Christians need to understand what it means to have membership in the Church of God. Along with this we also need to understand that this unique membership requires something on our part. This sermon develops this topic by further examining specific aspects and duties of membership.
Dave Harris will give the sermon this Sabbath, May 10, 2003. The sermon is titled, “Not Without Chastening.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
This sermon addresses the dimension of God’s anger. Seven points are given: (1.) We should fear god’s anger; (2.) God’s anger is fair; (3.) God is slow to anger; (4.) God will turn from His anger; (5.) God’s anger can save us; (6.) God’s anger can destroy us; and, (7.) We need to understand what invokes God’s anger.
Asking the question, “How are we doing in our exodus from sin?”–this sermon addresses the lessons of the seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As commanded, this day is kept as a holy convocation as God commanded, and the parallels are made for Christians to complete their departure from sin just as the Israelites of old finally completed their journey by entering the promised land.
Pinpointing some of the big-picture themes of God’s master plan, this sermon covers three major teachings by Jesus from the 17th chapter of John: (1.) Jesus teaches about the world; (2.) Jesus teaches about unity; and, (3.) Jesus teaches about His work. The underlying theme is that of what both the Father and the Son are doing to make possible eternal life for mankind.
In Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1, Solomon records that “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.”
This section ends in verse 8 adding that there is “A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.”
How does this apply to Christians–especially as this world is engaged in a “time of war”?
First, let’s consider a warning from Jesus Christ that He left for those of us who live at the end of this age: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Yet, for those who follow Christ, this must be “a time to love”. If we are to be a light to those around us, then above all things we must show this fruit of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives. In the closing hours of His life, Jesus spoke to His disciples (and us): ” ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ ” (John 13:35). Continuing in John 15, verse 12, Jesus says: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Later on in the events leading to His sacrifice for the reconciling of the world to the Father, Jesus spoke to Pilate showing that this was not a time for Him–or His disciples–to fight and make war: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36).
Our “time to hate” is not directed at this world–a world that God so loved that He gave His Son (Cp. John 3:16). However, we also are to understand that there are things which God hates. He hates sin. He hates those activities which might destroy one of His future sons. In Revelation 2:6, Jesus addressed the church of Ephesus and complimented their valiant zeal to withstand wrong doctrines: “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”Christians are to hate what God hates
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, extols the role of love in a Christian’s life. Alongside the various fruits of God’s Spirit, love is foremost: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (verse 13). This kind of love which is imparted through God’s Holy Spirit is the embodiment of righteousness. James, the brother of Jesus Christ, shows that the kind of righteousness that is based on love will bring Christians peace: “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18).
Christians are taught to love by God Himself. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Continuing in verse 16, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him.”
As we both see and experience the dramatic events of prophecy now being fulfilled, there is something we can and must do. In the quotation from Matthew 24, verse 12, it says that the love of “many” will grow cold, but NOT ALL. As Solomon said, “to everything there is a season,” and the season for Christians is as it has always been, “a time to love!”
The Bible describes those who are called, chosen and faithful (Rev. 17:14). This sermon reviews the selection, among others, of Moses, David and Paul, and how they were selected for serving God during their lifetimes and in the future. It is pointed out that Christians have also been called to serve God both now and as kings and priests in the future Kingdom of God.
Matthew records a series of profound questions from some of the disciples. Among other things, they asked Jesus about the “end of the age” (Matthew 24:3). The answers given by Jesus were even more startling. In fact, we now understand that much of what has been left for us to know of the message Jesus Christ proclaimed focused on the end of this age and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
Many generations–even that early Church of God which heard the words we now read–have thought that theirs was the final generation. Yet, one generation will indeed be the one spoken of by Jesus. Furthermore, the Bible is full of prophecies that describe events and personalities that are destined to arise at the end. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition [instruction], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
Peter, one of the disciples who asked Jesus about the end of the age, in later years preached the same imminent truth: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers…” (1 Peter 4:7). Peter explains that because of the times in which we live, we should live our lives accordingly–especially with “…fervent love for one another” (v. 8).
Speaking of the final generation which would witness His return to the earth, Jesus used the days before the flood of Noah’s time as a comparison. What He said of that former doomed generation was that they “…did not know until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:39). They did not watch–they were not ready for what was about to happen. The reason for this was that they simply went on with their daily lives in a world where the “…wickedness of man was great in the earth, and [ ] every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).
Jesus contended with the Pharisees and Sadducees for their spiritual blindness: “…You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3).
Can we each discern that we are now living at the end of this age? Are we able to believe what our eyes see and our ears hear? The status quo of this age has shifted remarkably and shockingly at the beginning of this new century, and events are now sweeping us along in fulfillment of the momentous end time prophecies Jesus Christ warned about!
Our safety and preservation can only be found in God. Just as Noah fulfilled the work given to him by God, those of us called into the Church of God must fulfill the great work entrusted to us. Jesus also left a promise in this regard when He said that “…for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened [“cut short”–not allowed to run to full completion]” (Matthew 24:22).
We have seen movies, read books, heard sermons–we have all, in one way or another, pondered about the close of this age. What we all must now do is wake up and believe the fearsome truth–these are the end times!
The greatest prophet who ever lived spoke to His generation about the good news of the Kingdom of God. Of that prophet’s work, these words seem to sum up how many of those who heard Him responded: “But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him.” (John 12:37).
This is, of course, the Savior-Jesus Christ. In chapter 8 of John, verse 43, Jesus said to some of the Jews: ” ‘Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to LISTEN to My word.’ ” But these weren’t just any Jews. In verse 31 of this same chapter, we learn that He was speaking “…to those Jews who believed Him.” However, they dismissed what Jesus taught, and we see in verse 59 that these who once believed “…took up stones to throw at Him.”
At the first, these Jews-along with many of their countrymen-found Jesus to be a great attraction. After all, they thought He might just be their promised Messiah. And though He indeed was, they were unable to recognize Him as fulfilling that role. They had so shaped an expectancy into the way they interpreted the Word of God that when they heard the truth, they rejected it!
Peter, James and John were able-in vision-to see Jesus in the kingdom. What was further revealed to them at that time was something they were to do relative to the Son of God-they were to ” ‘…Hear Him!’ “
People have from time to time been in a position to hear the truth. The children of Israel heard the voice of God. Yet, they immediately turned to idolatry. Solomon, although God appeared to him twice in vision, later turned away from God.
However, we can also look to ourselves and our own generation. The truth of God has flowered in our time with many hearing the good news of the Kingdom of God. We, too, must be on guard to not take what we hear for granted or to turn away from what is true.
Paul spoke prophetically of a time to come when people-people who hear the truth-would have “itching ears.” He showed that the reason for this was that these people would put their own desires first, and because of this, they would not continue to listen to “sound doctrine.” (Cp. 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
We are further warned in Hebrews 4, verse 7, ” ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.’ “
Just as does all of God’s Word, the voice that the three disciples heard speaks to all Christians for all times-and especially those of us upon whom the end of this age now falls–“Hear Him!”
With a view to our ultimate potential to become sons of God, this sermon examines three ways to measure our relaionship with God at the present time. If we are to improve our relationship with God, then we must build on the correct foundation; establish our relationship through our obedience to God’s will; and, we must focus on our relationship with God in His Kingdom.
