Sunday, December 1, 2013

To Judge Ourselves Part 14 – Jezebel

To Judge Ourselves
Part 14 – Jezebel
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION
We spent the last year looking at what the Book of Acts had to say about the founding, operation and behavior that the Lord expects from us as individuals, and as a church, or congregation of believers.

We then spent a few weeks looking at the letters that Jesus sent to the seven churches in Revelation, telling them where they were going right, and wrong, as well as what the punishments and rewards would be.

A few weeks ago, I took all of those letters, and compiled them into one letter from the Lord, to us.

Our new series will take a look at each of the points Jesus made in that letter, and we will not only examine our church as a whole, but ourselves as individuals.


2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"


1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."


2 Peter 2:4-10 "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell[a] and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;[c] and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge[e] in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority."

We have already looked at Jesus speaking to us about hard work, not tolerating wicked people in the church, and testing those who claim to be apostles, but are nothing more than false prophets, and last week we spoke on perseverance, and enduring hardships for His name, Spiritually Rich during times of affliction and poverty, Slander, Not Being Afraid, Where Satan Rules, Faithfulness, Deeds, The Open Door, First Love, Repentance and Salvation.

Last week we looked at False Doctrine.

This week we will look at the warning of Jezebel.


SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Revelation 2:19-21 (Salvation by Works)
 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.


I.                   MUCH ADIEU ABOUT JEZEBEL
a.      v19 reveals that, Jesus knew who was still obedient
                                                             i.      Some in the church, as in most who are in disobedience to true doctrine of Christ, continued to love the Lord.

                                                          ii.      The Lord knew which ones.


b.     We see "works" mentioned twice in the scripture here.
                                                             i.      The first, the Lord mentions with love, and faith, service and perseverance.

                                                          ii.      It is in the positive sense of the word.

                                                       iii.      They were making their faith alive with deeds worthy of repentance.


c.      However, Jesus then mentions that they are, "doing more than at first."
                                                             i.      What they did at first was positive.

                                                          ii.      Our faith should cause good works, deeds from the fruit of our spirit.

                                                       iii.      But they were now doing "more" than that.

                                                         iv.      This negative sense of the word Jesus uses, tells us that the church was now relying on "works", or deeds for salvation, which is incorrect.


d.     This is the teaching of Jezebel
                                                             i.      To follow doctrines which lead to damnation

                                                          ii.      This false doctrine is Spiritual fornication and adultery. Forsaking Christ and true doctrine, for other things.

                                                       iii.      This false doctrine of "working" your way into heaven will cause many to think they can earn salvation, if they work hard enough, they can obtain it.

                                                         iv.      Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

1.      True Doctrine of Christ teaches that Salvation is a gift that no man can earn, therefore no man can boast or brag about his salvation.

2.      We receive Salvation in Christ, so that we MAY DO good works, through HIM...not of ourselves.

3.      What are the good works for? God PREPARED in advance, thing we were to do for God, in the power of Christ.


e.      GOOD WORKS are not OUR WORKS.
                                                             i.      But Christ, working through the saved, doing good deeds by His power, for His purpose, in situations, and meetings in which He set up in advance.

                                                          ii.      You do not meet people by chance or accident.

                                                       iii.      You have been saved to serve, and to fulfill a calling that has been placed on your life.
II.               THE LORD GAVE THEM OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT
a.      As with all the sinning churches, the Lord warned them, and gave them time to repent.


b.     Did they repent?
                                                             i.      Unfortunately no.

                                                          ii.      Many churches still preach the false doctrine of salvation by works.


c.      I spoke to a young man once, who was going door to door preaching about his religion.
                                                             i.      He informed me that he could only go to heaven if he got enough people to join his religion.

                                                          ii.      He could work his entire life, not knowing whether or not he did enough, until judgment day.


d.     However, this is NOT the doctrine Christ teaches.


e.      What Jezebels try to accomplish today
                                                             i.      Doing things in opposition to what doctrines of Christ teach.

                                                          ii.      Trying to control people in the church (witchcraft)
1.      Nahum 3:4 "all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft."

                                                       iii.      Trying to control the church by manipulating the Elders (spiritual leaders)

                                                         iv.      Trying to control the teachings (or doctrines) in the church

                                                            v.      Trying to bring in false doctrines as true, and spread them among the congregation.

                                                         vi.      As well as other ways...


III.             What IS the doctrine Jesus teaches about Salvation?
a.      God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.”


b.     First you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).


c.      Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell. “ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
d.     But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place“ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).


e.      Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22). “ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).


f.       Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.


g.      My friend, “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.


h.     In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas“ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”
Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.
Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.
In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” 
Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!
CONCLUSION
God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.
 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:
  • Pray -- you talk to God.
  • Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
  • Witness -- you talk for God.
You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8)
“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).


Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?    CLICK HERE!

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