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Today when we travel we use computers like the GPS or Global Positioning Satellites. You punch in your address and where you’re going and – sooner or later – it will get you to your destination. It used to be when we traveled into unknown areas we’d get these big maps out and I’d highlight the route. You can’t hardly find maps anymore. The GPS tells you where to go. The GPS works by talking to a satellite in orbit in our outer atmosphere. It stays in touch with the unseen so that we can eventually get where we need to be. Whether in a car or a cruise liner that GPS insures we get to our final chosen destination.

The GPS is man made, and though it will get you to your final earthly destination it sometimes takes you the long way around. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only infallible way to insure that you get to your final Heavenly destination. Those who have believed on Him are certain of entering God’s glorious Heaven. But Christ also guides His people daily, one moment at a time, one day at a time through this life. Just as the North Star guides the explorer to the north, our Jesus guides us northward and upward to God. As long as you believe in Him and trust in Him everything will – in the end – be all right.

But if you draw away from Jesus and refuse Him as Lord and Savior you will find yourself lost, wandering forever in the darkest spiritual night. The farther you get from Jesus, the more dangerously lost life gets!

Those Who Follow And Love Jesus Are Blessed. Those Who Stand Against Jesus Are Cursed. I want you to compare two sentences in this chapter of Mark with me:

Mark 3:13 (KJV) And he {Jesus} goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

Mark 3:22 (KJV) And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Jesus goes UP – and calls people UPWARD. The self righteous fleshly Scribes go DOWN – and call people DOWNWARD.

Jesus went UP into a mountain and called whom He would. He called these common and quite ordinary men to leave their businesses, leave their lives, and follow Him. When they came they separated themselves unto Him and:

Mark 3:14 (KJV) And {Jesus} ordained twelve, that they should be with him…

Jesus called them – they came – He touched them – and they began to work for Him. These were His Apostles, messengers of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus elevated them from what they were to what He wanted them to be. Jesus went into a mountain and called His people to the mountain – that mountain of God. When Moses went into the mountain of God Joshua was able to follow that wonderful man a short way, but not all the way. Moses could not bring people all the way up the mountain of God. Moses could not even himself – humble as he was – to see the face of God. God told Moses:

Exodus 33:20 (KJV) …. Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock to protect Moses from His glory, for a sinner to look on God would have died. Yet Jesus calls His people to come UP THE MOUNTAIN. Jesus is the cleft of the Rock that we hide in. Those who respond to Jesus are blessed – elevated – brought from the ordinary and made extra-ordinary by the very power of God.

The Scribes CAME DOWN from Jerusalem – DOWN from the Holy City of God – DOWN from Mount Zion. They came as critics of Christ, fools on a foolish errand. You can memorize the Book of God but if you live like you’ve never read it it doesn’t do you any good. The Scribes were DOWNERS. They were fleshly, religious, intolerant, and spiritually dead. Adrift from Christ they who should have been holy (for they were SCRIBES, COPIERS of GOD’S WORD).

Adrift from Christ the high were brought low. Following Christ the low were brought high.

What did Jesus do to these twelve ordinary people? He gave them power. We are told:

Mark 3:14-15 (KJV) …. that he might send them forth to preach, 15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Jesus gave them spiritual power to preach, to carry His Word into the world. The preaching came first. The Word of the Gospel must go forth – this is the most important thing. With that power came the power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. Where the Light of God is the darkness falls. Where the Light of God is NOT, the darkness prevails.

The Mind Not Set On Christ And His Word Drifts Toward The Darkness. When your mind wanders away from Christ you wander into dangerous territory.

Can I tell you it is possible to follow Jesus and still be damned? You can follow Jesus physically but your mind be far from Jesus.

Judas Was With Jesus Physically But Spiritually His Mind Was On Darkness. Jesus chose twelve people, twelve ordinary men. They were given His Gospel, given power to heal sicknesses, and power to cast out devils. But look at:

Mark 3:19 (KJV) And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into a house.

