There comes a time in an individual’s life when they must come to a conclusion of what is real and what is fantasy. Some people believe their whole lives that they are going to be famous, make lots of money and be accepted by everyone, some believe that they are the cream of the crop and others believe that life completely revolves around them but very few believe in the God of heaven for the impossible and cause a separation in the home, within family and even try to cause confusion in the church. The responsibility of the Christian is a lot heavier then they think and a lot more serious then what they believe. See beloved many people in the church today think that they must be in ministry or so type of ordained position to begin to help the church grow and/or bring folks to church yet the bible tells us differently. This morning I pray that this sermon will challenge you and help you understand the Great Commission bestowed before us.
An atheist was walking through the woods.
'What majestic trees!
'What powerful rivers!
'What beautiful animals!
He said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river,he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.
He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.
He tripped & fell on the ground.
He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out,
'Oh my God!'
Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.
'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident.
Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?
Am I to count you as a believer? 'The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian?'
'Very well,' said the voice.
The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:
'Lord bless this food to my body, and me unto your service. Amen.'
As funny as this may sound beloved we can be as this Atheist in many ways knowing God yet denying His power.
2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV)
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
1st Point “Solid Foundation”
I was amazed to read that the foundation of the sears tower in Chicago runs more than 200 feet deep into the ground and this is what stabilizes the tower and keeps it from falling no matter what condition the weather is in and as such God wants us to have this firm solid foundation of His words embedded deep in the core of our hearts so no matter what circumstance we are in we will stand.
In our scripture Paul is writing to His disciple Timothy and informing Him of many things to expect and not to be alarmed in a way that it shakes His foundation in what he believes.
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
This morning beloved I want to bring to you a word of truth that will allow you to understand truth with God’s word and in His Spirit. Paul was speaking to His disciple Timothy and reassuring him that the solid foundation that was laid still stands and will not be moved nor shaken. The bible quickly gives us a hope in knowing that God has a seal upon those who are His. He knows His children.
So what is a foundation, in definition: an underlying basis or principle for something: the action of establishing an institution or organization on a permanent basis, especially with an endowment.
Solid: firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid: 2. not hollow or containing spaces or gaps: "a sculpture made out of solid rock" 3.dependable; reliable
Beloved Jesus laid down the foundation when He laid down His life for you and I, He gave us a blue print to follow that still stands over 2000 years and has never changed for his promise was told to us in his word in:
Hebrews 13:5
For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
That has not changed and neither has anything else, His word is solid, His love for us is solid, His desire and His plan for us is solid and so should our dedication to Him.
There are courses in life that change, there are plans that we had that changed but God’s plan never changes, His word is sure and true and He is not shaken by the circumstances in life but the maker of it and the director of it and we will do well to follow His lead and stand on what we know to be true than rather fall for the minute manager planner to our destruction. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe God has to throw some tar in the pothole or else you would’ve died while going your own way? He is the Chief cornerstone who is the support for the foundation without it we fall into nothing.
2nd Point “He knows His Children”
Having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,”
In English we use foundation to describe a building or an association but in this context this morning the word foundation actually means Church in the Greek language, the institution in which God had founded.
Paul goes on to say that the church has a certain inscription on it. The word he uses is Sphragis whose usual meaning is seal. The Sphragis is the seal which proves genuineness or ownership. Beloved the seal on a sack of goods proved that the contents were genuine and had not been interfered with, and it also indicated the ownership and source of the goods.
An architect will always on a monument or a statue or a building put their mark to show that He was responsible for its design, and a seal can also be the inscription which indicates the purpose for which the building has been built.
The church has a seal which shows at once what it is designed to be. The consist of those who belong to God, who have given themselves to Him in such a way that they no longer are owners of themselves but that Christ is now the owner of their lives.
John 5:30
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
John 8:28
Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
The church also consist of those who have departed from unrighteousness. That is not to say that it consist of perfect people because if that were so we would have no need of the church, I have great need for all to understand that the great interest of God is not where a man has reached as in the direction in which the man is facing. And the church consist of those whose faces are turned to righteousness. People may often fall and the goal may sometimes seem distressingly too far but the faces of God’s children are ever facing in the right direction. Beloved in short the church consist of those who belong to God and have dedicated themselves to the struggle of righteousness. This is the solid foundation of the church of God and the Saints who represent it. He knows who are His.
3rd point “Will the Lord know you”
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Matthew 12:50
For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
What is the will of the Father, what should the church that God wants to be erected on the Chief corner stone which is Christ and built on the solid foundation His word be doing to know we are in the will of the Father?
Die to yourself and live for the King!
Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
We have here the parable of the talents committed to three servants; this implies that we are in a state of work and business, as the former implies that we are in a state of expectancy. That showed the necessity of habitual preparation, this of actual diligence in our present work and service. In that we were stirred up to do well for our own souls; in this to lay out ourselves for the glory of God and the good of others.
We have a couple of things in this parable. The trust committed to these servants; their master delivered to them his goods: having appointed them to work (for Christ keeps no servants to be idle), he left them something to work upon. Christ’s servants have and receive their all from him; for they are of themselves worth nothing, nor have anything they can call their own but sin. 2. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. Our privileges are intended to find us with business.
These men were given the responsibility to be fruitful and it is a sad reality that the servant with the one talent did not want to do anything with it. I want to say that not only was he lazy but he was not willing to risk the little he had for others and isn’t it pretty amazing that that is exactly what we are called to do? Isn’t that the ultimate sacrifice, is this not the example that Jesus left for us to follow, the will of the Father?
This morning beloved you could make a decision to begin to be in His will. Amen!
