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
chapter 6, for quite some time. And we are about to enter into
Mark chapter 7. And Mark chapter 7 is really
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
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.
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
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
together in verse 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?
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
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?
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.
And James 5 verse 9. Do not Grumble against one
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.
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.
Indeed let's stand and worship
together.