If you were driving by a house late and night and noticed that it was on fire, would you: 1) Drive on by, not wanting to make “too big a deal of it” and chance waking people up? 2) Or, yell loudly and beat on the door of that house to awaken the family that lived there (and even the whole neighborhood) to the danger of the fire? (I actually believe that most, if not all of us would try to awaken the family AND call 911.) But in this world we encounter people, sometimes daily, that are heading toward a hotter fire, and often we just pass them by. The English Puritan preacher Richard Baxter was plagued by poor health and “the frequent sight of Death’s most awful face.” As he was gripped by the urgency of the gospel message -- and the fleeting opportunity he had to proclaim it to the lost he wrote: “Still thinking I had little time to live, My fervent heart to win men’s souls did strive. I preach’d, as never sure to preach again, And as a dying man to dying men! ” We preachers are subject to the same vices as others. We sometimes joke about procrastination, but we have a natural tendency to overlook the present and put off for tomorrow what we should do today. Sometimes we think, “I will wait until another time to preach this message. Here is the one I want to preach today.” But of course, we are not promised tomorrow. I only get to preach today! So, if this very day is my one last chance to share God’s Word, would I preach differently? What if I preached as if my life depended upon it, as if I were to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ immediately after the message and give an account for it? What if I pleaded with the lost to be saved and the saved to faithfully serve God? What if I spoke as a dying man to dying men? Why should I even consider such a thought – preaching as a dying man? It is because I am a dying man . . . and you are dying men and women (we don’t like to think about it), and we will one day stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us that “ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment . . . ” James 4:14 tells us of the brevity of life: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Where did James get that idea? Inspiration! Observation! The Old Testament! Proverbs 27:1: “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” And not only is death certain, it is unpredictable as to the time of it. We probably all know of people who had their lives planned only to pass away before those plans could be carried out. In I Samuel 20:3 David said, “. . . there is but a step between me and death.” In Job 7:6 Job said, “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle . . . ” And in vs. 7 he said, “O remember that my life is wind . . . ” And in those verses he said, (vs. 6) “. . . and are spent without hope”  and “. . . mine eye shall no more see good.” There is a sense of desperation in his words. Of course, we are aware of his physical condition at that time. Even some in the world understand the brevity of life (though their words may not acknowledge the eternal nature of man’s spirit). In the 1970s one musical group sang a song titled “Dust In The Wind.” Listen to some of the words. “I close my eyes only for a moment and the moment’s gone. All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind, All they are is dust in the wind. All we do Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see. Don't hang on Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away. All the money won’t another minute buy. Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind.” We are on the threshold of another year. (Isn’t it amazing that all it takes is for the minute hand to slip from 11:59 to 12:00 and we are suddenly in a new day, a new month,  and a new year!) When the minute hand of our lives slips from now to eternity, we, too, will find all things new. As we face this new year we must wonder: 1) Will this be the year that Jesus comes? (That’s the best thing that could happen.) 2) Will this be the year that God calls me home? Once again, the quote from Richard Baxter encourages us, encourages me to preach “AS NEVER SURE TO PREACH AGAIN, AND AS A DYING MAN TO DYING MEN!” For that reason, I ask you to, as Paul said in II Corinthians 11:1, “bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me” for a little as I share My Final Message (For 2023) . . . or maybe for ever. I have put off this message, and even the preparing of it for a while. I have even tried to talk myself out of preaching it today, but as we approach the end of one year and the beginning of another, I feel led that NOW is the time to share it. If I knew for certain that after this moment I would never have another chance to preach . . .

