The title of this morning’s message asks two completely different questions and answers both. We are going to go back to basics, back to the very beginning to see where we came from. Before you can know where you are going, you need to know where you came from. And when you realize where you are, it’s a good idea to find out how you got there. This nation and this world are in a mess today. Violence, terrorism, hatred, and distrust seem to be the order of the day. Sexual promiscuity, sexual perversion, and transgenderism, which violate God’s standards are the way of life for many. God’s order for the home, for the nation, and even for the Lord’s churches is often ignored. In fact, a true reverence, respect, and worship of God are generally ignored and seem to be passe in our nation. But, how did we get here? How did a nation that was built on God and on the principles and teachings of the Bible get to where we are today? Our text declares that God created man in his own image -- “in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ” (IMAGE = resemblance, hence a representative figure; likeness; shadowing forth of anything.) Bro. J.C. James translated this verse this way, “in the blood flowing, shadow casting likeness which he intended to become.” Thus, God created man just like He is - mind, body, and spirit - and in the kind of body He intended to have when Jesus came into the world. In Genesis 1:1 the Hebrew word for God is “elohim.” “Elohim” is in the plural in the Hebrew. (Why is that important?) In English grammar our number (of persons) has only singular (1) and plural (2). The Hebrew also has singular and plural, but in between them is “dual.” Singular refers to one. Dual refers to two. And plural, in Hebrew, speaks of 3 or more. Thus, “Elohim” carries the thought of “three strong ones.” We know that we serve a triune God -- one God Who manifests Himself in 3 different and very distinct personalities - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, since man is created in the image of God, he, too, is a triune being in that he is mind, body, and spirit. So, with these things in mind, let us first look at:

I. HOW GOD CREATED MAN.

II. HOW SIN CORRUPTED MAN.

In last week’s message I talked about the invisible war that is going on around us. It is a dark, diabolical, deadly war, a form of guerilla warfare with sabotage, subversion, innuendo, and sniping. The first few words of the song “It Is Finished” tell us about that war. “There’s a line that is drawn through the ages. On that line stands an old rugged cross. On that cross, a battle is raging For the gain of man’s soul or it’s loss.” This war has less to do with politics and more to do with spiritual matters than the average person realizes. The abusive, bitter, and hateful language toward any and all who stand for true biblical, Christian values is evidence of that. Many, especially among teens and your adults, are just spouting things they have heard and seen on social media without any anchor or frame of reference for the opinions. Few people actually think today. They just act, react, and speak without thinking. This war is a battle between light and darkness. It is a war between life and death. It is a battle between Heaven and hell. “On one side, march the forces of evil, All the demons, and the devils of hell. On the other, the angels of glory . . . ” Whether we like it or not, every child of God is called to be a part of this war. When we were saved we were not called to enter a “Sunday School picnic” but a war. In this war we cannot afford to be ignorant, idle, or neutral. Some little boys were sitting around talking and laughing. Mom asked, “What are you doing?” They said, “We’re playing war.” “We’re generals.” The Lord’s church is not a showboat, or a cruise ship, it is a battleship! II Timothy 2:3-4 tells us of the attitude of a good soldier: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (4) No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (What kind of soldier are you?) (Are you seeking to please your Commander?) You and I have not been discharged from this army. If you are not in this battle, it is because you have deserted (AWOL). It is high time to take up our positions and be strong in the Lord. Remember the words from last week. Right now, while we have the opportunity, we had better speak up before the world shuts us up . . . and it will try its best to shut our mouths. (And it has done a pretty good job so far.) I am sure the we are all familiar with these verses from Ephesians 6. We have probably heard many sermons from them from many different preachers. These verses clearly tell us of: 1) Our Adversary. 2) Our Armor. 3) Our Attack. Our text also instructs us how to dress us up in our battle gear and to get right into the midst of the fight.

