Sermon
What If The Charismatic YouTubers Get It Right?
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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You're listening to Key Life Fellowships Pulpit ministry
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podcast. We thank you for tuning in as we
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learn from God's Word together. If you would like more
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information regarding Key Life or to speak with one of our
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pastors, please visit us at keylifefellow-ship.com.
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Amen. How many of you like the old
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Helm, Holy, holy, holy? Well, three of you like it and
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the rest of you, you're going to find it very interesting when
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you get to heaven and you see that the heavenly hosts are day
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and night declaring holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
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who was and is and is to come every time that I have the
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opportunity. Thank you, Casey, for doing that
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song. Every time that I have the
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opportunity to ponder those things, that one day because of
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Christ, because of the grace of God, because of the sacrifice
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that the Lord made at Calvary on my behalf and on behalf of all
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those who would trust in Him, I can confidently say that one day
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I will gather before the throne with the heavenly host and I
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will sing Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of God Almighty who was
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and is and is to come. What a privilege that He has
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given us to allow us to approach his throne of grace to, to bow
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before him even now symbolically and spiritually, to bow before
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him and to declare that He is thrice holy, holy, holy, holy.
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What a privilege, privilege it is to partake in that.
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That's why I love the Lord's Day services where we gather
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together, we get to get a little glimpse into what heaven is
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going to be like. And I'm thankful that those of
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you who are in Christ, we will forever, I do mean forever.
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And I want you to really contemplate that forever.
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Praise and worship the Lord together as we're doing here
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this morning. Well, I begin the last sermon in
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2025 with letting you know that there is something that is
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probably the most annoying thing that I see throughout the year
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already happening to me. There is nothing more annoying
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in all the world at this point in my life than a charismatic
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YouTube. Who's continually searching for
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some hidden code or some unveiled secret message?
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To. Determine that this year coming
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up is in fact the year that the Lord is going to return.
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The reason that it annoys me is because since YouTube has been
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in existence and I don't know know how long that actually has
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been. Some of you probably know.
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I don't know. I'm pretty sure it was in
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existence probably several years before I even knew about it, but
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it seems like every year they've come up with some new formula to
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figure out that this is the year of the Lord's return.
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Now I've seen year after year after year as these
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self-proclaimed prophets have attempted to uncover all the
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numerical hidden Bible codes that have been hidden for
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centuries. For millennials, I've seen them
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discover hidden messages that we never knew were there.
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I actually remember right Y2K when because of the Mayans.
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What a world superpower. The Mayan counter didn't go any
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farther, so this has got to be the end.
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Some of you remember that. Some of you sadly built a bunker
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and prepared for it. There's nothing more annoying
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than this time of year for me, right?
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The beginning of a new year. It's annoying because there's
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always those people. We've got it figured out.
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The only problem with that is this.
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Matthew, chapter 24. I want you to turn there with me
Matthew 24 chapter mention
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as we see what the Lord actually teaches on this subject, the
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subject of His return. We're going to see that very
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quickly. These social media prophets
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contradict that even that which Jesus himself taught.
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When you get there, verse 36, He begins and he says this.
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He says no one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels
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in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
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As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of
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the Son of Man. From the days before the flood,
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people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage
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up to the day Noah entered the ark.
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What is he saying? Life is going on.
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His life is normally gone on. They're eating, they're
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drinking, they're having marriage ceremonies.
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Life is just happening, he says, and they knew nothing about what
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would happen until the flood came and took them all away.
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That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
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Two men will be in the field, one will be taken in the other
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left. Two women will be grinding with
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a hand mill, One will be taken to the other left.
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Therefore, he says, keep watch, because you do not know on what
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day your Lord will come. But understand this.
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He says you can't. Predict this.
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But here's some things you do need to understand.
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But understand this, if the owner of the house had known at
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what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept
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watching, would would not have let his house be broken into.
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So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come
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at an hour when you do not expect him.
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Let's pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus, we
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come to you, thanking you for your word, thanking you that
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Your word is true in our opinions.
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Don't matter. God, I pray today as we look at
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your word in regard to your second coming, to your return.
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God, I pray that you give us clarity.
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I pray that you bring us conviction.
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I pray that we see the seriousness of this.
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I pray that we see the fact. That it is imminent.
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It is at the door that it could happen at any moment.
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Lord, I pray that we prepare ourselves in case these
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charismatic YouTube prophets get things right this time.
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May we find ourselves prepared as You've commanded us to do,
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being watchful, being ready since we do not know the hour,
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but we do know the reality. We know that You've promised a
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return and we know that that will return will come to pass
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just as You promised. May we weighed an eager
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expectation and service to You as we long to see Christ face to
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face. Teach us from Your word today.
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Prepare us. We pray these things in Christ's
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name, Amen. And so Jesus very quickly
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stamping out the idea that many of these gurus on social media
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have, right? They've tried to figure it out
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every year and every year Jesus words still stand.
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You can't figure this out. And these self-proclaimed
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YouTube prophets have missed it over and over and over again.
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The very problem with that is this.
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If this was the Old Testament, they would have only had the
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opportunity to miss one before they would have been stoned to
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death. But they have missed multiple
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occasions. In fact, every year they're
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looking for that one little clue they missed so that this could
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be the year. Let me just make this very
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clear, no matter what eschatological viewpoint you
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have, if it's a biblical viewpoint, I don't care if
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you're pre meal, post meal, all meal, as long as you believe in
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the fact that Jesus Christ is going to return to this.
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Earth. I pray that we all understand
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this, that today we put all of our eschatological views aside
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to say this. He's going to return.
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And the reason that I want us to entertain that thought is this.
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You're not going to find me saying this very often.
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It's because one day the charismatics are going to be
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right. If they keep predicting it every
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single year, one year it's going to happen because isn't it true
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that there will be the last year, there will be the last
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hour, there will be the last moment, there will be the last
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everything before the return of Christ And what Jesus is telling
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us here in Matthew chapter 24, He's telling us very plainly,
Matthew 24 chapter mention
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stop trying to make all these predictions and just know this.
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Then I'm going to come like a thief and when I come, the best
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thing for all of you to do is to be ready.
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So what I want to do today, I want us to talk about that for
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just a moment. Now what I don't want to talk to
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you about is your eschatological viewpoint, whether you're pre
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meal, post meal or whether you're on meal, whether you're
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pre Trib, mid Trib, post Trib, those things don't matter to me
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right now. We can talk about those things
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at another time. Now please don't do this.
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Please don't send me a bunch of emails this week trying to
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convince me to be your. Viewpoint.