There is no indication in this text that Judas was given less than the other followers. They were Apostles, he was an Apostle. How did he sneak into Jesus’ entourage? Actually the Bible tells us that Jesus knew Judas’ heart all along.

One day Jesus preached a hard sermon. If you come to Church regularly, sooner or later you will hear a hard sermon. Some people think there should be no hard sermons, but the truth is if you never hear a hard sermon – one that hurts your pride and stomps your toes – you’re listening to a false prophet! Jesus said in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

The Light hurts your eyes when you come out of a dark place. Christ calls us from darkness and into His marvelous light, and yes, that hurts.

Anyway, Jesus was preaching a hard thing – and people left His Church. The Bible tells us:

John 6:66-71 (KJV) From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? [68] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. [69] And WE believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. [70] Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? [71] He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Judas didn’t sneak into the disciples – Jesus called him knowing his heart. The Bible says “it was he that SHOULD betray Him”. Jesus knew who this man was. He brought him into this small group, this foundation of the Church, His Church. Why? Because Jesus gives every person a chance. He knew Judas would betray Him, but nonetheless reached out in love to him, calling this poor lost soul to His side.

Judas followed, but never really believed. Because his following was only outward he eventually betrayed Jesus for what he really loved the most – MONEY. Money was his god, not Jesus. Eventually the money he chased after with his heart led to his destruction.

The Scribes Followed Jesus To Stand Against Him. They Were In The Dark Both Physically And Spiritually. When the Scribes came down from Jerusalem it was not to support Jesus, but to stand against Him. They said:

Mark 3:22 (KJV) … He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

Their statement was nonsense, as Jesus quickly said. He told them:

Mark 3:23-26 (KJV) How can Satan cast out Satan? [24] And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. [25] And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. [26] And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

No kingdom – not even the Kingdom of Darkness – can stand against itself. If a kingdom is divided it will not stand. Churches that depart from the Light that is Christ fall apart. Families that depart from the design of God fall apart. The Modern Family not driven by the Ancient Light will not stand, for you cannot mix light and dark, fresh water and salt water, corruption and holiness. A house divided against itself will not stand. As Jesus said:

Matthew 7:17-20 (KJV) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

You must be one or the other. No one rides a fence long who will not fall on one side or the other. Departing from Christ these Scribes were in dangerous territory. Jesus made an interesting statement next. He said:

Mark 3:27 (KJV) No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

I have heard this verse misapplied by many. It’s not a hard statement to understand. Jesus is the strong man. He is the Son of God and God the Son. His House is protected by Him. The Scribes and Pharisees cannot come into His House and take it without first binding Christ, the Strong Man. What Jesus is saying is that these Scribes – like Sneak Thieves – are trying to sneak in the back door to overthrow Christ’s Kingdom. They are not there to protect the Kingdom of God. They are there to DESTROY. Jesus said in another place:

John 10:10-11 (KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. [11] I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Jesus is the Strong Man, the Good Shepherd, the Lover of God and the Lover of His people. These Scribes are of Satan not of God. These Scribes are destroyers of the Kingdom, not it’s guardians. They want to tie Jesus’ hands by poisoning the minds of the people against Him.

They are but darkness.

If you let the word of the Scribes enter the house, they will bind Christ and blind us. We are to focus on our Jesus and His Command.

Jesus Christ Our Lord Died For All Sins. He Is The Lamb Of God That Takes Away The Sin Of The World (John 1:29). Periodically people ask me this question. “Is there a sin that God will not forgive”? Is there a murder or a rape that God will not forgive? What about suicide? Will God forgive the suicide? What about genocide, the mass murder of humans? Abortion clinics are guilty of genocide. Can that be forgiven? Jesus answers that question in our text today. He says …

Mark 3:28 (KJV) Verily I say unto you, ALL SINS SHALL BE FORGIVEN unto the sons of men, and BLASPHEMIES wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

“ALL SINS SHALL BE forgiven”. That is very definite. There is absolutely NO SIN that cannot be forgive. When Jesus entered this life the Angel of God said:

Matthew 1:21 (KJV) … thou shalt call his name JESUS: for HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.

