. Through the years I have spoken to an untold number of people about Jesus. When it comes to the issue of sin, many people simply deny they are sinners. Yes, they will admit they are not perfect, but they don't want to call their misdeeds by there real name - sin!

Many people will admit wrongdoing, but they add, "I'm really not a bad person." What do they mean by such a statement? The claim is made because the person is comparing himself to Adolf Hitler or Osama Bin Laden. The measuring stick they use to judge themselves is in error. The only One to whom mankind is measured is Jesus Christ, and He is perfect. Any act in our lives which is less than perfect declares us as missing the mark - being sinners - falling short of the One by whom we are measured. No wonder we are told in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 

Someone who admits, based on this measure, that he is a sinner might ask, "So What? I'm just like everyone else. What's the big deal?" The big deal is seen at the cross. If you want to know what God thinks of your sin, look at Jesus dying for you at Calvary. There at the cross Jesus paid for our sins through the shedding of His perfect blood. The person who denies sin is lying, perhaps to himself or herself, but lying for sure. Worse than that, the person is rejecting the amazing sacrifice that Jesus poured out for forgiveness and redemption.

I heard about a lady who was shopping the other day and accidentally pulled out her blood donor card and gave it to the clerk to pay for her purchases. The clerk said, "Ma'am, that really isn't necessary, money will be just fine." No so with God. The only thing that could pay for the forgiveness of our sins is the blood of Jesus - the perfect Lamb of God.

Our sins are not mere weaknesses, they are wickedness. They are not mere flaws in our personalities, they are mortal faults in our person. Sins are not just mistakes, they reveal the malady of the human heart. Sin is not just a defect in personality, it is a disease of the soul. Jesus came to offer healing for the disease and the cross was the price.

The Lord's Supper reminds us of this important truth and rejects the lies of men and women who deny their sin. Look at the cross and see your sins. Look to the cross and see the Savior for the human soul.

The hymn writer penned these words:

"Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary." (William R. Newell)

II. The Cross Reveals Love

John 3:16 is a verse that can be quoted by more people than perhaps any other verse in the Bible. In that great passage we are reminded that God's love is what sent Jesus to the cross for sinners like you and me. Perhaps people reject the cross because they hate to admit that they need God's love. The pride of self-righteousness stands in the way of humility. Accepting God's love in Christ means that we have to admit that we are helpless without that love.

One part of our human nature that reveals itself from the very earliest days of life is the desire to stand alone. For example, a child will say, "I can do it myself," even when the parent knows full well that the child is incapable of doing what is necessary. Take tying one's shoes as an example. The child will push his parent's hand away while saying, "I can do it." Only after futile attempts, ending in failure, will the child submit to the parent tying the shoes. Mankind is like that with God. Basically, those rejecting Him are saying, "I can do this myself. I don't need you." When it comes to having a relationship with God, no one can do it alone. Ephesians 2:8-10 reads, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (NKJV)" And just what caused the Lord to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves? Go back to Ephesians 2:4, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us. (NKJV)" It is God's great love that made it possible for us to know the forgiveness for sin and for us to have a personal relationship with Him.

Our best service is so short of the mark that the cross is the only means of making us right with God. If we were in any way good enough to please God, the cross would not have been necessary. Our best deeds are as filthy rags when it comes to providing Cleansing of our evil deeds, thoughts and words. Look at the cross and see what value your best deeds are worth when they stand alone. At the cross Jesus was taking the punishment we deserve. As we receive the Lord's Supper this morning, reflect on just how much God loved you and loves you still. Don't ever take this wonderful salvation for granted. Without the cross, there is not hope in eternity.

The world hates the cross because it signifies the world's greatest need - forgiveness. We who are saved adore the cross because it signifies just how much God loves us and the price He paid to forgive us. The world stands away from the cross and curses it. We stand beneath the cross and claim it. The world stands apart from the cross and spits upon it. We bow beneath the cross and kiss it.

"I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow.
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now." (William R. Featherston)

III. THE CROSS REVEALS LIFE

In Galatians 2:20 we read, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who liveS, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  How strange. We lose our life but gain a new life. How can that be?

At the cross, Jesus took my place and your place. He bore the wrath of the Father in our stead. The fire of judgment that was meant to fall on us as poor sinners was placed on Christ. When we sense God's call to us, the drawing of His Holy Spirit bringing us to Jesus, we lay down our old life and pick up His perfect life. You see, He didn't remain on the cross - He arose! By receiving His gift of salvation, I die in Him and I am made alive in Him. I have a new life - everlasting life.

In 1 Peter 1:3-5 we read, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (NKJV)"

Note that Christians have be born again - we have a new life. This new life is ours because of God's abundant mercy, which He displayed at Calvary where He died in our place. But that is not all. We are alive through His resurrection. Our life is as secure as Jesus is secure. As long as Jesus lives, I will live. Since He cannot die again, I will not die. My salvation is inherited, incorruptible and undefiled. It will never fade away. It is not reserved by my works on earth but is reserved in heaven and kept by the power of God. What a Savior we have!

Note, however, that we are required in this new life to take up the cross of Christ. To follow Him means to live a new life. Jesus warned all who follow Him that the world hates Him and, thus, the world will hate those who follow Him. In John 15:18 we read, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (KJV)"  In Luke 6:22 we a read, "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. (KJV)" In other words, this new life demands that we stand with Christ at a cross that is despised by the world.

The hymn writer penned:

"Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary."

And then two verses later he wrote:

"To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share." (George Bennard)

Yes, the world despises the cross. We must be willing to share in its shame and reproach. We have a new resurrection life, so we must never be ashamed of the cross of our Lord. We come to the Lord's Table to receive the bread and the cup as a reminder, but also as a renewed commitment to always honor our Lord and Savior!

We come to celebrate the Lord's Supper today because we have life in Christ. We celebrate because we do not believe Satan's lies. We celebrate because we know and have experienced the love of God in Christ. We celebrate here because one day we will celebrate around the table with Him in heaven!