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It's not going to work. The emphasis here is not your
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viewpoint on the end times. The emphasis here is the return
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of Christ, because all non heretical viewpoints and
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orthodox Christianity about eschatology will all agree
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Christ will return. And if it's an eschatology that
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doesn't include the return of Christ, it's heretical and we
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don't even entertain it at all. That would be like those in
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Thessalonica who were being thrown into confusion by people
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telling them that the return had already happened.
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The return has not happened. No matter how you want to slice
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it and dice it and define it, it has not happened.
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Now that's whether you believe in a rapture where Christ comes
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to the clouds and the church meets them in the air and then
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you're taken off to enjoy that place that he has prepared for
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you as John says that he won. Whether you believe that we're
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just going to, as Christians here on this earth, continue to
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live and to exercise the Kingdom of God and we're actually going
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to usher in the return of Christ, that would be some type
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of post MIL ideology, whether you have some.
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Other distinctly different viewpoint.
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As long as you believe this and Christ is going to return and
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when He returns, it's going to happen just as He said it was
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going to happen. If you want to know what I feel
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about that, just stick around a little while.
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You'll learn. I've taught it many times.
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That's not what I intend to do today.
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What I intend to do today is this.
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I intend to get you to think just a little bit.
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And as much as I hate to admit it, I have to admit this.
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One day the charismatics are going to be right.
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One day they are going, if they keep doing it every year and
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nail the year of Christ's return.
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And I hope it's this year. In fact, I hope it's 2025 before
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we get to 2026. That'd be a good way to close
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out. But I don't know that you don't
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know that. And these people on social media
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don't know that. But one thing we can all agree
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on if we're going to be Orthodox in our last days thinking it is
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imminent, it is near, and it is inevitable.
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What I mean by that is the return of Christ has always been
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eminent every generation since the apostles.
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They knew that at any time the Lord could return and they lived
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like He was going to. And I think that's the key that
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we always miss because even these Youtubers that I have
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mentioned, and yes, I have mentioned them in a very
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sarcastic manner, many of you don't know this about me, but I
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do have the spiritual gift of sarcasm.
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I pray today that you can overlook that sarcasm and see
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the truth that we're going to examine from Scripture one day.
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These guys are going to be right.
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And if they are, and just in case it's this year, Are you
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ready? Are you ready for the return of
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Christ? Are you ready for the judgement
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that will follow? Are you ready for the wrath of
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God to be poured out on the unbelieving, unrepentant
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sinners? Because according to the Word of
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God, that is how all. Of this will transpire
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ultimately, Are you ready? So it brings us to a place of
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question, ways of us asking ourselves questions to find out
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if we are truly ready like Jesus just said in Matthew 24 to be
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ready because we don't know the day or the hour, but we do know
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there will be one. There will be a day and there
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will be an hour. And so we must contemplate the
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question if these YouTube charismatic prophets all right,
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Are you ready? What is ready look like first, I
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want you to see this. If these charismatic Youtubers
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get it right this time, you have to ask yourself this first.
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Question Are you ready? Write it down.
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Are you saved positively? Do you know that you truly have
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been born again? Are you positive in this?
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Do you know that you are saved? Are you?
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I'm not asking you. Is there a time where you walked
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an aisle and you prayed a little prayer and parroted something
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after someone else? I'm not asking you.
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Did you go to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes rally at some
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point when you're a teenager and they gave you some emotional
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plea and you ran forward and you prayed a prayer and you never
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changed? I'm not talking about that.
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I'm talking about a life changing encounter with the Lord
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Jesus Christ. Have you truly been saved?
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And if you truly been saved, you'll see this, that you will
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be trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
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Are you, are you trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior?
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I'm not talking again about that one time thing you did.
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I went to this youth rally and I trusted in Him that day.
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My next question to you will always be this are you still
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trusting in Him? Because a person who's truly
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saved will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ all.
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Of their days, the faith that has saved them will hold on to
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them and they will persevere and trusting in the one and only
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true Savior, the Lord of Jesus Christ.
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So are you trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior, as the only
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Lord and Savior? There are many people who think
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that they can get saved some other way, right?
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Doing good things, doing good deeds, having wholesome or even
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holy works in your life. Those things don't save.
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They can't save. Is only through the precious
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blood of Jesus Christ and any of us are saved.
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It is only through faith in Him, in him alone.
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Acts 412. It says salvation is found in no
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one else. There's no other name under
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heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
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If your savior is not named Jesus, you're not saved.
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If your savior is your church attendance won't save you.
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If your savior is your baptism won't save you.
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If your savior is, reading your Bible won't save you.
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The only one who can save you is Christ Himself.
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Have you been truly saved by Christ?
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Because he's the only savior. He's the only one who can save
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you from the wrath and the penalty of your sin.
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He's the only one who can grant to you eternal life.
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He is the only one who can grant to you forgiveness from God in
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cleansing from all of your infirmities.
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And all of your wickedness, have you trusted in Christ?
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John says this in first John five.
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He says in verse 11, and this is the testimony God has given us
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eternal life. If we want to know where this
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eternal life comes from, let's pay close attention to what John
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says. And this is in his Son.
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Whoever has the Son has life. Whoever does not have the Son of
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God does not have life. You are not saved apart from
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Jesus Christ. And so I want you to ask
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yourself that question today. Are you saved positively?
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Have you bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ, the knee of
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your life and the knee of your heart?
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Have you surrendered to Him completely as the only One who
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can save you? Are you saved positively,
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trusting in this Jesus who came to offer Himself on a cross to
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rescue all who would believe and trust in Him?
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Are you saved positively, not just trusting in Jesus as Lord
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and Savior, but turning from sin and unbelief?
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This is where many people have it confused, right?
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They leave out true repentance. Let me make this clear once and
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for all. There is no true saving faith
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without true repentance, because a person who comes to faith in
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Christ turns from their unbelief by the power of God, who opens
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their eyes to see the truth and their need for a Savior.
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And he gives them the power to turn from their unbelief and to
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turn to belief in Christ for the very first time.
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And so you can't have true saving faith without true
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repentance. Is your life marked with true
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repentance? Is it marked with turning from
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sin and unbelief? I Again, I'm not talking about a
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one time event, though we know that this begins at a one time
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event. Can you look at your life now
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and see that God has been molding and shaping you and
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conforming you to Christ, and your life has just been a
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continual cycle since you came to know Christ, of turning from
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your old nature, turning from your old sin, and turning to
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Christ? Is a true Christian won't just
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see repentance at salvation. In fact, they will see
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repentance and the fruit of repentance, their entire walk
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upon this earth. Is it present in your life?
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This is something that we have to consider.
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This is something that we have to ask ourselves in light of
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this question today. What if the charismatic
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Youtubers get this right? What if 2026 is the real deal?
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Because I can tell you this, you can get on your Google machine
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right now. Please don't right now.
