Monday, September 05, 2005
Sermon Notes: 9/3/05--Forewarned is Foresaved
Sermon Scripture: Revelation 3:2-3; Revelation 22:7, 12-3, 20
(Note: Live Sermon may be slightly different, these notes based on Outline of Sermon given 9/3/05...Live Sermon available on video, ask for details)
This nation faced a terrible tragedy this past week, with the decimation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of people have been displaced, homes destroyed, scores killed. It has been a calamity. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have been affected, and we will endeavor to provide aid and assistance however we can as a church and as the Lord's servants.
However, in everything we can see lessons to learn. Right now, there is a huge blame game going on, in Louisiana. The governor is blaming the mayor, the mayor is blaming the governor, and many are blaming the federal government. We are not going to discuss that today, but we are going to use the situation at hand to teach us about heeding warnings.
The sad part about Katrina is how many people did not heed the warnings. And, folks there was plenty of warnings. For four days, people were told this hurricane was coming. Many heeded the call and packed up and left. The calls became more urgent over last weekend, as the hurricane grew closer. Some, however, chose to stay. The chose to stay and "take their chances." They waited for someone else to make the move. They wanted to stay and protect their stuff. They waited and saw. They waited for whatever reason. Why did they not heed the warnings? We will talk about that in a bit.
Christ has been issuing warnings for almost 2000 years now. I read a few of those "warnings" to you. He has been warning us of the impending storm of the Endtimes now, but it is a warning of encouragement. While it is a life and death struggle, we are not leaving comfort for destitution. We are leaving destitution for comfort and a new home. Christ has warned us that all of us are accountable, and that if we do not heed the warning/invitation to be saved and repent, the End Storm called Revelation will consume us. And it will make Katrina look like a summer Thunderstorm here in Ohio. And the horror and misery will last for eternity. People had two-four days warning about Katrina's coming. It didn't just happen. They knew when it would hit. We won't know when Christ will come again, He tells. He will come like that thief. It will be that quick. It will be sudden. However, Christ has told us it is coming. He is trying to forewarn us to make sure we are Foresaved. He is trying to get us to prepare, to not be caught out in the Storm when it comes. He is trying to tell us the time to leave this doomed world of sin and despair is coming. We have to evacuate now, to remove ourselves from the dependence on this world.
However, God has an evacuation plan. Unlike, evidently, the powers that be down south, there is a real viable evacuation plan. It is called the path to Salvation. First, realizing you are not perfect, that in fact you are a sinner. Second, realizing you cannot get there by yourself. Third, asking Christ to come into your heart and set up shop. And repenting, and earnestly seeking Christ. If we do these things, and follow the two basic commandments (from which the other ten follow) of loving the Lord your God and loving your neighbor as yourself, we will be evacuated rom the impending cataclysm.
Why did some of the people stay? In light of all the warnings, why did some people stay? Some did not believe the hurricane would come. Others doubted the messenger, I mean, the weather guys have been wrong alot, right? Others were waiting to be told, and received mixed messages from the mayor and state government, first saying to evacuate, then not to evacuate, then should we declare martial law, or not declare martial law...This sent a mixed message that in some cases doomed people to seek to leave after it was too late and traffic was jammed.
Sadly, the same thing goes on in terms of our faith today. Many Christian leaders will not even announce the warning. The Book of Revelation is too scary. Some Christian leaders don't believe there will be an end. They beieve that Revelation is just some fairy tale to scare people into belief. Even as they are saying we need to save souls, they are not talking about from what, exactly. They are not saying, well, if you don't get on Jesus's evac bus, then you will be doomed because of what is coming. They are more worried about the ritual of Christianity, being accepted by the Politically Correct world. These people are sending mixed and dooming messages, much the same as the mayor of New Orleans did. There is a Great Cataclsym coming. And if we do not heed the warnings, that we have been forewarned with for centuries, then what we will go through for eternity will make New Orleans seem like a vacation. Some in our Faith have been blinded by the wiles of this world and refuse to understand that this is Eternity at stake. This is not about looking acceptable and conforming to the will of the many, this is about salvation. Remember, Noah's neighbors laughed at him until the storm came.
