It seems today that everything that is not nailed down is coming apart, and Satan is pulling nails as fast as he can. Godly standards and teaching with which we were raised are now being not only dismissed by the world, they are being attacked as passé and “old fashioned.” Many churches and many in churches seem to have traded pleasing God for pleasing men in an attempt to draw more people to them. Individual believers who you could once count on for faithfulness to the Lord and to the worship services of His church now appear to have different priorities even though God’s priority given in Matthew 6:33 --- “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness . . . ” remains. Of course, we have been told in the Word of God that things would get like this in the “last days.” II Timothy 3:1: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times (burdensome; hard to be borne) shall come.” II Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Now, Peter tells us that not only are things falling apart on this earth, but the earth itself is falling apart. Vs. 10: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Vs. 11: “ . . . all these things shall be dissolved . . . ” Vs. 12: “ . . . the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat . . . ” Hebrews 1:10-12 says something very similar: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” In vv. 10, 12 the word “ELEMENTS” speaks of the components by which matter is made. It is speaking of the atomic structure of this universe. (The components into which matter is divided are going to come apart.) In vv. 11-12 the word “DISSOLVED” literally means “to loose,” or “to untie.” Mankind is not going to destroy this earth, but one day God is. II Peter 3:7 says the present heavens and earth “are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment.” KEPT IN STORE and RESERVED have similar meanings. KEPT IN STORE = to amass or reserve. RESERVED = to guard by keeping the eye upon; it implies a fortress or full military lines. What is at the center of the earth? What is the earth’s core? FIRE! When the elements are “loosed” this planet will be destroyed by “fervent heat.” FERVENT HEAT = a medical term; literally, “fever heat,” internal heat. In vs. 11 Peter is not asking a question. He is making a statement. MANNER refers to a region; country, race, or tribe. It has the idea of being an alien or stranger. It speaks here of exotic behavior, something that is not normal. “What ‘other world’ type of persons?” As believers, we are not to be like those of this present, evil world. The Bible calls us strangers and pilgrims -- I Peter 2:11: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul . . . ” A stranger is not at home, and a pilgrim is on his way home. We are not citizens of Earth trying to get to Heaven. We are citizens of Heaven sojourning on the Earth (looking forward to going home). We are to be different - to walk differently, to talk differently, to live differently. In vs. 11 we are told that our “conversation” (lifestyle) is to be holy and godly. HOLY means separated, set apart. (A holy person is set apart to the Lord.) It means to be like God. God is holy. I Peter 1:15-16: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” GODLINESS has the idea of being devoted and pleasing to God. So, here, very briefly, are 5 thoughts that should help us to live holy and godly lives even when the world around us is coming apart.

I. WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD - VV. 12-14.

II. WE NEED TO LABOR BECAUSE HIS COMING IS NEAR.

III. WE NEED TO LIVE FOR HIM BECAUSE OF HIS COMING.

IV. WE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS COMING.

V. WE NEED TO GET “LOCKED IN” TO THE TRUTH OF CHRIST’S COMING - VV. 17-18.

If you were driving down the road late at night (midnight) and saw a house on fire, how would you react? It is obvious the family is at home -- cars in driveway, etc -- and due to the time and no lights being on, they are in bed. There is really only one real choice -- call 911 then warn those inside to get out and escape the flames. Why would you react in that manner? Lives are at stake. To keep people from perishing. But, there is a fire greater than any one earth that daily threatens men, women, boys, and girls, yet we do not warn them of it. Many (30+) years ago stories of “out of body” experiences during “clinical death” became popular. Virtually all of those sharing these experiences professed to be saved and reported pleasurable (at least to the flesh), Heavenly scenes. During that time the book Beyond Death’s Door was published. It claimed that its reports of “near death” out of body experiences were from people who did not profess Christ as Savior. Those individuals were said to have “descended into hell” and reported hearing screaming, flame, heat, blackness, and spirit beings. Whether these accounts are true or untrue, one fact remains. Hell is real, people who reject Jesus as Savior really go there, and we who are saved need to warn people and pray that they will listen. Years ago Evangelist Freddie Gage once accounted the story of trying to win his best friend to Christ. At the end of the story he asked, “Have you ever had your best friend die and go to hell?” We who are saved need to warn people and pray that they will listen. Listen to the request of this rich man in hell in Luke 16:27-28: “I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house: (28) For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” Did you ever think that someone in hell, maybe some friend, is praying to God (they believe in Him now) and asking Him to send YOU or ME to their loved one(s) to warn them “lest they also” end up in that place? The title of this message is “The Message Few Want To Preach (And Even Fewer Want To Hear)." It seems that few preachers really want to preach about hell today for fear that they might “offend” someone or be called “old fashioned” and/or “superstitious.” Liberal theology has taken hell out of the pulpit, but hell still exists. Just because you ignore something or some place does not cause it not to exist! We who are called to preach God’s Word need to quit worrying about what people may think of us for sharing this truth and remind both lost and saved that HELL IS REAL! Too much of the time the passion to share the warnings of God’s Word dies in the pulpit, and when it does, it dies in the pew. Evangelist Billy Sunday once said: “If there was more hell in the pulpit, there’d be less hell in the community.” As we hear this message from God’s Word this morning, I want us to consider two questions. “Would I stand idly by and watch as my mother, my dad, my brother, my sister, a family member, a friend, maybe even my best friend, burned to death? Then, will I refuse to warn them about hell (or hope someone else will) and let them perish there for eternity?” “Do I have friends in hell who are today wanting me to go warn their families so that they do not end up in that place?”

I. THE REALITY OF HELL.

II. A RECORD OF HELL -- LUKE 16.

III. THE RANGE OF HELL - HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?

IV. THE RESIDENTS OF HELL - WHO WILL BE IN HELL?

What is the most effective tool (weapon) a child of God, living in this world, has access to today? I am sure you can tell from the title of this message, it is PRAYER. Listen to what the Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 10:4: “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” We are in a war, a spiritual war, and we have weapons! Who is our enemy? Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our battle is not “against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Then, in vv. 13-17 we are told to put on “the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Then he lists that armor: 1) Our “loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness . . . ” (vs. 14); 2) Our “. . . feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace . . . ” (vs. 15); 3) “Taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (vs. 16). Then Paul names “. . . the helmet of salvation,” and our only offensive weapon, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God . . . ” (vs. 17). But when we look at those verses, if all we see is the armor and not the battle, we are missing out on what we are being told. You can get all dressed up in the uniform, or in the armor and never fight the battle. Vs. 18 puts us in the battle: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . .” The spiritual battle we are in will not be won on our feet, but on our knees! Look at what Paul says here, “Praying always . . .” Look at what he says in I Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” I am of the opinion, and I believe it is a biblical opinion, that God’s people today DO NOT spend enough time in prayer! Examine the Scriptures and you will see that great things happen when God’s people pray. In Acts 6 when the church at Jerusalem was about to be torn apart by jealousy and dissension what did the apostles do? Vs. 4 -- “But we will give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” and deacons were chosen, and the church grew. In Ephesians 6:19 - Pray for the courage to witness: “And for me, that utterance (logos - “word”) may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel . . . ” In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were in jail, and at midnight they were praising God and . . . PRAYING! (And God shook that jail and the jailer and his family were saved.) Do we pray too much in our “worship” services? No, I don’t believe we pray enough. We open with prayer, close with prayer, pray before the offering and before the message. But, are we praying during the message? “Lord, convict the lost of their need of Christ.” “Lord, convict the saved of their need of faithfulness to You.” “Lord, convict ME of MY sin and my failures of You, and help me to better serve You.” Too many of God’s people and the Lord’s churches merely play at prayer. Dr. Vance Haver said, “Many prayer requests today sound like an organ recital - ‘pray for my heart, pray for my liver, pray for . . . ” Acts 4:31 reveals to us the great power of real, effectual, fervent prayer. Peter and John had been arrested for preaching Jesus. They were threatened and allowed to go free. After they reported what had happened the church had a prayer meeting. We see their request in (Vs. 29) : “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word . . . ” (Notice what they did not pray for - an easy time, not to be arrested, etc.) God’s response is seen in 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.” This is the kind of “prayer meeting” the Lord’s churches need today and the kind of prayer God’s people need to pray today - one that rocks our very foundations to a greater service of God. Think about the Sermon on the Mount. We are the salt of the earth, and this building is . . . ? Don’t you think God can shake the salt shaker if He wants to? I want to share with you this morning from James 5 what I call 5 keys to praying this kind of prayer.

