Alive For A Purpose!
Mathew 24:7-14 (Taken from the Message), “Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming.” (8) “They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other.” (9) “In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in – nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes.” (10) “Staying with it – that is what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news- message of the Kingdom-will be preached all over the world, a witness staked in every country. And then the end will come.”
Introduction:
1.I think we would all agree that we are living in difficult times. I mean all we have to do is to look at Gas Prices?
2.The job market. 3. The building market. 4. Unemployment.
3.The number of wars we are in simultaneously.
4.And we could go on and on.
5.But we need to stop and ask ourselves the question, “What is happening?”
6.Well all we have to do is look at the words of Jesus given to his disciples in Matt. 24 in answer to their question.”Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
7.The truth is all we have to do is open the newspaper – any newspaper, and we will see a reflection of these signs.
8.Religious tolerance is given to any group except Christians.
9.We have to understand that Anti-Christ, has a vested
interest in keeping you from participating in the Rapture of the Church.
10As Jesus told Simon Peter just before the crucifixion, in Luke 22:31, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat.”
11Anti-Christ wants to keep as many as he can for his Tribulation kingdom as he can.
12But I have good news for you this evening, Jesus is praying for you right now at the right hand of God the father. Matt. 22:32 says, “But I have prayed for you that you faith fail not.”
13Jesus is telling us that in the last day warfare you cannot afford to lose your faith. There is nothing you get from God that you do not get except by faith. This is no time to lose the faith.
14It is obvious that we are coming into the time we are warned about in Matt. 24.
•Our own government refuses to recognize Jesus in public settings.
•The Ten Commandments are denied public setting and display.
•The public use of the Bible is prohibited everywhere expect Prisons, Jails and some courtroom settings.
15And remember that the sword of the spirit is the Word of God. There is no battle to great for the Sword of the Lord and the Shield of Faith. Amen
16The two most powerful weapons at our disposal we are denied: The Word of God and the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Satan knows this and he trembles at the prospect of our ability to use them against Him in these last days.
SERMON BODY:
I.Satan thinks he has won the battle but Jesus has a secret weapon Satan hasn’t beaten yet.
A.Who is it? Hey, it is you and me.
1.Jesus says to his disciples in Matt. 24:14, “The Message of the kingdom-will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.”
2.Who is this witness? I say it is all of us in this room tonight and every Christian still alive today.
3.You see back in 1915 the average life span in America was only 54.
4.In 1967 it went to 70
5.Now it is right at 80.
6.I heard one reporter say that now middle age is considered to be 60.
7.The life expectancy has changed and increased worldwide but not like here. Even in Arab countries the women are now not living as long as the men. I heard Barbara Walters doing a TV special on the improving conditions of women around the world. She was interviewing a Sheik. She said, “I understand that women no longer follow behind the men now, but go in front. Why is that?” He looked at her and said, “Land mines.”
B.Why do you think God has allowed our life span to increase like that?
1.My personal theory is that God has been looking at what our politicians have been doing to the moral values in our country, now they call them Family values, one step removed from Moral values. But we remember our own fathers and their integrity and their devotion to God.
2. And we learned in school about how our Pilgrim fathers came over here on the Mayflower and persevered through cold and deprivation to establish a nation whose Capitol is alive with Scripture and pledges to Almighty God.
3. Do you think God has turned a deaf ear to those Godly patriots? No, I think not!
4. Just think, 40 years ago this room would be almost empty right now.
5. I believe you and I have been allowed to live 20 to 30 years longer to maintain and propagate the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and to declare the salvation message to a generation that has been deprived of its beauty and glory and satisfaction. Hey, they can’t get it from our schools any longer ,but they can from us.
6. But you say, “Rev. Ingham I am retired.” Well get over it. Our churches need you!! Many retired men are going to mission fields as short term missionaries.
7.Think about it: You have insight. You have strength of Character. You have reasoning power. You have connections. You have integrity. You have inside of you an appreciation for the word of God. And there is a rich history of the moving of God you have seen and experienced that this young generation has been deprived and the need for you to be the Sunday School Teacher to in some way to hear from you. You have seen miracles. You have heard testimonies. You have been in amazing revivals. And our churches need you and I as mentors.
