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¹³ “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Since last fall, I have been preaching a series of messages on Bible Doctrines. I began this series with four sermons on how to categorize or “triage” Bible Doctrines to know which of them are the most vitally important to us. My sermon today is the 19th in that series and it is the 6^th on Ecclesiology – the Doctrine of the Church.

I have spoken to you about the Birth and Baptism of the Church; the Nature of the Church; two sermons on the purpose of the Church (to Make the Invisible Visible and to Carry out the Great Commission); the Characteristics of the 21^st Century Church; and this coming Lord’s Day – as I complete this series on the Church – I want to teach you about the glorious future of the Church!

As the Lord allows, I am planning to preach two sermons on the Doctrine of Sin and five sermons on the Doctrine of Salvation before I begin a new series on “The First Eleven Chapters of Genesis” on August 8^th of this year.

If I do nothing else by taking time to do this series of twenty-six sermons on a Survey of Bible Doctrines, I hope that I can instill in you a sense of how vitally important it is that we more understand these Doctrines.

The sermon for this Sunday is “The Future of the Church.” Of course, I am speaking about the Church in the “larger” sense – that is the future of the world-wide Church which is made up of every born-again person since the birth of the Church.

We do face difficult days as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our immediate future will most likely bring more and ever increasing difficulties as we stand for the truth of the Word of God.

I am focusing on the eternal future of the Church, the Bride of Christ! Jesus Christ is the Lord, Savior, and Head of His Church!

It is He Who created His church, died for His church, saved the individual members of His church, baptized His church, grows His church, and, it is He Who is coming again to take His church out of this present world and bring it to Himself!

I want us to think about six specific truths about what the future holds in the providence of God for HIS Church…

God’s providential plan for HIS Church is a cause for hope. Of all people on earth, Christians ought to live in a constant state of hopefulness rather than hopelessness. Jesus Christ has promised to return for HIS Bride, the Church, and we may be – just may be – the “Generation” who is alive when HE comes!

Happily, the future of the Church involves all of the Church from the birth of the Church in the Upper Room to the removal of the Church at the Rapture. ALL of us will be together and be forever with the Lord!

Those who have repented of our sins and have trusted the Lord as our Savior will be involved in four wonderful events in relation to the future of the Church:

1. There will be a personal and physical return of Jesus Christ to earth!

2. Those Church-age believers who have died will be raised to meet the Lord in the air!

3. Living believers will be removed or – raptured – from this earth when HE returns!

4. And, we will be together with HIM and with THEM forever and forever!

Certainly, the best news in all of this is that we will be with HIM in Heaven. We will be completely purified and glorified. We will not only be saved from the penalty and power of sin… we will be saved from the very presence of sin!

We will serve Jesus Christ forever!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. ¹⁵ ” ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ “

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day morning I will continue our series of Bible Doctrines with my penultimate message on the subject of Ecclesiology – the Doctrine of the Church. Sadly, the report on the condition of the 21^st Century Church is painful to read and even more painful to live out.

Revelation 2 – 3 is a really interesting passage of Scripture. When John outlines the Book in 1:19 that he is to write about “the things that are…” he is referring to the seven local churches named and described in these two Chapters. I am absolutely convinced that God uses these seven churches for three prophetic purposes:

(1) They are simply seven local churches that existed when John was given The Revelation of Jesus Christ on the Isle of Patmos around 95-96 AD.

(2) They are “typical” of all churches that existed at that time and over the two-thousand years since. If you use the primary characteristics of these churches as “seven categories” or “types” of churches; every church would fall into one of these seven types. This is still true today.

(3) They are a “trajectory” or “road map” of where the predominant church type would go over the life of what scholars call “The Church Age.” That is for a time most churches would be in the category of the first church, then the second, then the third, and on and on.

Sadly, today, most churches clearly fall into the category of “Laodicean” or “end-time” churches. The characteristics of the Church at Laodicea are seen in a majority – indeed, the vast majority – of churches in the 21^st Century.

This then begs the question, “What are the characteristics of the Laodicean, or end-time church?” As we look at these verses, we find these heart-breaking but inescapable answers:

First, since these verses are the very words of Jesus, the true nature and condition of the Laodicean church is known by HIM!

