What Matters to Jesus in the End

Intro

If you could go back in time and do one thing, what would it be?

Some of us would say well I’d bet on that team.

I would stop myself from dating that person..

I would spend a few more minutes with that person.

I just want to go back and have one more bite of a McDonalds McPlant burger...

We would go back and do things that are important and impact our lives. It would be something that would significantly matter.

Jesus did just this!

Jesus comes to his disciple John in Revelation with an End Times message and tells him exactly what he wants him to do with it.

(Doc Brown to Marty…)

Revelation 1:10–11 (NIV)

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

Revelation 1:16–20 (NIV)

In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Jesus comes with a crucial message about the end to John, you’ve got to write this down and get it somewhere important John!!

The Church!

In this moment, Jesus reveals what matters most to him.

In the end, Jesus prioritizes and calls out to his church.

In John 13 Jesus tells his disciples I have to leave you and you can’t follow me now, but you will later.

It didn’t make sense to them at the time.

Little did they know he was leaving them behind to build his greatest passion and to begin what would become God’s hope and plan for the world.

The Church!

The bible gives of a lot of signs and prophecies about end times.

It’s clear that we won’t know exactly when it will be, but we know enough so that we will be aware of the times that we are living.

There has been no other time with more fulfilled prophecies and signs than the time we are living right now.

This isn’t to bring fear but to align our hearts with his about what matters most.

And as the end gets closer, the church doesn’t become less relevant it becomes even more crucial!

If something is important to Jesus it can’t be optional to us!

The first place Jesus goes at the end is the church!

Here Jesus clearly affirms the importance and the value of the church.

Before the end unfolds, it’s the church that is the tool he will use to carry out his plans and purposes on the earth.

The Church matters!

Do we have the right view of the church?

The church is not:

A place of entertainment

a social gathering

a group of religious people

A building

A style or tradition

The church IS the collection (body/family) of God’s people (believers in Christ) with the commission to spread Christ’s kingdom on the earth.

Jesus wanted to make sure the disciples knew who he was. Not just a good man who did good, but the savior and redeemer of the world.

He asked them, who do people say I am and then he said who do you say I am?

Matthew 16:17–19 (NIV)

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

On this foundation that Jesus is the saving Son of God he built his church and nothing can stand against it!

All hell is trying to be released upon the earth, the church has the keys to release heaven!

THIS is what we get to be a part of.

we gotta pick up the keys and advance the kingdom can’t be business as usual

Too many view church as shopping for the favorite ice cream flavor, but its a people to get connected and busy making a bigger difference than you ever could alone.

I love that I get to be a part of his plan.

Too many Christians value THEIR church but not THE church.

We are all together!

If the church can’t stand together how will we stand against the forces of hell.

THE CHURCH IS...

God made not man made.

I’m not saying man has never messed up Gods creation!

But the church is God’s design and plan.

Heaven’s vehicle to stop hell’s agenda

The Light of God in a dark world.

Jesus said we are the light of the world. a City on a hill.

In Revelation its not accident the church is represented as a lampstand, but it gives light to darkness.

The darker the world seems the brighter the light can shine.

gonna be a Christian but just a little not let anyone know

it’s time to shine.

Hope for the Hurting

The church is the hope of the world.

The church is not dead.

It’s more relevant and needed than ever.

We are overwhelmed with stories of doom all of the time.

We know about the current wars and evils in the world.

A recent survey of pastors showed that over 70% said that their congregation were more fearful and full of anxiety post covid than ever before.

It’s easy to understand why.

But we have to understand that no matter what happens, we are part of God’s plan for the world!

Revival is happening around the world. The kingdom of God is spreading like never before.

There is a massive revival right now in IRAN that we hardly hear about.

About 3000 muslims are turning to Jesus a month.

People are having supernatural dreams and encounters where they say they have seen Jesus and are radically changed.

All of this in a place where it is illegal to convert from Islam and is punishable by death.

So why is the gospel spreading?

John 1:5 (NIV)

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

After Jesus taught his disciples about signs of the end times, he challenged them with this.

Luke 21:34–36 (TPT)

“Be careful that you never allow your hearts to grow cold. Remain passionate and free from anxiety and the worries of this life. Then you will not be caught off guard by what happens. Don’t let me come and find you drunk or careless in living like everyone else. For that day will come as a shocking surprise to all, like a downpour that drenches everyone, catching many unaware and unprepared. Keep a constant watch over your soul, and pray for the courage and grace to prevail over these things that are destined to occur and that you will stand before the presence of the Son of Man with a clear conscience.”

It’s easy to get bogged down in life and stuck in barely making it along.

But Jesus has called us to be a part of something bigger and more fulfilling!

Jesus let us never get apathetic in what you call important.

Getting connected to God’s church connects us to something greater than we could ever be or do on our own.

I’m so grateful to be a part of his church. I don’t know where my life would be.

So let’s pose the question, does the church matter?

More than ever!

This isn’t a sermon as a ploy to ask you to give more or do more…

its repeating the passion of Jesus

It’s a reminder of how important it is that we are the church.

There is still hope for the world, its Christ’s church.

God, use me!!

As the world grows more cold, the church loves more.

As the world is divided, we have unity.

As chaos erupts, we have peace.

As the world searches from meaning, we advance with purpose.

As anxiety overtakes, we have hope.

When we world seems darker, we shine brighter!

This is the church.

It’s not perfect because people are in it.

But it’s God’s plan.

There is room for you.

Conclusion

Salvation Call

Response.