Ways to Prepare For The Return of Christ | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

I'm going to begin here in a moment, but I want to let you

know that I will not be preaching from Mark today.

And the reason why I'm not going to be doing that is because if

you've been following us, you know, that we have been in Mark

Mark 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6, for quite some time. And we are about to enter into

Mark chapter 7. And Mark chapter 7 is really

Mark 7 · chapter mention Mark 7 · chapter mention

about tradition and how Jesus speaks about the idolatry of

tradition and how people scripture twist to try to

justify their tradition. And I really want to take my

time through that chapter to actually expound on things that

is unfortunately confusing to many.

Not just to those who might hold two different expressions of

what we believe but even for those who do hold to the truth

but don't understand differences and don't understand why certain

places and people and institutions do things the way

they do and why we do things the way we do.

So that's going to be a very different series within a series

that I want to really, really take My time on.

And so before we enter into Mark chapter 7 prayerfully, we're

Mark 7 · chapter mention

going to step back. Take a breath, take a breath.

I'm going to address something that is relevant to what's

happening in your life and the world around us.

And I pray, I've been praying that this would touch your heart

as it did mine. And so I just have a question to

ask my question. In the beginning of the service

is how many of you in this place would say?

That more that any time in your life, you believe that the

return of the Lord, Jesus Christ is more probable than ever,

would you say yes to that? Yes, that's most of you.

And if you do say yes to that honestly, then I would follow it

up with another question. And my question is this, how

many of you who have just confessed that would be able to

also say that as a motivation of the soon?

Return of the Lord, you have consciously attempted to

strengthen certain aspects of your walk with the Lord.

And preparation to meet him. Has that been true in the past

few years? Has that been true?

In the past few months, has that been true as things seem to be

escalating week after week, is there any part of you in your

walk with the Lord, where you sense the need to say O Lord,

you can be coming. I need you to strengthen me

here, I want to be ready. I want to be found ready when I

see you. And when you meet with me, you

know, there was a time in Evangelical circles, where the

Teaching of the second coming was common and some of you who

are more seasoned, remember those days, it wasn't very hard

to enter into a church where from time to time frequently,

you would hear a pastor get up and talk about Jesus coming

back. That seems to becoming more and

more rare. for some reason, when it is, in fact, a pillar in our

belief system, if you do not believe in the bodily return of

Jesus Christ, you're not a Christian.

Christian's whole to this. This is the hope of the believer

that is the completion of our salvation.

And unfortunate, you have people today who View the second coming

of Jesus Christ. As a singular event that holds,

no bearing upon us who are saved by faith.

But when you read the New Testament carefully, what you

will see is that there is much emphasis and many exhortations

given to not the world, but the church in what to do in order to

be prepared for the coming of the Lord.

It's everywhere. It's absolutely everywhere and

you would think that that's not relevant for us because we're

sealed with the Holy Spirit. We have Redemption, what do we

need to do? Apart from confessing him as

Lord and believe in our hearts, that God raised him from the

dead. And I would say read your Bible

carefully, read your Bible carefully because you'll realize

in your Bible that as much as the true church yearns with the

spirit. And says come Lord Jesus.

Oh yes that is true. At the same time the Lord Jesus

has desires from you upon his return.

The Lord Jesus has expectations of us.

When he comes. And it is my desire.

My prayer today that as his word is delivered, you would have

much more clarity and understanding what it is, that

your bridegroom wants from you? As he and the true church

anticipates that Celestial wedding day.

Why is that important? Because of many reasons, and

it's the duty of a pastor. If you want to know one of the

job descriptions of a pastor is to prepare the people that God

has entrusted to them for eternity.

A pastor does much more than give you some holy advice or

spiritual insights or instructions of how you can

navigate through this life as painless as possible.

Now, one of the things that a pastor does is in fact, train,

and exhort, and live in such a way, where the people who are

around him or have been brought to, his pasture, would be more

ready to meet with the coming King.

And if you want proof of that, let's just begin one.

Verse in 2nd Corinthians, 11, and verse 2.

Again. Good hearted Believers have a

one-dimensional view of the return of Christ.

The lord is coming to rescue as the Lord is.

Coming to redeem us. The Lord is coming to resurrect

us. The Lord is coming to renew us

and to reward us and all of that is true.

But Christ also wants to find something in us, he wants to

find us dressed in a certain way.

