The Last Days

The church standing in the last days 2 Timothy 4:1-5

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 NIV

Every person will stand in judgement before Christ

I will stand before Christ as a Christian and as a minister

As a minister I have to essential responsibilities:

A responsibility to Christians: Instruct, correct, rebuke, encourage with great patience

A responsibility to the lost world: do the work of an evangelist

The hardest aspect of ministry is balancing the two. Discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Lost people who need to be reached

Saved Christians who often grow very comfortable in the church

Many churches are out of balance

Inward focused making sure all members are happy and “taken care of.”

Outward focused “Seeker churches” neglecting long time members

BALANCE IS THE KEY

Obstacles to balance:

Lost people expect to be entertained.

Christians get comfortable and set in their ways and any threat to change is resisted

Lost people want their ears tickled- what their itching ears want to hear.

Christians turn aside to myths (These are myths in our church that I dealt with)

We have a rock band coming to replace the choir

Our preacher doesn’t like old people

We can have growth without change

We can have success without sacrifice

Being traditional is more spiritual

What is wrong with the inspiring hymns we grew up with? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new song. Last Sunday’s was particularly unnerving. The song was un-singable and the harmonies were quite distorting. (Letter in 1890 about the hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.”

There is room in God’s family for every person, variety in music.

Unity, mercy, compassion, endure the pains of change

The devil loves to see the family of God at odds with each other

We need to stand against the evil one- united.

There is room:

Hymns and praise songs

Choirs and praise teams

Republicans and Democrats

Those struggling with homosexuality

Those filled with pride who think they have it all together

Those who’s lives are a complete disaster

Legalistic, stubborn selfish Christians who love themselves more than they love others

Jesus calls us all to repentance, all to His grace

It is time for the church to stand and declare to the devil we will not be divided.

It is time for the church to claim the promise made by Jesus, that church would be built on him and the gates of hell would not overcome it.

It is time to spiritually kick down doors, break down walls, and free lost people from the captivity of the evil one and this world. We are in the last days, it is time to stand together.