Why don't we heed the warnings? Why don't we get on the nearly empty buses of salvation running around, trying to take us from the sin and impending doom of our world of sin and into the world of salvation? WE don't heed Christ's storm warnings because we are worried about our "stuff." We are afraid of losing our "prized possessions," our status. We are afraid of looking weak, like we have to depend on someone else. Well, I have news for those of us like that. All of this stuff--the pools, the cars, the houses--all of it is temporal and will vanish someday. The house my grandmother lived in is no longer even evident across the street from the church. It is an empty lot. Our stuff is not even remotely as valuable as our lives.
I love my collectibles. I love the toys, ball cards, autographs. I love my car. However, if it means saving my family and myself, I will leave them behind. I will be angry, I will be sad, but I know there is a greater calling and a greater purpose than "stuff." We are God's creation, in His own image, and we are more precious than any stuff. We can rebuild stuff, we can't rebuilt lost souls or lost lives.
Contrary to popular reports, there was transportation to take people out of the city. It was a free ride, no strings attached. All it took was the initiative to realize you were in danger, make the decision and get on the bus. Many near empty buses were leaving the area for safer areas. The ride was there, many were too consumed with stuff or fear or loathing to get on the bus.
There is a free ride for us, as well. It has been bought and paid for with the greatest treasure of all: God's Son. Christ died to pay for the bus of salvation to guide us to safety. All it takes is the initiative of realizing the Storm is coming, and we can't do a thing about it. Just as, quite frankly, no one could stop the hurricane. Many people think the President should have ripped off his shirt, revealing a Big Red S underneath, and changed the course of the hurricane. Some in the Church think that maybe, just maybe, if they can do a little extra good or make things look good, that God will divert the end. Not true. It is on the way. The 2nd Coming and Tribulation is coming. The Buses are there. They are paid for. It is time to make the Call. Get on and be saved, or stay behind and "take your chances." Of course, there is no chance. In this Storm, there will be no survivors. Their will be no innocents left, as in this sad situation. People will have made their choice, and they will have to live with it.
However, even now, Christ is there, our brothers and sisters in Christ are there, flying into the heart of people shooting at them with the slings and arrows of this world even as we are trying to save them from the Coming Storm. These people are firing because they don't understand, they are jealous, they are envious, they have been corrupted by the storm. Their sinful natures are laid bear, and rather than be saved from it, they would rather not change.
The Bus is here. We face a choice. Do we get on, and leave our stuff in favor of safety in the Arms of Christ, starting a new Life of Eternal, Amazing Grace and eternal Life, or do we become wedded to our stuff, thinking, we can ride it out, it isn't real, or some such nonsense?
The choice is clear. Christ has been warning us and encouraging us to evacuate. Evacuate from our dependence on the things of this world and our imaginary independence and self-importance, which leads only to destruction. Evacuate from the Storm and go to Sanctuary in Christ. However, it takes initiative. It takes will. It takes faith. I pray each and every one of us will take the initiative to get on the Bus. I pray we will be able to get others to come with us on the bus, to be disciples and aid workers for Christ to help save others and get them not to let the bus go by. However, there will be some that will let the buses go by, and there will be empty seats. I pray that we will all be on the Bus, that we will help to fill our Buses by being good Christians, by loving our neighbor, by following the Commandments, and by seeking to be more Christ's people. After all, that is what He did for us, and what we need to do for each other. We cannot play the blame game. There is not enough time, and there are too many to save.
Seek to get on that Bus and ride it to Salvation. The road is not always smooth, but it is the right way. It is not easy, but it is the Only Way. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We may lose the riches of this world, but we gain eternity. We gain new opportunities. Each second is a new opportunity to get on the bus, to encourage others. I pray we will all do that.