He wants to find his posture din a certain way.

You might be wondering. Well then what is that of me?

How can I be ready to be saved? A men be saved, but Christ goes

beyond that and Paul illustrates and communicates what it is that

he desires from us and it's here in verse 2.

Second Corinthians 11. He speaks to this church.

And he says, for I feel a Divine jealousy for you.

Notice not a personal jealousy. A Divine jealousy jealousy,

that's inspired by the holy spirit of jealousy.

That is God word for, I feel a Divine jealousy for you.

Since I betrothed, you to one husband to present you as a pure

virgin to Christ. You know what, phase in the

relationship we are at, with our Jesus, we're in the be troll

stage. Wherein the engagement phase,

there's a wedding to come and Paul speaking here as a friend

of the bridegroom and as the friend of the bridegroom, he

senses this Duty as a leader. Over those that he has brought

the gospel to To do what he can, in order to prepare the people

to meet with Christ. To protect her.

To provide for her to do all these different things for the

sole purpose of being pure. From when Christ comes to shoo

away, all different lovers. To confront when there are

spiritual adultery, this is what a leader does.

And I try to imagine what that would be like on that final day.

I wonder if there will be a segment there for the church

when Christ will call the leaders to one side.

The all-knowing one understanding who it is, that

these leaders have been commissioned to Shepherd and

oversee. And then these leaders being

called maybe one by one. I'm not sure how it's going to

happen but the feeling I had when reading this in meditating

on is that the leaders of this church and leaders of every

church will stand before the Lord.

And say, Lord here, the people that you've brought to me.

And here's what I've done in order to assure that they were

pure virgins on to you. How does a pastor do that?

Does he micromanage people does he walk over your shoulder as he

stock you has? He become legalistic to assure

that. You don't do anything that might

come to Breaking the Law. Know if you want to know how a

pastor does it just read the rest of the chapter and you get

the heart of this man. He teaches he preaches, he

warns, he exhorts, he lives an exemplary life, he inspires

through him as a model, he causes others to want.

What? He has, that's why he can say in

the book. Follow me as I follow Christ.

He said that in First Corinthians the same church.

That's what a leader dies he wants.

The people not just to be able to face tomorrow, but the face

Christ and that's my Endeavor today.

Because one day I will have to give an account.

Like, I don't understand how anybody would assume ministry as

a job. For a paycheck, you are out of

your mind. You are It has to be a calling

and it has tremendous tremendous responsibility.

And that's why I impart as a church.

This local church we take candidates for elders.

Very seriously, Elders are not an Advisory Board to the Head.

Pastor Elders are fellow pastors of a church, and it is

absolutely vital that they qualify.

And it's absolutely vital that they understand the Eternal

ramifications, Of their position.

So here's my desire for you. Here's my prayer.

Here's what I was able to just gather from the scriptures ways

to help us be ready for the coming of Christ.

I know a lot of people are preparing for many things.

For all the turbulence has that have been forecasted in our

nation and our world, but we are a different breed of people,

your pilgrims your sojourners, you're traveling by your

citizenship is not just us. It's heaven.

And so, how do we prepare for the coming of Our Lord?

He's coming, he's coming soon. And when he comes, he wants to

see us in a certain way. He wants to embrace us in a

certain way he wants us to be adorned in a certain way.

So let me bring you to the first thing that Jesus wants to find

in us as he prepares to come and grab us and take us home with

him. First John 2:28.

1 John 2:28

I'm sure there are many things today.

I just have three things to bring to your attention.

And the first thing that the Lord would want to find in US is

to be in fellowship with him. Jesus wants to find you and

fellowship with him when he comes.

To meet with you first, John 2:28 and now little children

abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence

and not shrink from him in shame at his coming, let's just set

the straight. John is not speaking to

unbelievers, he addresses his audience, even in this one

verse, there's no confusion about it as little children.

These are the ones that belong to God.

These are those have been adopted by his grace little

children that frames every other instruction in this verse.

He saying, little children, here's my call to you abide in

him. What is it mean to abide in?

Other word is to remain. So, you can replace that word

with remain in him. What that speaks of is close

proximity. What?

That speaks of his constant connection, it's the opposite of

visiting. It's the opposite of sporadic

presence. It's to be concrete.

Close secure near in all things. And at all times, Abide in him.