Second, it is clear to any fair minded reader of this Book that the Church at Laodicea is a compromised church. Jesus uses imagery here that is unmistakable. They are, ”neither cold or hot…” This is a sad picture of today’s politically correct so-called “church” that seeks to tolerate everything and stand for nothing!

Third, this is a very prosperous church! They have great physical resources. I know that this is not true of the church in many places around the world, but, it is more true overall than at any time in human history. Even medium to moderate sized churches today have literally thousands upon thousands of dollars in property and monies in the bank.

Fourth, unfortunately the spiritual condition of the church of today is nothing like the physical condition. The harshness of the words Jesus uses to describe them is terrifying… they are, “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Fifth, they are a church called to repentance! Martin Luther was dead on when he stated in the first of his ninety-five thesis, “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” The church at Laodicea – and the majority of contemporary churches – need to repent!

Sixth, in verse 20, we have an unusual and often debated verse that tells this church that Jesus is actually “outside” the church rather than “inside” the Church. It is clear from the context of these verses, as well as the entire teaching of the Scripture, that this promise is to them as a “church” and not to lost people in general. There is nothing about this verse that is untrue about a lost person’s invitation to accept Christ; it just happens that that is not the context of the verse.

Seventh, even in its desperate condition, Jesus still promises true believers that they will receive the promised blessings of God. “He who overcomes…” is (according to 1^st John 5:4-5) synonymous with “a believer.”

So, even in the last days… even in a compromised and compromising church… true believers can expect to receive all of the promised blessings of God! “The Church of Today” is a mess, but God promises to respond to real repentance by coming once again into their midst.

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

¹⁸ “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day morning I will continue my series on Bible Doctrines with a message on the Local Church. The title of the sermon is, “The Mission of the Church!” I have planned two more sermons on Ecclesiology (The Doctrines of the Church) before we move on to a few more basic doctrines for the rest of the summer. Hopefully, in August I will be able to begin an exposition of Genesis 1 – 11.

For this week’s message, I have chosen to talk once more about why we exist as a Church. A few weeks ago we focused on the fact that the Church exists to make the invisible visible. This time, I want to focus on our Mission of “Making Disciples.”

I realize this is “old news” but, it is still the missing link in the mission and ministry of almost every Church. As a refresher, let me remind you that “We exist to Live out the Great Commandments and CARRY OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION by Loving God, Loving People, and Sharing the Good News!”

The Great Commission is to “make disciples” of Jesus Christ. We have often defined it as “becoming and bringing others to be fully-devoted followers of Jesus.” It just does not get more clear than that!

I know that I sometimes overdo the emphasis on grammar, but it is usually key to rightly understanding the Scripture. I will spend a large part of our time explaining the fact that the single Greek word translated “make disciples” is a Finite; 2nd Person; Aorist; Present; Imperative; Active Verb!

G-L-O-R-Y! (Now, THAT is preaching!)

Clearly, those seven descriptors are vitally important to understanding what it means to BOTH “become and bring others to be” a fully-devoted follower of Jesus. This main verb is further explained by three “participles” functioning as adverbs to answer the question “How?” to we make disciples.

We are to make disciples “as we are going…”

We are to make disciples by “baptizing them…”

We are to make disciples by “teaching them to observe all things that Jesus has commanded us…”

The Great Commission closes with the happy promise that Jesus is “with you always, to the end of the age.” Not only is this a promise upon which to stand, it is a challenge to us to manifest the reality of HIS presence with us to the watching world.

Beloved Ones, making disciples is everything! It is not just the main thing; it is everything in the life and mission of the Church! Making the Invisible Visible, and Making Disciples… that’s is why we exist!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

⁶ “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”  – Nehemiah 4:6 (ESV)

I know; I know; me too! I would much rather sit in a worship service than in the Nursery… I would much rather sit in my Sunday School Class than teach a Sunday School Class… I would much rather be in “Big” Church than work in “Children’s” Church… I would rather be at home or out doing things I really enjoy on my few and precious evenings off than working in VBS!

I know; I know.

But, someone has to do the hard things if we are going to minister the Word of God to our people and their families.

