To
Judge Ourselves
Part
15 – Wake Up
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; 5 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; 6 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] 7 and if he rescued
righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (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); 9 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, False Doctrine.
Last
week we looked at Jezebel.
This
week we will look at the warning to Wake
Up.
SCRIPTURE
REFERENCE
Revelation 3:1-6
These are the words of him who holds the seven-fold spirit of
God (meaning the Holy Spirit
in fullness of capability, seven being the number of perfection) and the
seven stars (Pastors of the seven churches, whom the Lord has poured out
His Spirit to).
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are
dead. 2 Wake up!
Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished
in the sight of my God.
3 Remember, therefore, what you have received
and heard; hold it fast, and repent.
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you
will not know at what time I will come to you.
I.
I KNOW YOUR DEEDS
a.
Not what people
say, or you think, but what actually is
i.
People can say all sorts of things, both good and bad,
about you. This doesn't make them so.
ii.
It doesn't matter if someone says something bad about
you.
1.
James 1:26
"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but
deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless."
iii.
It doesn't matter if someone says something good about
you.
1.
Matthew 6:1-4 “Be
careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by
them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with
trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be
honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in
full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let
your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so
that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
iv.
It doesn't matter what you say about yourself, even if
you believe what you are saying, it doesn't mean it is so.
1.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The
heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
10 “I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
b.
Your reputation
claims you are alive.
i.
Whether you claim this of yourself, or others claim
this of you...the Lord searches your heart, and examines your mind.
ii.
Why? To know our deeds, our motivations.
iii.
He rewards each of us according to our conduct,
according to what our deeds deserve.
iv.
This means, if you "do" for the wrong
motivations, such as getting the praise of men, you will receive no reward from
your heavenly Father.
v.
If you "do" for the rights motivations, to
serve God, for His Glory, then the Lord will know this from your heart and
mind, and reward you according to your conduct.
c.
But you are dead.
i.
The Lord speaks to
those who are dead today.
ii.
Calling them out of
their death, and into life.
II.
WAKE UP!
a.
God's Grace
i.
He has given us time to repent.
ii.
The Lord could have called us all to judgment, yet, He
paid our debt which is owed for sin, and has given us all time to repent.
Because He has given us Grace.
b.
God's Call to you
i.
God has called each of us from the time we are young.
ii.
Some of us answer His call when we are young.
iii.
Some fight Him until we are older.
iv.
Some fight Him until they are very old.
v.
Some fight Him to the death.
vi.
However, God calls each of us...
1.
1 Timothy 2:1-6 "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions,
prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and
all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in
all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth. 5 For
there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man
Christ Jesus, 6 who
gave himself as a ransom for all people."
c.
God's Forgiveness
i.
“The Lord is slow
to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and
rebellion.” Numbers 14:18
ii.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
iii.
“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that
through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of
sins.” Acts 10:43
d.
You're a New
Creature and a New Creation
i.
"The Lord is
gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love." Psalm 145:8
ii.
Accepting Jesus' sacrifice for your sins, receiving the
contract of the new covenant, purchased with His blood, makes you eligible to
REPENT, and be forgiven of sin, and have a place in eternity with the Lord.
iii.
When you submit
to the Lord, and serve Him, He will give to you His Holy Spirit, which lives
inside of you.
1.
You will naturally produce Spiritual Fruits.
a.
Ephesians 5
2.
You will naturally have Spiritual Gifts.
a.
1 Corinthians 12
3.
You will be Equipped for Spiritual Battle.
a.
Ephesians 6
III.
STRENGTHEN WHAT
REMAINS
a.
It is about to die!
i.
The Lord warned them to strengthen what they had left.
1.
What are you going to feed? Flesh or Spirit?
2.
Whichever you feed, becomes stronger.
3.
You cannot serve both!
b.
Remember what you
have received
i.
They received forgiveness...do not return to sin.
c.
Remember what you
have heard
i.
Return to the Word of God.
ii.
It will encourage you, strengthen you, lift you, build
you up, and make you closer to God in a right relationship.
d.
Hold it fast!
i.
Do not let go!
ii.
Even when times are tough, hold tighter!
e.
and REPENT
i.
Not once, not twice, but every time the Spirit reveals
to you, your sin.
ii.
Repentance is a lifestyle, not an act.
iii.
Show fruits worthy of repentance. Behave in the manner
which is worthy of representing God and His Kingdom.
CONCLUSION
You
can say you are this, or that, and others can have great things to say about
you. However, God knows your heart, and the truth of whom and what you are. He
knows your deeds, your works, and your thoughts.
Are
you ALIVE, or dead?
If
you are dead, you will be producing the fruit of the flesh in your life. Galatians 5:19-21
"19 The
acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual
immorality, impurity and corruption; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and
envy; drunkenness, orgies, and
the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
If
you are truly alive, you will be producing the Fruit of the Spirit of God which
dwells within you. Galatians 5:22-26 "the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let
us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not
become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
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