Introduction
Tomorrow- Halloween- Halloween is a mixture of ancient cultic practices and Christian traditions.
Oct 31st- All Hallows Eve
Time to recall the souls of the damned.
Nov 1st- All Hallows Day or All Saints Day
Time to remember Christians that have died.
Nov 2nd- All Souls Day
Time to pray for- Suffering Church- Purgatory.
Oct 31st is also known as Reformation Day.
Martin Luther- 95 Theses- Oct 31, 1517.
Reformation Day 2005
What were the 95 theses- a challenge to the church concerning the Biblical truth of their doctrines.
When Luther posted- 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany- risked everything for truth.
Because of the religious climate- to challenge the church- you could be considered a heretic- death.
He was ready to lose everything in the natural to bring to the church a clear understanding of the Gospel.
Home, family, money, possessions, career, reputation, his own physical life- willing to risk it all.
Look at the words- A Mighty Fortress Is our God …
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.
Do not need to agree with all of his 95 theses to see the courage in this man’s heart to stand for truth.
How about us? What do we stand for in our lives?
If we do not stand for something, we will fall for everything.
Many believers have already fallen because they have taken no stand for anything in their Christian walk.
Is the Kingdom of God so real, important, to us that we would risk everything to see it advanced?
Martin Luther- not a perfect man, but he saw the eternal/the reality of the Kingdom of God.
Richard Hooker …
Luther was not a person you would want to have dinner with; he was temperamental, peevish, egomaniacal, and argumentative. But this single-mindedness, this enormous self-confidence and strident belief in the rightness of his arguments, allowed him to stand against opposition, indeed, to harden his position in the face of death by fire, the usual punishment for heretics.
Luther- had a singleness of eye- a sense of the eternal.
Lk 9:51 When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; NASU
Jesus was going to Jerusalem because He knew that is where the Father had called Him to go.
He also knew the cost and what laid ahead of Him …
Mtt 16:24-26
Jesus-challenges disciples-do you understand the cost
I am called to sacrifice my life physically for the Kingdom of God, you are called- living sacrifice.
V27 Look at in terms of being punished for bad deeds- what about a lack of zeal for the Kingdom?
Martin Luther- almost martyred several times.
Other reformers were not so fortunate …
William Tyndale, strangled, burned at the stake
What about the men and women of the Bible …
Stephen- stoned to death
James- run through with a sword
Phillip- crucified, Mark- beaten to death
Peter crucified upside down, Paul beheaded
Thomas- killed by a spear, Luke- hanged
Men/women willing to risk all for the sake of the invisible, supernatural, eternal Kingdom of God.
God is assembling- today- an army of believers to serve under the banner of the King of Kings.
He is looking for people willing to risk everything.
Paul expressed it this way …
Phil 3:8 … I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, NASU
Jesus talks about the cost of following Him, the type of people He is looking for …
Lk 9:57-62
Jesus is not looking for the …
half-hearted, the weak, or the
cowardly to follow Him.
He is looking for those who are prepared to give …
everything here to gain everything there,
themselves to- eternal works of God here/NOW
It takes …guts, faith, vision- to go where God is going to call His army to go.
Ezek 37:1-10
In the same way I believe God wants to awaken and raise up His Church as a mighty army today.
The challenges ahead are great, but the insurmountable power of God is even greater.
Jn 16:33 … In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
We live in a day when the world is seemingly filled with increasing disorder and chaos.
Yet in the middle of a world that looks like it is falling apart, God is establishing order in His Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God cannot be shaken.
E. Stanley Jones titled one of his books…
“The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person,”
Kingdom of God- unshakable because- empowered by the Unchanging Person- Jesus Christ.
We must build our house/life on this same foundation.
How do we do this? Jesus Himself tells us…
Mtt 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
How do we build our house on the ROCK?
By first listening for the voice of God as He speaks …
through ...
His Word,
His Spirit,
circumstances of every day life,
creation, other people, and even a donkey.
And secondly, we build our house on the Rock by taking action to implement every word in our lives.
The man/woman that is unwilling to do this will fall.
The man/woman who has the courage to STAND on the truth of God’s Word will …
ADVANCE in the king’s army and
ADVANCE the Kingdom of God in the world.
When the King of all Kings sounds the trumpet to battle, will you be prepared?
Will we go with the King, or will we say, “I will follow you Lord, but….”
The time for buts is past…
Isa 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
This is the time that we allow God to reform us so we can bring about reformation in the world around us
God stands ready to …
Empower us with His Holy Spirit
Release His gifts and callings in us so we can
Advance His Kingdom in the world around us