Stay close to Jesus and not just close to him but be in him and

let him be in you how much closer can you get that?

And he says this, because to abide is necessary for so many

things, but it's especially necessary for confidence at his

coming confidence. When you abide in Jesus, you

have a clear conscience, that's one of the rewards of it is.

And what does that mean to okay remain but practically speaking.

Well, it's very easy. It's the call to continually

recognize the Lord and your affections and your thoughts.

It's depending on him for your source of strength, wisdom, and

Grace, and all matters. And the means by which this

takes place is obvious right? You know what?

It's not, it's not rocket science.

You get his word in you. You bring it in you day after

day, you meditate on it and then from there, you commune with

God, you pray, without speech, ceasing you speak to him.

You probably your heart to him. You give him size of concern.

You give him Outburst of Praise. It's just the sense of

continual. Unceasing Fellowship.

The way you do with people that you really love though, you may

be distant physically in your heart, you're with them and

you're able to communicate with them.

And this is what the Lord wants from us.

Now, those ideas may seem obvious one, Not foreign to us

as Christians. We know.

Pray read your Bible. Try to keep Jesus on your mind.

But there's an aspect of abiding in Christ that we often Overlook

and it's found in Jesus own teaching about abiding.

I mean, John here is obviously borrowing from his master

there's an entire chapter where Jesus gives us the call to abide

in him but we often skip his introduction and his

introduction is absolutely insightful to what it means to

really remain in him and what that called looks like.

And so you know the chapter is John 15, but don't go to verse 4

right away. Go to verse one and learn

something. I hope new if not new, as a

refresher to your abiding in Christ in John 15:1 I am the

John 15:1

True Vine and my father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit.

He takes away and every branch that does not bear fruit.

He prunes that it may bear more fruit.

How often do we associate abiding with pruning?

Before Jesus even uses the word abide.

He prepares. The people with this idea that

if you are to be connected to the vine, you should expect

pruning. We have some gardeners in this

place, we have some people with green thumbs, they know what

pruning is all about. It's eliminating, certain

things, elements, aspects from a plant from vegetation, in order,

to prepare it to grow even more it's to expand its ceiling of

potential. That's exactly what Christ does

to every single person who truly abides in him.

And what that means is, I mean, out of all the things you could

have alluded to you Lutz. This, something that cuts

Something that eliminates something that removes something

that is painful. And this is so fascinating to me

because it shows me what abiding includes it includes more than

just constant devotion and striving to obey the Lord Jesus

and all my ways. It also means that I willfully

submit to his providential pruning.

And give myself over to him with joy.

When he comes to cut me to cut things from me to cut people

out, cut things, ways habits, ideas.

Abiding includes pruning. Let me put it this way person

who claims to abide in Christ, will be able to say.

I will stay close to the Lord. No matter how painful it gets.

Because so easy to give up when it gets hard, so easy to give up

when your prayers, don't seem to be answered some so easy to give

up when people give up and when people disappoint you, who bear

the name of Christ, but a person who abide says I'm staying here,

even if it hurts my going anywhere.

I'm staying here and I will enjoy him no matter what it

costs me here below. And the promise of daily

abiding, no matter what your fate is.

As I said earlier, you will know a confidence one that makes us

bold to stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.

One that will generate not just an expectation, but a desire.

I want to see the one in whom, my soul loves.

That's what abiding does. Because as you abide you, excuse

discover, as you discover you enjoy.

And as you enjoy your satisfied and as you're satisfied, you

want more. And you can come to a place in

your walk with Christ, where it's not just him answering some

prayers for your Provisions. But you want his glory Lord,

I've reached so much here. You've done so much before me.

I'm blessed beyond measure, but oh God, like Moses, Show Me Your

Glory. But we see a warning here

because the same people who can have confidence can also if

they're not careful experience shame.

He's not speaking to non-believers, he speaking to

Christians, and it's possible for Christians to live in a way

in which they are not abiding. And because they're not

remaining, they don't have a confidence.

And when the Lord does come the word shame, their denotes

embarrassment. It denotes your awkwardness

being uncomfortable. God doesn't want that for you.

He doesn't want the first reunions with him to be like

that. But it will require something on

your part in mind and that is to abide in him.

So today I want to ask you as you believe more than ever that

Christ can come. My question to you is are you

abiding in him? Are you very distracted?

