1 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,120 The title of this morning's message, Revelation chapter 3, 2 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:13,680 verse 7 to 13, we'll deal with is have faith. 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,880 I got you to turn to one another and say have faith. 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,840 And the rest of the title of the sermon is have faith. 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:27,200 We still have time, have faith. Why is the church still here? 6 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,159 Why is the church still here? What does Jesus think of the 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,280 church? 7 letters He tells us what he 8 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,720 thinks of the church. Why are we still here? 9 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,320 Why hasn't the rapture occurred? Why don't Why are we remaining? 10 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:48,520 What is it? Two books set in the London shop 11 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,400 of a young cobbler. Now those of you probably too 12 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,520 young to know what a cobbler is, a cobbler is someone who's. 13 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,640 He's the Mr Minuteman now. I think he's the man who would 14 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,960 repair shoes. We used to go to the cobbler, 15 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:03,840 probably thinking how old is this guy? 16 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:10,000 We'd go to the cobbler and get our football boots restarted and 17 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:17,040 shoes repaired. And there was a young cobbler in 18 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,240 his London shop and he had two books in his shop. 1 was a well 19 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:25,080 worn Bible and the other was Captain Cook's journal and he 20 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:31,280 read both each day. But as the days went by, the 21 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,880 cobbler found himself losing interest in working on the soles 22 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:41,080 of shoes and caring more about the souls of people in the far 23 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:46,480 lands, far regions of the world. So much so that on the 31st of 24 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:52,880 May 1793, this cobbler walked into the little Protestant 25 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,200 church he attended and asked if he could share. 26 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,840 He opened his Bible and read as they allowed him. 27 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,040 The cobbler went on to share this with the little 28 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,440 congregation. He read. 29 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:12,040 We must lengthen the chords. We must strengthen the stakes. 30 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,360 We must include others who have never heard. 31 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:20,600 He says I want to go. He was reading from Isaiah 54. 32 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,000 Two, I'll read it. Enlarge the place of your tent. 33 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,840 Let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings. 34 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,440 Do not spare. Lengthen your cords and stretch. 35 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:31,600 Strengthen your stakes. He said. 36 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:37,000 Send me to India, please. The small congregation was 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:43,560 stunned by this young cobbler. It had been 1000 years since 38 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,720 anyone had launched a foreign ministry endeavour, but the 39 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,080 Church sent him. In his first ten years, this 40 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:57,040 man, this young cobbler learnt and became fluent in 12 41 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:03,640 languages. William Carey was his name and 42 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:07,280 he goes down in history as the father of the modern missionary 43 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,440 movement. This is the period the Church of 44 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,480 Philadelphia covers in church history. 45 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,400 Suddenly the Church woke up from her lethargy. 46 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,560 William Carey, a cobbler, set the example that one did not 47 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:28,320 need to be skilled, gifted or special to be used in the 48 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,560 Kingdom of God. God is simply looking for those 49 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,280 who will obey the Great Commission. 50 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,120 The Church of Philadelphia speaks of the period, as I said 51 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,040 in church history, beginning in the 1800s. 52 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,480 For it was men like William Carey who went India. 53 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:51,400 Hudson Taylor went to China I I implore you to read Hudson 54 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:57,600 Taylor's autobiography. DL Moody then broke out in 55 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,960 America. Charles Haddon Spurgeon broke 56 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:07,120 out in London, and evangelism was taking place and people were 57 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:14,040 obeying the Great Commission. Their hearts were captured with 58 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:19,320 a hunger for lost souls. So let's read the letter verse 59 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,160 7, and to the Angel of the church in Philadelphia right 60 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,280 now, we get the title that Jesus gives himself, which gives us 61 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:30,720 the flavour of the church. These things says he who is 62 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:36,200 holy, who is true, who has the key of David. 63 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,120 What does that mean? He who opens and no one shuts 64 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,800 and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. 65 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:48,200 He knows all about them. See, I have set before you an 66 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:53,040 open door. No one can shut up, for you have 67 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,320 a little strength. This church was small. 68 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,520 It relied upon God. You've kept my word. 69 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,600 God's word was taught, and I have not denied my name. 70 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,960 They were faithful in their communities, faithful to be 71 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,080 acknowledged and recognised as Christians. 72 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,800 Everyone knew that they were Christians. 73 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:18,480 Indeed, Jesus says, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan 74 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,840 who say they are Jews and not but lie. 75 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:26,760 Indeed, I will make them calm and worship before you, before 76 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:33,840 your feet, and to know that I have loved you because you have 77 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:37,400 kept my command to persevere. They didn't give up. 78 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,400 They had an ache and a love to reach the lost. 79 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,640 I also will keep you very importantly from the hour of 80 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,280 trial which shall come upon the whole world. 81 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,960 What is the hour of trial that has yet to come upon the whole 82 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:54,560 world? The tribulation. 83 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,160 This is a important note, he said. 84 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:02,920 I will keep you from going into the hour of trial that has yet 85 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:08,040 to sweep across the whole world to test those, and here's some 86 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,680 keywords who dwell upon the earth. 