Jesus came to this earth to be the “Savior of HIS people”. “He shall save HIS people from their sins”. Jesus – precious and sinless Jesus – came to pay a debt that we could not pay. We have all sinned – and perhaps even this day have sinned – against the Holy and Just God Who made us. We are flawed creatures. We are fallen creatures. We are born sinners in need of salvation. We drift toward the darkness without Christ at the helm of our lives. The Bible tells us that …

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) For Christ also hath ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS, THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST, that HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD ….

God came to earth, was born of a Virgin, lived a sinless life, and went to the Cross to make sacrifice for our sins. Jesus Christ came to bring us to God, something no one else can do. We are set apart from our sin and drawn to the mountaintop of God by Christ our Lord. We are told in …

Hebrews 10:10-12 (KJV) …. we are sanctified {set apart for God’s use} through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. …. after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever…

Jesus suffered for SINS that He might bring us to God. There were no specified sins that He did not offer Himself for. He offered ONE sacrifice for SINS forever. He paid for every sin that we would ever commit. No matter how heinous, no matter how evil, no matter how many people our sin hurt – Jesus paid for our sins on that Cross of Calvary.

But if Jesus is the only means to salvation, and we reject that only means of salvation – then can we be saved? No. No, we cannot. Jesus told these Scribes:

Mark 3:29 (KJV) … But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath NEVER FORGIVENESS, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

Those who blaspheme against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven. In a parallel text we read:

Matthew 12:31-32 (KJV) Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

What is “blaspheme of the Holy Spirit”? Why is this sin so unforgivable?

When Jesus came born of a virgin, He entered this world through the power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus preached and healed He did so through the power of the Holy Spirit. One of Jesus’ first sermons was:

Luke 4:18-21 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (20) And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (21) And he began to say unto them, THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS.

When Christ was preparing to go to the Cross of Calvary to pay for our sins He promised to send the Holy Spirit of God back to us. The Holy Spirit of God is the One Who empowers the Savior and empowers salvation. To look at the wondrous things Christ did and attribute what He did TO THE DEVIL shows a heart so dark, so hate filled, so convoluted that it can NEVER be saved.

God cannot save a heart hardened against Christ.

God cannot rescue the person that is satisfied with drowning in the darkness of selfishness.

The Bible says:

Acts 10:38 (KJV) … God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

What makes the “unpardonable sin” unpardonable is that the person committing it will not repent and will not submit to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. If you will not come to Christ you cannot be pardoned.

He alone is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. He alone is the only way to come unto God.

Those Who Follow And Love Jesus Are Blessed. Those Who Love Jesus Will One Day Be With Him In His Heaven.

Right after this incident we read:

Mark 3:31-33 (KJV) There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. (32) And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. (33) And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

Jesus wasn’t being disrespectful to His earthly family, but He was making a point. Who is related to Jesus? Who is His mother and His brothers and sisters? Jesus was born into this life of the Spirit. He is God in the flesh. How do we get into God’s family? Jesus declared:

Mark 3:34-35 (KJV) And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! (35) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

What is the will of God that Jesus spoke of? It is to come to Jesus Christ by faith. To sit at His feet. To order your life by His will. To surrender to Him as Savior, and follow Him as Lord.

Jesus said in another place:

John 6:38-40 (KJV) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

You fulfill the will of God when you come to Jesus Christ. He is the one and only Messiah. The writer and apologist C.S. Lewis wrote that he studied the life of Christ and eventually became a Christian, surrendering himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. Lewis wrote …

“One of three things is true {about Jesus}. He is either a lunatic on the level of somebody who thinks He’s a poached egg, or He is a liar at such a calculated and clever and extreme level as to probably be unequaled as a purveyor of deception, or He is Lord. Forget the patronizing nonsense that He’s a good teacher, that’s not an option that He has left to us.”