  I. I WOULD SPEAK FIRST TO THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW CHRIST AS SAVIOR.

 II.  I WOULD SPEAK NEXT TO THOSE WHO ARE SAVED.

III. AND I WOULD SPEAK TO THE LORD’S CHURCH WHERE I AM.

I have been looking at titles of some “Christmas” messages that have been preached by Baptist pastors. Listen to some of these titles: “How The Grinch Store Christmas” (begins by reading from Dr. Seuss); “The Grinch That Stole Christmas”; “Don’t Let The Grinch Steal Christmas” (again citing the story by Dr. Seuss); “What Would ET See?” (begins, “This morning I am going to re-write a movie. Let’s suppose that you were a character in the movie ET.”); “Did The Magi Do Magic?” (“This ‘Christmas’ stuff is enough to drive a person crazy!”)“; A Christmas Message From The Peanuts Gang” (He says, “I want to try and preach this message by way of the Holy Spirit and through the eyes of Charles Shultz's characters, “A Christmas Message From The Peanut Gang”; “What Would Santa Claus Say About Christmas?”; and my favorite: “Rejoice Anyway.” Now, I know that preachers like to come up with interesting titles for their messages, sometimes in order to cause people to want to listen to their message. And, I don’t know anything about the messages these preached, but if the titles in any way indicate what the message was about, some folks are going far astray and out into left field in their preaching. Christmas is about Jesus! I’ll say it again, CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT JESUS! I realize that the business world doesn’t think so. (Many won’t even let their employees say “Merry Christmas.” It has to be “Happy Holidays,” or something along that line.) I believe it is obvious that the advertising world doesn’t think so. And I am beginning to believe that the majority of the “religious” world tends to forget Jesus at this time of year. One of the great dangers of Christmas (especially our modern day celebration of it) is that we will forget the real reason a certain day in December has been set aside to celebrate it. This is a busy time of year. There are places to go and things that must get done. Sometimes, to help us out, we make out a “to do” list so we can keep up with “what else” needs to be done. Well, this morning I want to add 3 things to your “to do” list as we consider Christmas 2023.

I. WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE WONDER - VS. 33.

II. WE NEED TO COME TO WORSHIP -- VS. 20.

III. WE NEED TO COMMIT TO WITNESSING -- VV. 16-18.

A little boy asked his father, “Daddy, what is a Christian?” His dad replied, “Well, a Christian is a person who loves and obeys God. He loves his friends and neighbors and even his enemies. He prays often, is kind, gentle, holy, and more interested in going to heaven than in earthly riches. That, son, is a Christian!”  The little boy looked reflective for a moment, then asked, “Have I ever seen one?” The dad in that story gave a pretty good description of a faithful and devoted child of God, but imagine the father’s shock when his son asked if he had ever actually seen such a person! Is it possible that we who are saved sometimes talk a good talk, but walk a poor walk? Is it possible that we might be able to tell others what a Christian is and may even profess to be one ourselves but have never shown them a Christian? In chapter 2 of First John the Apostle has dealt with the world in vv. 15-17. In vv. 18-19 he has dealt with the worldly. Beginning in vs. 20 he draws a contrast between the child of God and the world. The saved have an “unction from the Holy One.” “Unction means an anointing, a special endowment. This is a reference to the Holy Spirit, with whom all true believers are anointed. It speaks of the coming of the Spirit into the heart of the believer at the moment of salvation. It is never repeated. The Old Testament priests were anointed with oil just once, when they were inducted into their office. In the New Testament believers are spoken of as priests and are anointed with the Spirit just once – when they are saved (the point of being inducted into the office of priest). Vv. 26-28 tell us that the “unction” we have received will: 1) Teach us the truth – “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and . . . teacheth you of all things, and is truth . . . ” In vs. 20 he says these believers, “know all things.” “Know all things” means that this anointing (unction) gives believers the ability to “rightly divide the word of truth” (understand the Word of God and to detect error). In I Corinthians 2:12-14 we read, “ Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” This “unction” will also lead us to (vs. 27) “abide” (be fixed, settled down, at home) in him.” This anointing has great potential, but the help only comes when the believer is filled (controlled by) the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). As believers we are warned not to “quench” the Spirit and not to “grieve” the Spirit -- I Thessalonians 5:19 ; Ephesians 4:30. But what does John say about those who would deny Jesus? They are liars – vs. 22: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist,  that denieth the Father and the Son.” “Liar” speaks of someone who utters an untruth, or attempts to deceive by falsehood. Then he says, “He is antichrist . . . ” Not the antichrist, but he is of the same spirit as The Antichrist. What spirit is Antichrist of? Satan’s. The antichrist spirit offers “something else” in the place of Christ for salvation – baptism, good works, church membership, legalism/law . . . Then in vs. 23 John deals with what we might call the “unfaithful believer,” but hear what he says: “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father . . . ” He goes on to say, “(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” But think about those words, “Whosoever denieth the Son . . . ” “Denieth” means to contradict, to disavow, to reject, to abnegate. Is there any other way to deny Jesus other than saying, “Jesus is not God?” Or, “I don’t believe in Jesus?” The answer is “YES!”? Look at vs. 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.” This is talking about their lives, their living. Why do some people leave the Lord’s churches? They were never saved in the first place. When some come along and say, “I am saved,” but only last a few months – with no change of desire, no change of life – that is good evidence that “they were not of us.” And then the Apostle tells us in vv. 28-29 how to live so that we leave no question about our relationship with the Lord. In vs. 29 he talks about “right living:” “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that (habitually) doeth righteousness is born of him.” In vs. 28 he tells us how to have that habitually righteous life so that we are not ashamed before    our Lord: “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” And now in the first 3 verses of chapter 3 John is going to remind us of what we are, what we shall be, and what we should be as children of God. We see:

