Collective Church

Key Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10; Matthew 6:19-21 

Biblically Intentional Financial Steps 

1. Work Hard
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," Colossians 3:23 NIV 

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.'" 2 Thessalonians 3:10

"Commit your work to the Lord , and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3 ESV 

2. Act Your Wage 

"The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get." Proverbs 21:20 NIV

3. Save Money

"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." Proverbs 6:6-11 NIV

4. Get Out of Debt 

"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 NIV

"The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;" Psalms 37:21 NIV

5. Give Obediently 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine." Proverbs 3:5-10

What are the first fruits?

• The tithe

• Hebrew word for tithe - maaser

• A tenth

We bring our first and our best and trust Jesus to bless the rest.

Be Intentional With Your Church
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47
Key Thought: Those who are the least critical and most excited about their church tend to be the most intentional with their church.

 In Acts 2 we are given an account of how intentional the earliest members of New Testament church were and the results of their intentionality. 

8 Observations of the Acts 2 Church
1. They Were Devoted 
The word devoted in the greek language means focusing hard, refusing distractions, being sternly committed to something - its the exact opposite of living on autopilot. 
• Devoted to God’s Word
• Devoted to Fellowship 
• Devoted to Breaking Bread 
• Devoted to Prayer 
2. They Were Filled With Awe
3. They Were Together
4. They Were Glad
5. They Were Sincere
6. They Were Praising God
7. They Were Enjoying Favor 
8. They Were Seeing People Saved

“They met daily, cared daily, won souls daily, searched the scriptures daily, and increased in number daily. Their Christian faith was a day-to-day reality, not a once a week routine.” Warren Wiersbe 

Three Ways To Be Intentional With Your Church

1. Gather
In Acts 2:42-27 three different times we are told that the believers were together. They were intentional about gathering. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV 

2. Grow 
• In Acts 2:42-47 the Believers Grew Numerically (Wider) 
“…And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47 NIV 
• In Acts 2:42-47 The Believers Grew Spiritually (Deeper) "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." 1 Peter 2:2 NIV

3. Go 
The believers in Acts 2 were intentionally on the GO. It makes sense, they were being led by the very men who had Jesus look them in the eye and say “Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit."  But they weren’t on the go with meaningless church activity. They were on the go with an intentionally simple, but effective, and most importantly Biblical approach to growing deeper and wider.  

They Were on the Go By…

- Opening Up Their Time 

- Opening Up Their Treasures 

- Opening Up Their Talents 

• We Are Saved to Serve. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”  Mark 10:45 NIV
• We Are Found to Find. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 NIV

Question To Consider: How healthy would your church be if others were as intentional as you are with your church?

No matter who you are, Jesus invites us all to come to Him. 

1.He invites the weary and burdened
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 ESV 

2. He invites the sinners 
“…For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Matthew 9:13 ESV 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV 

He Helps Us Become More: 

• Faithful
“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV 

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17 ESV 

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God…” Isaiah 43:1-3 ESV 

• Joyful
"Shout for joy to God, all the earth;"  Psalm 66:1 ESV

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 ESV 

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'" Luke 2:8-14 ESV

• Triumphant
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Part 1 of 4 part sermon series

...a thrill of hope the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

"Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord ." 
Lamentations 3:19-26 ESV

THREE TRUTHS THAT CAN BRING YOU A THRILL OF HOPE IN A WEARY WORLD 

A New Day With Christ Can Bring You…

1. Exactly what you need (Lamentations 3:24) 

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:24 ESV

2. The hope to keep going (Lamentations 3:25) 

“...'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him…” Lamentations 3:24-25 ESV

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 ESV

3. The help you’re seeking (Lamentations 3:26) 

“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:26 ESV

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from your sleep. For Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand...” Romans 13:11-12 ESV

What is the Millennium?

Millennium - One thousand years; in Scripture, the thousand-year earthly reign of Jesus Christ.

“The Millennium is a literal period of a thousand years, which is scheduled for the future and will begin when Jesus comes again at the end of history to set up His earthly kingdom.” - David Jeremiah

"Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Revelation 20:4 CSB 

What is the Purpose of the Millennium? 

1. To Reward the People of God

•  Isaiah 40:10 CSB
• Matt. 16:27 NKJV 
• Revelation 22:12 NKJV 

2.  To Respond To The Prophet’s Predictions 

• Psalm 72:11 NKJV
• Luke 1:32–33 NKJV 

3.  To Receive the Answer to the Disciples’ Prayer 

• Matthew 6:10 NKJV

What Will The Millennium Be Like?