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But you could and you could Google it.
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Is 2026 the year that the Lord's going to return?
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And you will find false prophet after false prophet after false
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prophet claiming to know that it is.
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What if it is? Are you saved positively?
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Do you truly know Christ as your Lord and Savior?
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Have you truly repented as evidence to your claim of faith?
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It is our repentance that gives authentication to our faith.
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We often see people claiming to have faith.
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But it's not authentic because there is no repentance that
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accompanies our faith. They never turn from their own
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life. They never turn from their old
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habits. They never turn from their old
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sin. They never turn from their
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unbelief. They just want Jesus out of get
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as a get out of hell. Free card and he's so much more
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than that. Have you trusted in Him as your
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Lord and Savior, turning from your sin and your unbelief and
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true repentance? Luke chapter 13 verse 3.
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Lord himself says, unless you repent.
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You too will perish. Even Jesus preached the gospel
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of repentance and to preach the gospel that leaves out
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repentance just to not preach A biblical gospel.
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In fact, Jesus, while he preached in Mark chapter one
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verse 14 says this. After John was put in prison,
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Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of
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God. The time has come, he said.
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The Kingdom of God has come near.
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Why He was standing before them in his first advent.
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He was standing before them again as the King of Kings and
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Lord of Lords. He said the time has come.
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He said the Kingdom of God has come near.
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Repent and believe the good news.
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What was happening there? Faith and repentance coupled
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together. Working together.
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The opposite sides of the same coin.
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You can't have true saving faith without true biblical
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repentance. It's impossible.
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So if you want to answer this question today, are you saved
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positively? Look at your life.
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Are you trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior by
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faith? And is that evidenced by a life
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that has turned from unbelief and sin and turned to Christ and
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Christ alone as the only hope that you have of ever being
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saved? You have that in your life
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because if the charismatics are right and you're not saved,
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you're clinging to some false assurance because somebody told
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you to pray a little prayer after them and that made you
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feel warm in your heart. You don't have true, authentic
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saving faith. And the charismatics are right
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this year. This will be a year of eternal
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tragedy for you. This will be the year that you
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walk off into hell, never to have opportunity to receive the
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grace and the mercy of God again.
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Unbeliever, one day you will run out of time.
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What if the charismatics are right?
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What if it's now? Are you saved positively?
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Oh, look inside yourself. Don't look at your husband.
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Don't look at your wife. Don't look at your children.
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Look at your own life. Have you truly surrendered to
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Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, as the only hope of
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forgiveness and eternal life? Have you trusted in Him and Him
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alone? And do you see the evidence of
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that in your life? True faith and true repentance?
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Is your life marked by the fact that you truly have been saved?
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Are you saved positively? Let me tell you this, if the
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charismatic Youtubers get it right this year, I don't have a
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worry. Just like I didn't have a worry
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last year and the year before that, and the year before that
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and the year before that. Why did I not have a worry?
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Because my faith is in Christ and Christ alone.
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His atoning work on the cross, His substitutionary sacrifice
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that saved sinners from their sin.
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My my hope rests in Him and Him alone.
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My hope rests in the fact that He has changed me and He has
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caused me to repent and turn from my old life and to
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continually turn to life in. Him and him alone.
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I have evidence of that in my life.
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I am assured that I am saved. I am saved positively.
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Are you? Because it's a very scary thing
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to think that these self-proclaimed prophets might
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be right and you're not right with God.
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Because when eternity begins for the unbeliever, it will be
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eternal damnation, it will be eternal death, it will be a lake
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of fire for all the unbelieving. I don't say that to make you
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uncomfortable. I don't say that.
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To make you upset or angry. I simply say that so that you
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will look into your own soul and ask yourself it's most important
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question, are you truly saved? Secondly, if these charismatic
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YouTube profits get it right this year, are you serving
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properly? Are you serving properly?
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The Lord is giving instructions here in Matthew chapter 24 about
Matthew 24 chapter mention
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what we're to do. How are we to serve properly?
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You are always to be ready. You're to be ready as if it was
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going to be today. Are you ready?
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What does that look like? Here's some quick advice for you
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if you want to know. Are you serving properly?
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Watch this. Are you submitting to the
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Master's instructions? Did Jesus himself say this?
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If you love me, you'll keep my command.
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Do you think that the Lord meant that?
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Of course He meant that. And you think that your love for
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Him is obvious by your obedience to Him?
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Of course it is. That's exactly what the Lord
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said when He said that in John 14.
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So are you submitting to the Master's instruction?
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Are you obeying the? Lord as if he could return at
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any moment. John in first.
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John 2/28 says, and in this he says, and now, dear children,
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continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and
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honest shame before him at his coming.
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Can you say that confidently today that I'm confident that
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when the Lord returns I am doing exactly what he has left me to
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do? Can you say that with
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confidence? Can you say that with no shame?
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Well, you have to be honest. There's some things that you're
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hoping that maybe he doesn't know.
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He know. Perhaps there are those things
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that you've been convicted about even for years, that you have
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not released and turned over to the Lord.
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He already knows about them. Stop playing with death.
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Stop dabbling in filth. Release those things.
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Confess your sins. He's faithful and just to
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forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
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But true confession will always release that sin.
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Are you ready or when he returns?
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Will you be found dabbling in your little pet sin that you've
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kept hidden away so nicely for you?
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Oh, how embarrassing that will be for the believer who's doing
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what he knows he ought not do. And if he's doing something that
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he ought not do, James says it is a sin.
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For he who knows to do right yet chooses to do wrong, to him it
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is a sin. What a sad day that will be for
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the true believer who finds himself sinning, actively
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involved, and disobedience to the Lord when he does return.
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There's also another side to this that Jesus unveils for us
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later on in the 24th chapter of Matthew.
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He says in verse 45. Now let me remind you of this.
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He's talking about his return. That is still the context of
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this. He says this.
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Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has
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put in charge of the servant servants in his household to
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give them their food at the proper time?
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It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so
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when he returns. Truly, I tell you, He will put
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him in charge of all his possessions.
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But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, my
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master is staying away a long time.
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This is for all the people who claim to be believers who say,
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you know what, he's delayed long enough.
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I still have a little time to play around.
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I'm going to actually dabble in my sin.
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Very dangerous ground, as you will see, he says in verse 49.
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And then this man begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat
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and drink with drunker drunkards.
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The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not
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expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of, and he will cut
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him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where
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there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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You know what the danger of dabbling in your sin and
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professing to be a believer is? It might be a false profession.
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You might be like that wicked servant who was no servant at
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all. If you're constantly playing
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around with the world and hoping that the Lord just won't find
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out about it. Yes, I will agree with you.