I. WHAT WE ARE (THE DIGNITY OF THE BELIEVER) -- VS. 1.

II. WHAT WE SHALL BE (THE DESTINY OF THE BELIEVER) -- VS. 2.

III. WHAT WE SHOULD BE (THE DUTY OF THE BELIEVER) - VS. 3.

For the last few weeks we have been looking at things that are going to take place in these “last days” in which we live. We have concentrated primarily on what will happen to the saved. We have seen that the “dead in Christ,” those who have died trusting Christ as Savior, will rise first. Then, we which are alive and remain will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. But, sadly, we have also seen that those who do not know Christ as Savior will be left on the earth to endure the seven years of tribulation that are to come upon the earth and its inhabitants. In Daniel 8 the prophet was given a vision of coming world history, and it was so disturbing that he said in vs. 27, “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days . . . ” Today we who are God’s people, we who are saved, are seeing things in our world and in our nation that should make us at least heart-sick if not physically ill. We are seeing - perversion, crime, greed, the killing of the innocent (babies/abortion), mothers who have no love for their children, and fathers who are abusive both physically and sexually toward their children. We are seeing a general refusal to acknowledge the existence of the God of Heaven. We are seeing terrorism on an unprecedented scale - and much of it is aimed at God’s people Israel and at those who support them. We are seeing the filth of Hollywood paraded before us, even brought into our homes by way of television, and the people who put it on and perform in it are treated like gods and goddesses. We are also seeing things in the Lord’s churches that should similarly affect us. We are seeing those who profess to have been redeemed by the precious blood of the only begotten Son of God forsake their Savior, His churches, and God Himself. We are seeing a lack of faithfulness to Bible study, prayer, and church attendance on a grand scale. We are seeing entire churches, for the sake of a few more (possibly unregenerate) members turn their backs on “the faith that was once delivered unto the saints.” We are seeing the Bible “retranslated” to appeal to this modern generation and the old hymns that appealed to the spirit more than to the feet and to the flesh forsaken. To that generation I echo some words I read the other day, “God is not going to rewrite the Bible for your generation. Stop trying to change Scripture when it is written to change you.” And your choruses that you sing over and over (almost as a chant) may make you dreamy eyed about tomorrow, but the words of the old hymns spoke Scripture to the hearts of men. With all that is going on in the world it is easy for a true child of God to get to thinking about Heaven and how wonderful it will be to be in the presence of the Lord, but we are not to get so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. After Gabriel revealed to Daniel the meaning of the vision he had seen (vv. 16-27), Daniel said he fainted “and was sick certain days.” Not only was he ill for a few days, after Daniel went back to work at the king’s business, he says he continued to be “astonished (greatly troubled) (I’m afraid if Daniel had been a average believer of today, he would have just stayed in the sick bed several days longer, and after he got up might have said, “Well, I just can’t go on” and quit.) This message concentrates on 8 words of the final verse of Daniel 8 where Daniel, in spite of being ill and greatly troubled said, “. . . I rose up, and did the king’s business . . . ” When I think about those words one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is what Jesus said in Luke chapter 2. Mary, and Joseph, and Jesus had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover and when they started home 12 year old Jesus “tarried behind in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:43). What did he say to Mary and Joseph when they found Him? Vs. 49 - “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” I must be about “. . . my Father’s business . . . ” “. . . rose up and did the king’s business . . . ” We know Jesus is going to return. We just don’t know when. We know those left behind after the Rapture will face a terrible time of tribulation. We have this information but are we really doing anything with it or about it? God’s people today need to get up, get out and do the King’s business. What is the King’s business? Matthew 28:18-20 tell us what it is - to make, mark, and mature disciples. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." It is my humble belief that in the last 40 to 50 years many of the Lord's churches have forgotten that purpose for our existence A business-type, “bigger is better” mentality seems to have affected our thinking. For that reason many churches seem to exist for the sake of numbers only. They appear to believe that “bigger” makes everything we do right. It is the “ends justifies the means” mentality. So, they seek programs, entertainment, and activities that will “draw” the world. However, our Lord gave us a command to follow, and He has told us how to follow it. A New Testament church is to be a disciple making body - not an entertainment medium for the world or an “exclusive” club for the saved. We are not here to make the world feel better about itself, but to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to this sin laden, sin cursed world -- Acts 1:8: “Ye shall be witnesses unto me . . . ” In our text Jesus told us how to make disciples, and and we are going to see how He said we are to go about this disciple making process, how to do “the king’s business.”