87 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,560 If you read through the Book of Revelation, you'll note more 88 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,520 than 7 times throughout the Book of Revelation, there is this 89 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,320 statement to those who dwell on the earth. 90 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,680 And each time it's mentioned, it's talking about the judgments 91 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,600 of God coming upon those who dwell upon the earth. 92 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,000 It's those who don't want God, don't want his Kingdom, don't 93 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,320 want the gospel. I want to stay here on this 94 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,160 world. I, I love this fallen world. 95 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:40,400 I love living in sin, I reject God and seven times that term 96 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,480 comes dwell upon the earth. Those who dwell on the earth. 97 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:48,200 Jesus then says verse 11, behold, I'm coming quickly and 98 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,840 note that that's the speed. Now remember a day to the Lord 99 00:06:52,840 --> 00:06:56,040 is like 1000 years. So to Jesus, he's coming at any 100 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,080 moment. He said in John 14, let not your 101 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,680 heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you 102 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:03,520 that where I am there you may be also. 103 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:07,480 I'm coming for you. So you need to be ready. 104 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:16,520 Hold fast, have faith, hold fast to what you have. 105 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,880 See that no one take your crown. We'll look at that. 106 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:26,200 He who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of God. 107 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:31,480 Now in those days, those who are faithful citizens in cities and 108 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,800 places, and when they were building and on the pillars, 109 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:39,760 they would put the name of a certain person to faithful so 110 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,240 and so who's been a pillar of the church pill of the 111 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,320 community. You've heard that pillar of the 112 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:45,920 community. This is where it comes from. 113 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:51,880 God says, I'm going to put you your name, a pillar in the 114 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,360 temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. 115 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,040 In other words, you'll always be with me. 116 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,480 I will write on him the name of my God. 117 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,560 That's identification, that's showing your mind. 118 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,440 I'm giving you my name and the name of the city of my God. 119 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,960 Notice here comes that city again, the new Jerusalem. 120 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,560 Keep your eye on Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven 121 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,040 from my God, and I'll write on him my new name. 122 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:24,040 Again, a mark of identification. You belong to me, belong to 123 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,840 Jesus. It's a mark also of intimacy. 124 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,760 Verse 13, This is where you come into it this morning. 125 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:36,200 What are you going to do? He who has an ear, let him hear 126 00:08:36,799 --> 00:08:40,919 what the Holy Spirit capital S says to the churches. 127 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:46,280 So as you listen to this letter, chapter 1 says as you read it, 128 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:50,640 you get blessed. As you hear it you receive a 129 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,040 blessing, and as you buy it, you receive a blessing. 130 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,320 You can leave here with three blessings that God has promised 131 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,240 this letter along with that to Smyrna. 132 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,640 Jesus has nothing critical to say about the Church of 133 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,360 Philadelphia. Why? 134 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,640 Verse 8? They were faithful. 135 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,720 What does that mean? They kept my word. 136 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,720 You've kept my word. You haven't deviated and gone on 137 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:22,280 to any false teaching or stupid, idiotic stuff that flows 138 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,880 through. You've not denied my name. 139 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,160 You say you're a Christian. You're a follower of Christ. 140 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,480 They were mature. You have kept the word of my 141 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,680 patience. They weren't like, I'm following 142 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,080 Jesus today. I'm not following him now, I'm 143 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,680 following him next week. You know, people like come and 144 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:41,960 go. They're in church, out of 145 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:43,920 church, in church, up, down, up, down. 146 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,360 That's not the way it should be. Can you imagine a marriage? 147 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,160 While I'll be married to you today, I'm not. 148 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,920 Next week I'm single. Next week I'll be married to you 149 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:53,840 again. That's why marriage and our 150 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,040 relationship with Christ is so similar. 151 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:04,080 Though I'm mature, grown up. You've kept my word of my 152 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,960 patience. They didn't deviate each week. 153 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,080 You knew where they were and you knew what they were doing. 154 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,680 They were followers of Christ, they were disciples, and they 155 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:19,000 had a burden for the lost. I have set before you an open 156 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,000 door. The Church of Jesus Christ 157 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:27,560 exists for two reasons. One, to go into the world and 158 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:32,400 preach the gospel to and to make disciples of those who receive 159 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,400 the gospel. You know, that's what the Bible 160 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:38,360 gives as the definition of why the church exists and what it's 161 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,280 to do. Those two things. 162 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:45,400 This fellowship, the Church of Philadelphia was involved in 163 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,720 evangelism. Evangelism. 164 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,200 What does that mean? It means to go and give the good 165 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,360 news. Give the good news to someone 166 00:10:53,560 --> 00:10:56,400 about Jesus Christ, to speak the gospel. 167 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,120 They had taken Christ's commandment of the Great 168 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,520 Commission to heart and they were driven by it. 169 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:10,880 Mark 1615, Jesus said, and he said to them, Go into all the 170 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,600 world and preach the gospel to every creature. 