Traits of the Professing Church

The progressive spiral downward

1. Lack of knowledge of what God's Word says and means.

2. Lack of desire to know God's Word.

3. Lack of ability to interpret Scripture correctly.

4. Lack of ability to discern truth from error, right from wrong, and biblical from unbiblical.

5. Anything goes in our doctrine, church music, and living.

Rapture and Revelation

The rapture and the second coming are separate events. Let me contrast the rapture and the revelation:

At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air to go to the third heaven [John 14: 3; 1 Thess. 4: 17]. At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth [Rev. 19: 14].

The rapture occurs before the tribulation [1 Thess. 5: 9; Rev. 3: 10]. The second coming occurs after the tribulation [Rev. 6-19].

At the rapture Christ comes to rescue saints from the tribulation and take them to the Judgment Seat for reward [Rom. 14: 10; 2 Cor. 5: 10; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 5: 9; Rev. 4: 4, 10]. At the second coming He removes unbelievers as an act of judgment and reigns in His kingdom [Matt. 24: 40-41].

At the rapture Christ gathers the elect church [1 Thess. 4:13-18]. At the second coming the angels gather God’s elect Israel [Dan. 12: Matt. 24: 31].

The rapture will be secret and instant [1 Cor. 15: 50-54]. The second coming will be visible to all [Rev. 1: 7; Matt: 24: 29-30; Zech. 12:10].

The rapture is imminent; it could take place any moment [Titus 2: 13; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18; 1 Cor. 15: 50-54]. The second coming will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place [2 Thess. 2: 4; Matt. 24: 15-20; Rev. 6:18].

At the rapture he comes as a bridegroom while at the revelation He comes as “the wrath of the Lamb.”

The Blessed Hope and the Day of the Lord are different Events.

Church Servants

1 Timothy 3:1-13

 

1 Tim. 3:1-7 gives us the spiritual qualifications of those called to lead the church. Paul gave insight into the call, the personal life, the family life, the church life, and the testimony of the one called to lead the church.

 

1 Tim. 3:8-13 we look at those who are called to serve the church, the office of Deacon. When God raises up a man to serve His church, He looks for hearts right with him, not talents, not human abilities, not social status, or occupation, but He raises up a spiritual men.

 

Lets take a few seconds to look at this word “deacon” and its many variations. Originally it meant performing menial tasks such as waiting on tables [Acts 6]. It grew into any service in the church. The word means “servant, minister, ministry, or service.” He is to be “kicking up the dust" in service.

 

What are the duties of a deacon? They assist the pastor in caring for the spiritual and temporal needs of the church under the pastors oversight. They carry out whatever tasks are assigned to them by the pastor or needed by the church.

The office of deacon is one of two ordained offices in the church and serve alongside the pastor meeting the temporal and spiritual needs of the congregation.

Pastors who lead and deacons who serve perform different functions, but the spiritual qualifications are almost identical except for 2 clear differences:

(1) The pastor is to be "apt to teach” [v.2].

(2) The pastor leads, gives oversight, and superintends the work of the church. The deacons serve the pastor and church in the work of the church (vs. 4-5, 8).

W.A. Criswell says, "There is no such thing as a "Deacon Board" but a "Body of Servants." Board has to do with a business or corporation. They are not managers but ministers.

 

 

Three "Lost" Parables

The themes of Luke 15:1-32 is three-fold:

1. God’s attitude toward sinners, which is quite different from the Scribes and Pharisees.

2. God rejoices when repentant sinners turn to Him and are "found." God saves anyone who repents and comes to Him on God's terms. There are two aspects to this salvation.

There is God’s part: the shepherd seeks the lost sheep, and the woman searches for the lost silver, and the loving Father looks for the lost Son.

There is man’s part in salvation: for the lost son willingly repented and returned home. To emphasize but one aspect is to give a false view of salvation, for both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man must be considered.

3. Joy comes when that which is lost is found.

We note a four-fold pattern: lost, search, found, and rejoice. This is the pattern of salvation: sinners are lost, they are sought by Christ, they are found, and rejoicing follows.

It is easy for us today to read these two parables and take their message for granted, but the people who first heard them must have been shocked. Jesus was saying that God actually searches for lost sinners not the self-righteous.

No wonder the scribes and Pharisees were offended, for there was no place in their legalistic theology for a God like that. They were like many today, to proud to admit their sinful condition.

Checkmate- The Scribes and Pharisees would affirm the search for the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, while condemning him for searching for and recovering lost souls.

The point is the same for these parables- sinners are lost, they are sought by Christ through us, they are found, and rejoicing follows.

What is the Proof of Salvation

Can the truly saved lose their salvation?

The short answer is NO! If they depart from Christ and the doctrine of Christ they prove they never were saved. Continuation is the proof and evidence of salvation. True believers will persevere to the end.

True believers can backslide and live temporarily in sin, but they will be chastened and corrected by God, but they will eventually return or be taken to heaven prematurely.

Let's look at some proof passages for continuation as proof of salvation.

Matt. 13:18-23 ¹⁸ Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. ²⁰ But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; ²¹ Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. ²² He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. ²³ But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Note that only the "good ground" [receptive heart] was saved and continued to bear fruit.

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Hebrews 10:38-39 ³⁸ Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. ³⁹ But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Col. 1:21-23 ²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Matt. 7:22-24 ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Three Appearings

Three Appearings

Hebrew 9:24-28

 As believers in the New Covenant, we don't depend on a human to enter a temporary earthly tabernacle. We depend the heavenly High Priest who entered once and for all into the eternal sanctuary where He represents us forever before God.

 He will never let us go, He will never stop representing us, and He will never stop His intercession for us. That is a promise given to us by God as stated in His written Word.

 "now to appear" means that Christ reported to the Father that He fulfilled His mission. The work of Christ is a completed work, final and eternal.

 Note that the word "appear" is used 3 times in Heb 9:24-28?

1. He has appeared to take away our sin by dying on the cross [v. 26]. Deals with the past and position.
2. He is appearing now in heaven for us [v. 24]. Deals with the present and progressive.
3. He shall appear to take Christians home [v. 28]. Deals with the future and perfect [complete].

These represent what is called the "three tenses of salvation" all based on Christ's finished work.

1. Justification [regeneration] we are in Christ and freed from the penalty of sin.

2. Sanctification is the journey to being more like Christ and being freed from the power of sin.

3. Glorification is at the resurrection when we will be like Christ and freed from the presence of sin.

 

 

Timeless Truths from Obadiah

1. The conflict in the Middle East has biblical and spiritual roots and will be used to accomplish God’s ultimate purposes.

2. People hate Israel because they hate God.

3. The pride of man is his downfall.

4. No matter how lofty and prideful we are, we will not escape God’s judgment.

5. God will preserve his people Israel till the end of time. There have been several attempts to annihilate the Jews but this will not happen.

6. Such a small nation will be “A cup of trembling” to the more numerous and powerful nations.

7. The promises to Israel will stand because God keeps His promises.

8. The way of Cain and human wisdom is the way of destruction.

9. The Lord God reigns.