Are you consumed with so much? That Christ is an afterthought.

Have you lost that Delight in him?

Check the pulse. Check the pulse of your devotion

and be honest with yourself and say, how much of me in these

times where things are falling apart?

How much of me says, Lord would you just come already?

And just take me from here and let me be in your presence

forever and ever how much of that is true?

Would you be amazed to know that Christ has an overwhelming

desire for you? Oh is so true.

And so real, that even before his passion, he prayed to the

father, he said, father, oh would you bring them into my

presence that they might behold my glory forever and what did he

say to the very same disciples? I am going to a place to prepare

a place for you. That's why I'm going away.

What does that communicate? Let's not debate whether you're

going to get a room or a mansion.

Okay. Let's look at the heart of our

savior. He wants us.

You you want to you and he wants me.

And I'll can you imagine a bridegroom getting ready to

marry a bride, who doesn't feel the same way about that wedding

day. I can't.

And we are his bride. And he wants us and he wants us

to want him. But that doesn't just come out

of nowhere that comes with a biting.

And him revealing through that abiding where you just grow in

love with him. This is what John said, at his

coming, he wants to find you in Fellowship isn't want to find

you as a stranger, doesn't want to find you embarrassed because

you know, that you spoiled your life that you gave so much to

different things that you were limping back and forth between

Mammon and the master. Worldly, carnal, entertainment,

and joy in the Holy Spirit. Oh me find us in fellowship with

him but that's not it. We go to Luke chapter 12

Luke 12 · chapter mention

together in verse 42. Luke 12:42.

Luke 12:42

We are to be found in fellowship with him but we are also be

found fulfilling what he ordained for our lives.

And that is what Jesus says here in this chapter in these verses

and verse 42 of Luke 12. And the Lord said who then is

the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over

his household to give them their portion of food at the proper

time. Blessed, is that servant

blessed? Is that servant whom his master?

Master will find so doing when he comes.

You see a trend here with the verses that I'm selecting, when

he comes at his coming. Blessed, is that servant whom

his master will find so doing when he comes now, it's clear

that Jesus is communicating to his disciples and he is

highlighting the role of a leader, right?

Whom his master will set over his household.

And so those type of individuals are those who take care of the

servants and take care of the members of a certain place and

these are clearly the disciples and leaders, that would follow

them who are in charge of one main task to feed them.

To feed them. I hope you you're being fed here

because that's the goal that throughout the week.

Whoever occupies, this Pulpit has been putting together a

recipe and Faithfully. Honoring the ingredients and the

blueprint of God's word and then presenting that before you, so

that you can eat and that you can know fullness and you can no

greater strength in your strides.

And this is what he's saying. Here blessed are those leaders

who take care of the ones that I put under their care.

Blessed are those who are found preparing.

Blessed are those who are found feeding when I come, but the

application goes beyond leaders who was beyond.

Evangelist it goes beyond profit goes beyond, pastors and Elders.

Know God, desires to find all of us in the capacity to which we

have been called, to serve, him being found serving him and you

might want to rebut, what do I do?

I mean, your job makes sense. You preach that person jobs make

sense that they have time to do these certain things.

But what about me? You know, I thought to myself.

There are so many examples throughout the word of God about

how God honors the things that we tend to not even think about

as Ministry. And the think that came to mind

out of all the examples and I'm just going to honor that is

Samuel. The prophet you hear Samuel.

What do you hear? A mighty man of God whose

prayers were answers? Who could just speak the word

and it would come to pass but that is not how we are

introduced to Samuel. And that is not how we're

introduced to Samuel ministering.

Can I show you how the Holy Spirit identifies the ministry

of Samuel before you understand them?

As that mighty, man of God, go to the third chapter 1st Samuel

and see it with me. When I saw this it blessed me

tremendously when I saw this with all honestly really refined

the way I view people service to the Lord.

In verse 1 of chapter 3 we are told.

Now the boys Samuel was ministering to the Lord do you

think that's an exaggeration? No, it's perfectly accurate was

ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli and the word of

the Lord was rare in those days. Sounds like today, there was no

frequent vision. Samuel was ministering to the

Lord, this was before he was a prophet, he would be

commissioned as a prophet in this very same chapter.

But this is before that, and yet he's ministering What is this

young lad do for the Holy Spirit of say that he was ministering

to the Lord? What could he have done?