He is Lord. He is God Who gave Himself for you. Come to Him by faith and be saved, or reject Him and be damned forever. The choice is yours as it was with the Scribes, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees. Choose Christ and choose life!

Revelation 3:1-6 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

On Sunday, January 11 2015, over 1 million people marched in Paris in protest of the terrorist attacks on the offices of the magazine “Charlie Hebdo”. Many carried signs that said “Je Suis Charlie”, which means “I Am Charlie”. Though I despise what the Muslim extremists did, and though I support the right to free speech for every person (even if I hate the speech), I do not believe that it is appropriate for anyone who professes to be Christian to align themselves with the behavior of a magazine that profited from shock and slander. One French Lawyer named Richard Malka said “We will not give in. The spirit of ‘I am Charlie’ means the right to blaspheme”.

Having a right does not make a thing right. I have the right to free speech – but not to slander another. I have a right to free speech – but not to speak hatefully of another. I have a right to free speech – but to yell “Fire” in a crowded place inciting a riot is not my right. Words matter. Actions matter. God looks at our hearts, and what is in our hearts matters. If we are born again Children of God we should be marked not by signs that say “I Am Charlie” but rather “I Am Christ”.

Tonight we’ll be looking at Christ’s words to an end time Church called “Sardis”. The name “Sardis” literally means “Prince of Joy”. The Church in Sardis – in fact every Church – should have been a place of joy. Joy is the heritage of the Christ Follower. The Bible says that

Galatians 5:22-23 …. the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance ….

Romans 15:13 ^(ESV) May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Proverbs 10:28 ^(NIV) The prospect of the righteous is JOY, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

A Church should be a joyful place filled with joyful people. But Sardis was not joyful. Sardis had a good reputation. But Sardis had stalled – they had a bad heart problem!

1 Sardis Had A Reputation For Being Alive, But The Church Was Dead. Jesus said to them:

Revelation 3:1 … unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

This is highly symbolic, so bear with me. Jesus says that He has “the seven Spirits of God”. This is a reference to the sevenfold manifestation of the Spirit of God. The Prophet Isaiah foresaw the First Advent of Jesus Christ, and wrote of Him:

Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

The “Seven Spirits of God” is the Spirit of the LORD (the Great I AM), the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. Jesus Christ had the Fullness of the Spirit, and His people should likewise have the Fullness of the Spirit. There is Life in Christ, and there should be Life in those who love Christ. Jesus said:

John 10:10 …. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it MORE ABUNDANTLY.

I preached this one time and I had an old Fundamentalist come up to me. He asked, “What do you mean that we are to have ABUNDANT LIFE”? I guess he thought I was getting too Pentacostal. I did what Jesus always did, I answered his question with a question. I asked “What do you think JESUS meant when He said that He came to give us ABUNDANT LIFE?” To my knowledge, that old Fundamentalist never answered my questioned, but wandered off to afflict someone else.

The rest of the world is just existing. The Christian is to LIVE! God has given us life so we can live. He has given us light so that we can SHINE!

A Sunday School teacher was showing her young students what she had learned as a child. She took her hands and, folding them, said:

“Here is the Church, and Here is the Steeple.

Open the doors, and There’s all the people!

As she was doing this she suddenly realized she made a terrible error in judgment. One of her students was a little boy who had been born with no left hand. The other children were making their little Churches with their little hands, but this boy sat there, red faced and embarrassed. Before the teacher could say anything one of the other children scooted over where he was, saying “Here, let me help.” Putting out her hand she joined hands with the little boy, and TOGETHER they made the Church.

A Church is not one person, nor one building. A Church is a body of believers, a family, The Family of God working together, living together, being Light together in this dark world.

