WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO BE WORTHY?
NBCOG 08/29/2010 AM
TEXT
LUKE 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
INTRODUCTION
*THE BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT IS THE TIME OF TRIBULATION.
*IT IS KNOWN AS THE WRATH OF GOD
AND OF THE LAMB.
*THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE.
*THE TIME OF GREAT TRIBULATION.
*JESUS SAYS THAT IT IS A TIME SUCH AS HAS NEVER BEEN NOR EVER WILL BE.
*HE CONCLUDES THE OLIVET DISCOURSE BY SAYING, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
*SO, THE WAY TO ESCAPE IT IS TO BE ACCOUNTED AS WORTHY.
*I WANT TO ADDRESS TWO QUESTIONS.
1. WHAT ARE WE ESCAPING?
2. WHAT MAKES US WORTHY?
PRAYER
I. WHAT ARE WE ESCAPING?
1. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH,
THE TIME OF TRIBULATION BEGINS.
2. IT IS A TIME OF WAR.
3. IT IS THE TIME OF THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST
AND AN ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.
4. THERE WILL BE A FAMINE SUCH AS THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN.
5. THERE WILL BE ECONOMIC DISTRESS WORSE THAN THAT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
6. FRESH WATER AND SALT WATER WILL BE TURNED TO BLOOD.
7. ALL OF THE ISLANDS WILL FALL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAS.
8. THE MOUNTAINS OF THE EARTH WILL BE LEVELED.
9. HAIL MINGLED WITH BLOOD AND FIRE WILL FALL UPON THE WHOLE EARTH.
10. HAIL STONES AS LARGE AS 120 POUNDS EACH WILL PELLET THE EARTH.
11. THE GREEN GRASS AND TREES WILL BE BURNED AND SMOKE WILL FILL THE ATMOSPHERE
AND PURE OXYGEN WILL BE COMPROMISED.
OF COURSE LIVESTOCK WILL DIE.
12. THE SUN AND THE MOON TURN TO BLOOD AND THEY GO DARK AS SACKCLOTH.
13. SCORPION CREATURES FROM HELL ARE LOOSED FROM THE SMOKEY, BOTTOMLESS ABYSS AND ARE ABLE TO STING MEN
AND WOMEN.
14. THEY WILL SEEK DEATH AND THEY SHALL NOT FIND IT FOR IT SHALL FLEE FROM THEM FOR 5 MONTHS.
15. DURING THIS TIME YOU CANNOT BUY NOR SALE UNLESS YOU HAVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST
AND WORSHIP HIS IMAGE.
16. AND FOR THOSE WHO DO THIS,
THEY HAVE SOLD THEIR SOUL TO THE DEVIL AND CANNOT BE SAVED.
17. THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE MARK OF THE BEAST WILL HAVE A NOISOME, GRUESOME SORE THAT RAVAGES THEIR BODY.
18. THEY WILL BE DELIRIOUS WITH A RAGING FEVER.
19. THE SORE WILL SMELL AND OOZE PUSS AS THE INFECTION CONSUMES THE BODY
AND THERE IS NO CURE.
20. THE MUSLIMS WILL MARCH FORTH DESTROYING ALL WHO DO NOT PAY OBEISANCE TO THE ANTICHRIST.
21. EARTHQUAKES ALL OVER THE WORLD CAUSING PARTS OF CITIES TO FALL
AND THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS TO DIE.
22. THE SUN WILL SCORCH MEN WITH FIRE.
23. THEY WILL BE SEARED WITH INTENSE HEAT AND BURN THE FLESH OFF OF MEN.
24. AND THERE’S MORE BUT, I DON’T HAVE TIME TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT.
25. AND I KNOW SOME SAY, “WELL, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL ONLY HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST“.
26. THAT IS NOT SO.
27. JESUS SAID, LUKE 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
28. HE USES THE WORDS “ALL” AND “WHOLE” TO WARN US THAT AMERICA WILL FACE THESE SAME JUDGMENTS AS THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL FACE.
II. PEOPLE WILL BE SAVED DURING THE TIME OF TRIBULATION.
1. THERE WILL BE 144,000 YOUNG,
VIRGIN, JEWISH MEN WHO ARE SAVED.
2. THERE WILL BE 2 WITNESSES WHO WILL BE SEEN AROUND THE WORLD BY WAY OF SATELLITE WHO WILL PREACH THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
3. THEY WILL BE KILLED BY THE ANTICHRIST AND RAISED UP 3 1/2 DAYS LATER.
4. THEN THEY WILL ASCEND TO HEAVEN.
5. THEN ANGELS WILL FLY THROUGH THE SKY AND PREACH THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL.
6. THE HEAVENS WILL OPEN AS A SCROLL AND ALL THE WORLD WILL SEE GOD SITTING ON HIS THRONE AND WILL SEE JESUS ON GOD THE FATHER’S RIGHT HAND ON HIS THRONE.
