Download... November 13, 2011. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: I THESSALONIANS 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
What is God returning for? We know He’s coming back for a final judgment. It is with that judgment, that God will announce Himself with an Arch angel and trumpet, to return for all those alive and clothed in His righteousness, and for also those “asleep” in Him.
LUKE 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. Christ ask us to be ready though we know not when He is coming back. He’s coming only for His Church, those cleansed and kept holy. So, ..What is God returning for(?) ..is the thought for this morning. In that, there are three questions we want to ask.
1) What is God returning for?
2) What is God Not returning for?
3) What does it have to do with me ?
God knows whose are His, ..and not. We are accountable for what we do, with what God has shown us. Right from wrong. We must be acceptable in His sight. So we must, and want to be ready. For He’s not returning for those living for merely religious and manmade ideas. He’s coming at an hour that we know not. He gives wisdom only to the humble, and not to the ones who have “prophesies” regarding His return date(presumptiously). He will return surely for those “least wise,” amongst the professing “wise.” Don’t be discouraged, caught up in these earthly suppositions and “schemes.” He will 'only' come back (while we’re still here, or after our passing in death) at an hour we know not.
We need to have a Godly fear to be ready. The “wisdom” of mankind, doesn’t like to acknowledge any guilt of life’s actions. God’s children don’t operate under guilt, but guilt does fit in the plan to turn mankind to the face of God. For without that, mankind goes after their own ways and thoughts. We must see (and many do without even being taught) the need of guilt, ..to see our need of God. So the vital question in this needed Godly fear, is God coming back for me, ..and am I ready?
Proverbs 7:19-23 19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. 21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. 22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. This woman, because of her “fair speech”, was able to take “captive” this young man into the death of sin. This woman told him, that “the “goodman” is not here, (implying essentially, that there are no consequences). When you take away the judgment and punishment, people have a “heyday” in sin. They call God, “only a God of love.” Because people have many human problems as loneliness, destitution, betrayal, etc., they essentially say God’s only job is to take away problems such as this. But unfortunately there is evil in the world, which is THE cause of these problems. This woman lied, as if to dismiss any consequences of their evil. It is based on the long time error of thought, that mankind is “doomed” in the failures of his humanity, without escape. But contrarily, we 'are' accountable to the actions of sin. Therefore it is our requirement spiritually, to avoid the surety that God is coming to bring judgment on any and all sin. This young man in Proverbs, no doubt subjected himself to diseases received through these evil seductions.
God’s giving you a chance this morning to wake up…so not to be swallowed up in the “slaughter house” of sin. He might come back during this morning service, or after, but the important part is the need to be ready. You might think (in error) that the best way to live is to please yourself, with or without mere religion. Whether you are presumably a good person, or not (not willing to let God judge their sins), then you better not talk about right or wrong. Right or wrong belongs only to God. God only in Truth determines right or wrong. Whoever doesn’t really care about right or wrong, is a “sick” person. Even doctors are concerned about those who don’t recognize right or wrong. This "grows" a problem ... when permitting themselves to “toy” with their "natural" ways of thinking. It will be the destruction of their lives. Mental, physical, those things you might become dependent upon, in error. For then slowly, surely, their life’s fruit deteriorates.
“It’s the little foxes that spoil the vines.” You might think “a little of this or that” won’t hurt. At first you might pull back from the negatives of sin, but then, yet surely continue, to become more and more comfortable to the evil "vices." It will be then you become “hooked,” until your life is ultimately,(or everlastingly) destroyed. For example, the one that takes “one” drink, then more and more, until perhaps while driving, you destroy yourself, others, or both. We live in a dangerous world and time. God will only come back for those who truly love Him. God has given us attributes, to then know His love and benefits for mankind.
God is coming back only for His Church, and not “just” a church. Most “know” God’s Church is His body, of which is only that which He is coming back for. But do they fully accept the need to recognize, the true Head, of the true body? They cannot recognize the true head without full understanding and knowledge of God’s characteristics. It is, that which identifies you, if you are His. So then, I need to know how to recognize His people. For God is not coming back for an “institution.” He is only coming back for those redeemed from sin and living Holy, identified by God’s characteristics, living pleasingly, to Him. Just being a regular attendee, even of God’s true gathering of people, doesn’t qualify that one as also God’s. You Must also possess His characteristics. Some teach that they “live” by God’s code of conduct. Yet, they don’t really “pay attention” to that God given requirement of holiness. They “tend” to depend on “rituals.” We cannot depend on rituals.
I must be able to produce the relationship and fruits of God’s characteristics, and not being ‘only” associated with a religious institution. Innocence by association? We need more than “association.” Many “fights” or divisions amongst religious bodies, (i.e. Catholicism, Mormonism, Muslims, Protestants, etc.), are of their presumption of “who” holds the key to what God is coming back for. There are so many groups that are divided within themselves. God is coming back for us as Individuals, and Not as an Institution (of different groups). For of course, being of an “institution” is not of an ‘individual’ experience. An individual experience with God, is all that God ultimately will accept for the goal of heaven.
Romans 9:30-33 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Chapter 10 goes on to describe how Christ is become our head. But of the Jews, Christ had become a stumbling block. Because they followed the ideas of an institution. God will not accept substitutes for Himself and righteousness. We cannot be accepted, based on another person, or group, for our righteousness. Until we let God be the Only Head, all else will be our stumbling block/stone. A stumblingblock until you allow God only to be the judgment of all your most internal and external motivations and actions. Too often “groups” are formed because of a grievance with others.
These groups are merely an evil substitute for the only judgment that God will accept. So many think, “As long as “I’m accepted,” (initially meeting "man's" requirements) they claim “innocence by association.” The Jews were dependent on their works, ..righteous by the law. But Christ has given us His righteousness, by justification through faith, and not works, which is essentially mere church membership. These manmade churches allow themselves to create their own rules, teaching them to be followed, regardless if it is founded upon God’s word or not. Therefore they can do, or be caught up with, anything of sin, and still be a “member.” Justification by works is essentially from men being allowed to rule by their own ideas and requirements. Man’s rules, are not of the justification found only by faith, which is of the only true righteousness. We cannot allow men to dictate with their rules and spirit. It’s not by works, but faith that saves.
So God will soon return for His Church, those saved by faith, and not by sight or of their works. Only being part of a group, is not spiritually safe. It is found only if we have a relationship with Christ, being subject to His righteousness. What is God returning for?
Not "just a church," but only those founded in the headship of Christ, and not of men.
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James 2:18-20 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? People starting out well, too often, end up choosing the way of their own flesh. This is in essence faith without works. “Asleep” to righteousness. When God saves us, we are awake to righteousness. If we’re asleep to Christ’s ways, we can’t “hear” Him. Bro Goble said this is a personal burden of his, that those, including in his own family, that are “asleep.” Faith, ..without works, will once again bring spiritual sleep. Faith will produce something in me to “act” in a “certain” way. For instance, you won’t want to dress like the world. Christ is not just coming back for “those that profess,” but those that are working out their faith. Faith not worked out, is asleep, and needs to be awaken to the righteousness of Christ only. James 1:19-27 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. There is no conflict in faith with one who is a “doer of the word.” Faith worked out, means there will be tangible fruit, unspotted from the world. Too often there’s a mental conflicting picture of the saint’s and the world’s perceptions. Yet it stands that God is coming back for only those souls living out, and in, His faith, and not any “needing” the association with an institution. Unless you are fully submitted to Christ and His holy word, you’ll not make heaven your home. |
Are you ready for Christ’s promised return?