I. FIRST, THERE IS THE MAKING OF DISCIPLES.

II. NEXT THERE IS THE MARKING OF DISCIPLES.

III. FINALLY THERE IS THE MATURING OF DISCIPLES.

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about how near we are to the Second Coming of Christ, but today we are going to look at what happens when He comes. Many right now are feverishly preparing to observe the first coming of Jesus into the world (you may be one of them; you may not), but more than that we should be preparing for and looking for His Second Coming. The Second Coming of Christ has been the subject of thousands of songs and probably hundreds of thousands of Bible messages. Millions of saved people have believed throughout the ages that there would be a time called the “last days,” and that the “last days” would culminate with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. This has been the hope of believers since the first century. (Look at what Paul said in I Thessalonians 4 - “we which are alive and remain . . . ”) But not everyone has this hope, and not everyone will believe this message. Some scoff at the idea of Jesus coming again. There are those who rank people who believe the Bible as “hucksters,” and, by the way, that is the spirit that prevails in these “last days.” But, this is a Baptist church, and true Baptists believe the Bible is our authority in matters of faith and practice. We believe in opening the Bible and hearing what God has to say to His people. As we have seen, There are many different indicators of our living in the “last days.” Today we are seeing and hearing things now that we could only imagine 20 or 30 years ago. Several years ago Joel Rosenburg said, “To truly understand the significance of global events and trends, one must analyze them through . . . the lens of Scripture. Only then can the full picture be clearer." I believe we are seeing what Revelation 12:12 talks about when we read, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Sadly, some of God’s people will react in fear over what is going on in our world and especially in our nation, and many will become discouraged to see the present lack of love for God and country. But, today we can find comfort and hope knowing God’s timetable is right on course, and Jesus is coming soon. That's why, in Titus 2:13, the Bible calls the Second Coming of Jesus our “blessed hope.” It is the hope of being with the Lord in Heaven -- Colossians 1:4-5: “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, (5) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel . . . ” And it is based on what we have learned from Scripture which is called in II Peter 1:19 “a more sure word of prophecy . . . ” I don’t really care about the politicians’ and the political prognosticators’ opinion on these matters. What I want to know (and what we should want to know) is, “What does the Bible say about it?” That is what we’re going to examine today. What does the Bible say about the catching away of the saved?

I. THE ASSERTION OF THE RAPTURE.

II. THE ASSURANCE OF THE RAPTURE.

III. THE ANTICIPATION OF THE RAPTURE.

Last week we were reminded of the greatness and glory of God and how He deserves our praise and our thanksgiving. The week before we were warned that conditions are right for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This morning we are going to consider once again the coming of the Lord. After reminding the Thessalonians of “. . . how ye ought to walk and to please God . . . ” in the first Part of chapter 4 (I Thessalonians 4:1) how that “. . . no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter” (vs. 6) and “That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without,” (vs. 12) Paul begins speaking to the Thessalonians about end-time events, and his warning carries over into chapter 5. Of course, we are (or should be) familiar with 4:16-18: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” Then in chapter 5 (vv. 1-11) he informs them (and us) of the conditions of that day and what should be a believer’s conduct in that day. Based on what the Bible tells us we can know we are nearing the time of Christ’s return. However, I often wonder if God’?s people today really believe that Jesus is coming soon . . . because many don’t act like it. This is evidenced by empty buildings, idle baptistries, ignored Bibles, and wasted lives. All of these indicate that a great number of “professed” believers don't truly believe that Jesus could could come today! This is evidenced by our idleness. For example, If you were at work and the boss gave you an important and immediate project, saying, “Drop everything else. This is of utmost importance. I need it done by this certain time, would you get to work on it right away? Another example is, (since it is after Thanksgiving and many decorate their houses for Christmas) if your wife said, “I have to go shopping, but it would be nice if you had the lights up when I return (and you wanted to please her), would you try to get it done? Jesus said, “Occupy till I come.” OCCUPY means to be employed with labor; be busy with a occupation. And He has clearly told us in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 what our main business is to be. The question is, “Are we occupying?” I only have two points to the message this morning, but in it we will see in vv. 1-11 the conditions of these last days and how God expects us to live in these last days.