7. BUT, INSTEAD OF CALLING ON JESUS, MEN WILL RUN UNTO THE CLIFFS AND CRY OUT, “FALL ON US AND HIDE US FROM THE FACE OF HIM WHO SITS ON THE THRONE.”
8. DO NOT BE DECEIVED FOR A MOMENT THINKING IF YOU’RE NOT RIGHT WHEN THE RAPTURE TAKES PLACE THAT YOU’LL GET RIGHT DURING TRIBULATION.
9. HEAR ME.
10. YOU MAY NOT LIVE TO SEE THE RAPTURE.
YOU COULD DIE RIGHT NOW, TODAY.
11. YOU MAY BE KILLED SOON AS THE RAPTURE TAKES PLACE AS CARS ARE ABANDONED WITH NO DRIVER
AND PLANES CRASH WITH NO PILOTS.
12. YOU MAY BE KILLED DURING A RIOT,
AS FEAR AND PANIC STRIKES THE WORLD BECAUSE MILLIONS ARE GONE.
13. AND IF YOU CAN’T LIVE FOR JESUS NOW, HOW WILL YOU LIVE FOR HIM THEN?
14. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY GAS, WORK A JOB,
PAY A POWER BILL,
BUY FOOD OR ANYTHING UNLESS YOU TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST.
15. AND IF YOU TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST - YOU WILL GO TO HELL.
46. TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.
47. TODAY IS THE DAY TO GET IT RIGHT.
III. SO, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN WHEN IT SAYS, PRAY THAT YOU BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE ALL OF THESE THINGS AND HELL?
1. FIRST, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
2. THAT MEANS YOU HAVE FELT THE CONVICTION POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST AND YOU WERE CONVICTED THAT YOU WERE A SINNER.
3. THEN YOU CONFESSED YOUR SINS.
4. AND CONFESSED WITH YOUR MOUTH WHILE YOU BELIEVED IN YOUR HEART THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST,
THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD,
AND THAT HE DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY.
5. THEN YOU LIVE FOR HIM.
IV. JESUS SAID IN LUKE 21:34 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”
1. BE WARNED; BE ON YOUR GUARD.
2. THERE IS A DAY COMING AND IF YOU AREN’T CAREFUL YOU WILL BE TRAPPED.
3. AND THAT DAY WILL COME AS A SNARE AND WILL TRAP YOU HERE ON PLANET EARTH WHILE GOD’S WRATH AND FURY ARE POURED OUT.
4. YOU MISS IT BECAUSE YOU GET ENTANGLED WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE.
5. II PETER 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
6. THE WORD “ENTANGLE” IS LIKE THE WORD BRAID OR WEAVE.
7. WHEN WOMEN BRAID THEIR HAIR IT IS DIFFERENT STRANDS,
BUT, IT WEAVES ALL TOGETHER AND MAKES ONE STRAND.
8. WHEN WE ENTANGLE OURSELVES WITH THE WORLD WE BECOME ONE WITH IT.
9. SO, WHAT THE WORLD DOES, WE DO.
10. AND THERE BECOMES LITTLE,
IF ANY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN US
AND THE WORLD.
11. BUT, WE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION,
AN HOLY PRIESTHOOD,
AN HOLY NATION,
A PECULIAR PEOPLE WHO SHOULD SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HATH CALLED US OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT.
12. LET ME MAKE IT PRACTICAL TO YOU.
13. IF YOU WANT TO LIVE LIKE THE JONES’ AND END UP WORKING 2 OR 3 JOBS FOR AN EXQUISITE HOME WITH A POOL, A BMW
AND A BOAT,
AND YOU NEGLECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS,
SO, THAT YOU DON’T PRAY AND DRAW NEAR TO HIM,
YOU DON’T READ THE WORD,
YOU’RE FORCED TO WORK EVERY SUNDAY TO HAVE THIS LAVISH LIFESTYLE,
YOU GET LAX SPIRITUALLY AND BEGIN TO DRINK,
CUSS,
TELL AND LISTEN TO DIRTY JOKES, - - - - -
THEN YOU’VE BEEN BURDENED DOWN WITH THE CARES OF THIS LIFE.
14. YOU’RE TOO BUSY TRYING TO PAY BILLS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH JESUS.
*I HEAR PEOPLE SAY, I DON’T WANT HIM TO COME RIGHT NOW.
*I WANT TO BUY A HOME,
GET MARRIED,
HAVE A FAMILY.
*I WANT TO TRAVEL TO SOME ISLANDS.
*THERE’S A LOT HERE I WANT TO DO BEFORE HE COMES.
*THAT TELLS ME, THAT PERSON IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THIS WORLD AND THEY LOVE IT MORE THAN JESUS.