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You might be a believer who has gone wayward, but you'll know
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it. Conviction will not let you
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rest, and you will repent, and you will bow the knee in
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humility to Christ and admit your sin.
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But if you can continue just to hide it.
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Jesus himself said there's a pretty good chance you're not a
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real servant at all, that you're really wicked, and you will be
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assigned a place with the hypocrites where there will be
-
weeping and gnashing of teeth. I'll make you contemplate that
-
this morning. Are you serving properly,
-
submitting to the instructions of the master?
-
Are you using your time, your talents, your gifts, your
-
abilities for the Lord, or are you being like that wicked
-
servant who says he's delayed his coming?
-
He's he's already not come back to this amount of time.
-
I might as well go on and live it up a little while I'm here.
-
Sounds like the American church, doesn't it?
-
And I can promise you right now, most of the American church is
-
not talking about the return of Christ.
-
That would cramp people's lifestyle, wouldn't it?
-
No, most of them are talking about turning over a new leaf
-
for the new year. What a good resolution it is
-
that you need to make. No, what you need to do is you
-
need to make yourself prepared for the return of Christ,
-
because if these charismatics get it right, and again one day
-
they will, will you be caught off guard, unashamed?
-
That's a very dangerous place because you might be caught
-
unashamed because you're not a believer at all.
-
You're just playing a part. So are you serving?
-
Properly. Are you submitting to the
-
Master's instructions? Let me help you.
-
Serving properly is not coming into a worship service and
-
setting on a padded chair in an air conditioning building,
-
listening to a preacher on a nice sound system.
-
It's not serving the Lord. If this is the extent of your
-
so-called service because you come to church on a Sunday
-
morning, you are sadly mistaken. When Christ does return, you are
-
going to be embarrassed. He did not suffered the agony
-
that he suffered and died the death that he died so that we
-
can just go through the motion. He saved us so that we can serve
-
him wholeheartedly, just as he served others wholeheartedly.
-
Are you serving him properly? Are you submitting to his
-
instructions? You learn something in regard to
-
this from a man named Jonathan Edwards.
-
Some of you are familiar with Jonathan Edwards because of the
-
Great Awakening. Jonathan Edwards lived by a
-
code, and this code was called his resolutions.
-
He took his resolutions from scriptures.
-
All of the principles and all the ideas came from the Word of
-
God. And Jonathan Edwards was big in
-
his resolutions. If you have ever been around me
-
very long, I will usually at some point in time talk about
-
these things because He's given me an example in my life of a
-
person who was very disciplined for the Lord and.
-
We know we need that. Don't we?
-
You're one of our older adults. You had the privilege not too
-
long ago in your luncheon to actually go through the
-
resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. And again, I apologize for the
-
lengthiness of that, but there was a lot to cover.
-
And I hope you gathered something from.
-
And one of the things that I hope that you gathered was the
-
life of Edwards, because he spoke of making the most of his
-
time in many of these resolutions, using it wisely,
-
using it as if it was his last moment on earth.
-
He talked about. Walking in obedience to the Lord
-
and His Word as if it was His last day in this world.
-
What a lesson for us. What a lesson for us, just in
-
case these charismatic Youtubers get it right this time to find
-
ourselves serving the Lord and living for the Lord, utilizing
-
our time. Not for us, not for our
-
entertainment, not for our own earthly pleasures, but utilizing
-
our time for the Kingdom of God. For his purpose, oh, what
-
happened if the church really came alive to that fact.
-
So we must take any consideration, men like Edwards,
-
and ask ourselves this question, Am I living a life that if this
-
was my last day and I met God face to face, what face to face?
-
Whether that was death, whether that was through the return of
-
Christ, Could I say that I'm unashamed about where I am in
-
this life? Oh, these are real questions.
-
These are real questions that we need to ask.
-
Why? Because Jesus tells us that our
-
life needs to be in order. When the Master come, is your
-
life in order? Are you serving properly,
-
submitting to the Master's instructions?
-
But also, we have to include this.
-
Are you spurring other believers?
-
Because part of doing what God wants us to do on this earth as
-
we wait for Christ is to spur other believers along.
-
Are you encouraging others? Are you lifting others up?
-
Are you discipling others? Are you sharpening iron as one
-
man sharpens another? You said Kirk, yes, I know those
-
things are biblical and those are things that we ought to do.
-
But what in the world does this have to do with the return of
-
Christ? Has everything to do with the
-
return of Christ? Watch Hebrews chapter 10.
Hebrews 10 chapter mention
-
What the author of Hebrews so plainly says.
-
He says this in verse 24. Let us consider how we may spur
-
one another on to love and good deeds.
-
Right there in chapter 10, verse 24, verse 25, he says not giving
-
up, getting together a summer in the habit of doing, but
-
encouraging one another. And all the more as you see the
-
day approaching. What day do you think he's
-
talking about? Do you think that he's talking
-
about Groundhog Day? You think he's talking about the
-
spring equinox. You think he's talking about
-
daylight savings time. No, when they talked about it in
-
the New Testament, they always talked about this day as the day
-
of the Lord, when the Lord returns.
-
And he says you ought to be people who are spurring each
-
other along while you wait for the Lord to return.
-
And he includes in that to forsake not the assembly of the
-
believers. We ought to come together.
-
And this ought to be a time where we charge one another's
-
batteries, we encourage one another, when we pray for one
-
another, when we love one another, and then we go back in
-
this Dark World. And we represent Christ until He
-
come. Are you doing that?
-
Are you serving him properly, spurring others along,
-
encouraging them to continue and to press on in the faith?
-
When you see a brother who struggles or a sister who
-
struggles, do you come alongside of them and do you pick them up
-
and do you encourage them? Do you share with them your
-
vulnerability and your weakness? Do you point them to Christ, the
-
author and the perfector of our faith?
-
That's what we're to do if we're serving properly.
-
So if these Youtubers finally get it right, are you doing
-
that? When Christ returns, will He
-
find you submitting to your Master, loving the Lord your God
-
with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving your
-
neighbor as yourself, Spurring them along, pushing them closer
-
to Christ, Teaching them the truths of Scripture, walking the
-
road with them, hurting with them, grieving with them, but
-
also rejoicing with them? Did you know that's what the
-
church is supposed to do? Remember back in the church when
-
they used to talk about the return?
-
Of Christ. We ought to encourage one
-
another with that. You remember that they taught
-
it. We ought to encourage one
-
another with that. We ought to preach it from the
-
pulpit. We ought to teach it from the
-
Sunday school classes. And let's be honest, some of you
-
from are from other churches and you can probably think back to
-
your last church and you'll probably have to say this,
-
unless I'm just totally incorrect, I'm just going on my
-
own experience. You'd have to say this.
-
I haven't heard many. Sermons or any lessons or even
-
any thought provoking ideas concerning the return of Christ.