 BY THE GRACE AND GOODNESS OF GOD, we are having what we all know are “Growing Pains!” Our Church is about twice as large and half as old as it was six years ago. Thank God for so many dear and faithful people who attend week after week after week after week; and, for sending us a continuing stream of new families, (and additions to our families) who are attending our Church! THANK YOU GOD!

But, this means we desperately need more people who will sacrifice to serve others! RIGHT NOW we have a real need for workers in all of these areas.

We always need more helpers in the NURSERY; we really need someone, or a couple, who will teach a Children’s Sunday School Class; we need teachers and helpers for CHILDREN’S CHURCH; we are going to need a lot of help with VBS; we are going to really, really need helpers this Fall for AWANA (including a couple of people who will ride on the bus and help manage the Children); and, we need about four or five people who will come to church by 8:30am each Sunday and greet and assist people getting unloaded in the parking lots.

Please help. Please let me know where you are willing to help. Please let me know right away! Thanks!

John 20:19-22

¹⁹  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

 Acts 2:1-6

¹ “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. ⁵ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day I will continue my series of Bible Doctrines about the Church with a message from John 20 and Acts 2 dealing with the Mission of the Church. Our mission is the “raison d’etre” or the very reason for our existence. In the earlier sermons in this series, we have seen that the Church is a “mystery” not seen in the Old Testament. We are a unique manifestation of the people of God which is made up of both Jew and Gentile in One Body of Christ.

I spent an entire sermon trying to help us understand the great purpose of the Church is, “to make the invisible visible.” But, in addition to that unique calling, we have something that we are here to do! And the thing that we are here “to do” is what is called, “The Mission of the Church.”

In the New Testament, the Church is revealed in two “senses…”

First, the Church is revealed in the “Larger” sense; that is the Body of Christ that is made up of all believers from the birth of the Church in the Upper Room in John 19 to the rapture of the Church seen in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-17.

Second, the Church is revealed in the “Local” sense of being local congregations of born-again, baptized believers associated together for the ongoing work of the Kingdom. The New Testament reveals many local churches, and, in fact several of the Books are addressed to local Churches such as Galatia, Ephesus, Thessalonica, etc.

While every believer – including every believer who is a member of our Church – is part of the Body of Christ in the larger sense, it is in the local sense that we minister and carry out the work of the Lord and His Kingdom. So, I will focus this sermon on the/our “Local Church.”

Those of us who make up the New Testament Church have been both “birthed” and “baptized” by the Holy Spirit or God for the unique purpose of doing God’s work in the world. We have summarized that work in a “Mission Statement” that says…

“The reason we exist is to Live Out the Great Commandments and Carry Out the Great Commission by Loving God, Loving People, and Sharing the Good News!”

As we begin in John 20, I will discuss the “Birth” of the Church. We are born into the Family of God by and through the work of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2, I will focus on how we are “Baptized” by the Holy Spirit to empower us to do the supernatural work that God has called us to do.

I hope to make clear to you four life-changing Bible truths:

1. While a believer will be filled with the Spirit many times during our life, we are initially “baptized” with the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation. Every Bible-believing Christ follower has this experience and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit for as long as we live.

2. While many teach that this “gift” is something that is only experienced by “some” believers, the Bible is clear that this is experienced by “all” believers. Paul goes so far as to say in Romans 8:9, that if one does not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, “they are none of His.”

3. In spite of the neo-Pentecostal error about this, the gift of languages seen in the New Testament was the expressed in human language that was understood by someone present.

4. Finally, we will see that people are saved by hearing words in their own language that they can understand. God has chosen to communicate His truth to humans by the means of human language, and there is no other way for anyone to be saved apart from hearing and responding to the Word of God.

Beloved Ones, it is vitally important that you and I know why God created the Church and saved us to be part of it. His work and His will is to bring lost people to salvation and then be equipped to bring other lost people to salvation.

He has created and chosen His Church to do this work. That means – us! We are His chosen people and we are entrusted with His Spirit and His Word to bring the lost to faith.

That is our Mission!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

²² “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Biblical morality is under increasing attack in America. While this has been going on for some time, the unprecedented pace of this attack is a deeply troubling and heartbreaking thing to observe. Since the moral revolution of the 1960’s to this present day, our once “Nation under God” has become a Nation “out from under” God.

