The Next Great Happening
Notes
Transcript
So now what?
After a great accomplishment - now what??? (NOT going to Disney)
The Resurrection - Christ’s finished work
But is His work really finished?
Yes…and No (Advocates, Spirit in us)
But…ASIDE - (Teachy) Perhaps the first thing He did (turn to 1 Peter 3)
in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,
Explain song (Ain’t no grave, and Apostles Creed)
We understand what Jesus did next - rose, appeared, ascended
What about us? Where is Jesus’ involvement with us?
Saved? Good! (not saved, settle that)
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Jesus died, buried, rose, sent the Helper - He BEGAN the good work in you
So now what?
Eschatology
Eschatology
We are living in the end times
How should we live?
“until the day of Christ Jesus…”
And why? Knowledge/Wisdom - in light of what we know - what is my motive?
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
The life of the believer is one of surrender, in recognition and total appreciation for Christ’s love for us
How does this factor in regarding end times?
1) What Jesus Does Next
1) What Jesus Does Next
(End Times in a Couple Minutes…) - show timeline image
Rapture
Tribulation
Millennial Kingdom
New Heaven and Earth - New Creation - Eternity future
What will we do?
How will we serve? (IDK specifics)
Rewarded?
Then… (after Rapture, to determine rewards, in order to serve…)
2) The Judgment Seat of Christ
2) The Judgment Seat of Christ
Not often talked much about
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Two key judgments in End Times
JSOC - The JSOC is where you want to be!
GWT - The lost stand before the Great White Throne before being sentenced to the Lake of Fire; they have rejected Jesus and His offer of forgiveness/reconciliation
Revelation 20:11-15 is the full passage
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Prior to this, the JSOC - 2 Cor 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Believers are ALREADY in Heaven when this occurs
This is the judgment of believers - all must appear
“Recompensed”
ESV - receive what is due
CSB - be repaid
“Get back,” “receive back,” “may receive”
Receive what is due for what you have done, in this life, as a believer
Good - selfless, kindness, pointing glory to Yahweh
REM - “I am going to point glory to Yahweh by doing _______________”
Bad (evil) - not specifically ethically or morally evil
More like “good for nothing,” “worthless,” “wasting of time and energy”
Basically, living for self (when there are clear choices, options - e.g. go to church or not, serve or not, etc.)
Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
Gold, silver, precious stones - lasting, works done in service to the LORD
Wood, hay, straw - temporary, only fit for here, will be burned up; works done for our own comfort only - burned up is not punitive, but to determine the lasting value
The believer is saved - his/her works, what survives, will be the basis of the reward
CULTURE OF CHRISTIANITY TODAY
Tend to live with choices like - “The Bible doesn’t say I can’t do this” - so if I want to, I will, even if it is not the best choice
“As long as it’s not forbidden, then if I want to do it, I will.”
What the Bible actually says about Christian conduct:
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Already assumed, known, you love yourself - not something we need to teach
Born physically, loving self - we grow up, loving self
Born spiritually? - Then…Love shifts to Yahweh first, then to others second
THAT is something we need to learn, teach, do
Got it - get saved, live for Jesus until He returns
Meanwhile…
3) Take Up Your Cross
3) Take Up Your Cross
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Surrender
We do not have a “cross to bear,” as in specific challenges
(Nor is this “just suck it up”)
Every day is a day that we “pick up the cross” in the act of surrender to Jesus
And…The daily life lived for Christ is worth it.
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
HE KNOWS
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
It’s easy, common, to lose heart. It “gets old” - or so it seems
CLOSE
The next great happening (not Rapture) - tomorrow, when you wake up on this side of glory
You have the privilege to live to please Yahweh
Choice - live to please self, or Him (sometimes BOTH happens)
Paul knew what the choice was - He also desired to be with Christ
See Phil 1:20-23, for instance
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
FINAL THOUGHT
Jesus came, and lived, to please the Father
It was hard, tiring, seemingly thankless
Actually, very few people thank Jesus for what He did
When you choose to live to please the LORD
It will be hard, tiring, seemingly thankless
Actually, very few people in this life will actually say “thank you”
We live in the End Times - every day (since end of Revelation…)
Only what we do for Christ is what truly matters - forever
Ultimately, the life you live, the works you do, are a reflection of who Jesus is to you, and how thankful you are to Him - your response to His love for you
And take heart, Jesus will tell you “thank you” - actually, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
The life of the surrendered disciple can be hard, tiring, seemingly thankless
The thanks will come at the JSOC