-
They've really just attempted to make me have a better life here
-
on this earth for some odd reason.
-
When the Bible is very clear that if we love this world, the
-
love of the Father is not in US, we see how backward we have
-
gotten it. We don't have to stay there, do
-
we? And we don't have to stay there.
-
Are you serving properly? If you're not pen of that, I'm
-
just in case these YouTube guru prophets are right.
-
You know, on your knees and say, Lord, forgive me, forgive me for
-
not doing that which you've gifted me and equipped me,
-
equipped me to do in the power of the Holy Spirit.
-
God, point me in the direction that I need to go to bring you
-
glory with my life. I know that you have recreated
-
me in Christ to do that, and I am not doing that, but the
-
desire of my heart is to do that, put people in my life who
-
will spur me along, who will teach me to do that, and then do
-
it. That you'll be serving Him
-
properly so that you'll be serving him properly on that day
-
that they do get it right, because again, one day they
-
will. Are you serving properly?
-
Thirdly, what if the charismatic YouTube profits get the
-
prediction of the Lord's return right this time?
-
Thirdly, I want you to ask yourself this question.
-
Are you speaking passionately? Oh, this is going to be a
-
difficult one. Go ahead and buckle your seat
-
belt. This will be.
-
Rather in your face, and I don't apologize for that.
-
I myself appreciate an in your face approach.
-
I like the truth. I don't want the truth to be
-
shaded. Because you know what?
-
The people who are willing to tell me the truth, I've found
-
this out in my life. They're the ones who love me the
-
most. So let's look at truth here.
-
Are you speaking passionately? Do your words reflect that you
-
really believe in Christ's imminent return?
-
Are you speaking passionately like you believe this?
-
What I mean by that? Are you speaking to others
-
concerning the Savior's redemption?
-
Are you sharing the gospel with other people?
-
Because I have a hard time believing that someone really
-
believes in the imminent return of Christ and sharing the gospel
-
is not important to them. I'll say that again in case you
-
missed it. I had a hard time believing that
-
someone really believes in the imminent return of Christ if
-
they're not sharing the gospel, because we really believe that
-
Christ could return at any moment.
-
What should be our ultimate motivation in life?
-
That is the passion. We share the gospel with those
-
that are lost, those who are in need, those who need God's
-
forgiveness and His salvation and His eternal life.
-
Those are wrapped. Up in their sin and in their
-
addiction and who need to hear the truth.
-
Are you passionately speaking the gospel to others because you
-
really believe in the return of Christ?
-
Are you speaking concerning the Savior's redemption just as the
-
apostles were instructed to do? Turn it to Acts chapter 1.
Acts 1 chapter mention
-
And let's look at this for a second, because a lot of times
-
it's not put in its context, unfortunately so.
-
Acts chapter one verse 7, this is Jesus ascension in case you
-
missed that. He says in verse 7 He said to
-
them, it's not for you to know the times or the dates the
-
Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive
-
power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my
-
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the
-
ends of the earth. Why did he say this?
-
Well, in the verses prior to this, you know what the
-
disciples were asking. At this time, are you going to
-
restore the Kingdom? At this time, is everything
-
going to come to pass? That has been promised?
-
And you know what the Lord says? Don't worry about that.
-
It's not for you to know those times.
-
He's very consistent in His eschatology, isn't He?
-
It's not for you to know those times or days.
-
The Father sent by his own authority, He said, but here's
-
one thing you can know. You will receive power from the
-
Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will
-
be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the
-
ends of the earth. He said, the Holy Spirit's going
-
to come on you and the Holy Spirit's going to come on you
-
with power. And you're not going to be able
-
to predict the exact day that the kingdom's going to be
-
restored, but you can know this. I will give you power from my
-
Spirit. To go out and to share the
-
gospel as a bold witness and a bold testimony of who I am, what
-
I came to do says in verse 9. And after he said this, he was
-
taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their
-
sight. I call that the rapture of
-
Jesus. Other theologians want to argue
-
he was taken from them. It says in verse 10, they were
-
looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly
-
two men dressed in white stood beside them.
-
Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into
-
the sky? So picture this with me.
-
These men want to talk end times, right?
-
Is this when you're going to restore the Kingdom and the Lord
-
says the Holy Spirit's going to come on you because you can't
-
know the day or the time that the Father has established, but
-
the Holy Spirit's going to come upon you with power, and He's
-
going to give you the power to be my witness to preach the
-
gospel. To the ends of the earth, that's
-
what you need to worry about. They're still standing there
-
looking captivated by the sign. The Angel says, Men of Galilee,
-
why do you stand here looking into the sky?
-
The same Jesus has been taken from you into heaven will come
-
back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
-
He says he's going to return just like he left.
-
What? Was the Angel saying, get busy?
-
Get busy doing what? Exactly what Jesus told you His
-
last request that he made before he ascended all the way into
-
heaven. He said you'll receive power,
-
now go be a witness. Share the gospel.
-
But isn't it interesting? Most of the church will proclaim
-
that I believe in the return of Christ, your lost neighbor who's
-
destined for hell. Lest God intervene with the
-
gospel message, you won't even walk across the street to share
-
the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ with them.
-
You don't believe in the return of Christ.
-
Eminently you believe that after you get done playing with all
-
the toys of this world then God will spare you.
-
And thankfully, Oh yes, I'm so important and the rest of the
-
world can go to hell for. All that you care, you say.
-
Well, I would never say that. No, not with your mouth, but
-
often times we say it with our lives.
-
I told you that this was going to be difficult because how can
-
we say this? How can we say that?
-
We believe in the imminent return of Christ, but we are not
-
passionately sharing the gospel with those who are lost.
-
We ought to be proclaiming the gospel as if it is our last
-
moment. 1 great preacher said that I preach as a dying man.
-
The dying man we don't know when our last opportunity to share
-
our God, to share the gospel with our neighbor is we don't
-
know. The last opportunity to share
-
the gospel with our family member is We don't know.
-
The last opportunity to share the gospel with our family
-
member is We don't know the last opportunity.
-
To share the gospel with our Co worker is and if you really
-
believe that these charismatics could one day be right, that
-
Jesus really meant what he said and that he's going to return,
-
you can't live your life in a cubicle next to a lost person
-
and not share the gospel with them.
-
How could a Christian do that? Well, that would grieve your
-
soul every single day to know that they are lost, they are on
-
their way to hell and you've said nothing to them about the
-
only one who can save them. That's a different thing.
-
If you share the gospel with them and they reject the gospel,
-
that's not on you, is it? Absolutely not.
-
Are you speaking passionately about the gospel of Jesus
-
Christ? Mark 8 verse 38 says, if anyone
-
is ashamed of me in my words, in this adulterous and sinful
-
generation, Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in
-
his Father's glory with the holy angels.