Conclusion

A woman went into a store and tried on a dress that she really liked. She knew that the dress was too small but she hoped that somehow she might be able to wear it. She held herself in with all her might and slipped the dress over her head. She asked the clerk what she thought about the fit. The clerk looked at her all squeezed into that small dress and said, "Well, it looks a little crowded in there."

The cross and self don't fit well inside the human heart. It is more than a little crowded in any one's life if he or she tries to carry the cross and embrace the world at the same time. If you have never trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, come to Him today. Lay aside your self and take up the cross. The world doesn't like the cross because it calls upon to give up self to make room for the cross and its self-denying message, but  you can't come to Jesus and hold onto self! Do not be offended by the cross - be offended by your own sin. If you have never trusted Him as your Savior, do so now. He loves you. He died for you. He rose for you. He will reserve a place in heaven for you. Admit that you are a sinner. Believe upon Him! The world sees the cross as foolishness, but to us who believe it is the power of God unto salvation. Come now to confess Him as your Savior. We are going to sing a hymn and give you time to come forward to accept Christ as your Savior.

 

Also, every Christian who feels the wooing of the Holy Spirit can come now and rededicate your lives to Him before you place the cup and bread to your lips this morning. Perhaps the reminder of what Jesus has done for you has caused you to feel a new love for Him and commitment to Him. Come and tell Him that during this invitation time.

Now let us sing and let us obey the call of the Lord.

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]]> https://pastorlife.com/the-offense-of-the-cross-lords-supper-sermon/feed/ 0 Aligning Our Requests with God’s Will https://pastorlife.com/aligning-our-requests-with-gods-will/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aligning-our-requests-with-gods-will Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:57:13 +0000 https://pastorlife.com/?p=11356 Introduction Theme: The importance of aligning our requests with God's will in prayer. Key Scriptures: Mark 10:46-52 (Bartimaeus), Mark 10:35-41 […]

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Introduction

  • Theme: The importance of aligning our requests with God's will in prayer.
  • Key Scriptures: Mark 10:46-52 (Bartimaeus), Mark 10:35-41 (James and John), John 15:16, James 4:3, Matthew 7:7.

I. The Story of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)

  1. Bartimaeus's Condition
    • He was physically blind and deemed insignificant by society.
    • His desperation drove him to seek Jesus with faith.
  2. Bartimaeus's Request
    • Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
    • Bartimaeus requested his sight, clearly showing his need and faith in Jesus's power.
  3. Jesus's Response
    • Jesus acknowledged Bartimaeus's faith and healed him.
    • More than physical healing, Bartimaeus received spiritual salvation.
    • Application: Faithful, unselfish requests lead to blessings beyond our expectations.

II. The Story of James and John (Mark 10:35-41)

  1. The Ambition of James and John
    • They requested prominent positions in Jesus's kingdom, reflecting their desire for status.
    • Their request was driven by selfish motives.
  2. Jesus's Response
    • Jesus denied their request, showing that such positions are determined by God's will, not personal ambition.
    • The request caused dissension among the disciples, revealing the dangers of selfish prayers.
  3. Application: Selfish prayers can lead to conflict and disappointment. God's will must be the priority.

 

 

III. The Principle of Asking According to God's Will

  1. Scriptural Guidance on Prayer
    • John 15:16: Asking in alignment with God's will leads to fruitful results.
    • James 4:3: Selfish motives hinder answered prayers.
    • Matthew 7:7: God delights in responding to requests aligned with His will.
  2. Evaluating Our Requests
    • 2 Kings 13:19: Are we asking for less than what God desires to give?
    • Ephesians 3:20: God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
    • Matthew 17:20: Faith is essential in receiving what we ask for.
    • Isaiah 1:15-17: Unconfessed sin can block our prayers.
  3. Application: Aligning our prayers with God's will ensures we receive His best for us. Like Bartimaeus, we may receive far more than we anticipated (Jeremiah 33:3).

IV. Conclusion

  • Reflection: Are our prayers aligned with God's will? Are we asking with faith and purity of heart?
  • Challenge: Evaluate your motives, desires, and faith when you pray. Trust that God wants to bless you far beyond what you can imagine.
  • Encouragement: God delights in giving good gifts to His children. When we ask according to His will, we will see His abundant blessings.

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]]> Ephesians – A Commentary https://pastorlife.com/ephesians-a-commentary/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ephesians-a-commentary Mon, 03 Jun 2024 16:51:09 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=6474 by Johnny L. Sanders Title: Ephesians - A Commentary Bible Book: Ephesians Objective: This is a verse-by-verse commentary on The […]

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by Johnny L. Sanders

Title: Ephesians - A Commentary

Bible Book: Ephesians

Objective: This is a verse-by-verse commentary on The Book of Ephesians by Dr. Johnny Sanders.

Download PDF File

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]]> Attitude Toward Sin 1 John 2:1-2 https://pastorlife.com/attitude-toward-sin-1-john-21-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=attitude-toward-sin-1-john-21-2 Thu, 30 May 2024 20:01:43 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=5615 by Johnny L. Sanders Title: Attitude Toward Sin 1 John 2:1-2 Bible Book: 1 John 2 Objective: Dr. Johnny Sanders […]

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by Johnny L. Sanders

Title: Attitude Toward Sin 1 John 2:1-2

Bible Book: 1 John 2

Objective: Dr. Johnny Sanders shares a commentary on 1 John 2:1-2 from his Sermon Notebook series.

Download PDF File

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]]> How to Tackle a Tough Job https://pastorlife.com/how-to-tackle-a-tough-job/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-tackle-a-tough-job Thu, 30 May 2024 14:37:26 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=5430 Title: How to Tackle a Tough Job Bible Book: Nehemiah 2 : 1-20 Author: Mark Adams Subject: Leadership; Tools of […]

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Title: How to Tackle a Tough Job

Bible Book: Nehemiah 2 : 1-20

Author: Mark Adams

Subject: Leadership; Tools of the Christian; Christian Living; Progress; Growth

Objective:

Introduction

 

How many remember the old sit-com: Home Improvement? We used to watch it pretty much every week and laugh as Tim the Tool Man Taylor gave his comedic lectures about all his “expertise” in tool knowledge. Well, this morning I want to do a little “Tim the Tool Man” lecture of my own. Don’t worry I’m not going to break anything like Tim used to but I did some Internet study this week and came up with a few interesting tools that I want to show you.