The rise – and (in my opinion) cultural triumph of the “autonomous self” has brought into question the right of anyone, anywhere to question the personal lifestyle choices of anyone else. “Who are you to tell me how to live” is the often heard and widely-worshiped mantra of our day. Some time ago I heard a minister say that the only verse of Scripture that most Americans believe today is Matthew 7:1, which they take completely out of context. And, of course, if they rightly understood the context of that verse they would reject it along with the rest of Holy Scripture.

Now added to the long list of Biblical teachings the culture desires to pile on the trash heap of history is Christian marriage. This attack has come from all parts of the culture…

Many heterosexuals have defied the Biblical teaching on marriage by rejecting both the sacredness and the permanence of it. Such godless lifestyles as cohabitation and both “starter” and “serial” marriages have made mockery of the clear teachings of God that marriage is a life-long monogamous relationship of one man and one woman.

Homosexuals have defied the Biblical teaching on marriage by rejecting the very nature of what marriage is. Marriage (like everything else) is exactly what God says in His Word that it is! In Genesis 2:24, God defines marriage when He states, “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Marriage is not whatever a government or cultural majority say it is; marriage is what the Creator of marriage says it is. No truth (including the definition of marriage) is established by whether or not it is held by the majority; it is established by the declaration, description, and decree of God.

This issue is so important and so timely that I have chosen to address it on Mother’s Day this year! This will be my seventh Mother’s Day Sermon as Pastor of this Church and I have used those messages to teach God’s Word on the subject of motherhood. This year I am taking this opportunity to go beyond the scope of Motherhood (as vitally important as that is) to address the equally important topic of marriage itself.

As you prepare your mind and heart to hear the Word of God on this coming Lord’s Day, I want to give you a preview of how I see our text applies to this contemporary issue. I will do so, as the Lord allows, using six points of introduction followed by four principles revealed in the text of Ephesians Five.

First, I want you to think about how people come to be part of a family. There are three ways: birth, adoption, and marriage. These are – by the way – the same three ways one comes to be part of God’s Forever Family! (Don’t forget that point, I will come back to it later.)

Second, since marriage is one of the ways that the Church of Jesus Christ (as His Bride) comes into relationship with Him, it is evident that God created marriage as a living illustration of how we come into and remain in a personal relationship with Him!

Third, God designed humans to both function and flourish in families! This is true of both our earthly and heavenly family. God loves us and wants us to flourish, so He created marriage. As in everything else, His way works and every other way will not.

Fourth, God not only built the marriage for the good of the couple and their children; He also designed marriage as the foundation of a stable and blessed society. It is not hard to see how the rejection of biblical marriage by both heterosexual and homosexual people is devastating the society in which we live.

Fifth, God designed marriage to be the foundation of the Church and His Kingdom work in the world! It is well and often been said, “A Church is a Family of Families” and nothing is more true about the Church. Not only is the local church designed to minister to families, it is in fact modeled after the family.

Sixth, Since God used marriage as one of the three ways people come into a relationship with Him through salvation, any and every attack on biblical marriage is an attack on God’s illustration of how He saves sinners!

Marriage does not save us, but it is a picture of how God saves us. Just as a man and woman both take one another and give themselves to each other, so it is that God chooses to take us to be His Bride and we take Him to be our Savior. Just as we are married when we give ourselves to one another, we are saved when we give ourselves to God!

Read this passage over and over. As the Lord allows, I will deal with four key biblical principles taught here…

Wives are to live in submission to their husbands because they are an illustration of the Church living in subjection to our Lord. Husbands are to love their wives because they are a living illustration of the love of Christ for His Church.

In this passage, God makes the “mysterious meaning of marriage” clear – marriage is (more than anything else) about Christ and His Church.

Finally, even though marriage is primarily about Christ and His Church, we are commanded by these verses to actually live out this teaching in our relationship to our spouse. A wife must respect and submit to her husband and a husband must live his wife the way that Christ loves His Church!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”    ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,         ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

One of the questions I hear most often about the Church is, “why do I need to be a member of a Church?” Sometimes it is worded this way, “where do you find Church membership in the Bible?” If I think the person is sincere, I usually take the time to point it out to them.