2 Sardis Was Dead Because It Started Much, But Finished Little. The Lord said:

Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works PERFECT BEFORE GOD.

Circle the word “PERFECT” in your text. This is the Greek  πληρόω PLEROO (play-roh’-o), which means “Complete, Finished”.

The Church at Sardis STARTED a lot of things but it never FINISHED what it started. Jesus said “I’ve examined what you’ve done, but these works that you’ve done you have not finished. These works are BEFORE GOD. God sees them – and you have left them hanging.”

There is no prize for starting well, but for finishing well. Israel started well when they came out of Egypt. They did as God told them to do. They put the Blood of the Lamb that was slain on the door posts of their houses. Because the Blood was on the homes the Destroyer could not come in the house (Exodus 12:23), and Israel was released. They crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land. They should have inherited the Land, but did not. Why? They did not finish well.

Even Moses, great man that he was and is. He was the most humble of all men. God blessed Moses with a great ministry, and Moses should have went into the Promised Land, but did not. Why? Because Moses took the glory from God. Rather than speak to the Rock he smote the Rock, saying …

Numbers 20:10 …. Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

God told Moses and Aaron:

Numbers 20:12 …. Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

You ran a great race, but did not finish well. When you run a race, you run it for the judges. You seek to impress the judges, not the audience. You run for the prize that the Judge will award. Dear Christian, we are to run for the Audience of One. Run so that He is pleased. Run so that He – seeing us – is magnified. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

You are running a race for God. You were left on this earth to shine for Him, so that others might see Christ in us. Run! Run the race and keep on running. Keep running, though the race seems hard. Run though it may seem as if the Devil and Darkness might be winning. Run and keep on running. The Scripture tells us:

Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

People are watching. God is watching. The angels are watching. There are so many Churches and so many Christians today that look good on the outside, but they are dead for they are not running the race for Jesus. I’ve seen a lot of STARTERS in my ministry as a Pastor, but many are not FINISHERS. Sadly this is true even of those in full time ministry. Do you know that only 1 in 10 Pastors run the race until the day Jesus calls them home? Trained and ordained, they quit too soon. If you have life keep on running, keep on going, keep on doing for Jesus. There will come a day when your body can lay down and quit, and that is the day that you are DEAD INDEED and put in a casket. Run until Jesus calls you home!

Jesus Christ kept running His Race even though their pinned His Hands and Feet to the Cross. He kept running His Race though they jammed vinegar in His mouth to quench His thirst. He kept running His Race though they mocked and spit on Him. Why? Why? IT WAS FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM! God wins. Grace saves. The Family is born. Jesus walks out of that Tomb, and so do we who are His!

Finish what you start. YOUR FAITH IS YOUR FAITH. Live it! God is watching how we do. We must never be Sardis. There will be a harvest if we continue to follow Him in the race.

John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never! A member of a small Church in Colchester, England, it never occurred to this poor man to preach. He loved the Lord, loved His Church, and ever Sunday walked six miles to Church because this was what God called him to do. One Sunday morning he woke up and there was several feet of snow on the ground. At first John thought about staying home – after all, they would probably cancel Church anyway. But he reconsidered. As a Deacon in the Church he had a responsibility to be a good example. So John dressed warm and walked the six miles to Church. When he got to Church there was only thirteen people there counting him. Even the Pastor stayed home that day. Twelve members, and a thirteen year old boy who was a visitor was all that was there. Someone said, “Why don’t we just go home?” John was the only Deacon there. He saw the visitor, and thought “I’ve just got to share the Gospel!” So he stood up read from …

Isaiah 45:21-22 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

John didn’t know how to preach, and so what he said lasted only about ten minutes. But as he spoke and spread the wings of his faith the Holy Spirit became the wind beneath his wings. He lifted his eyes and looked at the thirteen year old boy, challenging him. “Young man, look unto Jesus. Look! Look! Look at Him and Him alone”. That young man would be saved through this preaching, and would later preach what this man preached to him in one of his own sermons:

“It was about twenty-six years ago,—twenty-six years exactly last Thursday,—that I looked unto the Lord, and found salvation, through this text. You have often heard me tell how I had been wandering about, seeking rest, and finding none, till a plain, unlettered, lay preacher … stood up in the pulpit, and gave out this passage as his text: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” … I remember how he said, “It is Christ that speaks. ‘I am in the garden in an agony, pouring out my soul unto death; I am on the tree, dying for sinners; look unto me! Look unto me!’ That is all you have to do. A child can look. One who is almost an idiot can look. However weak, or however poor, a man may be, he can look; and if he looks, the promise is that he shall live.” Then, stopping, he pointed to where I was sitting under the gallery, and he said, “That young man there looks very miserable.” I expect I did, for that is how I felt. Then he said, “There is no hope for you, young man, or any chance of getting rid of your sin, but by looking to Jesus;” and he shouted …. “Look! Look, young man! Look now!” And I did look; and when they sang a hallelujah before they went home, in their own earnest way, I am sure I joined in it. It happened to be a day when the snow was lying deep and more was falling; so, as I went home, those words of David kept ringing through my heart, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow;” and it seemed as if all nature was in accord with that blessed deliverance from sin which I had found in a single moment by looking to Jesus Christ.”

The young man that was saved was C.H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers. Because John was faithful to the finish THOUSANDS were saved. God will not bless that which is started – however fervently – but not finished. We serve a Risen Savior, and we are called to serve Him until the day He calls us home. Jesus said to Sardis – and to every Christian

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

What God gives us – what we have received and heard – we are to hold fast, to keep on doing. We are not called to be half hearted but whole hearted in serving our Lord. Jesus said “I will come on thee as a Thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee”. The Procrastinator says “Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow”. Jesus says, “Tomorrow might not come. The finish line can be any day, any moment, any second.” Jesus can call us home anytime. Run the race until the Master says “Well done, My Child …welcome home!”

3 Those Who Start Out Like Gang Busters But Quit MAY NOT Be Saved. Jesus closes His letter to Sardis with these words:

Revelation 3:4-5 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Some have incorrectly taken the Biblical Doctrine of “Once Saved Always Saved” to be a covering for sin. Actually, I don’t like “Once Saved Always Saved”, but prefer “Perseverance of the Saints”. If you’re born again, God has changed you and will keep on changing you until the day you have the ultimate change in Heaven. “Perseverance of the Saints” or “Eternal Security” is not a cloak by which we sin with impunity. Those who are saved are in the Family of God. Those who are saved keep on living for God. Jesus says “there are a few in Sardis who have not soiled their garments – they shall walk with Me in white”. A saved person may sin, but a saved person does not live in sin. A saved person who sins is convicted of sin by the Spirit that indwells them, and that saved person confesses their sin to God:

1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Lord says to His people “he that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment, and I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE”. Those who run the race for Jesus – loving Him – will overcome. They will keep on keeping on. Those who do not may not be saved.

Finish well.

The first Missionary from America overseas was a young man named Adoniram Judson. He was a brilliant young man. The son of a Pastor, he learned to read in one week at his mother’s knee when he was only three years old. He entered college when he was only 16 years old, and graduated at the top of his class just three years later. Judson’s parents thought that he was a Christian, and he knew the words and the ways. But he just never gave his heart to Christ. When he was in college he met a man named Jacob Eames, and fully turned from God. Judson said that he lived “a reckless, vagabond life, finding lodgings when he could, and bilking the landlord where he found opportunity”. Eames went his way and Judson his, with neither living for the Lord.