Does anyone recognize this tool? It’s a SHINGLE FROE. It’s designed for the task of making roofing shingles in the olden days. Its strange name comes from the antiquated word “froward,” which means “away,” in reference to the direction that this tool cuts. You see, to use it, you would place the froe, blade down, on the edge of a log length, then hit the top of the blade with a wooden club, forcing the froe into the log. Next, you’d pull the handle toward you and pry off a thin slice of the log. Voilà—a shingle! Since buying a box of square-edged shingles is significantly less effort and of higher quality than making each and every one by hand, this tool has long since passed its heyday. But it still can be used to build up the kindling pile.

This next tool was made by the Stanley company a long time ago. It’s an ALL-IN-ONE LAYOUT TOOL. Stanley produced it between 1888 and 1930. It was originally advertised as 10 tools in one (including level, depth gauge, try square, and compass). There are a few companies that make replicas, but originals can still be found on eBay for a couple hundred dollars apiece so if you come across one at a yard sale for a buck—buy it!

This next one is even older. It’s called an ADZE and can be traced way back to ancient Egypt. You use and adze to shape tree trunks and square them up into beams. Of course with modern day milling capabilities that are faster and cheaper—the ADZE has pretty much gone the way of the dodo.

Here’s one that is more modern. It’s a CHANNEL LOCK RESCUE TOOL. It is designed specifically for the rescue worker. It can cut wire, tighten a fire-hose coupling, pry a door open—even close down a valve and it fits handily in your back pocket. If you’re a fire-fighter like Chad Kelley you may own one of these.

This last one is a TIMBER SCRIBE. Think of it as an 18th-century Sharpie. During the heyday of timber framing, builders would use this tool to number the ends of beams for layout purposes—sort of like “tab A into slot B.” If you’re ever in an old house with exposed beams, look for gouged out Roman numerals at the beam ends and you’ll see the work of a timber scribe.

Now—the purpose of this morning’s little tool lecture is to underscore the fact that when you face a tough job—you NEED the right tools. And we see this principle in the next installment of our study of the life of Nehemiah—for God had given him a tough job to do—and one thing that made Nehemiah such a great leader is the way he was able to use the right tools to do it. It’s good for us to study this text because the tools Nehemiah used are the same ones you and I need whenever God gives us a difficult assignment to tackle. Take your Bibles and turn to Nehemiah chapter 2. Follow along as I read verses 1-20.

1 – In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 – so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, 3 – but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 – The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of Heaven, 5 – and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6 – Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7 – I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 – And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 – So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. 10 – When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. 11 – I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days. 12 – I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. 13 – By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 – Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 – So I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 – The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. 17 – Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 – I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. 19 – But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 – I answered them by saying, “The God of Heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Now—just curious—how many of you have done the homework assignment I gave you two weeks ago when we started this series? Remember? I challenged you to read a trilogy of Old Testament books: Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah. How many have actually done that? Be honest—it’s okay. Too bad—I was going to give a thousand dollars to anyone who did. Just kidding—but reading these books will help you get the most from this series. And if you’ve ever heard me preach then you know you need all the help you can get—so read!

Okay—before we proceed let’s review a bit. The Jewish people had been in captivity in Persia for a long time but God was faithful to His promise to one day bring them back home. In Nehemiah’s time that promise was being fulfilled. The Jewish captives had been returning to Israel under the leadership of Zerubbabel and then Ezra. As I said a couple weeks back, NEHEMIAH, had a lofty position in the Persian government. In fact, he was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes—which meant he was sort of like the chief of his cabinet.

Nehemiah heard that a Jew named Hannani had just returned from Jerusalem. So Nehemiah sought him out to hear how the returned captives were doing and to get information about the state of the capital city itself. Hannani’s report was not good. The people were having a very hard time—because the walls of the city were in total disrepair and the gates had been burned.

This meant the people who had returned and were living in Jerusalem were at the mercy of their enemies and they were suffering for it. This news caused Nehemiah to be deeply concerned—so concerned that he fell to his knees in tears as he prayed to God for help. Even though he had been born in captivity and had never been to Jerusalem, he felt a deep empathy for the people there and he wanted to help. In fact, he felt led to take advantage of his position to ask King Artaxerxes to intercede and so Nehemiah asked God to open the door to make this possible. So—Nehemiah had a big job ahead of him: get an opportunity to enlist the aid of Mighty King Artaxerxes in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and repairing the gates. As I said earlier, to tackle this HUGE job—as a leader Nehemiah knew the exact tools he would need—and we see him using them very skillfully in our text.

I. The Tool of Patience

The first tool this leader used is—the tool of PATIENCE. Nehemiah was a man of decisive action so when he prayed back in chapter 1 it was natural for him to ask God to provide an early—if not immediate—opportunity to speak to the king. Remember—in the closing verse of chapter one Nehemiah said he wanted success “today” in the presence of the king. But it didn’t happen that day or the next or the next or the next. In fact, Nehemiah’s “today” prayer in chapter 1 was in the month of Chislev—and chapter 2 tells us nothing happened until the month of Nisan. Chislev Is December and Nisan is April. That’s FOUR MONTHS. In this diary/prayer journal that Nehemiah kept, nothing was entered on any of those 120 days because nothing happened. There was no visible glimmer of hope, no change.

Nehemiah just kept waiting and trusting and counting on God to move the heart of his superior.

Now—I’m sure the state of Jerusalem and its people was all Nehemiah thought about. I’m sure his passion to rebuild those walls burned as hot as ever—but nothing happened—no door was opened for him to act during those long months—and I’m sure that was hard for him.