Well, as the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day morning I will “point it out” to all of us! Few things are clearer in the Word of God than the priority of the Local Church and the responsibility of every Christian to be an active and participating member of a bible-believing Local Church.

Before I point these things out from the text above, let me emphasize, as does the Bible, that the Church is the Body of Christ.

First, the Church is formed the way a body is formed. God forms the Church by implanting the seed of the Word of God in the womb of the human spirit. And, just as the body comes into the world through birth, the Church comes into the world by way of the “Second Birth.”

Second, the Church functions like a body functions. Just a body is one body made up of many different parts, so it is that the Local Church is made up of many different “members”. These members are very different in design and function, but they are all essential to the overall health of the Body.

Third, the Church fails like a body fails. A body fails for at least four major reasons and these are the same four key ways that a Church fails!

A body fails when its members are either missing, or present but not functioning; or when its members are unhealthy or damaged; or, as a result of poor diet and/or lack of exercise. All of these are reasons that a Local Church fails as well.

If we get the diagnosis right, the corrective is both simple and clear. A body as well as the Local Church needs all of its members present, functioning, and healthy!

All around us we see the human tragedy of disability. We see people with “members” of their body missing, or that are not functioning because of accident or disease. Sadly, this is all-too-often true of Local Churches as well.

No “Body” can be more healthy than its constituent parts! In these verses, Paul argues that one part of the body cannot say to another part (or member) that “I have no need of you.” A healthy body – and Church – must have all of its parts present, functioning, and healthy.

Sadly, a Local Church that does not is disabled. Like people, some Churches are more or less disabled than others. But, the ideal is for complete function and perfect health.

My hand is part of my body whether or not it works well. I, like you, are part of a Local Church whether or not we are present, functioning, or healthy. The question is this: if our members are not present, functioning, or healthy; just how disabled are we as the Body of Christ?

This is real life and it really matters. I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

Ephesians 3:8-11, 20-21                                                                                                                   ⁸ “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,                                                                                            ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

WOW! With an exciting title like that, even I can’t wait to hear this Sunday’s sermon!

John Calvin is often quoted as saying, “The chief duty of the church is to make the invisible kingdom of God visible to the world.” While I certainly believe that to be true, I believe this idea of “making the invisible visible” goes farther than that. This coming Sunday morning, as the Lord allows, I will share three areas in which the Church fulfills our goal of “making the invisible visible.”

First, we exist to make the invisible gospel visible! The Bible says that we are walking, talking gospels that are read by everyone. Lost people can neither see nor understand the things of the Spirit of God, (including the gospel) so it has been given to the people of God to make it visible to them!

Second, we exist to make the invisible Kingdom of God visible! While some believers think that the Kingdom is only something that is “out there” in the future, the truth is that the Kingdom is already present on earth and is manifested in the Church!

Yes, I am premillennial in my theology and I am convinced that there will indeed be a literal 1,000 year rule of Jesus Christ on earth fulfilling God’s covenant with David. But, I also believe that there is an “already” aspect to the Kingdom right now as Jesus rules and reigns as King of Kings in the hearts and lives of His people. He is already our King and we are already His Kingdom!

Finally, the church exists to make the invisible Glory of Jesus visible! Our resurrected, ascended, and glorified Lord indwells His people through the Person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is glorious and His glory can be seen – even during His temporary absence from earth – in His people. Several verses tell us the ways in which we can glorify Jesus in our life today.

One of the great tragedies of life is for someone or some group to live and die never knowing and never fulfilling their reason for existing! This should not, and must not, be true of the Church! We simply exist to make visible to this lost and dying world the gospel, the Kingdom, and the glory of Jesus!

I hope you will think over these verses and pray over these verses and come to Church Sunday morning ready to be transformed by the Word of God.

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

“Gettysburg” the 1993 movie by Ronald F Maxwell, is surely my favorite movie of all time. I have watched it several times and own more than one DVD copy of it! One of my 200 or so favorite scenes takes place just before “Pickets Charge” on the last day of the Battle, July 3^rd, 1863. In that scene, General Lewis A. Armistead is preparing his Virginians to step out onto the open ground and form up for a nearly 2 mile march against the Federal lines on Cemetery Ridge.

