Is God In Trouble
{Mat. 28: 19-20}
We can recall many things that have happened in our lives and some have been bad, some have been good, and some have been GREAT. We do not want to think on the bad things, just the good and especially the great. I can recall a time when I was on the road as a musician, I entered a guitar contest {accompanist div.} and played for the North American title. The year was 1977, and boy was I excited. Being from the hills of Tennessee and being a country boy, I had never done this before. Twenty-three other States were represented, and all local tv stations were there along with CBS news, WOW, what a time!
Well, to make a L-O-N-G story short, I came out with first place . . . I mean how much better can this get. Well as time went, I became a child of God in 1991 and was called to preach January 1, 1992. That was on a Wed. Night at twenty min’s after eight p.m.. Now that was the MOST EXCITING thing that has ever happened and that will ever happen in this country boy’s life. Just think...Me, me of all people, He chose me to be His Child and His messenger. So I say all that to ask, How excited were you when you became a child of God? Are you as excited now?
Now as I read this passage, I see where Christ COMMANDS His disciples to go out and teach ALL nations baptizing them in the Trinity. Not only that, but teaching them to observe ALL things... everything He has commanded you.
Now to get right to the point I want to make here, if God’s Kingdom depended on pastor Eddie to finish the work He has called me to do, would God be in trouble? Now I realize that this is God we are talking about, and He can do ANYTHING He so desires.
I also know that works CANNOT get you to heaven. Eph.:2:8 & 9 put that very clearly: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Titus:3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” But looking at it from this point of view, would His Kingdom be in trouble IF it depended on your ministry or my ministry? I believe to be pleasing to God we must do something we do not like to do, and that is to commit ourselves.
* First of all to please God, we must commit to Him in daily prayer. How long has it been since you have had a genuine talk with God? I am not talking about kneeling at the altar; now that is great to do that and I want to promote that. But I am talking about when you get alone with God. When you get into your car with God, just you and Him. When you get into your prayer closet with Him, when was the last time that has happened? I’m sorry to report, but there is too much dust on the altar and not enough tears. I remember when the altar would be full with Christian men and women. Now I wonder, who will take their place. We do not have time now for all that praying . . . We have the football games we GOT to attend. And we have the golf games to which we MUST go. And oh yeah, we must go to work every day! I mean you must not miss work . . . You might competing with other co-workers, and if you miss a day in this year, that will be just awful. I mean God help us! I know you got to work. But what I am saying, if you were as faithful to your church and to God’s work as you are to work and football and golf, and tv, boy what would God do in your life? And no there is not anything wrong with sports. But if it interferes with your relationship with God, STOP IT! HANG IT UP!
* Second . . . Our Commitment to our church . . .Now the way I have this figured we have one hour for Sunday School, one hour for Sunday morning worship, one hour for Sunday evening Bible study and one hour for midweek worship. Now that is a total of four hours. Multiply that by fifty-two and you have the grand total of two hundred and eight hours per year for worshiping God at your church.
Now please understand, I think they are messages in gospel songs . . . Call me from the old school, but I am talking about Victory in Jesus! There is power in the Blood! Just over in the glory land! They are meat in those songs, they are rejoicing when somebody get’s excited about God, which you do not hear much anymore. In fact, if anybody shouts in church now, the rest of the congregation would be scared out of their minds! And some, maybe most would be reluctant to come back! They would think the person that shouted had some kind of mental disorder. I mean, God forbid if we say many “Amens” in church anymore. We may offend somebody and that will run then off. And we certainly do not want to do that! Well, as your pastor, I say: God forbid if you do not shout, if you do NOT say Amen if the Holy Spirit leads you to do so! But let me finish. Although that is all great to do but we get fed also by God’s Word. And if you cannot come to worship Him 208 hours a year, children you have a problem!
I know they are times when we maybe need to work on Sunday’s and yes, they are a thing called sickness, and if you have to work on Sunday, please pick a day to worship God. But let me ask you this: how many hours do you spend playing golf? Watching football, or just watching tv? And God forbid if you miss the super bowl! And to think about; some churches call their evening services off to watch this BIG GAME! I know of at least one church called of Sunday worship because New years day fell on Sunday . . . People, what are we thinking? It even hurts us to set in church more than two hours on Sunday morning . . . If we don’t hurry and get to your favorite place to eat, they will close down!
Now I might just get some folks that disagree with me, but that’s ok . . . Boy, it is a good thing Christ didn’t think about new years day or superbowl Sunday or "All you can eat for $2.00 Sunday" beginning at noon when He went to the cross for us . . . We would be in BIG trouble! And by the way, we seem to look at His crucifixion like: “Oh well, He just shed His blood and took my sins and placed them on the cross.” “Big deal!” ......GOD HELP US! ...GOD HELP US! Have we got time anymore for Jesus?