He was in the presence of a high priest and his sons who are

priests what else is left for you.

In the context of the Tabernacle for God to be able to highlight

that he was serving the lord. You know what's so interesting?

You get a glimpse of it in the very same chapter, you ready for

this? Go to verse 15 of the very same

chapter, first Samuel 3:15. And what are we told?

1 Samuel 3:15

With this tender child, Samuel lay until morning, then he

opened the doors of the house of the Lord.

And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

I think one of his responsibilities, one of the

things that Eli gave him as a child, is Samuel.

Now, every morning, I'm going to need you to open the doors of

the church so that the worshippers can come and give

their sacrifices. How do you view the greeters?

How do you view the ushers that come here with the plates?

How do you view the person that puts on the lyrics, on the

screen here so that you can sing?

How do you view the person that organizes these instruments so

that there can be Harmony and quality?

You know, the Lord use them as ministers.

Ministering to the Lord. It's as though God wanted us to

see what he values. Ministering to the Lord.

And what did he do? You just made sure that there

was no obstacle to coming into the house of God.

Is that how you view your service?

Is that how you view your contributions to this ministry?

Or have you fall into the Temptation?

What am I really doing here? What do I really have to offer

here? My really pleasing the Lord.

All let me tell you if it meant something to God, for Samuel to

open those doors, believe that the nature of your service is a

blessing to him as well as long as you do it for the glory of

his name and the nature of our service to him varies this and

not but what stands out from Jesus words and Luke chapter 12

Luke 12 · chapter mention

is not necessarily what is being done but how long it's being

done for What did he say? At the end of that blessed?

Is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he

comes. That's insightful.

That's important that tells me something about what Jesus wants

from me. He doesn't just want me to find

him to be my everything and for me to be.

So in love with him when he comes, he wants me to be busy at

work. That's what he desires.

Well, that's opening the door or holding a microphone.

He wants to find me busy at work.

Now, let me ask you something in this time of history and this

time of chaos, confusion, and darkness, and Bible prophecy may

I add, what's your assignment? What is your particular

assignment for the Lord? What is it?

That, you know you are doing and you could be confident, you will

be doing when he comes. Doesn't have to be grand.

This have to be spectacular. It just has to be something that

God asks of you and that, you know, is from him and that, you

know, you're doing for him. Have you identified that yet?

And if you haven't, where are you in your desire to identify

it? And if you have, are you

committed to it, we heard last week about the disciples who

were rowing and Rowing and Rowing though, there was so

little progress and we drew from that.

The commitment of these disciples, despite the fact that

was Fruit in their efforts. We need that.

Again, if there's any motivation for commitment, It's the Return

of Christ because what Christ wants to see when you and I are

here, awaiting him is US serving him.

Samuel went from ministering in the presence of Eli to

ministering to the nation and it's true that your service

throughout your lifetime might evolve and that's fine.

It might look different. It might be different gifting

that he puts in you at a different point in your life.

But what is the same as this your participation in the work

of the kingdom of God? That's, that's something that

never changes, right? I personally don't believe in

this idea of retirement for Ministry.

If you disagree, let's talk about it.

But the idea is, I will put my hands to the plow until he calls

me home or until I can't do it anymore.

Physically speaking. You know, I looked at this

chapter and there's a verse that sprung out to me and this very

same context, that blew my mind. That blew my mind and I pray

that it blows your mind. Because in this short chapter,

you have Jesus in a very, very close proximity.

Rehearsing blessed is, the servant blessed is the servant

blessed like he wants you to know the blessings that come

when he finds you serving him. And one of those blessings is

following what we just read that he will give even more

possessions, right? And that's what we're familiar

with, but there is a reward tucked in these verses that

amazes me more than any other reward that Christ can offer.

You ready for this? Scroll back a little bit and

look at verse 37 of chapter, 12 of Luke.

Blessed, are those servants whom the master finds awake when he

comes there? It is.

Now look here in verse 38, before we complete verse 37.

Verse 38, he comes in the second watch or in the third and finds

them awake. Blessed are those servants.

So he starts out saying blessed and he ends by saying blessed.

Well, what's the meet in the middle?

What are you telling me is going to be a blessing?

If I found, I found a way kind of found serving.

You blessed verse 37 are those servants whom the master finds

awake when he comes? Is truly pause.

