Words of Comfort

1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 KJV 1900

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1thes4.

I have heard people wonder at how hard it can be living for God...

There have been times in my life that I have wondered at the intensity of the fight myself...

I have watched in awe at the tenacity of some

While shaking my head at other who give up

I have often been asked by those just filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, “Pastor, why is it such a struggle? Why is it so hard?”

I have been told things like

I never struggled with this before...

My kids have never acted like this before...

My spouse and I are fighting like never before...

I never had to fight like this before!

I come to bring you some Words of Comfort this morning!

Easiest way to explain it: You are now playing for the other team!

Because you switched, your old team hates you and will not stop until they have/are:

Destroyed your new life and “resigned” you to their team

Destroyed and have no power in your life!

The reason it is a fight now and it was not before the Holy Ghost was when Satan ruled your life:

Your family could fall apart and you had to accept that because in the devils world; divorce is natural.

Drug addicted kids are normal

Alcoholic dad’s are in most homes

Affairs are a part of family life

No hope or recourse - because your in the culture of the team you were playing on, your demise was the goal!

BUT when you switched teams and began to play for God’s side

For the fist time there was hope:

May family don’t have to break up

My kids can be delivered

I can be set free from addiction

Affairs are wounds that CAN heal

There is HOPE!

We can live victorious

And so we enter into what we call: Spiritual Warfare/Conflict

Wisdom is that we recognize what is part of the fight and what is part of reaping seeds that we have sown while playing for the other team...

FIGHT: we have special power and authority to deal with that

HARVEST: process of growth

God intends for us to live a victorious life!

BUT It’s not just about this life… but eternity!

1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV 1900

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

1cor15.

Don’t forget why you are fighting!

Not just about being victorious in this life.

But there is an eternity that we are really fighting for!

A place called heaven, prepared for us by God himself!

That’s why I fight!

Illustration: 100’ rope, 4” painted representing life.

The rest of the rope, pure white represents eternity!

Problem: (SHORT ROPE) Most live life as though there is nothing after…

Yet there is infinity after!

We have to live our lives for eternity!

What is so great about eternity? (LONG ROPE)

One day life will be over..

I will stand before God and hear the words, “Well done, you have been a good and faithful servant. Enter and rule with me!”

Enter eternity...

Enter eternity...

First thing that will happen is that I will see Jesus!

The one who left Gory, robed himself in flesh, lived perfectly only to be wrongly accused, humiliated with a public trial, beaten, spat upon, tortured, publically executed by crucifixion..

So that you and I would not have to continue to be spiritually dead - but live because of him!

Somewhere we will take note of the:

Celestial Sea...

Wall made of Jasper

Streets of Gold

Gates of Pearl

Angelic host

Meet the Apostels

Meet the Hero’s of Faith

We will see our Mansion prepared for us by Jesus Himself...

Mansion??!!

Means dwelling place

Shocker: I don’t think there is mansions in heaven…

John 14:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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Mansion: dwelling place

2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV 1900

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV 1900

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2cor

He is not building mansion in heaven...

He had to go away so his spirit could fall and so that he COULD BUILD MANSIONS ON EARTH!

You are the mansion - dwelling place that he is trying to build us!

This life is about perfecting you so that you are ready to live for him in eternity!

CHORUS: It will be worth it all when we see Jesus! Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of his dear face, all sorrow will erase. So, bravely run the race till we see Christ.

At times the sky seems dark, with not a ray of light; We're tossed and driven on, no human help in sight. But there is One in heaven, Who knows our deepest care; Let Jesus solve your problems, just go to him in prayer.

Life's day will soon be o're, all storms forever past; We'll cross the great divide to Glory, safe at last! We'll share the joys of heaven: a harp, a home, a crown; The tempter will be banished, We'll lay our burdens down.