-
You say, well, what does that have to do with the gospel and
-
end times? The gospel is His word, and if
-
you're not sharing His word, it reveals that you are ashamed of
-
His word. And He's letting you know if
-
you're living a life ashamed of His word, know this.
-
He will return, and He will return with His holy angels.
-
And if you are ashamed of Him and His words while you were
-
here on this earth, He will be ashamed of you before His Father
-
in heaven. And I can't rewrite the
-
scriptures to make your life comfortable in light of that.
-
It says what it says. And so I asked you, are you
-
speaking passionately concerning the Savior's redemption just in
-
case the Lord will return soon? Are you speaking passionately,
-
secondly, concerning the Savior's return?
-
Are you telling people that He's going to return again?
-
We have lost the sight of that in the church.
-
You know why we've lost sight of it in the church?
-
Because I believe this. I believe that we think if we
-
ignore it, it will just go away. And if it goes away, we can hold
-
on to all the treasures that we have down here that we love so
-
much, all the kingdoms that we've built.
-
But it's not going to go away, is it?
-
And you know how I'm not. I know that it's not going to go
-
away because Jesus has promised and everything that he says is
-
true. And so are you passionately
-
speaking this proclaiming this to others that Christ is going
-
to return? Are you proclaiming with that
-
message that there will be a day of judgment and wrath for the
-
unbelieving and the unrepentant sinners?
-
Have you noticed the trend in America where we leave that out
-
of the gospel, right? We tell people to get saved, but
-
we don't tell them what to get saved from.
-
In fact, many of the people in the American church who would
-
claim to be saved, when you asked them what did you get
-
saved from, they have no idea. And you know what you got saved
-
from? You got saved from the justice
-
and the wrath of God that you deserve.
-
That's what you got saved from. And you know where that wrath
-
and justice was poured out? It was poured out on the back of
-
Jesus Christ on a cross 2000 years ago, where He bore the
-
punishment and the wrath that belonged to you and belonged to
-
me. And so you can't leave that out
-
of the message, can you? If you are, you're preaching an
-
incomplete gospel. That's what the American church
-
likes to do, right? Preach the gospel where God's
-
all love, God's all forgiveness, God's all grace.
-
But they forget to tell you that those who don't trust in His
-
mercy and His grace and His forgiveness, all they have left
-
to look forward to is the fearful expectation of fiery
-
judgement in hell. Now, I don't say that to just be
-
a mean guy because I promised you, if you would even take a
-
moment to get to know me, I'm not that mean of a guy.
-
I say that because I love you. I say that because I care about
-
your soul. I warn you about the impending
-
judgement of God that will come after the return of Christ.
-
Know that this is certain in any eschatological calendar that you
-
look at, there will be a judgement for unbelieving
-
sinners. Are you warning the unbelieving
-
about this? You say, well, Kirk, I don't
-
like to do that because that kind of scares them and I don't
-
want to scare them. I'm so thankful that someone was
-
willing to scare me with the truth because I knew that I
-
deserved judgment. I knew that I deserved the wrath
-
of God. I knew every sin that I had ever
-
committed, every evil thought that I had ever had.
-
I knew how in need of God's mercy and forgiveness I was in.
-
I'm thankful that someone warned me to flee the coming wrath.
-
I am thankful. That God sent as he sent
-
evangelists there in the Pilgrims Progress to warn
-
Pilgrim there in the City of Destruction to flee to the
-
Celestial City to focus on Christ.
-
I'm thankful someone came and they warned me, showing that
-
they truly did love me enough. To risk telling me the truth.
-
You love others enough to tell them the truth.
-
Or if you take Christ's return seriously, you will, because you
-
will really believe what will happen after Christ returns,
-
that there will one day be a judgment.
-
There will be an account for sin given for all the unbelieving
-
and the wicked sinners who did not turn to Christ.
-
They will be judged for their sin by a thrice holy God.
-
They will then be sentenced to the eternal lake of fire, where
-
they will experience eternal death.
-
But we had rather have friends keep everything light and the
-
risk that friendship by telling them the truth.
-
Can I just pose a question for you?
-
Is there any parents in the room?
-
Any parents here today raise your hand?
-
Any of you have young children still?
-
OK, so let's ask this question. Scenario number one.
-
You see some parents and they're out in the yard.
-
They're having a nice weekend in the front yard, playing with
-
their family on a busy St. Some point in time, one of their
-
young children decides that a good idea is to walk out into
-
the road and play amidst a car. And that child started walking
-
toward that busy street where cars are going way too fast for
-
kids to even begin to enter into the road or begin to even think
-
about it. And that child begins to
-
approach the road. And that parents sit there just
-
calmly on their lawn chair and said, now little Johnny, now
-
he's already had it to the street.
-
Now, little Johnny, it's going to be a good idea if you just
-
come back over here by mommy and daddy, chill for a little while
-
and not go toward the busy. Road or we have the second
-
scenario, family. There's parents, there's kids,
-
they're out in the yard, they're playing.
-
Little Johnny does the same thing.
-
He heads towards the busy St. and dad jumps up and says Johnny
-
no. And he runs as fast as he can
-
and he grabs Johnny by the back of his shirt and just in the
-
nick of time he grabs him before he steps out into the busy
-
traffic and he saves him from lasting and hitting head on with
-
a car. Which parent loves her child
-
more? Which parent is more concerned?
-
That'd be easy for you in that scenario to go well.
-
Of course, the parent who did everything that he had to do to
-
rescue his child proved that he loved them more.
-
Are you doing everything under your control to rescue those who
-
need the message of crime? To tell him the truth, that you
-
are headed toward judgement? You're going out into a busy St.
-
and you will not prevail against the car when he hits a human
-
head on. You will not prevail against the
-
judgement of God. When He judges, He speaks truth
-
and He is right. He is not right some of the
-
time. He is right all of the time.
-
And you were all transgressors, and you are all destined for
-
judgement, lest Christ intervene and passionately save you.
-
Unless we as the Church passionately speak the truth to
-
these people, warning them of the impending judgement and the
-
imminent return of Christ. You take Christ's return
-
seriously. Are you unafraid?
-
Are you unashamed to warn others of the truth that the Lord will
-
return and He will return to judge the living and the dead?
-
Second Thessalonians chapter 1 says in verse 6 says they tell
2 Thessalonians 1 chapter mention
-
how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true
-
God. Paul getting a report about the
-
Thessalonians that they were doing what they were supposed to
-
do turning from idols, turning to the one true God and he says
-
and to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the
-
dead Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath.