*THIS WORLD HAS NOTHING TO COMPARE TO WHAT JESUS HAS IN STORE FOR US!
15. JOHN DARBY WROTE, “He then tells them that, as dwelling on earth, they must be watchful, lest their own hearts should be overcharged with things that would sink them into this world, in the midst of which they were to be witnesses. For that day would come as a snare upon all those who had their dwelling here, who were rooted here.”
16. THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME.
17. WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH TO A PLACE GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US.
18. BUT, THE CHURCH IS GETTING BOLD.
19. AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY.
20. WE’RE BOLD ABOUT DIVORCE.
21. WE’RE BOLD ABOUT SHACKING UP.
22. IN FACT PEOPLE “HOOK UP” AT CHURCH.
23. THERE ARE HOMOSEXUAL CHURCHES.
24. THERE ARE NUDIST CHURCHES.
25. THERE’S NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH.
26. IT’S OVER INDULGENCE IN THE WORLD THAT WILL TRAP US HERE
AND CAUSE US TO LOSE OUR SOUL.
27. THE COMMAND STILL RINGS OUT, “COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE YE A SEPARATE PEOPLE.”
28. WHEN WE WORRY AND FRET OVER THINGS INSTEAD OF TAKING OUR BURDENS TO THE LORD AND LEAVING THEM WITH HIM,
OUR HEARTS ARE OVERCHARGED WITH THE CARES OF THIS LIFE.
V. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”
THE WORD SURFEITING HAS A CONNOTATION OF A HANGOVER.
1. SICK,
VOMITING FROM OVER INDULGENCE,
HEADACHE,
DIZZINESS,
UNABLE TO MAKE A SOUND DECISION;
DELUSIONAL.
2. WHEN WE LIVE LIKE THIS SPIRITUALLY,
IT GIVES THE ENEMY A FOOTHOLD IN OUR LIVES.
3. EPHESIANS 4:27, NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL.
4. JESUS DID NOT SUFFER AND DIE ON A CROSS FOR US TO LIVE THIS WAY.
5. HE SUFFERED AND DIED SO THAT HE MIGHT BE THE VERY CENTER OF OUR LIVES.
6. SO, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE RULING LORD OF OUR LIVES AND NOT OUR OWN FLESH.
HE SUFFERED BLED AND DIED SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME LIKE HIM.
7. Your walk with God is in danger when you allow your desires and cares for the things of this world to become your forethought.
8. You will become stressed out, overwhelmed,
and ineffective for God!
9. And your very soul is in danger!
10. Let me ask you, how easy is it to run after God
while you are running after the cares of this life?
11. You can’t do it, can you?
12. JESUS said you couldn’t.
Matthew 6:24 says “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
13. So, you will love either God or the world; not both.
14. Let me tell you that if you are running after the things in this world you are going to miss JESUS when He comes to get you!
15. When the day of the Lord comes,
for many it will “come upon them unawares.”
16. Because they’ve gotten lost in the distractions of the devil;
Having gone after the cares of this life,
leaving God behind.
IV. SO, I’M ACCOUNTED WORTHY WHEN I WATCH AND PRAY.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
1. BUT, IF I’M NOT WATCHING,
LOOKING FOR HIS COMING,
THEN I GROW CARELESS.
2. WHEN I BECOME CARELESS,
I SAY AND DO THINGS THAT I SHOULDN’T DO.
3. AND THAT OPENS A DOOR INTO MY LIFE FOR THE ENEMY TO CAUSE ME TO BE ENTANGLED IN THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE.
4. HERE’S WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW:
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.
5. DON’T LOOK AT POLITICS;
DON’T BE SWAYED BY THE BAIL OUT
OR HEALTHCARE REFORM;
LOOK TO JESUS.
6. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DISASTER OUR WORLD IS IN;
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.
7. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE TERRORIST THREAT LEVEL; KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.
ISAIAH 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
CONCLUSION
*NOW LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING.
*YOU’RE NOT SAVED BECAUSE YOU READ THE WORD AND PRAY AND LIVE FOR JESUS
AND CRUCIFY YOUR FLESH DAILY.
*YOU’RE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH YOUR FAITH BEING PUT INTO ACTION.
*BY DOING THESE THINGS, SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO SERVE GOD ALL THE WAY TO THE END.
*HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND NOT TO LOOK TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT,
BUT TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS?
*LET’S MAKE THAT OUR PURPOSE FROM HERE ON OUT.
*BECAUSE HE’S COMING SOON,
HE’S COMING SOON.
*WILL YOU WELCOME HIM WITH JOY
OR WILL YOU BE LEFT BEHIND
AND ENDURE ALL THOSE THINGS THE SAINTS HAVE GOTTEN TO ESCAPE?
YOUR HOMEWORK READ MATTHEW 24:44-51 TODAY BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.
YOUTUBE MERCY ME SPOKEN FOR CANEWMAN04