171 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:15,920 That's a commandment. Who's that to? 172 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,640 To the church. If you believe you're part of 173 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,200 the Church of Jesus Christ, that commandment is to you. 174 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,240 Matthew 2818, Jesus came and spoke to the disciples saying 175 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,880 all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 176 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,400 That's why we go back to I've set before you an open door. 177 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:38,480 No one can close it. He says, I have this authority. 178 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,960 I'm making this opportunity available to you. 179 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:48,360 Now go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, 180 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,160 baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son, and of 181 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,160 the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I 182 00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:00,160 have commanded you. And lo, I'm with you always, 183 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,000 even to the end of the age. Amen. 184 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:08,000 The Church of Philadelphia had hearts filled with a passion to 185 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,760 reach the lost. More specifically, they had a 186 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,640 love for the lost. That's got to be the reason why 187 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:17,960 you serve anywhere in any church. 188 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,800 While you serve here, you know, people say, oh, you know, you 189 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,680 can put me down to something or and they come and go, come and 190 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:29,040 go and people come and go. The reason you serve is because 191 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,760 if you teach Sunday school, junior church, it's because you 192 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:38,160 love the kids. That's the reason you have a 193 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:42,560 love for the children and you want to love the children into 194 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,080 the glory and wonder of knowing Jesus Christ. 195 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,400 It's something I'll have no one else at all do it. 196 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,600 And people come and go and they have all the well, like, you 197 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:53,760 know, I'm good at this. I'm good at that. 198 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:59,840 No, your connection to the local church is based upon your love 199 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:05,480 for the body of Christ there. If you don't have a love for 200 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:10,520 them, please don't because they're going to get a false 201 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,440 facade and kids pick it up really quickly. 202 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,320 If you don't care about them, you could see if see right 203 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,200 through you to see how genuine you are. 204 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,320 They'll care if they see how much we care for them. 205 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:29,520 This church had hearts filled with passion to reach the lost. 206 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,640 More specifically, they had a love for the lost. 207 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:38,440 Phileo brotherly love. One of the reasons we don't 208 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:43,680 effectively reach our culture is because we are woefully out of 209 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:47,960 touch, often living in our own Christian subculture. 210 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,480 The church has become this ask for and no more. 211 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,240 We just, we don't go out. We just, we're building. 212 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,640 We're building in here. We're building this and we don't 213 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:03,040 go out. And to be honest, many people 214 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,600 don't really care about people who don't know the Lord. 215 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,200 Well, that's their problem. I got the, I got the Lord. 216 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:12,440 That's their problem. This is hard for some of us to 217 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,440 admit. If some of us were brutally 218 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:19,320 honest, we would have to say that we don't have the burden. 219 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,200 My neighbours, none of my neighbours in my street, they're 220 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:23,880 not, they're not Christians. Well, that's their problem. 221 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,200 None of the people I work with, they're not Christian. 222 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:33,120 That's their problem. Paul the apostle was burdened to 223 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:39,280 the point that he declared woe is me if I preach not the 224 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:41,920 gospel. He says I get I get ill if I 225 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,600 don't preach the gospel. I remember working with a guy 226 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,120 who got super fit. He was playing Pennant squash 227 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,040 and then he moved from Pennant squash. 228 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,560 He's a lovely guy. And then he got into marathon 229 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,680 running and he just was right, really hyped up, got into 230 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,960 marathon running and then he had a breakdown. 231 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:03,160 The breakdown was that because there were times he got injured 232 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,200 and he couldn't run, he began to feel depressed because he 233 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:10,080 couldn't run. And so the running had taken 234 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,240 over his passion. Now the running devoted and 235 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,280 dictated to him. And so it was baser. 236 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:20,920 He can't run, he's depressed. Well, for Paul it wasn't running 237 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:24,720 or sport. Paul said I have to preach the 238 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,360 gospel. I'm driven to preach the gospel. 239 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,760 I can't live without preaching the gospel on Corinthians 916. 240 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,080 And this burden drove Paul's life, his passion. 241 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,040 You see, we simply have to care. We sang some wonderful songs 242 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,520 this morning about all the mercy and wonder of God. 243 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:49,240 You know mercy. God loves us, and there's no 244 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,400 reason for him to love us. I don't know about you, but I'm 245 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,720 not very lovable. You'll have to ask Alan. 246 00:15:54,280 --> 00:16:00,080 He deserves a Victoria Cross. I'm not very lovable, but God in 247 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:06,640 his mercy made sure that he, I didn't, he didn't allow me to go 248 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,320 and live my life in ruin. And I could have. 249 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:19,540 And I was heading that way. Many of the guys that I surfed 250 00:16:19,540 --> 00:16:27,580 with in the 70s, they're either dead, insane or disappeared. 251 00:16:27,580 --> 00:16:37,400 It was just the group that I hung out with your God in his 252 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:49,520 mercy save me. We have to care, you see, or 253 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,040 nothing will happen in the way of effective evangelism. 