-
Paul reminding those in Thessalonica first, commending
-
them. I've heard about your reputation
-
that you have turned from idols, you've turned to God and you are
-
longing for the appearing of the Savior, the Lord Jesus, and you
-
know that he is the one who is going to rescue you from the
-
coming wrath. There's a wrath that is coming.
-
Are you preaching that? Are you teaching that?
-
Are you afraid? Are you ashamed?
-
The second Timothy chapter 4 Paul talking to Timothy.
2 Timothy 4 chapter mention
-
Often times we think of this as his charge before Paul left the
-
earth, but watch what he tells him in the presence of God.
-
Chapter 4 verse one end of Christ Jesus, who will judge the
-
living and the dead and in view. Of his appearing and His Kingdom
-
in view of what he says in light of the return of Christ.
-
Here's what I want you to do, Timothy, in light of the return
-
of Christ. Preach the Word, be prepared in
-
season and out of season, correct rebuke and encourage
-
with great patience and careful instruction.
-
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound
-
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
-
desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers
-
to say what they're itching ears want to hear.
-
Paul even using the return of Christ to motivate young Timothy
-
to preach the Word, to preach the Word passionately, to speak
-
passionately about the Lord Jesus Christ because his return
-
is imminent and His judgment is inevitable.
-
Are you speaking that to others? He loved them enough to tell
-
them that unless they flee the city of destruction, unless they
-
flee from their sin and turn to Christ, there is no hope of
-
their rescue. They only have the judgment of
-
God to look forward to for all eternity.
-
You share that truth with them. Isn't it funny how the liberals
-
have made us afraid to share that truth?
-
If you share the truth of God's wrath and judgment, Kirk, you're
-
probably only gonna push people away.
-
They're condemned already. John chapter 3 tells us that
John 3 chapter mention
-
because they have not believed in Christ, how am I going to
-
push them any farther away? They're already destined for the
-
depths of hell. I can't push them any farther.
-
But what I can is I can tell them the truth, that God through
-
Jesus Christ, will forgive the most vile and wicked Sinner.
-
If they would just turn to Christ and call on His name, He
-
will save them. Too preach the gospel, tell them
-
that the only way that they are ever going to avoid the just
-
wrath and judgment of God is to be wrapped in the righteousness
-
of Jesus Christ, to be cleansed by his sacrifice, to be saved in
-
him and Him alone. So if these charismatic YouTube
-
prophets get it right, are you speaking passionately?
-
Are you? So what would happen if the
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church really mobilized? I mean, if we really mobilize
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that everywhere you went became a mission field for the gospel.
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And every day of your job was not just that mundane.
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I got to get up and go to work. I get to go to the mission
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field. There are others there who were
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who were hurting just like I was once hurting because of my sin,
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who have no hope of eternal life, have no hope in this life.
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And I have the gospel that I have been entrusted with to give
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to them. I have the message in the words
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of life. Oh, wouldn't our whole
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perspective change? Are you speaking passionately?
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Lastly, lastly, are you staying prepared?
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Verse 42, Jesus made it obviously clear.
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He says, therefore keep watch because you do not know on what
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day your Lord will come. He says be prepared.
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And so I ask you all boldly, are you prepared?
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Are you prepared if they get it right?
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Are you prepared if it is 2026? Better put, are you prepared if
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it's tomorrow, just before the service ends today?
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What a joy that would be. I told someone earlier there'd
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be no greater joy than the Lord to return mid sermon.
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Are you ready? I know a question that it's not
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being asked anymore. Are you ready for the return of
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Christ? We, we have preachers who spend
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all their time trying to teach you how to live your best life
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now, how to enjoy this life, how to overcome your obstacles.
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You can't overcome your obstacles.
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Your biggest obstacle is you. You were overcome by sin.
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And the only one who's overcame sin is Christ.
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And if you're in Christ, you've overcame sin without.
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Christ, you have no hope, and so you might as well prepare.
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If you're in Christ, are you? Are you awake and longing for
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Christ? Oh, I don't.
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Mean to pick on the American church so much.
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It just is what it is, isn't it? Lazy, apathetic sleep.
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And so I encourage this body of believers because that's my duty
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and that is my role as your pastor, to wake up from your
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slumber and long for Christ. Let this be the first time in
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your Christian life that you wake up every day and with
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anticipation. Lord, please let this be the
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day. Please let this be the day that
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you rescue me from this field. Please let this be the day that
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you make all things right, that you restore your Kingdom as it
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once was before sin. Lord, let this be today, even
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now. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
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Let that be our heart. Just be awake and longing for
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Christ, not afraid of his return, thinking of all the
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things that we might miss out on if he returns today.
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Think about the things that we'll gain because of the
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promises that He's made. Romans 13 Paul says to the
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church at Romans verse 11 and do this understanding the present
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time. The hour has already come for
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you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation
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is nearer now than when we first believed.
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Of course it is. The night is nearly over.
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The day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of
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darkness and put on the armor of light.
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Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and
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drunkenness and sexual immorality and debauchery, not
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in dissensions and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with
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the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the
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desires of your flesh. That's what it looks like to be
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awake, spiritually awake and longing for Christ, not
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gratifying my flesh anymore, but longing for the day that Christ
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rescues me. Peter says in first Peter
1 Peter 1 chapter mention
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chapter 1, something along the similar lines there in verse 13.
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Therefore, with minds that are alert and so and fully sober,
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set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ
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is revealed at his coming. He's telling the believer, set
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your mind on the return of Christ.
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Set your mind on that. I'm not going to ask you, so
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don't worry. But wouldn't it be disappointing
-
if we were to ask when's the last time you talked about or
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thought about the return of Christ?
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When Peter tells the church, set your mind on it every night
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before you go to bed. Lord, if you return before I
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awake, I long for you when you wake up in the morning.
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Lord, thank you for another sunrise.
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Lord, May today be the day that you come and you set the record
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straight. You redeem your people once and
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for all. Are you staying prepared?
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Are you awake and longing for Christ?
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Are you like the five wise virgins there in Matthew 25?
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In that parable they brought a little extra oil in case the
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Lord delayed. And we know theologically there
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is no delay. There's an appointed in set
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time. It only seems like a delay for
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us. But are you prepared in case but
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YouTube prophets get it wrong again in 2026.
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Perhaps it's 2027. It will be next year if they
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missed it this year. I've seen the batter.
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But are you prepared either way? The way you can long for Christ
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like those believers in Thessalonica who are longing for
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Jesus to rescue them from the wrath that is the calm Paul
-
speaks of them. First Thessalonians chapter 1 As
1 Thessalonians 1 chapter mention
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we saw a moment ago, Are you awake and longing for Christ?
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Are you aware and looking for Christ?