I. WE MUST ASK - JAMES 5:17.

II. WE MUST ASK WITH FERVENCY - VV. 16-17.

III. WE MUST ASK IN CLEANNESS -- VS. 16.

IV. WE MUST ASK IN FAITH - JAMES 1:5-7.

V. WE MUST ASK WITH PERSISTENCE - JAMES 5:17-18.

This psalm was written by Asaph. Who was Asaph? Asaph was an organizer and leader for the temple choirs in the days of David. He begins this psalm by declaring the goodness of God - toward Israel and toward “such as are of a clean heart.” But look at verse two and see the contrast - “But as for me . . . ” He is saying, “Yes, God is good to Israel, but “as for me,” I almost missed seeing His goodness.” Then he says, “I had almost lost my footing, and my feet were slipping.” Most of us can relate to what Asaph is saying in Psalm 73:2, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.” Many of God’s people have the same problem Asaph had, and that is that even though God is good to us, it seems He is also good (perhaps too good) to the boastful and the wicked. So we think things like, “What benefit is there in being good? If the wicked enjoy the same prosperity in this world as the pure in heart, then what is the reward of godliness?” It makes us wonder, “If God is really in control of things, the plans of the wicked should fail, shouldn’t they? They should be punished, even openly. It is the godly alone who should prosper.” I think our soldiers and our police officers are worth a whole lot more than sports stars! I think preachers are much more valuable than rap artists and rock musicians . . . but not to the world and worldly (and we live in the world). Most of God’s people today were raised with the same thought that Asaph learned, particularly, that “the good always prosper and that the wicked will always fall.” The “good guys” always win, right? (“Winners never cheat, and cheaters never win.”) Do you remember the first time you saw a movie or TV show where the bad guys “got away with it?” Then Hollywood began to try to blur the line between good and bad with shows where the “good guys” did “bad things” to gain the victory and never got caught. Asaph said his feet had “well nigh slipped,” and then he tells us why in vs. 3: "For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” "Envious" admits to the sin of jealousy. Proverbs 14:30: “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” Proverbs 23:17: “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.” Do you know why Jesus was delivered into the hands of those who crucified Him? The Bible clearly tells us in Matthew 27:18: “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.” Listen to what Charles Spurgeon said about envy, “It is a pitiful thing that an heir of heaven should have to confess ‘I was envious,’ but worse still that he should have to put it, ‘I was envious at the foolish.’” And some of our own people, young people and adults like, so envy the lost world that they want to be like the world, and thus they do the things of the world. Now Asaph said his envy had caused his feet to slip, that he had almost lost his footing, but, thank the Lord, he didn’t slip and wasn’t gone. Sadly, for many of God’s people, they don’t almost quit, they do quit. Preachers quit preaching. (Often they see what their church members have, become envious of them, and want the same things.) Church members quit going to church. (Some want a little more of the world. Some are not saved, and when the preaching of the Word convicts their hearts, they find an excuse to quit going to church.) These things are not new, but they are of great concern. In Galatians 6:9 Paul encourages believers not to be “weary in well doing” and not to “faint.” "Weary" means "to turn out a coward; lose one’s courage; lose heart (in view of trial or evils); to despond." "Faint" means to relax, weary; to be exhausted. It speaks of failure of power (a power failure). In I Corinthians 15:58 believers are instructed to be “steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Where can we find strength to face the inevitable discouragements that will come in our lives as believers? The Word of God, of course, and that is what we are going to look at this morning! Let's first examine . . .