Nehemiah DOES tell us that in all those months of waiting he had not been sad in front of the king which shows us his skill of using this particular leadership tool. Nehemiah waited patiently all this time—just as we are urged to do in Hebrews 6:12 where it says, “Imitate those who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit what was promised.” Nehemiah obviously new the importance of waiting on God. He knew that God’s timing is always perfect. Unfortunately, waiting is hard for US these days. We are not very adept at using this particular tool of leadership. In fact, a recent article on NPR claims that we have become “The Impatient Nation.” We want quick answers to complex problems. The article put it this way: “We: Speed date. Eat fast food. Use the self-checkout lines in grocery stores. Try the ‘one weekend’ diet. Pay extra for overnight shipping. Honk when the light turns green. Thrive or dive on quarterly earnings reports. Speak in half sentences. Start things but don’t fin.. We tweet stories in 140 characters or less, yet some tweets are too long. We cut corners, take shortcuts. We txt—LOL! We send new faces to Washington every two years, then vote the rascals out two years later. Clamor for more safety in the skies, then complain when security takes too long—and is inconvenient. Can’t take the time to drive to the video store or to wait for a DVD to arrive in the mail, so we order them on demand or stream them on the Web.”

Well, leaders like Nehemiah—shapers and movers—the kind of people God uses to make a real difference in this world—they know how to overcome this human weakness. They learn to use the tool of PATIENCE. They learn how to not just WEEP and pray—but to WAIT and pray. The fact is true FAITH in God brings a calmness of heart and a humility that keeps us from rushing about and trying to do in our own strength what only God can do. Here are some verses to help encourage you to learn to use the tool of PATIENCE.

Isaiah 6:12 – “They that believe shall not make haste.”
Exodus 14:13 – “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”
Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.”

People like Nehemiah use this tool because they have learned that when we do—when we wait on the Lord to answer our prayer, we are not wasting our time; we are investing it.

In these waiting times God is preparing both you and your circumstances so that His purposes will be accomplished according to His perfect timing. I mean, all those months of quiet reflection surely provided Nehemiah with fresh insights about how to approach the king. Listen. God’s work in us while we wait is as important as what we are waiting for. We must learn to trust that God knows what He is doing—that just as the lyrics to the chorus go, God, makes all things beautiful in HIS time.

Perhaps you are here and you are having a hard time using the tool of patience to deal with a big problem in your life. Maybe you’re single and you feel a legitimate longing for intimacy. You are tired of being alone. Maybe God has placed the dream of some wonderful ministry in your heart and you’re tired of waiting for the door to open so that ministry can begin. Maybe you’re dealing with an illness and you’re tired of waiting—hoping—to be made well. Maybe you’re in school and you’re having a hard time finishing your studies. If this describes you—or if you are waiting for some other reason—learn to use the tool of patience. Wait on God. Trust His timing. He always knows what is best and WHEN it is best. He can see beyond the present—He knows you better than you know yourself—so trust in His perspective—trust in His love and power. Be like Nehemiah. Wait on the Lord.

When you feel Impatient learn to say with the Psalmist, “I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hands.” (Psalm 31:14-15 a) Cling to Jesus’ promise in Luke 18:7 where He said, “God will always give what is right to His people who cry to him night and day, and He will not be slow [according to His perfect timing] to answer them.” When we experience seemingly endless times of waiting we need the patience of the man who prayed, “God, I cannot grasp Your mind, but with my whole heart I trust Your love.”

II. The Tool of Prayer

The second tool that Nehemiah used is one he used in chapter one and referring to the tool of PRAYER. Nehemiah tells us that after he first prayed and then those four months passed—finally in the month of Nisan—he was serving wine to the king and queen. For the first time—and I think this was a God thing—I mean, I believe God sharpened Artaxerxes senses so he could sense Nehemiah’s feelings—see his heart—For the first time Artaxerxes noticed something was wrong and asked his cupbearer what was saddening him.

I have to say. I love Nehemiah’s honesty here. Many leaders no longer admit their human weaknesses but not Nehemiah. He said he was AFRAID—very much afraid. And he was right to feel that way because he knew how dangerous it was to “rain on the king’s parade” so to speak. You see, in those days a great deal of effort was put forth to make sure the king was happy—plus—old Artaxerxes could have misinterpreted Nehemiah’s sadness as his knowledge that the wine was poisoned or that a coup was underfoot. You see, Persian kings had a reputation for being impossible at best and often cruel. Since their oppressive policies were acutely resented by those they ruled, they were almost always in danger of assassination or revolt—so they were usually suspicious of any wrong moves or apparent lack of loyalty by their subordinates.

Plus Nehemiah knew that he was about to ask Artaxerxes to reverse his own policy for it had been Artaxerxes who had ordered Ezra to stop rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem years before.

I’m saying Nehemiah was right to be afraid. But with God’s help he fearlessly put his reply very tactfully—inspiring the King’s empathy. He said, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Artaxerxes replied with kindness—that no doubt was the product of their long and close friendship—all the years that Nehemiah had literally put his life on the line for his ruler—he responded and said, “What is it you want?” At this point Nehemiah pulled this second tool out of his spiritual tool belt for the second time. He prayed before answering the king. It wasn’t a long prayer. He didn’t fall on his knees this time. He didn’t even close his eyes. No–it was one of those bullet prayers. In essence he sent a quick text message or tweet to God.

Have you ever prayed like that in a time of crisis? Have you ever used the tool of prayer this precisely? I do it all the time—many times while I’m preaching!

Now—I feel led to stop at this point and contrast approaching the earthly throne of Artaxerxes with God’s Heavenly throne of grace. Nehemiah had to wait for an invitation before he could share his burden with the king—but we can come to the throne of grace at any time with any need—knowing our requests will not be misinterpreted and that we will always find grace to help in our time of need. Artaxerxes saw the sorrow on Nehemiah’s face, but our Lord sees out hearts and not only knows our sorrows but also feels them with us. People in Persia had to be very careful what they said, lest they anger the king; but God’s people can tell Him whatever burdens them. We can be sad before God. We can even be angry with Him. He wants our HONESTY. The word “boldly” in Hebrews 4:16 means “freedom of speech.” It reminds us that we are never sure of the mood of a human leader but we can always be sure of God’s loving welcome.