(Closing Prayer)
(Note: Live Sermon may be slightly different, these notes based on Outline of Sermon given 9/3/05...Live Sermon available on video, ask for details)
This nation faced a terrible tragedy this past week, with the decimation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of people have been displaced, homes destroyed, scores killed. It has been a calamity. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have been affected, and we will endeavor to provide aid and assistance however we can as a church and as the Lord's servants.
However, in everything we can see lessons to learn. Right now, there is a huge blame game going on, in Louisiana. The governor is blaming the mayor, the mayor is blaming the governor, and many are blaming the federal government. We are not going to discuss that today, but we are going to use the situation at hand to teach us about heeding warnings.
The sad part about Katrina is how many people did not heed the warnings. And, folks there was plenty of warnings. For four days, people were told this hurricane was coming. Many heeded the call and packed up and left. The calls became more urgent over last weekend, as the hurricane grew closer. Some, however, chose to stay. The chose to stay and "take their chances." They waited for someone else to make the move. They wanted to stay and protect their stuff. They waited and saw. They waited for whatever reason. Why did they not heed the warnings? We will talk about that in a bit.
Christ has been issuing warnings for almost 2000 years now. I read a few of those "warnings" to you. He has been warning us of the impending storm of the Endtimes now, but it is a warning of encouragement. While it is a life and death struggle, we are not leaving comfort for destitution. We are leaving destitution for comfort and a new home. Christ has warned us that all of us are accountable, and that if we do not heed the warning/invitation to be saved and repent, the End Storm called Revelation will consume us. And it will make Katrina look like a summer Thunderstorm here in Ohio. And the horror and misery will last for eternity. People had two-four days warning about Katrina's coming. It didn't just happen. They knew when it would hit. We won't know when Christ will come again, He tells. He will come like that thief. It will be that quick. It will be sudden. However, Christ has told us it is coming. He is trying to forewarn us to make sure we are Foresaved. He is trying to get us to prepare, to not be caught out in the Storm when it comes. He is trying to tell us the time to leave this doomed world of sin and despair is coming. We have to evacuate now, to remove ourselves from the dependence on this world.
However, God has an evacuation plan. Unlike, evidently, the powers that be down south, there is a real viable evacuation plan. It is called the path to Salvation. First, realizing you are not perfect, that in fact you are a sinner. Second, realizing you cannot get there by yourself. Third, asking Christ to come into your heart and set up shop. And repenting, and earnestly seeking Christ. If we do these things, and follow the two basic commandments (from which the other ten follow) of loving the Lord your God and loving your neighbor as yourself, we will be evacuated rom the impending cataclysm.
Why did some of the people stay? In light of all the warnings, why did some people stay? Some did not believe the hurricane would come. Others doubted the messenger, I mean, the weather guys have been wrong alot, right? Others were waiting to be told, and received mixed messages from the mayor and state government, first saying to evacuate, then not to evacuate, then should we declare martial law, or not declare martial law...This sent a mixed message that in some cases doomed people to seek to leave after it was too late and traffic was jammed.
Sadly, the same thing goes on in terms of our faith today. Many Christian leaders will not even announce the warning. The Book of Revelation is too scary. Some Christian leaders don't believe there will be an end. They beieve that Revelation is just some fairy tale to scare people into belief. Even as they are saying we need to save souls, they are not talking about from what, exactly. They are not saying, well, if you don't get on Jesus's evac bus, then you will be doomed because of what is coming. They are more worried about the ritual of Christianity, being accepted by the Politically Correct world. These people are sending mixed and dooming messages, much the same as the mayor of New Orleans did. There is a Great Cataclsym coming. And if we do not heed the warnings, that we have been forewarned with for centuries, then what we will go through for eternity will make New Orleans seem like a vacation. Some in our Faith have been blinded by the wiles of this world and refuse to understand that this is Eternity at stake. This is not about looking acceptable and conforming to the will of the many, this is about salvation. Remember, Noah's neighbors laughed at him until the storm came.