I. WHY DO PEOPLE QUIT?

II. HOW CAN WE KEEP FROM QUITTING?

III. A MAN WHO WOULD NOT QUIT.

Other than the book of Revelation, I cannot think of a book of the Bible that is more appropriate for our day than Habakkuk. Habakkuk lived in a day much like ours. It was a day filled with 1) apostasy among God’s people. (Today there is apostasy in the Lord’s churches) 2) anarchy in the world. (Consult your local newspaper) 3) and apathy in the hearts of men (and, certainly, apathy in the pews - look around). If we did not know better, know of God’s omnipotence and God’s omniscience, we might be tempted to think that He has lost control. Look at what Habakkuk says in vs. 4: “Why do I have to see all the evil that is going on?” “Why dost thou show me . . . ” Does the sin that is rampant in our world and in our nation today feel like a weight on you? Does it feel like it is just wearing you out? Then he names the evil. Spoiling speaks of violence ; to ravage. Violence talks about mistreatment; using mistreatment to get unjust gain - fraud, robbery, etc. There were people who Habakkuk said “raise up strife.” These were those who seemed to take pleasure in creating controversy. You know one of the quickest ways to notoriety in America today Create controversy. He said, "The law is slacked" (sluggish). He is saying, “The law has become paralyzed.” It may just be me, but it seems that there is very little respect for the law in America today. America is a nation of laws - not rulers, but laws - but when the laws of the land are not respected, the nation is weakened. Habakkuk is saying, “There is no justice in the courts.” Then he says, “The wicked compass about the righteous.” Compass means "to enclose ; besiege." They far outnumber the righteous so that the righteous feel intimidated. “Therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” That’s just another way of saying, “Justice has become perverted.” So, back in vs. 2 Habakkuk asks, “How long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” He uses two different words for "cry." The first "cry" refers to a cry out, a shout to attract attention. The second one means to shriek (from anguish or danger). Have you ever shouted out to God Not a shout of praise, but a shout of anguish, of need, of pleading with God to act? “Oh, Lord, PLEASE! (answer my prayer).” Habakkuk is basically asking, “GOD where are You?! “Why have You let all this happen.” Well, God answered Habakkuk, but He didn’t give him an explanation. God does not have to explain Himself to anyone! Instead of an explanation, God gave Habakkuk a vision and a warning. Israel faced some dark days, and I fear that unless there is a great revival among God’s people in America and a “vival,” a moving of people to salvation, we may face dark days, too. Well, how do you survive “dark days?” In Habakkuk 2:4 the prophet offers us the theme of the book. “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” The first part of the verse speaks of the sinner. He is "lifted up" (swollen, elated, possibly by his own pride). But his lifted up soul is not “upright” (UPRIGHT = to be straight, or even. “It is leaning.”) It is saying he is “high and mighty,” but he is leaning and about to fall. But in the second half of the verse God says “. . . but the just shall live by his faith.” "Just" speaks of the upright, or righteous person. This is the person who trusts and depends upon God. This verse is repeated three times in the New Testament in: 1) Romans 1:17 ; in 2) Galatians 3:11 ; and in 3) Hebrews 10:38. Rather than fold up and give up in difficult days, we need to look up and then stand up. I pray that in this message we will learn some things about living by faith and staying true to God, even in difficult days. We see that:

I. FAITH FUNCTIONS BY RELYING UPON GOD’S PROMISES.

II. FAITH FUNCTIONS BY RELYING UPON GOD’S WORD (NOT APPEARANCES) - 2:1.

III. FAITH FUNCTIONS BY PRAISING GOD, (NOT BY CIRCUMSTANCES) - 3:1-3.

The resurrection of Jesus (and the promised resurrection and catching away of all who have entrusted their lives and their everlasting spirits to Him) are central to Christianity. In our text the Apostle Paul tells us that it is a part, a vital part, of the Gospel. If all Jesus did was come into the world, and die on the cross, and be buried, that would not be “good news.” We would have no hope. But look at what Paul says in I Corinthians 15:20: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” Someone may ask, “Why do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus and of the saved?” I could say, very succinctly, “Because the Bible records it,” and for me that would be sufficient. But what about someone who doesn’t believe the Bible? Or, what about someone who has never read the Bible? Or, someone raised in a religion that does not depend upon the Bible? Why do I believe the Bible? Why do I believe in the resurrection? Number one -- the Bible IS the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God. (Penned over a period of 1500 years, by at least 40 men who, for the most part, did not know one another.) Because the accounts in the Bible were written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Those accounts report to us supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies, giving evidence that those accounts are divine rather than human in origin. And the Bible records the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ and tells us that it is THE good news that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, let me tell you of two men I heard of who decided they would destroy Christianity and remove it from the face of the earth. They were atheistic “intellectuals” and highly educated and believed they could succeed in their task. After meeting together they decided that if they could prove false the resurrection of Jesus and the conversion of Paul, they could destroy Christianity. One of the men agreed that he would investigate the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, Paul, and prove it to be false. The other man said he would investigate the resurrection of Jesus and prove it to be false. The men agreed to meet back in the same place in one year and share their findings with each other and put an end to Christianity. One year later the men met as agreed, and to each other’s surprise, BOTH had come to know Jesus as Savior! It is impossible to successfully deny the resurrection of Jesus and the conversion of Paul. Many, like these two men, have tried. Remember James Cameron from 2007? He claimed to have found the tomb and the body of Jesus. Mr. Cameron, I don’t know what you found, but I KNOW what you didn’t find! There are quite a few tombs from that time which have been found by archaeologists. I have stood inside one of them. I have heard our guide say that when it was discovered the contents of it were removed and sent for examination. And they did not find so much as one human hair in them. Was this the actual tomb where Jesus was laid? I don’t know. But what I DO KNOW is that if it is not the actual tomb of Jesus, there is one there that is just as empty as the other one. All of the Gospels record the resurrection of Jesus and give us various details concerning that day. In Matthew 28:6 the angel said, “He is not here: for he is risen” and invited them to “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” In Mark 16:6 they were told, “Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.” But my favorite is in Luke 24:5-7 where the angel asked: “Why seek ye the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, (7) Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” One of our favorite songs (or at least it should be) is “He Lives!” But, just like James Cameron and the two men we spoke of earlier, there are many in our world today that would deny and attempt to prove false the resurrection of Jesus. These are not new. There were those in Paul’s day - who came into the Lord’s churches - who brought error and denial about the resurrection. For that reason, today we are going to see “The Case For The Defense Of The Resurrection.” First of all we will see:

I. A DEFENSE OF THE RESURRECTION. (The Calling Of Witnesses)

II. DISTORTIONS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION.

III. THE DANGERS OF NO RESURRECTION - I CORINTHIANS 15:12-19.

How do you react when you are in the middle of a crisis? How should we react? It’s easy to be happy, and thankful, and even joyful when things are going well. But what about when things aren’t going well? When there’s a financial crisis? Or, a family crisis? Or a health crisis? How do we, how should we react? God’s Word is full of examples of faithful servants of the Lord who stayed true to Him and did not quit serving Him, even during times of trial. (We have talked about some of these in our study of the Sermon on the Mount.) We can read about those who suffered for the cause of Christ. In Acts 5 Peter and those with him were beaten and told never to preach in the name of Jesus Christ again. In Acts 12 King Herod put the Apostle James to death, and when he saw that it “pleased the Jews,” he had Peter arrested, intending to do the same to him. II Corinthians 11:23-27 gives us a list of the many things he suffered - beatings, mockings, stoning, shipwreck, pain, hunger, thirst, etc. We can also see how they reacted when God was with them and took care of them in their trials. In Acts 5:41 Peter and those with him “departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” In Acts 12 the Lord sent an angel to get Peter out of prison, and he went immediately to where the church was holding a prayer meeting, praying for him. (He had more trouble getting into the prayer meeting than he had getting out of prison.) And in I Peter 4:12-13 Peter said, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (13) But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings . . . ” In II Corinthians 12:9 the Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” And, even with all of these things, including the care of all the churches, Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:18, which is our text: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” We have learned that the word “in” here has the idea of “in the midst of,” “in the middle of” everything that is happening. It is represented by a circle with a dot in the center. Now, obviously, we are not being told to be thankful for beatings and persecution, but we are to continue to be thankful to God while these things are going on. Be thankful for the assurance that our Lord will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), even during our times of difficulty, or that when the persecution is for the cause of Christ and He is glorified, or that God will give you the grace to endure the things that are taking place. With the thought of I Thessalonians 5:18 in mind we are going to looking briefly into the life of Job and see how his response to the things that happened to him illustrate this command from God. We are familiar with the account of Job. He was a faithful servant of God who, according to God’s Word, “was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed (hated) evil.” And yet, God allowed some terrible tragedies to come into Job’s life. Why? Well, today we know why, but Job never did know the “why.” The account of Job in the Bible helps us to understand that we don’t have to understand. You will make a big mistake if your life and in your service of God if you demand to know and understand everything that happens to you. Many times there ARE answers . . . but sometimes we DON’T understand, and sometimes we CAN’T understand. So, turn to the book of Job the first chapter. We are going to look at vv. 1-3 and 6-9 to start. Notice what Satan says in vs. 9: “. . . Doth Job fear God for nought?” Job’s character was such that God mentioned him. (Satan didn’t bring Job up, God did!) God had held Job up to Satan as a faithful servant. (Can He do that with your life?) So Satan says, “Job doesn’t really love God. He only loves what God does for him.” See, the devil is suspicious of anyone who loves God. Satan doesn’t love God; he hates Him. He wants to usurp Him and be equal with Him. And, he will do his best to attack and discourage and derail anyone who sets out to serve God. We have seen many of our own members attacked in various ways by the enemy. If you are saved and have never run into the devil, that means you and he are going in the same direction. (You’re in collusion with him. Serve God and you will have a collision with him.) So after Satan’s meeting and conversation with God a contest, as it were, began there in the land of Uz. This contest was not so God could learn anything about Job. God knew what he would do. It showed to Satan Job’s faithfulness and, perhaps, helped Job to learn something about himself and about God. I suggest to you that God may allow you and me to be tested so we can learn something about our own faithfulness to God and about His faithfulness to us. First of all we see:

I. JOB IN THE HANDS OF SATAN.

II. JOB IN THE HANDS OF JOB.

III. JOB IN THE HANDS OF GOD - JOB 38:1-5 ; 42:1-2.

Many believe that today, in America, we are living in a post-Christian era. Many speak of people like the Jim Joneses, the David Koreshes, the Sun Yung Moons and all the other self-proclaimed Messiahs of this world and just lump us in with them. Because of that many believers and churches have adopted a “live and let live” attitude. It is late in the day, and we do not have the luxury of just being quiet, of saying “live and let live,” because this world will not let us just live. Do you remember what Mordecai told Queen Esther in Esther 4:14? “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” Who knows whether we have been brought to this time and this place for such a time as this? I am concerned -- not only about the America of today, but about the America of tomorrow, and the generation to come. What kind of nation are we leaving our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in which to grow up? We may ask, “What difference will how I live now, my faithfulness to God, and to Jesus and to His church make a few years from now?” Well, listen to what God said to Israel in Exodus 20:4-5. (This is the second commandment.) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me . . . ” The humanist agenda has Americans worshipping a false god called “Self,” or “Mankind” and we can readily see see the results of it in our society today. In this 78th psalm Asaph is the psalmist, and he reminds God’s people that the Lord has given us the responsibility of putting some things into the minds and hearts of “the generation to come.” And first of all he says, “We are to disseminate these things the same way we received them.” See what he says in vs. 3: “Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.” What does God say through Paul in Ephesians 6:4? “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Paul instructed Timothy in II Timothy 2:2: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” You have heard me say that both truth and liberty are only one generation deep. If we do not teach our children AND LEAD THEM BY EXAMPLE, this church will not be here standing for God’s truth one day. That’s why Asaph says, “. . . shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.”  “Shewing” means “to score with a mark as a tally or record; to inscribe; to enumerate; intensively; and to recount. He is saying, “Write it indelibly (permanently) in their minds and in their memories.” He is saying, “Etch it into their hearts so that it cannot be removed.” Don’t just give them a little bit of the Word. Give them as much as you can, then give them some more. (And do the same in your own life.) In this psalm Asaph names at least 3 things we need to etch into the hearts, minds, and lives of “the generation to come.” They are:

I. THE MAGNIFICENT PRAISES OF THE LORD.

II. THE MIGHTY POWER OF THE LORD.

III. THE MARVELOUS PROVISION OF THE LORD.

We know that in the last days sin is going to abound (Matthew 24:12). So in light of that knowledge, here is a timeless truth: In these last days, God expects His children to be holy. "Holy" means to be separate, distinct, separated to God. There is to be an obvious distinction between a child of God and a child of the devil. Jesus said to some very “religious” people in John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” These had a claim and a pretense to godliness, but they did not have God in their hearts and lives. How would you like for the Lord Jesus to say that to you? If we truly believe we are living in the last days, we should want to live as holy lives as possible. Because we will soon stand before our Lord. Because of the lost who need to be saved and need to see true Christians in this world. If you wonder what is wrong with the Lord’s churches today, here it is. There are many who are undedicated, uncommitted, unholy, even some who are unregenerated in the membership of churches today. This offers two great problems that churches face: 1) The unregenerated have no heart for God or the things of God. They just don’t care. 2) The undedicated, uncommitted, unholy, unrepentant ones, though they ARE saved, have been living like the world for so long they have forgotten they ever were saved. Listen to what Peter says in II Peter 1:5-9: “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” (He’s talking about growing as a child of God here.) "(8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” Where do you and I stand in all of this? Committed, holy, serving the Lord? Or uncommitted and unfaithful? By the way, here is a quick warning. If you are committed and faithful, be careful about becoming arrogant about it (i.e., “all those unfaithful, uncommitted people need to repent”). REPEAT: God expects His children to be holy (separated, set apart), especially in these last days. This message is to encourage us to live holy, separated lives and offers four incentives for doing so. They are:

I. OUR ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S COMING -- VS. 13.

II. OUR IDENTIFICATION WITH HIS CHARACTER -- VV. 14-16.

III. OUR EXAMINATION AS HIS CHILDREN -- VS. 17.

IV. OUR EMANCIPATION BY HIS CROSS -- VV. 18-21.

A man, quoting his pastor, said: “For a church to be a great church, you must have a dream” (or a goal). If we do not have a goal, do not know where we are going. It’s like travelling without a map. It will cause us to wander aimlessly in this world. The wisest man to every live, with the exception of Jesus, Solomon said in Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision the people perish . . . ” "Vision" refers to a prophetic vision; a dream; a word, as from God. (We need to let God guide our goals.) "Perish" menas "to set at nought; to let loose." (It presents the picture of having no real direction.) Ecclesiastes 11:4 tells us, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” You can’t always wait for “ideal conditions” to do what you know you should do. I believe that today many of God’s people are waiting for “ideal conditions” to exist before they take a stand for God and His Word. I’m not sure what those conditions are. To have an easy time of it? To have our witness of Christ welcomed by the world? To be considered “valuable” by the world? In James 4:13-17 James tells us man did some good things from a business standpoint. He designed a plan, a period (“. . . today or tomorrow '), a procedure (we will go into such a city . . . and buy and sell), and a profit (“. . . and get gain . . . ”). But this man had one problem. Do you see it? Look at vs. 15 - “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” Whether this man is guilty of procrastination or disobedience in this instance, he did not consider God’s will for his life. This is probably one area in which God’s people today are so much like the world. We make our plans -- period. Consider the rich fool with the “too small” barns in Luke 12:16-20 for a moment. Here was a man whom God had blessed greatly. And we can hear him talking to himself (vs. 17 - “. . . he thought within himself . . . ”), and four times in just two verses he says, “I will.” He is making his plans. But look at what God says (vs. 20), “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” GOD CAN OVERRULE OUR PLANS! And that is why James says in vs. 15, “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” How often do you and I make our plans contingent on the Lord’s will? Now this man failed to consider God and His will for his life in several different areas, but I am only going to consider one of them at length this morning, and THIS IS MY MESSAGE ON PROCRASTINATION! God’s people need to ask God to help us stop wasting our time and putting off what He wants us to do. We have a great waster of time (and maybe several of them) in our homes, don’t we? I know first hand how easy it is to turn the TV on, plop down in the easy chair, and vegetate, become a “couch potato.” I also know how difficult it is to get up, turn the set off, and spend time in God’s Word. Why is that? Because (Galatians 5:17), “. . . the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Procrastination may be the biggest problem that many/most of us have today. Many do not consider procrastination a sin, but what does James say in vs. 17? James 4:17: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Whether we just don’t do it, or just put off doing what we know to do. Delay is disobedience. In this message I only have time to mention 2 areas in which the sin of procrastination causes great troubles. They are:

I. PROCRASTINATION IS THE REASON THAT MANY PEOPLE DIE LOST.

II. PROCRASTINATION AND OMISSION ARE THE REASONS MANY CHURCHES ARE FAILING.