The world in which we live in is rapidly becoming a Godless mess. I must note that it is going to take Gods direct intervention in the affairs of men, not only in our country but in the world.
1st Remember Where We Were- Eph 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
In the Book of Gensis the serpent told Eve that if she ate of the “tree of knowledge” Gen 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…”
Gen 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." NKJV We would be like God! Because of Eve and Adam disobeying God and His Word has brought us “the World” to the edge of extinction. Never before in the history of mankind is the brink of total destruction. Only one other time in world history was the possibility of total destruction so great! Scriptures record that in the Gen 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. NKJV
Paul writes in Eph 2:12 having no hope and without God in the world.” The world as a whole is standing in situation where there is only one hope and that hope is Jesus. And yet because of the lie propagated by satin the world has believe the lie that “we can save ourselves.” This is even more evident as we read of Russia and Ukraine, or Israel and its surrounding people bent on its total destruction, of the threat of North Korea and we must not forget the threat posed by China. Paul reminds is to remember where we were before we met Christ. In the world today there is a great gulf of separation between men and between men and God.
Steven Cole has a good discussion on salvation writing…
As I’ve often said, salvation is a radical word. You don’t need to save if you’re in pretty good shape. All you need then is a little help. You need saving when you’re perishing and are helpless to save yourself. The Bible uses a number of metaphors to show that we are desperately helpless and unable to save ourselves.
It says that we were dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1; John 11).
It pictures us as blind (John 9; 2 Cor. 4:4), lost (Luke 15), leprous (Luke 5:12-14), crippled (Luke 5:18-25), deaf (Mark 7:31-35), and hardened in our hearts (Eph. 4:18).
Salvation means that God came to us while we were His sinful enemies (Rom. 5:8, 10), rescued us from our helpless condition, and gave us new life as His free gift.
As William Hendriksen put it (New Testament Commentary, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus [Baker], p. 232), “God has delivered us from the greatest of all evils and he has placed us in possession of the greatest of all blessings.” (Sermon Central)
2nd Remember Where We Are Going- Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
No matter what is happing in the world as disciples of Jesus and recipients of eternal life through the sacrificial blood that paid for our sin there is hope for eternity. I don’t know when but I know how we will survive the mess the world is in and it is Jesus. We are reminded that there is a place prepared for us. Jesus said He was preparing a place for us in order that we could be with Him and God the Father.
1 Cor 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. NKJV
Gal 4:8-10 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? NKJV
Eph 5:8-14 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:
"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light." NKJV
In the world today we are headed to destruction without Jesus Christ. Jesus gave us a new commandment was that we should in John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. NKJV
ILLUST: GOING NO WHERE FAST-In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", the author Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity). Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver -"Hurry, I’m almost late ... drive fast". Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you're going?’ The driver replied "No, your honor, but I am driving very fast’. (SOURCE: "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life" by Charles Swindoll)
3rd Remember What He Did - Eph 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
We need to remember what He did on the Cross. He died for all the world and paid the price of sin with His own blood. In doing that He removed the wall of sin that separates us from God. Kathy and I have been to Berlin Germany and see the “stone wall” that separated the German people from their families, friends and the rest of the world. Thank God that wall no longer exist although portions of the wall still stand today. The portions of the Berlin wall that still stands serve as a reminder of the divisions that once existed. However it is Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross that reminds of the price paid that we could have access to the Father.
Rom 5:8-10
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NKJV
Remember the movie, The Field of Dreams. A farmer made a baseball field in a Iowa cornfield. And one of the scenes of the movie shows cars lined up coming to the field.
Isaiah picture people from every nation streaming to the Light of Israel, which is Jesus Christ. The Lord address spiritual Israel and says, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you; All assemble and come to you.” We need to let the light of Christ shine for the whole world to see. We are not to hide it but to shone it in the darkest place of this world. So the whole World will see Jesus.