Why don't we heed the warnings? Why don't we get on the nearly empty buses of salvation running around, trying to take us from the sin and impending doom of our world of sin and into the world of salvation? WE don't heed Christ's storm warnings because we are worried about our "stuff." We are afraid of losing our "prized possessions," our status. We are afraid of looking weak, like we have to depend on someone else. Well, I have news for those of us like that. All of this stuff--the pools, the cars, the houses--all of it is temporal and will vanish someday. The house my grandmother lived in is no longer even evident across the street from the church. It is an empty lot. Our stuff is not even remotely as valuable as our lives.
I love my collectibles. I love the toys, ball cards, autographs. I love my car. However, if it means saving my family and myself, I will leave them behind. I will be angry, I will be sad, but I know there is a greater calling and a greater purpose than "stuff." We are God's creation, in His own image, and we are more precious than any stuff. We can rebuild stuff, we can't rebuilt lost souls or lost lives.
Contrary to popular reports, there was transportation to take people out of the city. It was a free ride, no strings attached. All it took was the initiative to realize you were in danger, make the decision and get on the bus. Many near empty buses were leaving the area for safer areas. The ride was there, many were too consumed with stuff or fear or loathing to get on the bus.
There is a free ride for us, as well. It has been bought and paid for with the greatest treasure of all: God's Son. Christ died to pay for the bus of salvation to guide us to safety. All it takes is the initiative of realizing the Storm is coming, and we can't do a thing about it. Just as, quite frankly, no one could stop the hurricane. Many people think the President should have ripped off his shirt, revealing a Big Red S underneath, and changed the course of the hurricane. Some in the Church think that maybe, just maybe, if they can do a little extra good or make things look good, that God will divert the end. Not true. It is on the way. The 2nd Coming and Tribulation is coming. The Buses are there. They are paid for. It is time to make the Call. Get on and be saved, or stay behind and "take your chances." Of course, there is no chance. In this Storm, there will be no survivors. Their will be no innocents left, as in this sad situation. People will have made their choice, and they will have to live with it.
However, even now, Christ is there, our brothers and sisters in Christ are there, flying into the heart of people shooting at them with the slings and arrows of this world even as we are trying to save them from the Coming Storm. These people are firing because they don't understand, they are jealous, they are envious, they have been corrupted by the storm. Their sinful natures are laid bear, and rather than be saved from it, they would rather not change.
The Bus is here. We face a choice. Do we get on, and leave our stuff in favor of safety in the Arms of Christ, starting a new Life of Eternal, Amazing Grace and eternal Life, or do we become wedded to our stuff, thinking, we can ride it out, it isn't real, or some such nonsense?
The choice is clear. Christ has been warning us and encouraging us to evacuate. Evacuate from our dependence on the things of this world and our imaginary independence and self-importance, which leads only to destruction. Evacuate from the Storm and go to Sanctuary in Christ. However, it takes initiative. It takes will. It takes faith. I pray each and every one of us will take the initiative to get on the Bus. I pray we will be able to get others to come with us on the bus, to be disciples and aid workers for Christ to help save others and get them not to let the bus go by. However, there will be some that will let the buses go by, and there will be empty seats. I pray that we will all be on the Bus, that we will help to fill our Buses by being good Christians, by loving our neighbor, by following the Commandments, and by seeking to be more Christ's people. After all, that is what He did for us, and what we need to do for each other. We cannot play the blame game. There is not enough time, and there are too many to save.
Seek to get on that Bus and ride it to Salvation. The road is not always smooth, but it is the right way. It is not easy, but it is the Only Way. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We may lose the riches of this world, but we gain eternity. We gain new opportunities. Each second is a new opportunity to get on the bus, to encourage others. I pray we will all do that.
(Closing Prayer)
# posted by Mark : 10:06 AM