But in spite of these wonderful Biblical truths about prayer, many believers don’t know how to use this wonderful tool. Their skills at praying have declined. I’m reminded of something I came across this week about the invention of auto-pilots. Since their invention a century ago, they have indeed helped to make air travel safer and more efficient. That trend continued with the introduction of computerized “fly-by-wire” jets in the 1970s. But now, aviation experts worry that we’ve gone too far. We have shifted so many cockpit tasks from humans to computers that pilots are losing their edge. Without actual flight experience or practice, pilots develop what aviation experts call “skill fade” or “skills decay.” Computers now handle most flight operations between takeoff and touchdown—so frequent practice is exactly what pilots are not getting. Even a slight decay in manual flying ability can risk tragedy because a rusty pilot is more likely to make a mistake in an emergency. Automation-related pilot errors have been implicated in several recent air disasters, including the 2009 crashes of Continental Flight 3407 in Buffalo, Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean, and the botched landing of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco in 2013. As a result of these tragic accidents, a report from a Federal Aviation Administration concluded that pilots have become, “accustomed to watching things happen, and reacting, instead of being proactive.” The FAA is now urging airlines to get pilots to turn the computers off and spend more time flying by hand.

Well, the same “skill fade” principle is seen in our prayer life. We don’t use the tool of prayer as often as we used to—we rely on society and self and science so much we’ve forgotten the need to rely on God—forgotten how to pray. What about you? How well do you use the tool of prayer? Has there been a “prayer skill fade” in your walk with God? To tackle God-sized jobs we need to be able to use this tool.

III. The Tool of Planning

The third tool we see Nehemiah use here is the tool of PLANNING. If you want to be a leader, if you want to make things happen—if you want to make a difference in your world, you must spend time in preparation and planning. Leadership isn’t easy. It’s rewarding. It’s satisfying. But it’s not easy. It requires a lot of hard work—work that no one ever sees—PLANNING work. PREPARING work. Roger Stauback once put it this way, “Spectacular achievements come from unspectacular preparation.” And he’s right because there’s nothing glamourous about getting ready but no job can be accomplished without doing exactly that. Famous University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant said, “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare that matters.” And Nehemiah had this WILL TO PREPARE AND PLAN. I mean, he hadn’t wasted those 4 months. He didn’t just PRAY. He PLANNED so he had his answer ready when the question was asked. He knew exactly what he would ask the king when given the opportunity. After all, he’d spent those four months thinking and planning—preparing for the time God opened the door for him to approach Artaxerxes. For example: He was ready to give the king an exact time—how long he would need to be away. He told him the letters he would need to get the job done. He requested the timber, etc. and when the king granted not just his requests but also sent a troop of cavalry soldiers along for his protection—Nehemiah probably he used the tool of prayer again because he gave God all the credit for the Kings benevolent response.

Nehemiah’s actions—his use of the tool of planning—remind us that going out by faith doesn’t mean you’re going out in a disorderly or haphazard manner. You think through a project and plan. You count the cost financially. As they said in the Revolutionary War days, you “Trust in God but keep your powder dry.” Pray to God and with His leading also make your plans. Set your sights. Think through the hurdles. Jesus taught this principle of leadership. Do you remember His words in Luke 14:28ff. He said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” Planning is a very important tool for leaders to use for without it—without planning—we are in essence planning to fail.

In 1911, Roald Amundsen became the first person to lead a successful expedition to the South Pole. Amundsen was also famous for his incredible commitment to prepare for this expedition. While in his late twenties, Roald Amundsen traveled from Norway to Spain for a two-month sailing trip to earn a master’s certificate. It was 1899. He had a nearly two-thousand-mile journey ahead of him. And how did Amundsen make the journey? By carriage? By horse? By ship? By rail? No—he bicycled. Amundsen then experimented with eating raw dolphin meat to determine its usefulness as an energy supply. After all, he reasoned, someday he might be shipwrecked, finding himself surrounded by dolphins, so he might as well know if he could eat one. It was all part of Amundsen’s years of planning—building a foundation for his quest, training his body—-and learning as much as possible from practical experience about what actually worked. Amundsen even made a pilgrimage to apprentice with Eskimos. What better way to learn what worked in polar conditions than to spend time with a people who have hundreds of years of accumulated experience in ice and cold and snow and wind? He learned how Eskimos used dogs to pull sleds. He observed how Eskimos never hurried, moving slowly and steadily, avoiding excessive sweat that could turn to ice in sub-zero temperatures. He adopted Eskimo clothing, protective and loose fitting to help sweat evaporate. He systematically practiced Eskimo methods and trained himself for every conceivable situation he might encounter en route to the Pole.

Amundsen’s philosophy: You don’t wait until you’re in an unexpected storm to discover that you need more strength and endurance. You don’t wait until you’re shipwrecked to determine if you can eat raw dolphin. You don’t wait until you’re on the Antarctic journey to become a superb skier and dog handler. You plan and prepare with intensity, all the time, so that when conditions turn against you, you can draw from a deep reservoir of strength and knowledge. And equally, you prepare so that when conditions turn in your favor, you can strike hard. Leaders like Amundsen use the tool of planning.

While we were on our trip to Israel a couple years back I got to talking to a man in our group. He was from a church in Maryland and told me about an almost disastrous mission trip that his church sponsored. A man from a VERY conservative Muslim nation came to the church an invited them to send a team to serve there. With little or no planning they immediately got plane tickets and went—but as soon as they arrived problems hit. A team member who had a serious medical condition became deathly ill—no one had thought to ask team members about their health before going. They also found that the political situation in that middle-eastern country was bad—and deteriorating quickly. In fact, when a representative from the US embassy heard there was a team of Americans there he URGED them to get on a plane and head home as soon as possible. He said, the embassy was closing and could not be responsible for their safety. Now—they experienced God’s provincial care in a way they will never forget—but that one team member almost died and the team almost didn’t get home. PLANNING and PREPARATION would have prevented this.

IV. The Tool of Perseverance

The last tool we see our hero use is the tool of – PERSEVERANCE. Nehemiah and his entourage arrived in Jerusalem after a long arduous four month journey. No doubt he was exhausted. He was probably suffering from “camel lag.” So he took three days to rest and then he began his reconnoitering. By the way this points to another tool leaders use. They know the importance of rest. They know that the bow that is always bent will soon break!