254 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,600 I want to ask you this morning and think about it. 255 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,640 Does your heart ache for lost people when you see someone, a 256 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:06,200 friend of yours or you work with colleague, member of your 257 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:13,839 family, Does a chest ache your heart at nights that they're not 258 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:21,160 they're not here with you, they don't know the Lord you you're 259 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,920 concerned for them. When was the last time you 260 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,080 witnessed to an unbeliever Is all OK? 261 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,880 That's for somebody else to do. No, the Great Commission is for 262 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,160 all the church. When was the last time you 263 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,960 actually had someone and you shared, and I'm not saying, oh, 264 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,680 I'll pray for you or I go to church. 265 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:44,680 A witness to this guy told him I went to church. 266 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:51,520 So now when was the last time you actually shared the gospel? 267 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,600 Ask someone, hey, what do you think about eternal life? 268 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,280 What do you think will happen to you when you die? 269 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:01,120 What was the last time you actually witnessed to an 270 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:02,880 unbeliever? You know? 271 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:07,600 Well, Keith, you're getting don't put a guilt trip on me. 272 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:11,880 Have you ever shared the gospel to another soul? 273 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,240 And when Jesus would heal someone and he said now don't 274 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,720 tell anyone, what would they do? They got to tell everyone. 275 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,800 Now Jesus tells us to go and tell everyone. 276 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,800 You know what we do? We don't tell anyone. 277 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:31,880 Well, what's the cure for why we're so hesitant? 278 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:37,760 Why don't we share the gospel? Is it because we're frightened 279 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:41,360 to? Some would say yes, maybe some 280 00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:43,160 of you would nod and go, yeah, yeah, that's me. 281 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:50,760 This is not the reason. Is it because we're concerned? 282 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:56,200 Well, what if I share the gospel and I want to well, this, I'm 283 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,960 not interested. Some people say, well yeah, 284 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:03,200 that's the reason, but it's not the reason. 285 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:10,600 And Luke's Gospel Chapter 7, Jesus was invited to Simon, the 286 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:15,600 Pharisees house for dinner. So we went to the Pharisees 287 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,280 house. He sat down to eat and behold a 288 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:22,840 woman in the city who was a Sinner, who I knew. 289 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,920 When she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisees 290 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:32,800 house, he brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, stood at 291 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:36,560 his feet behind Jesus, weeping, crying. 292 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,920 She began to wash Jesus feet with her tears, wiped them with 293 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,720 the hair of her head. She kissed his feet and anointed 294 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:50,480 them with fragrant oil. And when Simon the Pharisee saw 295 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:56,480 this, he said to himself, this man was a prophet. 296 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,040 He'd know what sort of woman this is. 297 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:04,280 And he wouldn't allow her to touch him at all. 298 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:08,840 She's a Sinner. And Jesus said to Simon, Simon, 299 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:09,960 I've got something to say to you. 300 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:11,520 Oh, yeah. Yeah. 301 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:16,360 Jesus, What is it? There was a certain creditor guy 302 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:20,400 who owed money, who had two debtors, one who owed 500 303 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,720 denarii and the other 50. And when he had nothing to pay 304 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,440 with, he freely forgave them both. 305 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:30,480 Tell me, which of the two do you think loved him more? 306 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,120 Oh, Simon said, I suppose the one who was forgiven more. 307 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,320 You've rightly judged Simon. Then he turned to the woman who 308 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,600 was at his feet and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? 309 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,480 I entered your house. You gave me no water for my 310 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:49,840 feet. You didn't wash my feet. 311 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:56,520 She has washed my feet with her tears, wiped them with the hair 312 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:00,440 overhead. You gave me no kiss, no greedy, 313 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:06,360 but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I 314 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:09,400 came in. You did not anoint my head with 315 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:14,280 oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant, expensive 316 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:19,920 oil. Therefore I say to you, her 317 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:21,800 sins, which are many, are forgiven. 318 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,360 She's a she is a Sinner. Yes, many sins, but they're 319 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:33,960 forgiven for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven the 320 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:41,480 same loves little. The reason that sits behind us 321 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:47,080 for not sharing the gospel is you and I haven't realised. 322 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:59,240 It hasn't hit us how much we are got, how much you and I have 323 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,960 been forgiven. But there are times you know 324 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:07,760 when you know how bad you are, things that you've said, things 325 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,200 that you've done. You can. 326 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,200 If anyone knew about that, I'd be so embarrassed. 327 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:20,600 You see, when you're forgiven much, you'll love much. 328 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,360 And if you have been forgiven much, you will want to share the 329 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:30,840 gospel with others. We sang the story about the 330 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:36,000 stones being dropped today. That was the woman caught in 331 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,800 adultery wasn't brought before Jesus. 332 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,200 Caught in the act. Everyone was there going to 333 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,600 stone her. She was a Sinner caught in the 334 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,320 act. Jesus says, woman, where are 335 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:51,440 your accusers? You know, for all of us we have, 336 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,120 there's a lot of accusers who can say you, you go to church, 337 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,120 you call yourself a Christian. You, you're a joke. 338 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,720 You can never be. I know what you've done. 339 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:08,760 The devil says that Jesus didn't look up and then everyone left 340 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:13,080 as he rode in the sand, remember the stones all dropped and there 341 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,760 was just her and Jesus. You see, in the end of the day, 342 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:22,920 there's just you and Jesus and he grabbed her and pulled her 343 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:24,720 up. He said, woman, where are your 344 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,800 accusers? There was none there. 