You want to say. You can count on what I'm about

to say. You can take it to the bank, you

can assure yourself that. What I'm about to tell you is

valid. Truly, I say to you, he will

dress himself for service and have them recline at table and

he will come and serve them. Who's serving?

Who here? Yeah, it's Christ.

It's crisis. As you know, why you're going to

be blessed. Those who are found serving me

because we understand the sucking second coming.

And what do we see in Our Minds Eye?

We see Power, we see the elements melting, we see Cosmic

shifts, we see a white horse, we see a sword coming out of his

mouth. We see the nation's bowing down,

and all of that is true. But Jesus adds something that we

tend to overlook when he does come to redeem his bride and

evaluate their lives. And there are those who were

found serving him and we'll be found.

Him what this says is that the King of Kings will remove his

many crowns and put on a servant's garment, and will lead

those who've been found serving at a table and we'll look at

them. In the eye says, what can I do

for you? Almost sounds like blasphemy,

doesn't it? It's not.

It's one of his promises. I think when that happens you

and I will be crushed. Absolutely overwhelmed at the

site and the thought of Christ. The coming King serving, those

who serve him. I don't even know how to

register that. I don't even know how to

contemplate. That what other king is like

this King? What are the Lord is like this

Lord. Jesus came not to be served but

to serve he did come to do that, but I realized that when he

comes again, he still going to be serving.

He will come and he will serve serve, those who have served

him. Yes, we will be worship.

Yes, you will be adored. Yes, he will be served but at

some point he's going to express his gratitude in this way.

I can't even fathom it. It's like hard to even breathe

when trying to understand it. But it's there, he will dress

himself for serving and have them recline at table and he

will come and serve them. And if he comes in the second

watch, when the third and finds him awake blessed are those

servants blessed indeed. Maybe even now you feel.

What Peter must have felt when Jesus in John 13 was wiping

their feet Lord. Do you wash my feet?

Do you wash my feet? The Lord here wants to find his

people serving. But there's another thing he

wants to find in us and this is something that perhaps we have

not considered and it's in James chapter 5.

James 5 · chapter mention

And James 5 verse 9. Do not Grumble against one

James 5:9

another Brothers. So that you may not be judged

behold. The judge is standing at the

door. Who would ever associate

grumbling with the coming of Jesus?

James does, why did you bring this up here?

It's interesting because the context in James 5 is Believers

patiently, enduring suffering. And to await and to establish

their hearts with the truth. That Christ will come and with

him Eternal relief and recompense.

But that's precisely why grumbling is, brought up,

because if we're not watchful trials and difficult seasons can

morph us into critical edgy. Calloused unloving Christians.

That's why he brings up grumbling here in the

surrounding ideas of Trials and patiently navigating through

them. And if that's true, that it

makes you wonder, how does my personal suffering caused me to

be a grumbler against other believers?

That was my question. I understand here I'm tempted to

Grumble and complain to and about other Christians but how

does my own trial and Temptation encouraged me to do that?

I mean, think about it. There are many ways.

And one of the ways is when through your trial, through your

suffering, you experience discontentment with your life

and with God's dealing your life, especially as you compare

it to other Christians and you see that they're enjoying

something that you don't have, and they're celebrating things

that you wish you can celebrate and that they know some level of

blessing and prosperity that you've been asking God for for

so long. And instead, you're carrying a

burden and that tends to lead to unnecessary friction and you

distancing yourself from others and you try to justify that by

accusing them of different things.

So you have people like that, who look at other believers and

they mirror their lives and they say, and then it breeds all

these other ugly feelings. And then there's the idea of

looking at other Christians than mix of your pain and being

annoyed because they don't seem to be honoring their part as a

Christian, right? We have more expectations of

Christians and we do have non-christians and that's

appropriate to some degree. But you have people who desire

attention to desire care who have needs and when they feel

their estimation that they're not getting what they think they

desire and need, they become grumblers.

And from there what stenting is that they just take off to

another flock to express their woes?

Or within that same place they gather others that they can

Grumble with about Pastor about this person or about that lady

or about sister. So and so, And so, they grumble.

And there is a truth in which you and I do have an expectation

from those that we have committed to join our lives,

within the context of the local church.

And even if there is negligence, even if leaders might not see

something and miss, something is the solution to complain?