Well after his rest, when Nehemiah examined the walls he realized rebuilding them would be a demanding job. The circuit of the walls was nearly two and a half miles long and the new wall needed to be three or four feet thick—and twenty feet high. The stone blocks that needed to be reassembled were massive. Many had fallen down into the valley and would have to be unearthed and lifted back up to the site. I mean, this was not like rebuilding a garden fence. Repairing this wall was not going to be an easy undertaking. It would require lots of workers and workers of diverse skills. Listen. God’s work is OFTEN demanding—but it is worth our time and energy for it impacts eternity itself.

Nehemiah also saw that rebuilding the wall was a hazardous assignment. He examined the damage at night under cover of darkness because there were enemies lurking around. There were people who would be opposed to his assignment from God. He also realized this job would be a cooperative venture. He would need the help of all the people in Jerusalem and this would be hard because they had already tried to rebuild the wall once and had failed. Nehemiah would have to find a way to motivate these people to rise up and do the work and that would be hard because they had become accustomed to their sad state.

This week I read about an airplane pilot who had a hard time getting along with the local aircraft mechanic. One day the pilot brought his plane to the hanger where the mechanic did repairs. He wrote the following complaint in the shop log: “Unfamiliar noise in engine.” The next day the pilot was somewhat surprised to see that the plane was already back in service. Curious as to what problem the mechanic had found, the pilot checked the log book. The entry simply said, “Ran engine continuously for four hours. Now noise is familiar.”

It’s easy for us to become like the residents of Jerusalem—accustomed to our sad state—and when we do God often sends a Nehemiah to motivate us out of that attitude. Nehemiah did this in three ways.

First, he identified with the workers. He said, “You see the trouble WE are in.” He let them know that he was involved in this.
Next he reminded them that the sight of those collapsed walls for well over a century had created the impression in the pagans who lived around there that the God of Israel had abandoned His people.
Then he invited immediate action by saying, “Come let US rebuild—and we will no longer be in disgrace.” He included HIMSELF in the job.

But the residents weren’t his only problem. As I said earlier there were enemies lurking about—people who LIKED the wall being down. There were three primary bad guys: Sanballat the Noronite and Tobiah the Amonite and Geshem the Arab. In verse 10 Nehemiah said that they were VERY MUCH DISTURBED. They didn’t want this wall rebuilt because that would keep them from raiding the residents of Jerusalem so they derided the efforts of the workers. They suggested that they were rebelling against King Artaxerxes. And I love how Nehemiah handled them. He told them rebuilding the wall was an assignment from God Himself and that the Jews were servants of God Himself and that they—Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem should mind their own business..

Conclusion

Listen—whenever we tackle a tough job from God, we should expect opposition—opposition like Nehemiah faced. If there’s no opposition then you’re probably not disturbing our adversary enough. Remember Satan only shoots at moving targets. We have to be able to use the tool of perseverance—keeping on—in spite of opposition and difficulty.

This week I read that for nearly 3,000 years people have eaten bread, but it took the creative efforts of one man to revolutionize the way we eat it. In the early 1900’s a young man named Otto Rohwedder overheard a familiar complaint among housewives: slicing bread was burdensome, time-consuming, and sometimes even perilous.“What if,” pondered Rohwedder, “there was a machine for bakers to pre-slice bread?” Otto was so moved to create and to help that he sold his jewelry business and embarked on a long, painful journey to bring his invention to life. In 1916, he built his first prototype of a bread slicing machine in an abandoned warehouse outside of town. After an initial failure, Rohwedder feverishly sketched hundreds of blueprints. Then in 1917, a fire broke out and all of his blueprints and years of hard work were burned to ash. By 1927, he had built a new and improved bread slicing machine. Unfortunately, nobody showed any interest in the five-foot by three-foot monstrosity. Finally, after a friend stepped in and invested in the project, on July 7, 1928, nearly thirty years after he began, the first loaf of commercially sliced bread was sold. A newspaper ad claimed that the sliced bread was “the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped”—a phrase which was eventually hacked into the modern-day saying, “the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Sales of the sliced bread took off. In late 1930, a New York-based company used Rohwedder’s machines to build an entire business around sliced bread. Their product was called Wonder Bread. Today, deeming something to be ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread” is a testament to its ingenuity, and to the decades Otto Rohwedder spent toiling in his workshop—PERSEVERING to bring flourishing to the world—one slice at a time.

To do anything great—anything significant requires that we be skilled at PERSEVERANCE. Building a marriage—raising children—lovingly leading a stubborn friend to Jesus—anything we do for God requires us to persevere because we live in a fallen world. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

LET US PRAY

 

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]]> Departures https://pastorlife.com/departures/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=departures Wed, 29 May 2024 23:29:17 +0000 https://dbmdev.com/pastor/?p=5259 Title: Departures Bible Book: Selected Passages Author: Franklin L. Kirksey Subject: Backslidding; Rapture; Tribulation; Return of Christ; Judgment Objective: Introduction […]

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Title: Departures

Bible Book: Selected Passages

Author: Franklin L. Kirksey

Subject: Backslidding; Rapture; Tribulation; Return of Christ; Judgment

Objective:

Introduction

Departures are a fact of life in a mobile society. We can travel by land, by sea, or by air. Dr. James Morison (1816-1893) observed, “This world is a constantly chequered scene of arrivals and departures.”[1] You see this at airports, seaports, train stations and bus stations. Departures can be positive or negative, but they usually elicit a mixture of emotions.

Dr. Don Hawkins recently recounted, “When I was Co-Host/Producer at Back to the Bible we had 180 or so people from all over America. Everyone had to get to JFK airport in time for an 11 pm departure for Amman, Jordan. Earlier flights to NY, some had to make connections, even change airports. Miss the departure and you didn’t make the trip. For God’s departure, He takes us from where we are when we’ve trusted Him. On the return trip we were held up for over two hours at the Allenby Bridge over the Jordan River by Jordanian soldiers. Sure we had missed the departure we traveled on to the airport. But Royal Jordanian Airlines held the departure until we arrived! God may be holding His Saints’ departure until all trust Him and are ready to go.”[2]

Not all departures involve travel, some involve moving away from a particular standard or position. Look with me at three departures found in the Bible.