345 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,200 Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more. 346 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:34,520 How could he say that she was a Sinner? 347 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,000 Because he was going to go to the cross and he was going to 348 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,640 pay for her sins. Jesus has paid for your sins. 349 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,480 How much do you love Him? You can come and go to church. 350 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,080 You can be a churchgoer. You can be a church consumer 351 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,200 person. You come, you go, you check it 352 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,120 out. Music's too loud, it's too hot. 353 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:52,560 It's too cold. And like this. 354 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:53,800 Don't like that? Don't like him? 355 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:55,640 Don't like the way dresses, don't like that. 356 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,760 Or you can be a person like that of the Church of Philadelphia 357 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:10,040 whose heart and passion is driven to reach the lost because 358 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,400 you know, you know, you've been there. 359 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,160 You know how lost you are. You going to kill yourself. 360 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:24,240 Some of you, you thought about it, some of you tried. 361 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,560 You did it in different ways. You did it with being just out 362 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,200 there. I'm going to jump off this. 363 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,480 I'm going to surf. This is the greatest, largest 364 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:35,440 wave. I'm going to do this. 365 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,720 I'm going to do that. And we try all different ways. 366 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,000 So I don't care because you didn't think anyone else cared 367 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:48,320 about you. Christ came, someone shared the 368 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:53,320 gospel with you, someone shared the gospel with you. 369 00:24:54,920 --> 00:25:00,280 Someone from the Church of Philadelphia, Charles Haddon 370 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:05,160 Spurgeon, knew the need for such burden for lost souls going to 371 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,480 hell. And he said this, and the quote 372 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,240 will come up. The Holy Spirit will move them 373 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:17,040 by first moving you. If you can rest without their 374 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:22,440 being saved, they will rest too. But if you're filled with an 375 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:27,640 agony for them, if you cannot bear that they should be lost, 376 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,160 you soon will find that they are uneasy too. 377 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:41,640 You can't sit with an unsaved relative and go, wow, I'm easy 378 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,720 because that'll be easy. There's something about you got 379 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:45,680 to wait. You got to touch. 380 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:50,680 Just I've been praying for you, love to come, come join. 381 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,920 You know you because it's family that way. 382 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:58,360 The city of Philadelphia got its name from a man called Humanist 383 00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:01,080 the Second. When he died he was succeeded by 384 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:05,680 his brother Atlas the Second. Atlas named the buildings and 385 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:09,640 minted coins all named after and having the image of his deceased 386 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:10,960 brother. He loved him so much. 387 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,320 Atlas the second would always be talking affectionately about his 388 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,880 deceased brother and how he missed and loved him. 389 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:22,680 So the people of the city name their town Filia, Brother City, 390 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:28,400 the city of brotherly love. Verse 7 Jesus declares to this 391 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,280 church he's titled the flavour of the letter, He that is holy, 392 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:37,440 he that is true. You know the time that you and I 393 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:42,320 find ourselves living in now is a desperate time, but that we 394 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,400 still have time. Peter tells us in second Peter 395 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:53,080 chapter 3, the Lord isn't really slow about His promise to return 396 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,320 as some people think. Now He is being very patient for 397 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,720 your sake. Why are we still here? 398 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:08,080 Why hasn't the rapture occurred? He does not want anyone to 399 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:16,400 perish, so He is giving more to you and I Time for everyone to 400 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:20,000 repent. But the day of the Lord will 401 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:27,280 come as unexpectedly as a thief. The heavens will pass away with 402 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,280 a terrible noise. Everything will disappear and 403 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,400 fire the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgement 404 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,400 since everything around us is going to melt away. 405 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,560 Peter says to you and I, now we're living in those days. 406 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,880 What holy godly life should you be living? 407 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,040 This church? The group of believers were holy 408 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,800 hell because they all went around. 409 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:57,960 Cup of coffee please. Make yard open long Mac, please. 410 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,920 They didn't do that. We see that as holy. 411 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:06,280 Look how holy that person is though. 412 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:13,080 Holy because they had a heart full of lost, so they lived 413 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:18,040 accordingly. Their passion for living was 414 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,120 seeing souls saved, sharing the gospel. 415 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:27,280 This is what filled their hearts and drove their lifestyles, what 416 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,200 moulded their lifestyles. People could tell they were 417 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,480 believers because they were sharing the gospel all the time. 418 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,560 They were not caught up in the lure and foolishness of this 419 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,920 temporal fallen world. And in Australia we are. 420 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,240 We're chasing money in Australia. 421 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,400 We are a society. We're one of the wealthiest 422 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,800 nations in the world and as a society, as individuals, one of 423 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,680 the wealthiest individual countries in the world and we're 424 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:58,600 chasing money. And I tell you, it's like 425 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:02,560 chasing a rainbow. You ever chased a rainbow? 426 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,200 I have. I've peddled and peddled and 427 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:07,880 peddled after the end of the rainbow. 428 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,600 Saw a movie called Davi O'gill and the Little People. 