  I. THE CHARACTER OF THAT DAY – VV. 1-5.

 II. OUR CONDUCT IN THAT DAY -- VV. 6-11.

As you are well aware, I am not known for my “special occasion” or “special day” preaching. However, I feel led today, especially since Thursday is the day we refer to as “Thanksgiving Day," to consider our giving of thanks and praise to our God. Thursday we will carry out a tradition as old as America. (The things you are about to hear probably are not taught in our public schools today since we want to erase any hint of God from public education in America.) In 1621 -- after a terrible year in which half their number died of starvation or disease, the Pilgrims set aside 3 days in December to praise the Lord for a bountiful corn harvest. Later in 1789, President George Washington proclaimed November 26 as a national day of Thanksgiving unto the Lord. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition of rendering thanks unto the Lord. Finally in 1941, the United States Congress decreed that the fourth Thursday in November was to be a national day of Thanks giving unto the Lord God. For many, Thursday will be a day when the family gathers, eats too much, some watch football on TV, and, most importantly, they do not have to go to work. I hope that it means more than that to us! We are to be thankful to the Lord every day of our lives. In fact, God goes so far as to say that being thankful to Him is His will for our lives. I Thessalonians 5:18: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” In truth, we must never be guilty of allowing our thanks and our praise to God to wait until “Thanksgiving Day” to be expressed. Yet, I am afraid that we tend to be an ungrateful people! Children are ungrateful to parents. People are ungrateful to one another. And, worst of all, people are ungrateful to God. Thankfully, there are portions of Scripture like the one we just read in which we can find, not only a challenge and a call to be thankful, but also plenty of reasons why we should thank he Lord for His goodness toward us. Psalm 95 is part of a series of Psalms that begin with Psalm 91 and which look ahead to the advent and coronation of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is suggested that the keynote for this psalm is found in Psalm 93. According to tradition, these psalms were used at the dedication of the second temple. However, this psalm has its true setting in the Millennial Kingdom during the reign of Christ. It is a time when all the world will be filled with righteousness and all men everywhere will exalt the Name of the Lord. It is a time when His praises will fill the earth as they should at all times. It will be a time when the glory of Jesus will literally fill the earth. (Thank God, that you and I that are saved will get to share in that glorious Kingdom!) 4. So, let's examine this psalm, especially the first 7 verses, and see what it says about giving praise to the Lord and about being thankful to Him. Here is:

I. THE INVITATION TO ENTER HIS PRESENCE -- VV. 1-2.

II. THE DECLARATION THAT EXPRESSES HIS POWER - Vv. 3-5.

III. THE DEMONSTRATIONS THAT EXCLAIM HIS PRAISES -- VV. 4-5.

Today we have apps for just about everything -- weather, news, health, the Bible. Earlier this week I was listening to my radio, listening to police calls, and I heard one that interested me, then confused me a little, and then caused me to consider some things about the day in which we live. I thought I heard the dispatcher say that a woman had received a “rapture warning” on her cell phone and wanted to speak with an officer. Now, somebody would say, “I would like to have that app!” I even thought “That’s interesting. What if there really were such a warning?” Then I thought, “There is! It is called the Word of God.” So you and I do not need an app to warn us of the coming rapture or tell us it has taken place. (If you have to have an app that tells you the rapture has occurred, YOU MISSED IT!) I am going to read a number of verses from Matthew chapter 24 as our text this morning.

[TEXT]

Aren’t you thankful that we don’t need an app to get a “rapture warning,” but that we can read the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit understand it! I Corinthians 2:14 is speaking of God’s Word just as much as of any other promise or dealing we have with God. It says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Those who are saved can read the Bible and understand what God is saying to us. (But it takes time and study to “get it.”) The unsaved, those without spiritual discernment, do not have that ability. I want to give you a “rapture warning” this morning. This message has been a while coming. With the things that are happening in Israel right now, many people have many questions. I cannot answer all of those questions, but I can tell you it is just another indication that the time of Christ’s return is drawing nearer and nearer. So this morning I want give you a “rapture warning” and share with you some reasons we need to be ready for it and, if we have time, we'll see some ways to get ready for it.