I. The first departure is the falling away from the faith, oh, the madness! The madness of a departure from truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 reads, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (Emphasis mine)

1 Timothy 4:1-5 reads, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (Emphasis mine)

2 Timothy 3:1-9 reads, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.”

Dr. Mark Hitchcock writes, “Most of the passages in the New Testament that discuss the moral and spiritual trends in the last days focus on the spiritual apostasy that will occur in the church, not in society in general. The familiar passage in 2 Timothy 3:1-9 that lists the kinds of behavior that will characterize ‘the last days’ is primarily describing apostasy or falling away that will take place within the church (notice the context in verses 5 and 8). Apostasy (departure from the faith) within the church is a clear sign of the last days (1 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 18-19). Of course, we can safely assume that spiritual apostasy in the church will translate into moral decline in society as a whole. The only passage that specifically mentions the increase of lawlessness in society as a whole as a sign of the last days is Matthew 24:12. ‘Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.’ God's Word is clear that as the end draws near, the sinfulness of man will reach a fever pitch, and man's love for his fellow man will grow cold.”[3]

Rev. John G. Butler writes, "Our day gives scary evidence that the great apostasy is beginning. There is a great spiritual coldness and an abundance of vile wickedness that predicts extra severe Divine judgment if not the dawning of the beginning of the end times. With Israel in the land and apostasy increasing, Bible students cannot help but conclude that we are fast approaching climactic prophetic times.”[4]
“Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer” (Joshua 13:22), an apostate, led Israel into apostasy. Note the progression from “the counsel of Balaam” (Numbers 31:15-20), to “the error of Balaam” (2 Peter 2:15-16), to “the way of Balaam” (Jude 1:11), to “the doctrine of Balaam” (Revelation 2:14). Apostasy will progressively get worse before our Lord comes for His own. 1 John 2:18-19 reads, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” (Emphasis mine)

Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein (1861-1945) shares the following comment on 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4: “Before the day of the Lord can come there must be the falling away first and the man of sin, the son of perdition, must be revealed. No such conditions need to be fulfilled before the Lord comes for His saints. But before the age closes with the visible manifestation of the Lord from heaven these two solemn things must be on the earth. A falling away from the God-given faith has been going on throughout this Christian age. But that is not the apostasy of which the apostle speaks. The complete apostasy means that the entire faith will be abandoned by Christendom, even as our Lord indicated when He said, ‘Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find the faith on the earth?’ That this present age closes in apostasy is more than once mentioned by the Spirit of God. . . . Satan is surely actively at work to bring about this apostasy, and his ministers are transformed as the ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15), advocating reform, better living, but denying and antagonizing the doctrines of Christ.”[5]
Dr. William Hendriksen (1900-1982) writes, “What the apostle Paul is now saying, here in II Thess. 2:3, amount to this: Just like the first coming of Christ was preceded by a period of apostasy, so also the second coming will not occur until a similar apostasy has taken place. In this case, however, the apostasy will be a falling away from (yes, and open rebellion against) the God who climaxed his love by a deed of infinite sacrifice in the interest of sinners, namely, the giving of his only-begotten Son.

The passage with reference to the coming apostasy by no means teaches that those who are God’s genuine children will ‘fall away from grace.’ There is no such falling away. The Good Shepherd knows his own sheep, and no one shall ever snatch them out of his hands (see N.T.C. on John 10:28; see also on I Thess. 1:4). But it does mean that the faith of the fathers—a faith to which the children adhere for a while in a merely formal way—will finally be abandoned altogether by many of the children. In that sense the apostasy will be very real, indeed.”[6]
Dr. John Phillips (1927-2010) writes, “The church age will end in apostasy; the kingdom age will begin with revival. The church age will end with Laodicean lukewarmness, complacency, and rejection of Christ (Rev. 3:14-22); the approaching kingdom age will begin with the rekindling of revival fire.

Many of the marks of the coming apostasy are evident in the world today. As we have noted, the Lord directed us to the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39) and to the days of Lot (Luke 17:28) for illustrations of what the world will be like in the end times. The days of Noah were marked by a permissive society (Gen. 4-6); the days of Lot were marked by a perverted society (Gen. 19). The epistles of Jude and 2 Peter were both written to deal with apostasy. Both add further details and confirm that permissiveness and perversion in society will mark the end times. How permissive our society has become is indicated by the kinds of books people read, the kinds of movies they watch, and the kinds of indulgence they tolerate with little or no protest. One of the most frightening indications is in our educational system, where fearful forms of wickedness are being openly advocated.”[7]

Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe writes, “The word ‘apostasy’ means ‘a falling away.’ Here it refers to a falling away from the truth of the Word of God. While there were certainly false teachers in Paul’s day, the church at large was united on the truths of the Word of God. If you met another Christian, you knew he believed in the Word of God, the deity of Christ, and the salvation by faith in Christ. This is certainly not true today! We live in a day of ‘Christian unbelief’; people say they are Christians, yet deny the deity of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on.

This apostasy, or falling away from the truth, is promised in 1 Tim. 4 and 2 Tim. 3. We are living in apostate days right now, which indicates that the coming of the Lord is near. The professing church (Christendom) has departed from the faith.”[8] Dr. Vance Havner (1901-1986) writes, “. . . the devil does more harm as an angel of light than he ever accomplishes as a roaring lion. He thrives in the climate of consent when tolerance is exalted above the truth.