429 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:15,000 It was a Disney movie and in that movie at the end of the 430 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,760 rainbow is a pot of gold. So me and my mates, we're pretty 431 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:20,400 smart. Rainbow. 432 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:22,920 Off we went. Pedals. 433 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:24,640 Next hill, there it is. Off we went. 434 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:26,000 Smooth. However we went. 435 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,120 Never got anywhere near it. And that's what you'll do. 436 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,680 And that's what we're seeing people in Australia do. 437 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:36,360 They're peddling, they're busy, they're tired, they're worn out. 438 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,240 They don't have time for this. Don't know. 439 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,720 We're so busy, aren't we? And we're, so we're spending all 440 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,160 our money on everything else, aren't we? 441 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,240 We, we have no, we don't have enough money. 442 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,040 And I was thinking this morning just just how much money we 443 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:55,880 waste. Cup of coffee a week is $25. 444 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:00,960 That's nearly 30 bucks a week for you to have One Cup of 445 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:07,000 purchase coffee. But I'm just thinking, you know, 446 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,840 the, the things that we, we, we spend our money on and then we 447 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:14,800 wonder, oh, wow, we're just getting by. 448 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:21,800 Well, back on the depression. It's really going deep now. 449 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:30,520 But people had only what they needed along. 450 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,240 Then along came advertisement Back in the Depression you had 451 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:39,680 one shovel, but now you need 6 shovels, a shovel for every 452 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:44,280 different purpose. When you shift, what is the and 453 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,200 and the kids toy rooms? What is it like in your house? 454 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,760 Well, we got to get a truckload of the old toys out because 455 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,960 we're going to truckload of new toys coming in. 456 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:58,480 But we're we're struggling. When you shift house, how much 457 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:03,840 junk do you throw out? I'm never shifting house, Helen 458 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:04,640 said. I said help. 459 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,240 No, I'm just going to wander. Wander down the beach and slide 460 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:08,760 into the water. I'm not moving out. 461 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:16,000 It's too hard work. It's too much junk. 462 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:26,760 Oh, if our treasure was in heaven and our hearts were on 463 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:34,640 the lost. The character of Jesus is holy 464 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,480 and true, He says. That means he is holy, right and 465 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,240 character. Character is who you are when no 466 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,920 one's looking. Character is who you are when no 467 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:50,160 one's around. He that is true is he that is 468 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:53,160 right and conduct. You do the right thing no matter 469 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:55,280 what. You do the right thing no matter 470 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,640 what. But what is this that he that 471 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:03,240 has the key of David? David here symbolises the role 472 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:07,080 of the Messiah. The key here in Scripture 473 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:11,240 represents authority. In the Book of Second Kings 474 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:15,440 under King Hezekiah's reign, there was a fellow called 475 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:20,240 Eliakim who was given the key of all authority in the Kingdom of 476 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,080 Judah. Every time you read his name, he 477 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,320 said, and he had authority over who was over the household of 478 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:28,680 his position. Was that to equal of the King 479 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,200 absolute authority? He controlled access to the top 480 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:34,480 leader. You couldn't get to the king, 481 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,680 but through him. So too Jesus determines who 482 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,440 enters His Kingdom. Jesus borrows this image from 483 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:46,880 Isaiah 22 and says his Father has given him absolute authority 484 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:52,560 over all that is his. Jesus has all authority in 485 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:57,560 heaven and on earth in Hebrews 1/6 the scriptures say. 486 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,840 And then when he presented his honoured Son to the world, God 487 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:04,480 said, let all the angels of God worship him. 488 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:10,640 Not only does Jesus have the keys of death and hell, he's 489 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:14,160 going to tell who's going to go in either or either, but he has 490 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,000 the keys of salvation and service. 491 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:21,520 He says he that opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man 492 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:24,280 opens. Jesus is the one who opened the 493 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,920 door for William Carey. It wasn't William Carey when he 494 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,120 just accepted. It was the call of God. 495 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,320 But Jesus opened the door. He opened the door for Hudson 496 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:38,160 Taylor to go to China, for Billy Graham to go into Russia. 497 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:42,400 But he also shuts the door that cannot be opened. 498 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,080 He says that as well. Can that actually happen? 499 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:47,960 You know, he opens the door. We have time now to share. 500 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,160 But can God shut the door? He can, He says there. 501 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:55,240 What does that mean? You remember Paul and Silas in 502 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,920 the book of Acts chapter 16? Paul and Silas travelled through 503 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:04,000 the area of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit had told 504 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,400 them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. 505 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,760 Don't go there, shut the door. Then coming to the borders of 506 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,679 Micea, they headed for the province of Bithynia. 507 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:21,040 But again, the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go, so instead 508 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:25,239 they went through Micea to the city of Troas. 