One night Judson took a room in a small village inn. The innkeeper told him “I apologize, but in the next room there’s a man critically ill. He may keep you awake tonight, but I have no other rooms.” All night long Judson heard people coming and going, and the horrible moans and cries of the man in the room next door. Judson began to think about his own life and how it might be if he ended in such a state. Early in the morning the moans ceased. When Judson got ready to leave he asked the innkeeper, “Is that man better? The moans stopped during the night.” The innkeeper said “He is dead”. Judson asked, “Do you know who he was?” The innkeeper replied, “Oh yes. He was a young man from the college in Providence. His name was EAMES, JACOB EAMES.”

The man that led Judson from Christ died a terrible death. It wasn’t long after that that Adoniram Judson gave his life to Christ. He met and married Ann Hasseltine, and he and his wife ended up as missionaries to Burma. They both ran their race in Burma, dying for the Lord in that country, leading many to Christ.

As Pastor John Piper said, “God does not call us to ease, but to faithful joy”. Run the race. Never give up. Trust the Lord, for He runs with us. Finish what you start for HIM.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Sometimes I wake up with a song in my head. Most times it’s a hymn, but the other day I woke up with an old song from my generation (the Baby Boomers). It was written by two men, England Dan and John Coley and is called “Love Is The Answer”. It’s a beautiful song. Listen to the lyrics:

Name your price
A ticket to paradise
I can’t stay here any more
And I’ve looked high and low
I’ve been from shore, to shore, to shore
If there’s a short cut I’d have found it
There is no easy way around it
Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all, Set us free
Love is the answer

When I first heard the song I thought “These people are singing about Jesus”. Jesus Christ said:

John 8:12 …. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

But when I listened to the song further I realized they weren’t talking of Christ. They sang:

Who knows why
Someday we all must die
We’re all homeless boys and girls
And we’re never heard
It’s such a lonely, lonely world
People turn their heads
And walk on by
Tell me is it worth just another try …

They were singing of love not seated in Christ but divorced from Christ. They were – like so many in this world today – elevating love as an EMOTION without reason and without basis. Two people come together and they say “Well, at least they found love”. Did they?

If God is not in the midst of it, it is not love. God is Love. God defines what love is.

God shows us love in what He did for us on the Cross. Love is not self serving and self seeking, but reaches out to lift up others even at the expense of ourselves.

Question: What Are The Characteristics Of Godly Love? ______________________________

Paul addresses this as he speaks to the Church at Philippi. This Church was a strong, mostly united Church. The Apostle writes:

Verse 8 is partially obscured by the Old English of the King James. What Paul told the Church was “God is my Witness how deeply I miss you all with the affection of Christ Jesus”. The Love that Paul had for the Church was based on the affection of Christ Jesus.

Love is the Answer, and Love has a Face and a Voice – and it is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Love that the world – and we need – is to “abound more and more in KNOWLEDGE and in all JUDGEMENT or DISCERNMENT”. What is “Godly Love”?

Answer: Godly Love Is Marked By Both Knowledge As Well As Good Discernment. The Apostle prayed that “your love would abound (grow) in KNOWLEDGE and all JUDGMENT. Genuine Godly love is a thinking love. It is not rooted in confusion, but in God.

John 3:16 is a wonderful Bible text that promotes the Gospel, but one of my favorite Bible verses that helps me both as a believer and as a Pastor is found in:

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is NOT the author of confusion, but OF PEACE, as in ALL churches of the saints.

I love that verse because it has cleared up so many things in my life. God is not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace. When the Apostle wrote this it was to a Church that was proud of it’s use of spiritual gifts. Paul told the Corinthians …

1 Corinthians 14:12 …. forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may EXCEL TO THE EDIFYING OF THE CHURCH.

1 Corinthians 14:26 …. How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

You can have spiritual gifts. You can do great things. But if LOVE – Godly Love – is not in the mix then God is not in it. God is NOT the Author of confusion – but of PEACE. When someone says something to confuse me I ask them to repeat the statement. If they still confuse me GOD IS NOT IN IT. Genuine Godly love edifies – it builds up – it blesses. It thinks.