I. WE HAVE A WARNING IN THE WORLD IN GENERAL.

II. THERE ARE ALSO WARNINGS IN THE REALM OF RELIGION.

III. THE CONDITION OF THE LORD'S CHURCHES AND MANY WHO PROFESS CHRIST AS SAVIOR.

As I read some of the great prayers of the Bible I cannot help but ask, “Why can’t God’s people pray like that and with that kind of power today?” Maybe I should ask, “Why don’t we pray like that and with that kind of power today?” Look at the prayer in our text. Peter and John had been arrested for preaching Jesus. They were released and told never to preach in His name again. Peter and John reported to the Jerusalem church what had happened, and look at what vs. 24 says: “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is . . . ” They began to pray! But notice, “. . . they lifted up their voice . . . WITH ONE ACCORD . . . ” Can you imagine that! Here is a united church, all praying at the same time, and all praying for the same thing! Imagine the power! And if you can’t imagine it, look at vs. 31: "And when they had prayed, THE PLACE WAS SHAKEN where they were assembled together; and THEY WERE ALL FILLED with the Holy Ghost, and THEY SPAKE THE WORD of God WITH BOLDNESS.” Why can’t we have a prayer meeting like that today? We can, but too many of God’s people . . . 1) Are out of fellowship with the Father; 2) Or, are not serious in their praying (praying for the wrong things); Or, have a lack of real faith in the Lord; Or, are unwilling to obey God. The fact is that we can have an earth shaking prayer meeting, but it is going to require some real commitment on our part - commitment to God, to Christ, and to God’s Word. We cannot “play church” and have that kind of prayer meeting. We cannot be like many churches today - just going through the motions - and have that kind of prayer meeting. We cannot try to be like everyone else, fall in with the status quo, and expect God to bless us with that kind of power. There IS power in prayer! The Scripture tells us of Elijah in James 5:17-18. It says that Elijah prayed “that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. (18) And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” But notice how he prayed, “Elijah prayed EARNESTLY . . . ” EARNESTLY = (Webster) “characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind.” The language says, “Elijah prayed with prayer.” Quite literally it is saying, “Elijah ‘got with it’ in his praying. He wasn’t playing around. When he prayed Elijah meant business with God.” And note what it says about the one who was doing the praying. Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are . . . ” He was not some “super saint.” (Remember his depression when Jezebel threatened him?) But vs. 16 says it is the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man” that “availeth much.” EFFECTUAL FERVENT = (energeo) active, energetic, efficient; at work, active in operation. Think of the Gethsemane prayer of Jesus. Hebrews 5:5-6 lets us know that the writer is speaking of Jesus. Then in vs. 7 he says of the Lord: “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications WITH STRONG CRYING AND TEARS unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared . . . ” (STRONG = forcible. There was some force or power behind it. It is translated in other places as “mighty, powerful, valiant.”) (CRYING = from krazo to scream, to call aloud (translated “to cry out”). Hear what Luke 22:44 says about the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (AGONY = anguish ; MORE EARNESTLY = more intently; fervently.) Have you ever prayed in agony? Where you were so burdened that you fell to your knees (in your heart and in your flesh) before God, able only to cry out with a loud voice, exclaiming “God, help me!” (Ever been there? I have!) You will do that when you’re told that your mother has brain cancer and has maybe two months to live, and she has asked you to preach her funeral! You will do that when the weight of the world is so great upon you that you have to have some relief, and you know that the only One who can give it is God. You will pray that way when you feel the burden of the entire church and her future upon you. And you will do it with strong crying and tears, also. I fear that way too many of the prayers of “the saints” today are weak and ineffective. Prayers that come (only) from the head up are often that way. The Lord’s churches and this “God bless America” of ours are in a crisis today and they need the effectual prayer, fervent, foundation shaking prayer made with strong crying and tears of God’s people. “One of these days soon, if we do not change, we’re going to wake up and find the America that we once knew and the liberty we once enjoyed as the Lord’s churches are gone.” For the remainder of this message we are going to look at the prayer Daniel prayed in Daniel 9. Daniel had been give the vision of what is referred to as Daniel’s 70th week. He declares in chapter 8 that he did not understand the vision. Vs. 27 says: “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” Daniel prayed for two things - deliverance and understanding. Deliverance from the Babylonians and understanding of the vision. We could/should be praying for those two things today. Deliverance - America has been taken captive by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Understanding - That the eyes of God’s people would be opened and they would understand that we are, indeed, living in the last days. But we’re not going to look so much at the content of Daniel’s prayer as we are at the construction of it - not what he prayed for, but how he prayed. If we want to pray with power we need to follow his example. We must:

I. PRAY WITH SERIOUS CONCENTRATION -- VS. 3.

II. PRAY WITH STEADFAST CONFIDENCE -- VS 4.

III. PRAY WITH SINCERE CONFESSION -- VV. 4-7.

IV. WE ARE TO PRAY WITH SPIRITUAL CONCERN.

Paul had preached the Gospel at Thessalonica, but the unbelieving Jews had run him out of town. So, he went to Berea and preached. But when the Jews of Thessalonica heard that the word of God was preached at Berea, they went there and stirred up the people against Paul. There will always be someone who does not want the Gospel preached to the lost. Of course, the main one in this category is Satan. II Corinthians 4:4 says he blinds “the minds of them which believe not” lest the light of the Gospel should shine unto them. Fearing for Paul’s life, those around him set him from Berea to Athens. Apparently, they thought Athens would be a safe place for Paul. Maybe they knew about the reputation of the Greeks and those of Athens that they “. . . spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (vs. 21). Vs. 16 tells us that while Paul waited in Athens “ . . . his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.” “Stirred” has the thought of being sharpened. Figuratively it speaks of being exasperated. When Paul saw that the people in Athens worshipped many false gods and even had an altar to one they called “THE UNKNOWN God” (vs. 23) he boldly declared the God of Heaven to them. In vs. 21 Paul told the people, “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” “Superstitious” here refers to being “religious.” In fact, it speaks of being “more religious than others.” Athens was overrun with (false) gods and religion, but the people there had never heard of Jehovah God or Jesus Christ, Emanuel, God with us! This just shows us that being “religious” does not necessarily refer to someone’s having a relationship with the true and living God. “Religion” is Satan’s biggest business to keep people from coming to Jesus as Savior. Our world, and our nation are overrun with religion and idols today. It may be some sports star, or some singer, or (Lord help us) some actor. We even have a television show called “American Idol.” I believe that some of the TV preachers have tried to make themselves idols to those they have lured into following them. And throughout the world there are innumerable adherents of false religions that worship statues and man made idols, hoping to appease “the gods” or their god so they might have an easier life and end up in their version of paradise. What is an idol? I have seen and heard several definitions of what an idol is. Webster’s dictionary says it is “a representation or symbol of a deity used as an object of worship: a false god.” One writer said simply that an idol is the work of our own hands. (I think he left a lot out.) But the best definition of an idol that I have ever heard is “anything we love more, fear more, cherish more, or serve more than God.” Webster indicated that one who serves an idol does so with “passionate devotion.” We read as a part of our text God’s prohibition of idols among His people. In fact the first two of the ten commandments state that prohibition in dealing with the worship of God. Exodus 20:3: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:4: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . ” But even with that prohibition it seems that God’s people have had a problem with idols. In Genesis 35:2 Jacob had to say to his household, “Put away the strange gods that are among you . . . ” In Joshua 24:23 Joshua had to say to the Israelites, “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you . . .” In Isaiah 31:7 the prophet assured Israel that God would defend and deliver then and said, “For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.” And in Ezekiel 14:6 God told Ezekiel to “. . . say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” What is the problem with idols? First, because there is only one God, and He alone deserves our worship. To worship anyone or anything else is simply a following a lie. What does Psalm 96:8-9 say? “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. (9) O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” We have to battle against erecting idols today - sometimes in our own lives, and sometimes in our church life. I want to share with you this morning 6 idols that, if we are not careful, will destroy our individual lives and damage the life of this church.

I. LETHARGY.

II. THE “FOLLOW YOUR HEART” ATTITUDE.

III. COMPROMISE.

IV. RELYING UPON PROGRAMS FOR CHURCH GROWTH.

V. BELIEVERS WITH BIG EGOS.

VI. EMOTIONALISM.