Final Exhortations

1 Corinthians 16

Acts 4:35–37 “And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Romans 15:26 “For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.”

Acts 11:28 “And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.”

Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

WATCH: What to watch for.......

.Well, number one, the Bible says watch for Satan.  Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be vigilant and watch because your adversary, the devil, goes about like a” – What? – “roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”  Who is it that he will devour?  It’s the one who’s not - What? - watching.  You need to be alert to the wily, crafty subtleties of Satan.  You need to understand how he operates..

...Secondly, watch out for temptation.  Mark 14:38 Jesus said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into” - What? – “temptation.”  You better be alert to temptation.  Boy, Satan’s got angles you never thought of.  You can’t just go blithefully tripping through the world exposing yourself to everything without having it affect you.  It’ll hurt you.  It’ll expose you, the temptation.  Watch; keep your eyes open.

...The third thing the New Testament talks about is watch out for apathy and indifference.  The church at Sardis in Revelation chapter 3 he says, “You have a name that you live but you’re dead.  Watch.  Watch and strengthen the things that remain.”  Listen, a church can just sort of float off into apathy.  A Christian can just get smug, self-content, apathetic and indifferent, and the Lord said the church at Sardis, “I’m going to come like a thief in the night in judgment against you.”

The Lord will come in chastening against an apathetic, indifferent Christian who doesn’t deal with his sins, who doesn’t deal with his weaknesses, who doesn’t deal with his disobediences.  Don’t you think you can just smugly plop yourself down and do your own thing without any recourse.

..Another thing, watch for false teachers.  In writing to Timothy, Paul said in 2 Timothy, he said, “Boy there’s going to be people who are going to come along not teaching sound doctrine.  They’re going to turn away the ears of the people from the truth and turn them to fables.”  In verse 5 of 2 Timothy 4 he says, “Watch thou.”  You need to be aware of false teaching, false doctrine; keep your mind alert.

..Fifthly, the Bible tells us watch in prayer.  Peter says, “Watch in prayer,” 1 Peter 4:7.  Paul says in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication…watching thereunto with all perseverance.”  We are to watch.  You can’t pray without knowing what’s going on.

...Okay, a last thing.  Watch Satan, watch for temptation, watch for apathy, watch for false teachers, watch in prayer.  Lastly, watch for the Lord’s return.  The New Testament says in Matthew 24:42, 25:13, several other passages, “The Lord is coming.  Watch for you know not the day nor the hour.  Watch.”  What does it mean to watch?  Does it mean to just go around like this all the time?  “Well I don’t see Him today?”  No.  It means watch here because He’s coming.  Not there.  Watch your life.  You only have so much time to do what God’s given you to do.  Watch.  So that’s good.  I just want to do that.

Watch......

Stand Fast In The Faith........1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

Be Courageous.........Some have that as “act like men”.........Job 38:3 “Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.”

Be strong......Ephesians 6:10–11 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Be Loving......1 Corinthians 13:2 “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”