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Isn't it interesting that we as Christians would say that we're
-
waiting the return of Christ, but none of us are looking for
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Him? None of us are really
-
anticipating His return, Aware and looking for Christ.
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This is going to be displayed in how you.
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Live. Does your life show that you are
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really aware and looking for Christ?
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Titus chapter 2 verse 11. It says for the grace of God has
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appeared that offers salvation to all people.
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It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions
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and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this
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present age. Watch verse 13 while we wait for
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the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God
-
and Savior Jesus Christ. Are you longing and looking for
-
Christ? To where and looking for Him?
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Are you studying the Word of God with great anticipation in your
-
heart for that day? Are you longing for that greater
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home in that greater country with that greater King that he
-
has promised? Are you like Paul writing to the
-
Philippians chapter 3? It says in verse 20, But our
Philippians 3 chapter mention
-
citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from
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there. There he is again talking about
-
the return of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ by the power.
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That enables Him to bring everything under His control,
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will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His
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glorious body. Are you longing and looking for
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that? Are you?
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Are you aware of that? Has anybody taught you that?
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That one day all the elements of this world, the death of this
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world, the sickness of this world, the pain of this world,
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it will all be taken away and you will receive a glorified
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body where you will worship the Lord in that state for all
-
eternity. Are you longing for that?
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Are you spending endless amounts of time and money trying to make
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yourself look young? Here, let me tell you, it's not
-
working. You're never going to glorify
-
yourself. You will be glorified when
-
Christ returns. Are you looking forward to that?
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Do you wake up every morning in pain because you did stupid
-
things when you were young, as I did?
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Do you gripe and do you complain about that or does it cause you
-
to truly be aware that Christ has promised that He is going to
-
free us from the agony of all the pains of this earth?
-
Where looking to Christ the day's coming.
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You have to ask yourself, will you be unashamed on that day?
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Will you Revelation 1615, John says, records the words of the
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Lord here says in verse 15, Look, I come like a thief.
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Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed so as
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not to go naked and to be shamefully exposed.
-
The Lord himself encouraging us to do what?
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Stay awake, stay aware, stay prepared just as he did there in
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Matthew chapter 24 verse 42 aware looking for Christ day's
-
coming. Are you ready?
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Are you watchful as he's commanded us to be watchful
-
waiting Luke chapter 12 and Luke's account he says this
Luke 12 chapter mention
-
verse 35 be dressed ready for service.
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Keep your lamps burning like servants waiting for their
-
master to return from a wedding banquet so that when he comes
-
and knocks, they can immediately open the door for Him.
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It will be good for those servants whose master finds them
-
watching when he comes. Truly, I tell you, He will dress
-
himself to service, to serve. Christ is going to serve those
-
who are watching for Him. He will have them recline at the
-
table and will come and wait on them, just as He did in John
John 13 chapter mention
-
chapter 13. This is disciples while He was
-
here on this earth, verse 38. And it would be good for those
-
servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the
-
middle of the night or toward Daybreak.
-
But understand this, that the owner of the house had known it
-
what hour the thief was coming. He would not have let his house
-
be broken into. You also must be ready, because
-
the Son of Man will come in an hour when you do not expect Him.
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So what if the charismatics get it right?
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Are you staying prepared? Are you speaking passionately?
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Are you serving properly? Are you saved positively?
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I'll leave you with this believer.
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If the social media YouTube profits get it right, can you
-
answer all those questions in the affirmative?
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Yes, I am saved positively. Yes, I am serving properly.
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Yes, I am speaking passionately. Yes, I am staying prepared.
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I pray that if you can't answer that in the affirmative today,
-
you would do what the Word of God has commanded us to do as
-
conviction sets upon our hearts. As believers, we are to confess
-
our sins and He's faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and
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to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
-
Would you be honest with God about that today?
-
God forgive me that I haven't been living my life serving You
-
properly and speaking and sharing the gospel passionately.
-
I haven't even given one single thought about being prepared or
-
empower me by Your Spirit. Teach me by Your Word.
-
And I can't answer all these in the affirmative.
-
And be very confident He is able to do just that.
-
He is able to finish the work that he has started in you.
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And he will submit to the spirit that yield to him.
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To the unbeliever, I boldly say this to you, you're not ready.
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You're not ready, just as I was once not ready.
-
I was not ready to meet my Maker, because if I would have
-
met my Maker in the condition that I was in, I would have met
-
my Maker not as a child of God, but as an enemy because of my
-
own sin. And I would have been judged for
-
every thought and every deed and every evil word that came from
-
this evil tongue. And I would have spent an
-
eternity in hell, and rightfully so, with no argument against
-
anything that would have been brought against my charge.
-
I wasn't ready. And I'm thankful for His grace
-
and His mercy that has made me ready in Christ Jesus.
-
I'm thankful that when I wasn't ready, He came.
-
And through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, He made me ready.
-
Can I tell you this? He'll do the same for you today.
-
Repent of your sin. Turn to Jesus Christ as your
-
Lord and Savior. Cry out to Him in desperation.
-
You desperately need Him to save you.
-
Why do you need Him to save you? Because one day these prophets
-
are going to be right for the very first.
-
Time and I will be thankful on that day.
-
I will tip my hat to the YouTube charismatic prophet when he
-
finally gets it right. Thank you that you finally got
-
it right. When He does, Are you ready?
-
You have not surrendered to Christ as Lord and Savior.
-
You're not ready. Repent of your sin today.
-
Trust in Jesus Christ as the only hope of forgiveness and
-
eternal life before it is everlastingly too late.
-
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
-
That is a desperate call. Know this.
-
The return of the Lord is imminent.
-
His judgment is impending, and the only one who can save you
-
from that judgment and wrath is Christ.
-
Turn to Christ today and be saved.
-
Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for Your word.
-
We thank You that it is true. We thank You that it has gone
-
forth, and it will accomplish that which you've set out for it
-
to accomplish. But I pray if there be any soul
-
here today who does not know Christ as Lord and Savior, I
-
pray today that Your mercy will be showered upon them.
-
That you would as only you could do, draw them out of darkness
-
and into light to receive forgiveness and eternal life.
-
That you would give them faith to believe, power to repent,
-
That you would regenerate them to new and everlasting life here
-
today. God, we thank you for the work
-
that you're going to do as the Word has gone forth.
-
God, I pray for the believers who are here today.
-
Perhaps they examine their life and they see a deficiency.
-
God, I pray that they would run to you in their deficiency and
-
cry out to you who is sufficient, meet all of our
-
needs, that they would be honest, that they would confess
-
their sin, that they would trust in your grace evermore.
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Today we'll give you all the glory for it in Jesus.
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Amen. You've been listening to Key
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Life Fellowships Pulpit Ministry podcast.
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Join us each week for more teaching from God's Word.