1. A Time of Great Peace - Psalms 72:7 NKJV
2. A Time of Prosperity -  Ezekiel 34:26-27 NKJV
3. A Time of Purity - Zechariah 13:2 NKJV
4. A Time of Prolonged Life - Isaiah 65:20 NIV
5. A Time of Personal Joy -  Isaiah 25:8-9 NIV

“He entered the world the first time in swaddling clothes; He will reign the second time in majestic purple. He came the first time as a weary traveler; He will return the second time as the untiring God. Once when He came, He had nowhere to lay His head; When He comes back, He will be revealed as the heir of all things. Once He was rejected by tiny Israel; When He returns, He will be accepted by every single nation. Once He was a lowly Savior, acquainted with grief; Then He will be the mighty God, anointed with the oil of gladness. Once He was smitten with a reed; Then He will rule the nations with a rod of iron. Once wicked soldiers bowed the knee in mockery; Then every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. Once He received a crown of thorns; Then He will receive a crown of gold. Once He delivered up His Spirit in death; Then He will be alive forevermore. Once He was laid in a tomb; Then He will sit on a throne. When He comes again, there will be no doubt and no delay. He will be “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16).”  - David Jeremiah

Sermon: Reality Check: A Place Called Hell
Passage: Matthew 10:28

REALITY CHECK: A PLACE CALLED HELL
Sermon Series Recap:

• Rapture

• Antichrist

• Tribulation

• Armageddon

• Second Coming

1.The Reality of SIN

  Genesis 3:6-7 ESV)

•  Adam and Eve sinned and through this, sin became part of the world.Romans 5:12 (ESV)

• We live with a reality of sin in our lives.

• All Have Sinned and fallen short of the bar that a Holy God has set.

• We are not capable of reaching this bar. We have sinned and because of sin, death now exists.

2. The Reality of HELL

” Matthew 10:28 (ESV)

• Hell - comes from the Greek word Gehenna. "Gehenna was a valley south of Jerusalem where locals dumped their garbage.” -Charles Stanley

• Hell is a place of waste, an uninhabitable place. But the truth is that it is a real place.

• Hell can also be defined in the Greek in some places as Hades.

Luke 16:19-22 (ESV)

• Hades is a place before the Judgement, Hell comes after the Judgement.

“Hell is a reality because of an incompatibility problem. Holy God and unholy humankind are incompatible.  And no amount of time apart can change that.” –Charles Stanley

3.The Reality of a JUDGEMENT

 Revelation 20:11-15 (ESV)

• Hell is judgement and an eternal resting place.

• No one is in Hell yet. It is reserved as an “eternal” resting place for the lost.

• Death and Hades are cast into Hell for all eternity.

• This is our reality check as believers. This will happen and there will be people that stand against the bar set by God and fall short. As the Church, we are here to introduce them to an alternative path.

4. The reality of a SAVIOR

• We should believe in the reality of Hell because Jesus believed in it.

• He believed in it so much that He came from heaven to offer us a way away from it.

• He did this through living out the bar set by God the Father.

• Jesus made us suitable for Heaven.

Key Passage: Titus 2:11-14 NIV &

“This is one of prophecy's greatest misconceptions. The Rapture and the Second Coming are often confused, but they are distinct events, with distinct purposes, on God's prophetic timeline.” David Jeremiah 

Remember:
- At the Rapture, Jesus will return for His saints. At the Second Coming, He will return with His saints.
- At the Rapture, Jesus will not descend to earth. At the Second Coming, He will descend to the Mount of Olives as a prelude to His earthly reign.
- At the Rapture, Jesus will bring a blessing for His saints. At the Second Coming, He will bring judgment for those who have rejected Him.
- The Rapture could occur at any moment. The Second Coming will occur seven years later.

Biblical Facts About The Second Coming
- References to the Second Coming outnumber the first eight to one. 
- There are 1,845 biblical references to the Second Coming. 
- The Second Coming is second only to faith as the most dominant subject in the New Testament. 

Those Who Announced His Second Coming
- The Prophets (Zech. 14:3-4) 
- Jesus Himself (Matt. 24:27, 29-30) 
- The Angels (Acts 1:11-12)
- The Apostle John (Rev. 1:7)

The Bible’s Description of His Second Coming 

1. His Advent 

Revelation 4:1 NIV 

Revelation 19:11-16 NIV 

"When Jesus arrives on earth the second time, His landing will dramatically herald the purpose of His coming. The moment His feet touch the Mount of Olives, the mountain will split apart, creating a broad passageway from Jerusalem to Jericho. As you can imagine, this will be an unprecedented geological cataclysm.” David Jeremiah 

- His eyes are described as burning like a flame (Rev. 1:14; 2:18; 19:12).
- His head is crowned with many crowns (Rev. 19:12) 
- His robe is dipped in blood (Rev. 19:13) 

2. His Armies 

 Jude 1:14-15 NIV

3. His Authority

 Isaiah 9:6 NIV 

4. His Avenging

 Revelation 19:17-21

Now What?
- Be Encouraged 
- Be Anticipating 
- Be Secure

Key Scripture: Titus 2:11-15 NIV

Quotes:

 “Sometimes I wonder, if we are destined to witness Armageddon.” Ronald Reagan 

“Armageddon. The very word chills the soul. There are probably very few adults who are not familiar with that word and what it implies. Why have our national leaders, in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, begun to use that doomsday word in their speaking and writing? I believe it is because they can see how modern weaponry and international tensions are showing how quickly global equilibrium could get out of control, leading to a cataclysmic war such as the world has never seen before. This war, called Armageddon, makes all the wars fought to date look like minor skirmishes. This war will draw the final curtain on modern civilization.” David Jeremiah 

What is Armageddon?