I don't think so. The idea there is to confront

and to humbly come and say, but I felt like I've been going

through this and where were you? I mean, you know, you didn't

see, you didn't hear, didn't you don't read?

Whatever the case may be. And so we have people who can

grumbling that way and then you just have people who find

strange relief and projecting their frustrations on other,

especially those who are nearest to them, right?

They just lash out or they blame others for their problems that

happens. So often just easier to not see

you as a potential problem. It's easier to put it on other

individuals and you find some kind of relief in that and it

causes more pain than anything else.

You just need an outlet. So, you grumble.

Here's the thing. When I studied something like,

grumbling the more, I read my Bible from cover to cover, the

more, I realize, God hates it, like, he really hates it.

It's not like it's annoying to him, he really hates it.

And if I want the mind of Christ, then I want to, I want

to see what he sees and I want to feel what he feels and I want

to align myself with him. Do you want to know how much God

hates grumbling? It is convicting because as one

person put it there is respectable sins, right?

They're like the obvious sins and then they're what we call as

Christians respectable sins. Like, they're not that big of a

deal, we all do them. It's kind of like an unspoken

thing. We all do it, but Gothic no, let

me show you. The first category of people

that God will actually judge when he returns go to Jude, and

go to Jude verse 15, no chapter 21, chapter Jude 15.

When Enoch the prophet prophesied about the coming of

Christ. Notice what he says here in

verse 15. To execute judgment on all and

to convict all the ungodly. I speak about the non-believer

of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have

committed in such an ungodly way.

And of all the harsh things that ungodly.

Sinners have spoken against them.

Pause, how many times can you say ungodly?

Ungodly ungodly. Ungodly ungodly Christ is coming

to judge the ungodly. Okay, and then he goes to

explain who the ungodly. Are you ready for this verse 16?

These are who grumblers the first category of people that

Jesus is going to judge is complainers.

Hey, you asked me I would murderers drug dealers Warlords.

Grumblers. Why?

Because grumblings are size of unbelief.

Grumblings are testifying that God isn't sovereign.

Grumblings are accusations against his perfect authorship

over our lives. Grumblings.

And I think there's a difference between grumbling and

complaining, and holy, agitation, when we see

unrighteousness and we see Injustice and we see sin being

tolerated, there is a sense of zeal that we should know, but

that's not the same. It's not the same grumbling down

deep inside again. is a pointing of the finger towards the

heavens and saying, God, you're really not in control and that's

the first class of people that the Lord will will confront

Okay. But what does this have to do

with Christians? What is this have to do not just

with Christians? What does it have to do with

Christians and the return of Christ?

Well, according to James, the Lord does not just care about

her attitude in our heart towards him but our attitude and

our heart towards our brothers, That Matters to the Lord and it

matters to the Lord, because guess who else?

You're going to be spending eternity with in heaven.

Look around you. Not just Jesus.

No, the church in perfect. T', impatient inconsistent

Christians. That's who's going to heaven

with you because you're one of them.

As am I? Right?

I didn't get any a men's but and I see something about the heart

of Christ here. James is hinting that the Lord

is not going to let us enter in without first, addressing the

issues that we've harbored in our hearts throughout our

journey on Earth. Not don't Grumble against your

brother's, right? Because the judge is at the

door. Which assumes what that when the

judge comes, he will actually deal with our grumblings if we

don't deal with them. Now, either we deal with them

now or we'll deal with them then I think the Lord prefers that we

do with them now. So there are entrance is much

more glorious than having to deal with bitterness and envy

unforgiveness. So what's the call in these in

these days? It's not just vertical, it's

horizontal. It's to look around and to

examine do some introspection and ask myself.

What is my what is my life like with other believers?

And then to really ask yourself is the grumblings of my heart,

justifiable are these complaints, are these annoyances

something that I can actually qualify.

If not bring it to the foot of the cross, say, Lord I want to

have an attitude of Thanksgiving.

When you come, I want to have a heart of gratitude heal me

because I'm no different than an Israelite.

In the wilderness, please forgive me and he will.

And when you fall into it again, you come to him again and you

can even bring your grumblings to him and he will deal with you

gently. But if you feel like even after

all that examination, no, I am justified, I have legitimate

concerns, and complaints against this, and that or that.

Okay, fine. Deal with it.

Go to her brother. Go to her sister with the

motivation of the coming King. I don't know if that's really

the motivation for us but let it be now I know that the Lord is

going to ask me about these grumbling.

