When He Goes Through the Door
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 16:18–19 (NKJV)
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
“on the rock I will build my church”
The apostolic church must continually underscore the fact that this is not our church but rather the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!
He builds it!
He redeemed it!
He owns it!
He protects it!
He leads it!
He renews it!
He restores it!
He empowers it!
He however, commits the caretakership into the hands of the Apostolic Ministry!
Matthew 16:19 (NKJV)
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
IT IS A GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY!
The sole purpose of the Apostolic Church in the end-time is the SAVE THE LOST!
Sinners are not a BY-PRODUCT of the church, they are the main PROJECT!
Everything should be done with the lost in mind.
The major purpose of the church is always the lost.
1. When he walks through the door he should find a climate of hope.
1. When he walks through the door he should find a climate of hope.
Romans 8:24 (KJV)
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Churches that continually see see people converted are churches that are dispensers of HOPE.
Churches that dispense hope keep a great percentage of those who are converted.
“A person can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water, 4 minutes without air, but only 4 seconds without HOPE” - Vincent Foster
NOTE: The church should never be a citadel of condemnation!
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“The greatest weapon during WW2 was HOPE!” - Winston Churchill
3. When he walks through the door he should find an atmosphere of joyous celebration!
3. When he walks through the door he should find an atmosphere of joyous celebration!
WE CALL IT WORSHIP!
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
“Joy is the emotion that end-time Christians need the most and seem to have the least.” P.V. Reynolds
THE BIBLE SAYS:
There is joy in His presence (Ps 16:11)
There is joy in His Word (John 15:11)
There is joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17)
There is joy in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22)
There is joy in soul winning (Ps 126:5)
There is joy in salvation (Is 12:3)
There is joy in worship (Ps 132:16)
There is joy in famine (Hab 3:17-18)
There is joy in persecution (Acts 13:50-52)
There is joy in fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12-13 )
There is joy at the end of the road (Is 35:10)
3. When he walks through the door he needs to see a distinctive people.
3. When he walks through the door he needs to see a distinctive people.
“The most descriptive works in the Bible referring to the Church, draws attention to her DISTINCTIVENESS” - P.V. Reynolds
The Bride
The Salt
A Royal Diadem
The Light
The Elect Lady
Pharaoh's Horses
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
It is a gross mistake to project holiness as something that destroys the effectiveness of evangelism.
When you compromise the distinctive marks of separation from the world…YOU CHEAT THE SINNER!”
Chorus: Jesus on the inside, Working on the outside Oh, what a change in my life.
Holy distinctiveness is one of our greatest assets!
4. When he walks through the door he should step in the firm foundation of the unchanging word of God.
4. When he walks through the door he should step in the firm foundation of the unchanging word of God.
This will bring him security, safety, and protection.
89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
THE BIBLE IS A WONDERFUL BOOK -
It is wonderful in formation
It is wonderful in unification
It is wonderful in age
It is wonderful in sale value
It is wonderful in interest
It is wonderful in it’s language
It is wonderful in it’s preservation
Robert E. Speer once said:
“The Bible is one of the solid facts of Christianity.
What it is, is not affected by what men think of it.
Changing opinions about the Bible does not change the Bible.
Whatever the Bible is, it has always been.
It is not man’s thought about the Bible that judges it.
It is the Bible that judges men and their thoughts.
It has nothing to fear but ignorance and neglect.
And the church need have no other fear on it’s account.
The Bible will take care of itself if … the church will distribute it and get it read.”
Here is my advice:
Every end-time apostolic church needs to guarantee the “Lost”
Bible-based sanctuaries.
Churches where they preach the Word of God — minus the frills … without watering it down.
“GROWTH WITHOUT COMPROMISE!”
Preach it without being a Greek scholar.
Preach it without 28 translations.
Preach it in it’s simplicity.
Preach it in love.
When he opens the door - give the “Word of God”