The name of the valley where the final war between God and the kings of this world—led by the Beast—will take place.

Biblical Truths Concerning Armageddon

1. The Preparation

"The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child." Revelation 12:9,13 NIV 

"Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty." Revelation 16:13-14 NIV 

2. The Place 

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." Revelation 16:16

Given the enormous attention this word receives, it may surprise you that Armageddon is mentioned only once in the Bible—right here in the sixteenth chapter of Revelation. The word originates from the Hebrew har megiddo meaning “the mount of Megiddo.” Har means “mount,” and megiddo means “slaughter”; so the meaning of Armageddon is “Mount of Slaughter.” David Jeremiah 

3. The Purpose

• To Finish His Judgment Upon Israel

• To Finalize His Judgment Upon Nations That Persecuted Israel 

"I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of     Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land." Joel 3:2

• To Formally Judge All Nations That Have Rejected Him

"Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords." Revlation 19:15-16

"They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him." Revelation 16:9

Now What?

•  When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15

“Satan’s head was bruised fatally at the cross. We are no longer prisoners of war. We can stop cowering.” Charles Stanley

Tribulation: A Message to the Saints
Key Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

The Tribulation Breakdown:

The Tribulation period can be found in Revelation, Chapters 4-19:

• Chapter 4 - We see the throne room and glory of God

• Chapter 5 - Worthy is the Lamb

• Chapter 6 - The seven seals are revealed (tribulation)

• Chapter 7 - More being saved and sealed (the 144,000)

• Chapter 8-9 - The seven trumpets (more tribulation)

• Chapter 10-11 - The warning of the seventh trumpet

• Chapter 12-15 - The beast is loosed

• Chapter 16-18 - The wrath of God

• Chapter 19 - The marriage supper for the lamb and the beginning of the millennium 

1. Remember who holds the victory (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4)

• The Thessalonians are reminded of their faith.

• Paul is excited about this church because they are growing even with the knowledge of what is coming with the rapture and tribulation.

• We need to be reminded that just as the Thessalonians went through “tribulations” as a church and people, their faith and love for Christ endured.

• This is our call as well, we need to grow in faith and love.

• Remembering that God holds the victory, we have no need to worry and fear.

2. Remember the reality of the tribulation ( 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10)

• God is a judge and a good judge.

• For all we endure in our faithfulness to Him, there is judgement to those who cause you suffering.

• God loves His people.

• The tribulation is God destroying evil and those that have come against His church.

• Make no mistake the judging is real, but also “just.” 

• Jesus is coming as the final judge to the tribulation.

• In verse 7 and 8, Jesus will come as the judge and with Him, the end of the tribulation that leads to the final judgment.

• Fire indicates destruction.

• Vengeance indicated full punishment.

• The tribulation is for those who do not know God.

• There is an end to the Tribulation.

• Jesus will bring the end to the tribulation but also an eternal place for the ones who do not know God.

• This needs to be a very real reality for us.

• We need to prepare ourselves and others around us.  We do this by living out the faith and love of Jesus Christ. 

• He is the ultimate victory.

3. Remember why we need to know about the Tribulation ( 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

• Verse 11 exhorts us to pray that God makes us worthy of His calling and resolved to do good, all by His Power.

• Verse 12 explains that we do this for the glory of Jesus Christ.

• Our faith and love for Jesus will lead others “OUT OF TRIBULATION” and into glory with Him.

• We know about the tribulation and the consequences of not knowing God in order to activate us to glorify Christ and lead others to Him.

• Tribulation is a reminder to our everyday lives, but “THE tribulation” will lead to an eternal separation of God for many.

Sermon Series: THIS BLESSED HOPE
Sermon: The Antichrist: THE COUNTERFEITER OF ALL COUNTERFEITS
Scripture: II THESSALONIANS 2:1-4

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God." II Thessalonians 2:1-4

1.  The trials & tribulations you are experiencing are not the prophetic ones of the 7-year tribulation.
"Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction."  II Thessalonians 2:3

2.  The Day of the Lord will reveal the counterfeiter of all counterfeits! 

3. The enthronement of this counterfeiter!
“So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand)" Matthew 24:15

"I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7:14

4.  The extent of his cruelty!!!
"And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation." Revelation 13:7

"Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished." Revelation 17:6

5. He is Satan’s superman --- The Devil’s very incarnation
"and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming." II Thessalonians 2:8

Application:

1.  All blaspheme & hostility toward God is from Satan!

2.  Satan tries to copy & counterfeit everything Jesus does!!!

     • In the end he will counterfeit the incarnation & the resurrection!

     • He even counterfeits religious experience!!!

The Bible is not tested by your experience but your experience is tested by the Bible!

3.  The antichrist does not deceive everyone!

4.  Satan does not win!!!

     • We do not go out to win the war for Jesus, 

     • We go out to announce He has already won the war!

     • We do not fight toward victory --- we fight from victory!!!