I. THE ADVERSARY -- VS. 11.

II. THE ARMOR -- VV. 13-17.

III. THE ATTACK -- VV. 10, 18.

Revelation lesson #9 -- The Church At Ephesus

This is NOT a political message! However, it is a comment on things that have happened this past week and what I believe is their relation to the coming of the Lord. First, I know that the United States of America does not in any way represent the whole world. However, I believe that we can get an idea of what is going on in the world by looking at our own nation. It is interesting that almost 250 years ago we fought a revolutionary war in order to be separate and apart from those European nations that were governed by a king and had a state religion. Many fought for that very reason - to be allowed to worship God - not as the king or some pope told them but according to the dictates of their consciences which were being led by the Holy Spirit. Yet, today we have many, and way too many, who are willing to give up that liberty that was purchased by the blood patriots just for the sake of what they call “peace.” But “peace” that is purchased by the loss of liberty is not real peace. Over the years, and in the past few months we have seen things happen in America that I, being naive as I am, never thought I would see in this God blessed land. We have seen the total denial of God by a nation that was established by His providence. We deny His Word to school children so we can give it to them in prison. We don’t want His Ten Commandments hanging in the classroom or the courtroom, and yet we decry the increase in crime and wonder why so many young people seem to be turning to that life. (It almost seems a “badge of honor” among some to have a criminal record today.) And we regularly permit the wholesale slaughter of little babies by the abortionist’s hand. In many cases churches are no better. Many see “the church” as a social organization. It is not! A church of the Lord Jesus Christ was purchased by His blood, through His suffering and should exist to glorify Him. Many believe the church is to grow through programs and parties, but remember: In John 12:32 Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” Acts 2:47 says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (I want to pastor a church that the Lord adds to, not one that man adds to.) Many see the Lord’s church as a place to “have fun” in the sense that the world “has fun.” Coming to church should delight us so that we look forward to it, but we do not come just to “play” as a child would play with his toys. Church is a place where we come to worship God and to study His Word and learn more about Him. (And if anyone believes they know all there is to know about the Bible, about God, and about His worship, they haven’t learned anything yet.) There are those, also, who want the Lord’s church to be like every other “church” in town. We are different! And we are to be different. We have a different origin, a different Head, a different organization, and a different purpose in this world. Remember Israel from I Samuel 8:5 when they wanted to be like everybody else and said to Samuel, “now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” There is danger in wanting to be like everybody else. (Listen to that young people.) And now, this past week, we have seen where this devolution in America is leading. We have seen a man executed by a sniper’s bullet because he dared to speak publicly and often for the godly principles of the Bible. Remember what Jesus told His disciples in the 15th and 16th chapters of John. John 15:18-21: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. (21) But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.” John 16:2-3: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. (3) And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.” Our text declares that society is not going to “evolve,” but “devolve” -- “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” This is what I call the natural progression of degeneration.

We live in evil times. Some say we are living in “post-christian” America. Post-christian = anti-christian. The Bible tells us that the spirit of antichrist is in the world today. But it was also in the world 2000 years ago during John’s day -- I John 4:3: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” All of this spells opposition for the child of God. However, none of it gives the saved an excuse for not serving God. Both II Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10 warn us that we will stand before Christ in judgment - not to determine salvation, but to give answer for our lives as those who are saved. II Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Romans 14:10-12 tells us, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (11) For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” I Corinthians 3:13 tells us that every man’s works shall be tried by fire: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” I don’t know about you, but at the end of this judgment I want to hear my Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:23) We often hear a message from these verses at a funeral service or at the graveside of some faithful saint of God, but II Timothy 4:6-8 was given in light of the prophecy of perilous times (chapter 3) as Paul faced the end of his life. These verses should encourage believers to faithfully serve the Lord as they look for His return. They show us what we need if we are to remain committed to the Lord even in perilous times. They show us how we must live if we are to hear the Lord Jesus say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant . . . ” There must be:

I. THE FAITHFUL COMMITMENT OF THE PRESENT -- VS. 6.

II. THE FEARLESS COURAGE OF THE PAST - VS. 7.

III. A FULL CONFIDENCE FOR THE FUTURE -- VS. 8.

Paul’s message to the Thessalonians makes it very clear that the apostle believed in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus -- I Thessalonians 4:16-17: “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.” I believe these verses also show us that for the past 2000 years the way has been being prepared, and is still being prepared today for the appearance of the man of sin, the Antichrist. Verse 3 says, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. . .” Verse 7 tells us, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work . . . ” Satan has been and is still at work preparing for the coming of his “messiah,” the Antichrist. And the only reason he has not appeared yet is the restraining power of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, there is great reason to believe that even today Satan is readying the world for the full revelation of and take over by the Antichrist -- and it is occurring right before our eyes. The stage is being set, and the hearts of men are being prepared for the unveiling of the son of perdition, as he is called here, who the Lord will destroy with the very brightness of His coming. It seems reasonable that God would give His children some insight into His future plan, and though many doubt the Word of God the soon coming of Christ is being revealed before our eyes. II Peter 3:10 tells of the destruction by fire of this sin-cursed world: “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.” God shall judge this world by fire and with FERVENT HEAT (burning heat; hot heat; to set on fire). You’ve heard, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity?” At this time it is going to be the heat! Man has advanced in knowledge to where he could set off such an explosion to bring this about, but God does not have to rely on the accidents and failures of men to accomplish His will. HE WILL BRING JUDGMENT! The Bible tells us that the man of sin will come to rule the world, and many things today point to the world’s being made ready for the Antichrist.

I. THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF SCIENCE.

II. THE HUNGER FOR PEACE.

III. THE INDIFFERENCE IN “CHRISTIANITY” (CHURCHES).

IV. THE ELIMINATION OF GOD FROM DAILY LIFE.

V. THE CENTRALIZATION OF POWER.

VI. THE SATANIC FACTOR.

VII. THE PROLIFERATION OF “MIRACLES” IN THE WORLD.

There ought to be something different about a child of God and the rest of this sinful world. We live in a world of perversion, pre-marital sex, fornication, adultery, abortion, etc. And some of those who practice such things profess Christ as Savior, and some of them are even members of the Lord’s churches. And too often churches choose to ignore them in order to avoid having to deal with their sin. But listen to what our Lord had to say to one of His churches about this matter. I Corinthians 5:2, 6: “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. (6) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” II Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” Based on that plea 7:1 says: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” I will say it again, God’s people and the Lord’s churches are to be different from the world. We are to have a different standard -- a standard of righteousness. Since the world walks in darkness, we who are saved have an opportunity to stand out as examples of what God can do in a life by walking in the Light. Not only should we be different in the things we do, but we should be different in our attitudes and outlook as well. (A child of God who doesn’t have an outlook that is different from this world’s is not “good advertising” for our Lord.) And the difference should show . . . like a glow. Our text is the account of Moses’ second trip up Mt. Sinai to receive the tablets of stone with God’s commandments written in them. Recall he broke the first set of tablets when he came down from the mountain and found the Israelites worshipping the golden calf and committing fornication. In 34:1-2 God told him to “. . . Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. (2) And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.” This is also when God hid Moses “in a clift of the rock” and passed by him and covered him with His hand so that Moses saw only the “back parts” (the glory trail) of God. And vs. 30 says, “And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.” Moses had been in the presence and glory of God, and his face revealed it. We are in the very presence of God this morning. In Psalm 139:7 the psalmist asked concerning God: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” Jesus is here -- Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” The Holy Spirit is present -- Ephesians 2:22: “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” The entire Godhead (Trinity) is present in these services this morning (and every time we meet). For that reason, we should have a “glow” about us when we leave this place today. And note, Moses’ glow lasted for a substantial period of time. It didn’t go away the minute he came down from the mountain. Neither should our “glow” for having been in God’s presence this morning go away quickly or with any kind of suddenness. (I have seen some of God’s people put their “grumble face” on the minute they walk out the church house door.) In this message we are going to examine Moses after he came down from his “conference” with God on Mt. Sinai he had . . .

I. HE EXHIBITED A GLOWING FACE - VS.28.

II. HE EXPERIENCED A GRADUAL FADING - 29-30.

III. HE EXERCISED A GLORIOUS FAITHFULNESS.

Our achievements in life are, most often, a product of and controlled by what motivates us. Whatever motivates you drives you, compels you to become whatever you become. Sadly, there are those in our world, and some of them are in the Lord’s churches that seem to have absolutely no motivation whatsoever. These do little, produce little, achieve little. I believe the greatest failure of believers and the Lord’s churches in this 21st century is the failure to witness of Jesus Christ. We make many excuses for our failure. Someone has even come up with a list of the top ten excuses people give for not witnessing. What is the chief purpose of a New Testament church? (Hint: Ephesians 3:21.) Who makes up a church? (Ans: Saved, scripturally believers covenanted together to obey Him.) John 15:8: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” I believe we could say without fear of error that the greatest witness for Jesus, other than the Lord Himself, was the Apostle Paul. Paul was saved to win souls to Christ - Acts 9:15: “But the Lord said unto him (Ananias), Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel . . . ” Paul’s heart’s desire was to bring people, especially his Jewish brethren to Christ -- Romans 10:1: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Look again at his commitment and compassion in our text. "(3) For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh . . . ” He is saying, “If it were possible, I would give up my salvation so my kinsmen would be saved.” In II Corinthians 5 the subject under discussion is our desire to put off this tent (“tabernacle,” frail body) in which we live on this earth and to put on “a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (the glorified body). In vs. 2 Paul says, “For in this (this body) we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven . . . ” In vs. 8 Paul says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” And in the verses that follow Paul reveals to us what motivated him and made him such an effective witness and soulwinner for the Lord Jesus Christ. The business of winning souls is the work nearest the heart of God, and it should be our first love. As we look at these verses we are going to discover that the same motivations should exist in our lives today.

