08/27/2023 - Part 5 - Set Your Watch
Notes
Transcript
Grace Place Atlanta COGBF
4700 Mitchell Street
Forest Park, GA 30297
Website: atlantacogbf.org
Email: info@atlantacogbf.org
Phone: (404) 241-6781
Wayne D. Mack, Pastor
/
Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes
August 27, 2023
Set Your Watch!
Part 5
1 Peter 4:7 - Serving for God’s Glory
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
1 Chronicles 12 23-48 New King James Version
12 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he
was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the
mighty men, helpers in the war, 2 armed with bows, using both the
right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the
bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.
23 Now these were the numbers of the [f]divisions that were equipped
for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of
Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord:
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32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to
know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all
their brethren were at their command;
GM GP
This morning, we’re resuming our series on SET YOUR WATCH.
It’s focuses on paying attention to the times we’re living in and
understanding what the times are saying to all people, but especially
the people of God.
I remind you of the central Scripture passage for this series 1 Chronicles
12:32 . . .
32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to
know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all
their brethren were at their command;
We too need an understanding of the times to know what we ought to
be doing as God’s Children -- Jesus Followers.
In framing, I’ve titled this message series Set Your Watch!
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Set Your Watch is strong warning and encouragement for Believers to
pay attention to what God is saying to His people in these last days.
Jesus said to His disciples and us in Matthew 25:13 “Set a Watch” or
“Keep a Watch.” . . . His very words were: “Therefore, keep watch, for
you know neither the day nor the hour.”
So far, we have identified three things among many that our times are
telling us with regard to drawing nearer to God and anchoring ourselves
in His Word [His Promises] and not in the messages of the world. If
you’re still reeling from the Pandemic, this message is for you.
Here are the three tell-tale signs of our times that we’ve covered thus
far:
1. Be Watchful of Whose Report You Are Believing! With that, we
learned that there are only two reports or messages given to man
to believe: there’s God’s report (the truth) or Man’s report (the
lie) which is full of deceptions propagated by Satan.
2. The SECOND thing Our Times are Telling Us Is. . Pay Attention to
Things the Bible Says are Yet to Come! In particular, the
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Antichrist and his works. Although the antichrist is not yet here
in person [not until after the Rapture], the spirit of antichrist is. It
is operating as the “Spirit of Evil” through false teachers and the
spirit of falsehood and deception.
3. The THIRD thing Our Times are Telling Us is that we’re living in a
time in which things are happening so fast that Life is Now Lived
Without Much Warnings!
This is a signal to be watchful and ready. To be watchful of the
times and the events that accompany them – so as to be ready to
face whatever - whenever placing full hope, faith, and confidence
in Christ.
Now, let’s wrap up this series by addressing the balance of what our
times are telling us with [citing] some practical Scriptural truths. These
are what I call classic warnings from the mouth of God to His Church
and the world, in general.
The first is a reminder from Jesus found in Matthew 24: 36-44.
Listen to the warning:
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of
heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also
will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the
flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in
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marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know
until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming
of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be
taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill:
one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do
not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the
master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he
would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour
you do not expect.
The next practical thing from Scripture of what times are telling us is
found in Second Timothy 3:1-7
It is a warning from the Apostle Paul which reads:
3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come [very
difficult times]: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
money, boasters, proud, blasphemers [scoffing at God], disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers,
without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong,
haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form
of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make
captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by
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various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.
A third critical thing Our Times are Telling Us Is. .
Our Salvation Is Nearer Than When We First Believed. Wake up! The
time is short. It’s not as long as it has been.
In Romans 13:11 we are reminded of this and told to follow two specific
pieces of instructions:
Listen to this urgent appeal . . .
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake
out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first
believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry [partying,
merriment] and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife
and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
It’s important for Believers to know that we live between the ages.
That means with every passing generation things are changing in
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accordance with God’s plan. [In one sense its deceiving, in another it’s
a warning to number our days.]
Life is moving on, and every age, every phase of it moves one step
closer to fulfilling God’s plan. What is new and modern to one
generation is outdated to another. We have moved from no electricity
to electricity; from manual control to remote control; from horses to
cars; from trains to planes; from smoke signals to cell phones; from
hieroglyphics to computers and moving type. And from faith to faith.
From no hope in God, to salvation in Christ.
The old age is passing and the new is dawning – and we are drawing
closer with every passing generation.
We long for the new age to fully come, and we recognize that our
salvation will soon be completed. We have been “delivered . . . from
the power of darkness” (Col. 1:13) and from the night of sin into a new
realm of light. We need to wake up from spiritual sluggishness and
laziness.
Paul here used the image of taking off the old clothes of sinful behavior
and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ as our way of life.
Look at Romans 13: 11
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11 And do this, . . . [This What? Two things: Romans 13:1 & Romans 13:
8=
Verse 1: Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities {that is
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes
from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by
God. , and
Verse 8: Owe no one anything except to love one another; that is, Owe
nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. .}
These are the two most violated practices of our time – especially with
secular people. But Believer’s must avoid getting caught up in the trap
of practicing disrespect for government (although politicians give us
plenty of reasons to not trust government) and not showing the love of
Christ in our daily interactions.
Sometimes, people will do outlandish things, but yet find it difficult to
love their brother or sister. Debt is one of those things: financial debt,
material debt, social debt, school debt.
Listen to what time the Lord says it is: He says it’s time to awaken to
DOING the things that reflect that we have salvation and are Born
Again. We should not be looking like the world.
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How is it that our salvation is nearer than when we first believed? What
proof is there?]
[The world is looking more and more like the world every day
{desperate, selfish, evil, and greedy} – but we are saved to make a
difference and be the difference. We are the hope of the world. . . that
is, we are the light of the world a city set on a hill, as well as the salt of
the earth {the seasoning of godliness and a preserver of holiness}.
So in the words of the NLT, listen again to what time it is for the people
of God:
NLT Romans 13:11-14
11 This is all the more urgent, [knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep] for you know how late it is; time is
running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we
first believed.
12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So
remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining
armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live
decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild
parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living,
or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the
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presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about
ways to indulge your evil desires [that is, make no provision for the
flesh, to fulfill its lusts]
1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and
watchful in your prayers.
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