Are you making disciples? I am talking to every born again child of God...When someone is dying or leaving us, we pay close attention to his or her last words. Jesus left the disciples with some last words of instruction. God gave Jesus complete authority over heaven and earth. On the basis of his authority, Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples as they preached, baptized, and taught. “Making disciples” means instructing new believers on how to follow Jesus, to submit to Jesus’ lordship, and to take up his mission of compassionate service. Baptizing is important because it unites a believer with Jesus Christ in his or her death to sin and resurrection to new life. Baptism symbolizes submission to Christ, a willingness to live God’s way, and identification with God’s covenant people. To baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit affirms the reality of the Trinity, the concept coming directly from Jesus himself. He did not say baptize them into the “names,” but into the “name” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Whereas in previous missions Jesus had sent his disciples only to the Jews (10:5-6), their mission from here forward would be to go to all the nations. This is called the Great Commission. The disciples had been trained well, and they had seen the risen Lord. They were ready to teach people all over the world to obey all the commands that Jesus had given.
This also showed the disciples that there would be a lapse of time between Jesus’ resurrection and his second coming. During that time, Jesus’ followers had a mission to do—evangelize, baptize, and teach people about Jesus so that they, in turn, could do the same. The Good News of the gospel was to go forth to all the nations.
Now, with this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good News and make them disciples for the Kingdom. We are to go—whether it is next door or to another country—and make disciples. It is not an option, but a command to all who call Jesus “Lord.” As we obey, we have comfort in the knowledge that Jesus is always with us. This would occur through the Holy Spirit’s presence in believers’ lives. The Holy Spirit would be Jesus’ presence that would never leave them (John 14:26; Acts 1:4-5). Jesus continues to be with us today through his Spirit. As this Gospel began, so it ends—Immanuel, “God is with us” (1:23).
The Old Testament prophecies and genealogies in the book of Matthew present Jesus’ credentials for being King of the world—not a military or political leader, as the disciples had originally hoped, but a spiritual King who can overcome all evil and rule in the heart of every person. If we refuse to serve the King faithfully, we are disloyal subjects. We must make Jesus King of our lives and worship him as our Savior, King, and Lord.
Well . . . based on your time with God, and if God’s Kingdom depended on YOUR relationship with Him, would God be in trouble?
But thank God, we do have those faithful ones that show up every time the church doors open. We have them coming in wheelchairs, some with oxygen tanks, some with walkers . . . Thank God we have our faithful pastors across this land standing behind the sacred desk every service . . . I can think back of some that have come here since me and my wife has been here . . . Now, gone on to be with God . . . No, some of them did not visibly do much as far as the church was concerned, but they were here. They had a place here. Who will take their place? And by the way, I want to say THANK YOU pastor’s wife’s for being there for your husband. Without you, where would our ministry be? I know some pastors who are not married yet, and I want to encourage them too! STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD! But, pastors wife’s and wife’s to the deacons, elders, on and on I could go, Evangelist who are proclaiming God’s word, the missionaries...Thank you and may our Lord bless you in a very special way. Where would we be without YOU?
Now...what about you...YOU, the one who is trying to break the record at work....YOU, the one who will NEVER miss a golf game. YOU, the one who can’t wait until the preacher shuts his mouth so you can go eat and get home to watch your favorite TV show.
If you were judged on your commitment to God verses His Kingdom, would God be in trouble?
If my commitment to God was hanging on a thread and it depended on the finishing of His Kingdom, I would have to say the thread is about to break, and God is in trouble....If His Kingdom depended on our service, our commitment, our faithfulness, If He depended on you to finish the work He called you to do, would God be in trouble?
How long would Ford Motor Co. last if no one showed up for work on Monday? What about General Mills...what would they do? If all the dairy farms decided not to milk their cows for two weeks. On & on we can go.
Well....Let us thank God that we have a church where we can worship Him. It’s comfortable in here. Now many places in this world, people can’t worship...it’s against the law. They will be locked up. But we can come here anytime we want and worship God. God help us that we will become closer to Him in ALL aspects of our life. And on that day when this old sinful world comes to an end and we stand before Him, we will hear the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Matt 25:34:
Bro. Ben Speer, sit down and penned the song that says it well...”What a day that will be...when my Jesus I shall see....and I look upon His Face, the one Who saved me by His grace...when He takes me by the hand...and leads me through the promised land... what a day glorious day that will be!
Are you ready for that day? Are you watching for His return? Is He real in your life? If you have not trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can today.
Let us pray.