509 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:31,960 You see, God opens and closes the doors of salvation and grace 510 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:36,920 the Kingdom of heaven. OK, how will I know if a door 511 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:38,880 has been opened by the Lord or shut by the Lord? 512 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:42,960 How am I going to know if Jesus opens the way for you to reach 513 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:47,679 someone? Nothing, no power on earth will 514 00:34:47,679 --> 00:34:51,920 stop your ministering to that soul that God has led you to. 515 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:57,080 But also on the flip side of that, if someone continually 516 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,200 says no, no, I'm not interested, I don't, I don't want it. 517 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,080 I don't give me that stuff. I'm not, I don't want to hear 518 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,480 it. Stop pestering me. 519 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,560 Then there will be a time when he or she will be unable to say 520 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,160 yes. Wow, really? 521 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,720 Yes, in the Gospel of John chapter 12, Jesus is ministering 522 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:26,160 to some people in verse 37 and it says but although Jesus had 523 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:32,880 done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him that 524 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,760 the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he 525 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,280 spoke. Lord, who has believed their 526 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:41,640 report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 527 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,920 Therefore, because they rejected and they didn't want, even 528 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:50,520 though He did the miracles, it says therefore they could not 529 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:53,600 believe. Did you note that there is a 530 00:35:53,600 --> 00:36:02,560 time says, OK, all right, I'll let you have your choice. 531 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:09,600 In the book of Exodus, Pharaoh, each time Moses would come to 532 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:14,960 him and say let your people go, let my people go. 533 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:19,920 And it says that six times. You can go through it between 534 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:25,000 chapters 8 and 10. Six times Pharaoh hardened his 535 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:29,560 heart. Then in Exodus chapter 10 God 536 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:34,520 steps in verse one. Now the Lord said to Moses, go 537 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:38,640 into Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the 538 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,400 hearts of his servants, that I may show these sides of mine 539 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,640 before him. Was God cruel? 540 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,280 Was he unfair? Was he unjust? 541 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,040 What about Pharaoh's choice? Pharaoh had a choice 6 times and 542 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:52,760 God says, I can see the direction that your heart's 543 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:56,160 going, it's not going to change. So OK, it's it. 544 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:03,480 God knows when you said he said OK in Romans chapter 1, it says 545 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,480 God gave them over to a reprobate heart because they 546 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:10,920 constantly rejected the truth, pushed down that word, rejected, 547 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,160 suppressed. It's like, you know, you jump in 548 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,560 a in summer, when summer comes and you jump in a swimming pool 549 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,760 and you're trying to press down a, a, a beach ball into the 550 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:19,920 bottom of the water. It can't. 551 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,520 Well, that's what that means. They constantly suppress the 552 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:27,520 truth. So God says, OK, have your way. 553 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:34,680 There is a line, there is a place, but now you and I have an 554 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:37,520 open door. The opportunity exists today for 555 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:39,800 you and I. We're in a period of grace to 556 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:44,240 reach the loss, to fulfil the Great Commission which seems to 557 00:37:44,240 --> 00:37:49,480 have become the great omission. But that door will not always be 558 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,760 open. So to the Church of Philadelphia 559 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,640 had been given by Jesus an open door to reach souls. 560 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:59,720 But maybe as they heard this letter read in the church the 561 00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:02,240 first time, they thought like some of you maybe. 562 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:04,800 Well, but who am I? I mean, what can I do? 563 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:09,080 How can I, how can I? I can't do a William Carey or a 564 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:13,440 Hudson Taylor. He's not saying that In verse 8 565 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,400 it says this church was a Church of little strength. 566 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:21,720 There's just a few believers, a small fellowship, but they were 567 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:25,320 a faithful church. Verse 10, you've kept my word, 568 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:29,520 the word of my patience. It's not the size of the church 569 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,360 nor the strength of the church that determines its ministry, 570 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,880 but it is their faith in the call, their obedience to the 571 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,560 command of Jesus Great Commission. 572 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:47,320 Chuck Smith used to always say God guides, God provides. 573 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,360 What's that mean? If God lays upon your heart to 574 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,960 to do that, he's driving you to reach these people. 575 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:56,720 God will enable you. He'll provide all that you need. 576 00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:01,720 But there'll always be opposition when we seek to reach 577 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:04,800 the loss for Christ. And here in Philadelphia was the 578 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,920 synagogue of Satan. The Jews in the city were 579 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:12,400 against them, slandering this church, making false accusations 580 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:14,600 about the church in the community. 581 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:19,760 So what do you and I do when we face opposition, when you seek 582 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:25,800 to win souls to Christ? Well, we can give up. 583 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:27,160 That's the first thing you can do. 584 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,600 It's too hard. We can just not try. 585 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,560 Oh, I'm not going to try it because I don't want to face it. 586 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,280 But Jesus wants us to fulfil his command. 587 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:45,360 The idea of evangelism so often seems daunting and overwhelming, 588 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:48,040 but you know what? That's the enemies lie to you. 589 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:51,840 Because I tell you this, if you buy a new car, ladies, if you 590 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:55,600 buy, I don't know what ladies buy, you buy something new, not 591 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:56,920 being a lady. So I've got no idea. 592 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,440 A guy, I think you get a new surfboard. 593 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:02,400 What do you do? Hey, guys, check out the new 594 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:08,520 board, Ladies, shoot, look at the shoes. 