So I rather have the awkward conversation with a brother or

sister that the stand before him and have to deal with it.

Then make that call. And send that text message

because I know you might not think it's a big deal, but this

is about the mind of Christ Christ.

Wants us to be at peace with one another Christ wants our hearts

to be at peace, though. It may not even be verbalized.

Our own Hearts to be a rest. Before he comes.

So instead of grumbling, what is the Lord want to find instead of

complaining? What does the Lord want to

discover? I'll end it here back at Luke

and Luke 18. Luke 18, verse 8.

Luke 18:8

Jesus teaches on prayer, the unjust King, the persistent

Widow and this is how he ends. His teaching in verse 8, I tell

you he will give Justice to them speedily.

Nevertheless, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on

Earth? When he comes, will he find

faith? Faith is the opposite of

crumbling, right? Faith is absolute trust and

Assurance in God's dealings. Even when everything looks like,

it's out of control. The Lord is asking, well, I find

that kind of faith and in the context here, the faith.

He's speaking about is prayer, will I find a Praying people

when I come? That's a whole different

subject. Well, I find it.

People who have really encapsulate, what abiding in him

really looks like and that's dependency on him and crying out

them sure, but it goes beyond that if we consider the rest of

the Bible, well, Many people whose heart believe me.

Believe me. I'm going to end it here.

As I ended here, I'm going to trust that may be in your own

walk. Now you have been stimulated to

perhaps look further into the scriptures.

Say if I really believe that the Lord is coming back, I really

believe that these days are point, the things that I read of

a my Bible Lord, what do you want to see me when you do come

What you want to see? You want me to abide?

I will abide give me the grace to abide.

You want me to serve Lord? Show me what my calling is show

me what might give this in this season, I don't care if it's

glamorous. I just want to be blessed by you

and I want you to be blessed Old Orchard grumbling.

Okay. Help me not Grumble or please

this really means a lot to you. Then help me trust that in to

submit my life to that. Do something in me and which

comes out of me, the fragrance of Thanksgiving and Glory unto

you. That's the kind of walk that

Jesus wants from us now. That's what he wants from us and

now I know you have a mortgage. I know you have your problems.

I know, you have to finish your degree.

I know, but look at the days that we're living in, and if

it's going to excite anything he's coming, he can come and may

we be found in him the way he desires to find us.

Let's pray. You were so clear, undeniably

obvious. We believe that you will come

again. We believe that prophecy will be

fulfilled. We believe that we will be saved

for all of eternity. But Lord we see and we've just

heard through this message, how relational you really are.

And we've got a greater glimpse of what really blesses and

pleases Your Heart Lord. We know that we can always

become better and be stronger in our walk with you.

But we also know that in your grace all you ask of us is our

hearts to be pastured in that direction.

And so we know Lord that is a desires, not there than all that

will happen from, this is being guilt-ridden and that will not

last long. So father by your spirit, we

pray that you would come inside as you do abide in us, but that

you would come inside and do a deeper work, a work in which we

are able to perceive all things in light of your return and also

what you call us to do in preparation for that awesome

event. Lord for those who ministered as

Samuel ministered, we pray that they would know a Greater Grace

and strength in their service that they realize that they are

indispensable members of the body of iced loved and honored

by you and Lord help us love and cherish and praise those who

serve and less obvious ways. Lord for those who are easily

distracted and they know that about themselves and it's

difficult for them to know what it means to really enjoy Jesus

Christ. They have convictions, they know

right and wrong but Lord perhaps they don't know what it means to

fellowship with you to actually no joy in you.

Lord teach us teach us for those who have known that but have

lost it. when us again, re-establish, our hearts And

Lord, when grumbling comes and it's so easy to Grumble Grumble,

during these times, help us catch it.

Help us catch the Lord and help us not condemn ourselves to

death, help us understand Lord, that you understand, and that

you work with us. And what you cherishing, what

you prize is a heart that is humble that walks in the light,

acknowledges his word, his or her weaknesses, and believes

that you are there to empower us.

When we asked for it, Lord, in this place, we will stand And we

will sing first for our Redemption and second because

you've made known to us what you long from us.

And that is our desire to please you.

So we will sing with absolute Delight in our hearts, in Jesus

name, we pray. Amen.

Amen. Indeed let's stand and worship

together.