I. THERE IS THE COMPULSION THAT DRIVES US - VS. 9.

II. THERE IS THE COMPENSATION THAT AWAITS US - VS. 10.

III. THE CONVICTION THAT ALARMS US - VS. 11.

IV. THE COMPASSION THAT OBLIGATES US - VV. 14-15.

V. THE CONFIDENCE THAT ASSURES US - VV. 16-17.

VI. THE COMMISSION THAT APPROVES US - VV. 18-20.

Can a person limit God? We would immediately answer with a resounding NO! But there is also a certain YES! You ask, “How is that possible?” In one sense it is impossible for the creature to limit the Creator. Certainly, no mere human being can limit the Almighty God. However, when God ties His work to man’s faith and/or obedience, there is a sense in which man can and does limit God. The psalmist is saying that God wanted to do so much more for Israel, but the choices in life they made limited the Lord from doing more for them. God will not bless our disobedience. God will not underwrite our sin. He will not help us sin -- James 1:13: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” If you are tempted, it is coming from YOU -- James 1:14-15: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” LIMIT is from a root word that means “to scratch; to imprint; to make a mark.” Some suggest the meaning of “grieved.” When we, in our hearts and minds, limit the power of God it grieves the Almighty. Adam Clarke says, “Here it most obviously means an insult offered to God.” Albert Barnes: “The idea in the word would seem to be that of making a mark for any purpose; and then it means to delineate; to scrawl; or to set a mark for a limit or boundary. Thus it might be applied to God - as if, in estimating his character or his power, they set limits or bounds to it, as one does in marking out a farm or a house - lot in a city or town. There was a limit, in their estimation, to the power of God, beyond which he could not act; or, in other words, his power was defined and bounded, so that beyond a certain point he could not aid them.” The Scripture says of Jesus when He was in Nazareth: Matthew 13:58 -- “. . . he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:5-6 - “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.” You know what they were doing? They were limiting Jesus, limiting God! For just a few minutes I want us to look at this psalm and see why Israel limited and grieved God and then consider how we might limit Him.

I. HOW ISRAEL LIMITED GOD -- PSALM 78:1-72.

II. HOW WE LIMIT GOD TODAY.

In Matthew 24:7-8 Jesus was answering a question about the end times when He said: “ . . . there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Recently we have seen an 8.8 earthquake that just occurred off the coast of Russia. Wednesday evening I read that Mt. Rainier in Washington state, one of the few active volcanoes in the world is showing signs of waking up. Mt. Rainier is currently going through “earthquake swarms.” Since July 8 there have been over 1,000 tremors or earthquakes in and around it. “The USCS reports that earthquake activity has slowed down from the 41 events per hour on July 8 to a few events per hour by July 25.” (KIRO TV, Seattle). According to the USGS, there have been 184 Magnitude 2.5+ earthquakes on Earth over the last day (Thursday). Of those, 157 (that's a whopping 85%) have occurred in the general vicinity of the 8.8 quake off the coast of Russia. There is the recent deadly flood in Texas and two earthquakes in the past few days in Northeast Arkansas with the largest being a 2.5. And the north rim of the Grand Canyon is said to be a blazing inferno due to wildfire. (And that is just in the United States!) Romans 8:22: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” In the introduction to the study in the book of Revelation I pointed out that we are pre-millennial, pre-tribulation Baptists. Pre-millennial means that we believe that Jesus will return to “catch up” (rapture) believers and remove them from “this present evil world” prior to His coming to set up His millennial kingdom. Pre-tribulation means we believe that Jesus will come just before or at the very beginning of the Great Tribulation that He spoke of in Matthew 24. The verses of our text are “companion verses” to the information Jesus gave in Matthew 24. In our text He is dealing with the questions His disciples asked in Luke 21:7: “And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?” These words are the answer as He tells of judgment to come, His return, and the end of the world. Someone will ask, “Is Jesus really coming again? Do you really believe that?” I know a lot of saved people live like they don’t believe it, but my answer is an unequivocal, “YES!” And, there is a way for us to know that His Second Coming is near, “even at the door.” No one knows the day or hour of our Lord’s return. Jesus said so in Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” But God has revealed signs whereby we may be enlightened and know that His coming is near. I pray that God will use this message to stir our hearts and minds that the glorious coming of Jesus is close so that it may be uppermost in our hearts. That we will not be satisfied with merely being “saved,” but that we arise from our state of lethargy. That by the power of the Holy Spirit our hearts may be stirred to labor for Him for His coming is near. Here are some Bible reasons why I believe we should watch for the coming of Jesus, and why I believe His coming is near.

I. THE PRESENCE OF LATTER DAY SCOFFERS - II PETER 3:3-7.

II. THE GREAT APOSTASY - II THESSALONIANS 2:3.

III. REJECTION OF HOLY SPIRIT LEADERSHIP - I TIMOTHY 4:1.

IV. PERILOUS TIMES - II TIMOTHY 3:1-5.

V. THE IMMORALITY OF OUR DAY.

VI. THE LORD'S CHURCHES IN THIS AGE - REVELATION 3:14-22.

VII. THE LESSON OF THE BUDDING FIG TREE.