595 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:12,400 Do you have a problem? Well, I'm not going to go. 596 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,360 What if they don't like them? What if I get on the beach and I 597 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,960 show my surfboard and the guys go, that's a funny surfboard, 598 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:22,280 you know, check out the board. Why is it? 599 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,480 Because it's a lie by the devil for you and I. 600 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,920 There I want to tell you about Jesus Christ, the greatest thing 601 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,320 that's ever happened in my life. We have no problem with 602 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,800 everything else. You see, it's a spiritual 603 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:40,960 battle, and you and I fall to the lies of the enemy. 604 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:49,280 How can we do it? The same way you wouldn't need 605 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:52,000 an elephant. One bite at a time. 606 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:57,040 And the Great Commission, it's one person, one soul at a time. 607 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:03,960 Can you imagine if every one of us, just we sought to win one 608 00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:08,400 person to Christ in a year? Just each one of us, one person. 609 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:16,960 This church wouldn't fit that one person if we just won one 610 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:24,360 person, just one in a year. There's three amazing promises 611 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:29,520 as we close This Jesus makes to those who are mature, who don't 612 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,920 give up, who have a burden for the lost. 1 he would take care 613 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:38,680 of their enemies. Verse 9 Jesus, I will make those 614 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,920 of the synagogue of Satan who say they're Jews and are not but 615 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,600 lie. I'll make them come and worship 616 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:47,880 before your feet, and to know that I've loved you. 617 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:50,560 So. If we take care of God's work, 618 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:52,640 He will take care of our battles. 619 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:56,800 How wonderful is that? 2 They will not enter the great 620 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,640 tribulation, verse 10 Because you've kept my command to 621 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:03,640 persevere. I also will keep you from the 622 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:08,280 hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test 623 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:11,200 those who dwell on the earth. Why? 624 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:16,080 Because you have kept the word of my patience, the words kept 625 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:22,760 them from the word from in Greek here is the word EC which means 626 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:27,760 out of literally you will be taken out before this event 627 00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:31,440 occurs. You won't go into it. 628 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:37,200 Paul says in One Thessalonians chapter 5, comfort one another 629 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,320 with these words. Third promise. 630 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,720 Verse 12. God would honour them. 631 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:46,320 He whoever comes, I'll make him a pillar in the temple of my 632 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:48,400 God. He shall go out no more. 633 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:52,000 I'll write upon him the name of my God, the name of the city of 634 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,920 my God, the New Jerusalem. Let no one take your crown. 635 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:58,240 Verse 11. Hold fast that what you have. 636 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:07,800 What is this crown? It's people in verse 19 of 1 637 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:12,160 Thessalonians 2, Paul says, after all, what gives us hope 638 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:14,720 and joy? What is our proud reward and 639 00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:18,720 crown? It's you the people he's one to 640 00:43:18,720 --> 00:43:22,680 Christ. Paul identifies the crown as 641 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:27,080 people. Jesus says stay with those that 642 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,240 you're praying with don't give up on them. 643 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:36,200 Keep praying for them. Keep witnessing to them. 644 00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:40,560 Don't give up. You know I, we read this because 645 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,560 God doesn't want you to give up. That's his heart. 646 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:47,640 This morning. God pours out his heart to you 647 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:53,280 for those who are lost, and he has given us the mission to 648 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:56,960 share his love to them. You're the only Christian in 649 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,000 your family. God has you there. 650 00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:00,680 You know why? Because he doesn't want the rest 651 00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:04,080 of your family lost. That's why you're there. 652 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,600 It's God's heart that weeps over those who have not accepted his 653 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:15,040 invitation. Remember when Jesus wrote into 654 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:18,040 Jerusalem Palm Sunday and he wept over Jerusalem. 655 00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:21,840 Oh, how I've longed for you to come to come and gather under 656 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:28,280 the the wings you have not he wept, God wept. 657 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,440 The invitation is still out for our loved ones. 658 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:40,320 Romans chapter 10, verse 13, Everyone who calls on the name 659 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,440 of the Lord will be saved. Isn't that a great promise? 660 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:47,200 Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 661 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:56,520 But verse 14 says how can they call on him to save them unless 662 00:44:56,520 --> 00:44:59,520 they believe in him? Question. 663 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:05,160 How can they believe in him if they've never heard about him? 664 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:09,120 Question. How can they hear about him 665 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:15,520 unless someone tells them? Question And how will anyone go 666 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:18,120 and tell them without being sent? 667 00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:22,400 Question. We are sent. 668 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:27,680 That is why the scriptures say how beautiful are the feet of 669 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:37,080 messengers who bring good news. Just for a moment, go along with 670 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:40,760 me for a second. Have a look at your feet. 671 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:52,520 Your feet have the ability to carry the gospel with you, to 672 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:58,000 see a soul saved from eternal judgement, to bring the most 673 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:04,640 amazing message of forgiveness and love of Almighty God, giving 674 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:07,560 his Son to die on the cross for that person you share with. 675 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:12,360 Your feet can be those of God's messenger. 676 00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:26,960 I pray that you, when you get to heaven, will meet people, even 677 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:35,120 if it's just one who will say I'm here because you told me. 678 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:44,360 I'm here because you kept coming. 679 00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:51,200 You kept praying. We have a mission. 680 00:46:53,240 --> 00:46:55,320 Our mission is clear. It's on the surfboard. 681 00:46:55,920 --> 00:47:03,400 Where'd it go? One person in one year. 682 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:07,920 Just each one of us, One person in one year. 683 00:47:09,640 --> 00:47:16,800 Let's get to the mission. Your feet can be the beautiful 684 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:19,040 feet of a messenger of God.