This falling away today, however, is not only from doctrine; it is also from the New Testament standard of Christian conduct. One does not have to be decent to be a church member. Church rolls are stuffed with multitudes of the unregenerate going to hell on a church letter. Others are saved, but they are noun Christians when they need to be adjective Christians. Don't forget that the word Christian is both a noun and an adjective. We need more Christian Christians.”[9]

II. The second departure is the catching away of the church, oh, the gladness! The gladness of a departure from trouble.

Dr. Adoniram Judson (1788-1850), Baptist missionary to Burma, writes, “When Christ calls me home I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school.”[10]

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 reads, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (Emphasis mine) This is not the catching away of mere church members, because many church members are not described as follows in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) writes, “In Enoch we see a type of those of God’s people who will go home peacefully before the last closing struggle. Ere the first clash of swords at Armageddon, such Enochs will be taken from the evil to come.”[11]

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 reads, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” John 14:1-3 reads, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Revelation 4:1 reads, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’”

Dr. J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988) writes, “From the viewpoint of the earth the removal of believers is a departure. From the viewpoint of heaven, it is a rapture, a snatching or catching up. I think the world is going to say at that time, ‘Oh, boy, they are gone!’ They think that fellow McGee and other Bible teachers are a nuisance, and they will be glad when they are gone. The world will rejoice. They do not realize that it will be a sad day for them. They think they will be entering into the blessing of the Millennium, not realizing they are actually entering into the Great Tribulation period, which will be a time of trouble such as the world has never before seen.”[12]

III. The third departure is the turning away after the tribulation, oh, the sadness! The sadness of a departure from triumph.

Matthew 7:21-23 reads, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Emphasis mine) This is the rude awakening!

Luke 13:22-28 reads, “And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’

And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.” (Emphasis mine)

Rev. D. L. Moody (1837-1899) said, “God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves.”[13] The preface to our Lord’s parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector reads, “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 18:9). Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).

Luke 10:17-20 reads, “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’” Revelation 20:11-15 reads, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Luke 6:46-49 reads, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Emphasis mine) Acts 2:36 reads, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:3 reads, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Philippians 2:9-11 reads, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Millions have no reservation for heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Do you have reservations? John 1:9-13 reads, “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” While we are all children of God by creation, we are not all children of God in salvation until we trust in Jesus Christ alone; and He will be the judge of whether we believe in Him or not. John 5:22 reads, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.”

 

Conclusion

Dr. Francis Dixon (1910-1985) pastor of Lansdowne Baptist Church, Bournemouth, England, heard two similar testimonies from two British sailors in the Spring of 1952. In each case, a man came from nowhere and asked, “‘Young man, if you were to die tonight, where would you be, in heaven or in hell?’ In the course of time they both returned home, but the encounter with this mysterious man on George Street, Sydney, [Australia,] left such a deep impression on their hearts and minds that they both sought spiritual help when back in England. Later, they both became Christians, Francis Dixon himself having the pleasure of leading one of the sailors, Peter Culver, to Christ. . . . [In the course of time, Dr. Dixon learned of others who had a similar experience.] Later, in Frank and Jessie Jenner’s humble town-house, as Francis Dixon told the four stories of the men who had responded to the evangelist’s simple question, Frank Jenner, with tears in his eyes, fell to his knees and prayed: ‘O Lord, thank you for tolerating me’. After a time of prayer, Jenner confessed that after speaking to 10 people a day for the previous 16 years, this was the first time he had heard of lasting results. ‘You know, I never heard that anyone I ever spoke to had gone on for the Lord. Some made professions of salvation when I spoke to them but I never ever knew any more than that’, he said to his guests. . . . In all, Francis Dixon knew of 10 people who had come to Christ as a consequence of the influence of Frank Jenner.”[14]

Philippians 1:19-26 reads, “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.” (Emphasis mine) Paul the apostle also writes, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). (Emphasis mine) Remember your final departure will either be one of gladness or sadness.

Keep these things in mind when you think about departures.

[1]The Pulpit Commentary, eds. Joseph S. Exell and Henry Donald Maurice Spence, Judges Ruth, (Ruth 1:6:14) Homiletics, “Scene at Naomi’s Departure” Exposition and Homiletics by Rev. James Morison, D. D. (New York, NY: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1897), 8:14. Accessed 07/19/15 https://archive.org/stream/pulpitcommentary08spen#page/14/mode/2up .

[2]Don Hawkins, Personal Interview, 07/16/15.

[3]Mark Hitchcock, 101 Answers to the Most Asked Questions About the End Times.(Sisters, OR: Multnomah Books, 2001), 53. Database © 2006 WORDsearch Corp.

[4]John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor – 1 Thessalonians-Philemon, 282. Database © 2014 WORDsearch..

[5]Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible – Volume 8: Philippians to Hebrews, 134. Database © 2015 WORDsearch .

[6]William Hendriksen, Baker New Testament Commentary – Exposition of Thessalonians, the Pastorals, and Hebrews, 169. Database © 2008 WORDsearch Corp.

[7]John Phillips, Exploring the Future: A Comprehensive Guide to Bible Prophecy (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2003), 269.

[8]Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament, (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1992), 610. Database © 2007 WORDsearch Corp.

[9]Vance Havner, On This Rock I Stand: And Other Messages (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981), 75. Database © 2009 WORDsearch Corp.

[10]John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold, (Darlington, UK: Evangelical Press, 2006), 131. Database © 2007 WORDsearch Corp.

[11]Exploring the Mind and Heart of the Prince of Preachers: Five-thousand illustrations under one-thousand topical headings from the works of C.H. Spurgeon, ed. Kerry James Allen “RAPTURE” 2147.301 (Aurora, IL: Fox River Press, 2005), 144. Database © 2009 WORDsearch Corp.

[12]J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (Pasadena, CA: Thru the Bible Radio, 1981). Database © 2013 WORDsearch.

[13]Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotation for the Christian World, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), #9200, 506. Database © 2009 WORDsearch Corp.

[14]Stephen Tucker, “The Frank Jenner Story” Accessed: 07/14/15 http://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/the-frank-jenner-story/ .

 

By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527

Author of Don’t Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah and

Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice [Both available on Amazon.com in hardcover, paperback and eBook]

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Miss-Revival-Spiritual-Awakening/dp/1462735428 & http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Biblical-Preaching-Giving-Bible/dp/1594577684 / fkirksey@bellsouth.net / (251) 626-6210

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