The men are being pelted with cannon fire and shrapnel is falling all around them. Some of the men are moving from tree to tree to find the safest possible place. General Armistead then utters the famous line, “Steady men. There is no safe place here. One place is as good as another.”

He was absolutely right. There was no safe place there; and, as the events of yesterday have again proven, there is no safe place here either.

We struggle to make sense out of a senseless act. We seek to find safety in the face of a completely unexpected attack on innocent people who were either participating in, or watching, the 2013 Boston Marathon. Only time will tell the final toll of this attack, but as I am writing this morning there are three confirmed dead and one-hundred and forty-seven injured. Many of those injured are seriously injured, and one of the dead is an eight year old boy.

As Christians, we understand that we live in a fallen and broken world. Adam’s sin touched every human and the very earth on which we live.

This is a dangerous and deadly place. There is no safe place here.

Every day that we get out of bed we realize we may never get back into that bed again. Every time we get into our car, or an airplane, or a piece of equipment we realize that we may not live to get out of it again. Accidents, criminal acts, and the weakness of our physical body all conspire against us to keep us from ever really being safe in this world.

On a personal note as a Pastor, I read a book by a man who is one of the greatest – if not “the” – greatest pastor of all time, Richard Baxter (1615-1691) where he wrote, “I preach as a dying man to dying men; and never sure to preach again.” That is great advice and advice of which I often think!

The painful truth is that none of us know how long the Lord will allow us to live in this world. While health care is dramatically improving – as I am living proof – many people still die as children, teens, and young adults. We just do not know how long we will live.

I am writing this morning because I love you and I want to say to you, “There is no safe place here!” Not in your home, your car, at work, or at play. Over the past few years, we have read of people being killed while attending a service at their church.

All we can do – and must do – is be ready to meet the Lord. Repent, believe, and (if you are saved) live in such a way that will bring honor to the Lord. The next face you see may be His; the next voice you hear may be His; the next step you take may be on streets of gold.

“Prepare to meet your God…” Amos 4:12 There is no safe place here.

John 14:1-3 ¹ “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day I will bring another sermon in my series entitled “Survey of Bible Doctrines” on the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are very few subjects in the Bible that so captivate the attention and thinking of people as does this one!

This will be the final sermon in this series on “Christology” as I will next bring a few sermons on “Ecclesiology” (The Doctrine of the Church).

On the subject of the return of Jesus Christ, there is a lot to think about…

The very next event on God’s prophetic clock is “The Rapture.” This is the removal of God’s people from the earth prior to the beginning of the great period of judgment on this earth that is called in the Bible, “The Tribulation.” This is, of course, one of the most controversial of Bible teachings; but, it is not as unclear as some like to make it. It is next!

The “Tribulation” is a period lasting seven years that is divided into two parts of 3 ½ years each. This will be an unprecedented time of suffering and anguish as the antichrist is allowed to have great power and influence on earth.

Following these difficult days, Jesus will return as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” and set up the promised Kingdom of His father David on earth, which will last for 1,000 years.

At the end of that time, Satan will be temporarily loosed on earth to lead one final rebellion against God that will end in his ultimate and final destruction at the “Battle of Gog and Magog.”

Following that, all of the unsaved of all ages will stand before God at the “Great White Throne” judgment and begin their eternal suffering that is the price for their rejection of God.

But, as we think about these things, I am mindful of a great quote on this subject that Bobby Boyles said here a few years ago – “The Second Coming of Christ is two-fold and it takes seven years to unfold!”

I want to give you some questions and verses to think about this week as you prepare your spirit to hear the Word of God:

What will happen when Jesus returns in the air to take His chosen people out of this world? Cf. 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18

What will be the key differences in this event and His physical return to the Mount of Olives seven years later? Cf. Revelation 19:11-21

What will He (and we) do for the next 1,000 years? Cf. Revelation 20:1-6

Following the final judgment, where will He (and we) be and what will He (and we) be doing for all of eternity? Cf. Revelation 20:7 – 22:21

I hope you will read over and pray over these verses and come to church Sunday ready to learn what God has promised that He will do in the days to come.

I hope to see you here Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!