Pastor Ray Stedman said  “Love acts like hate when it refuses to think”. A good thing becomes a bad thing when it does not LIFT UP to God. A good thing becomes a bad thing when it does not glorify the Master. Paul prayed for the Church that their love would grow in knowledge and discernment – that it would be SPIRIT driven and SCRIPTURE based.

After Paul expresses his heart’s desire for the Church he writes:

An ABOUNDING, EDIFYING, THINKING GOD SENT LOVE has four things true of it:

1. It “approves things that are excellent”. It magnifies things that matter most, and does not waste itself on trivia. It is not side tracked by minutia or the mundane but focuses on “What has God said”.

   Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
   

2. It is “sincere and without offense”. The phrase “without offense” is ἀπρόσκοπος aproskopos (ap-ros’-kop-os) meaning “not leading into sin”. Genuine love will lead people TOWARD God not AWAY from God. The congregation at Rome began to fight among themselves over MEAT and what was right to eat. The Apostle told them:

   Romans 14:13-21 (KJV)13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
   

3. The Love that God wants in His Church is “filled with the fruits of righteousness” means to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. It is Spirit driven.

   Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

   There is a difference between LUST and LOVE. LUST is motivated by the desire to lift up SELF. LOVE is motivated by the desire to lift up GOD and our FELLOW MAN.
   

4. The Love that God desires of us will always bring “glory and praise unto God”. We were made to give praise to Him, to honor Him, to love Him.

   Psalms 104:1-2 (ESV2011) Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, 2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.

   Psalms 86:12 (ESV2011) I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

   Love is the answer, but that love must come from and magnify God. I have a dear friend I lost touch with over the years, but I will never forget him. His name was Ron Golder. Ron loved the Lord. He and I used to study the Bible together for hours at a time. Ron taught me Biblical Greek and mentored a young Christian boy into manhood. He made a difference in my life.

   Whose life are you making a difference in? Who are you blessing, building up, edifying? If you belong to Jesus Christ, then you are called to be discipled and to make disciples. Let’s make a difference for Him!

   May God touch your hearts with His Word.

1 Corinthians 1:10 ^(KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

As we look at God’s Word, may His Spirit guide us into understanding what it means to “speak the same thing” as Christians.

1 God’s Power Is Released In A Church Where “All Speak The Same Thing”.

a God Spoke the Creation Into Being. The Bible tells us that:

Psalms 33:6-9 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Fallen man uses his tongue to curse God and to mock Him. God, however, used His Tongue to give us life.

God created the Heavens and the earth. We live in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is just one of many Billions of Galaxies. This Galaxy alone is around 120,000 light years in diameter. Our own Solar System is 27,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way. On November 4, 2013 NBC News reported that:

“Astronomers using NASA data have calculated for the first time that in our galaxy alone, there are at least 8.8 billion stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable temperature zone. The study was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For perspective, that’s more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth.”

Scientists don’t have a clue as to how many stars there are — but God knows how many there are because He made them all. He spoke them into existence, and gives them names. Scientists don’t know how many planets there are out there in the vastness of space …. but God does because He made it.

2 God Spoke Creation Into Being – But Only On THIS Planet Did God Plant His Image. The Book of Genesis tells us that the first words God spoke were:

Genesis 1:3 “Let there be light” and there was light.

As God created He made things GOOD. He pronounced everything He made GOOD. But on the sixth day the Bible tells us that:

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

It was only after God created man that He said VERY GOOD! Man was made in the image of God. Man is made in the image of God. God made us to walk and talk with Him.

• He didn’t give us tongues to curse Him – nor one another.

• He didn’t give us tongues so we can argue about the mundane or the temporal.

• He gave us tongues so that we can Praise Him.

• He gave us tongues so we can Share Him and his Love.

• He gave us tongues so we can be like Him.

We and others are SAVED or DAMNED by the use of our tongues. The Bible tells us that:

Romans 10:9-13 ^(HCSB) If you confess with your MOUTH, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and ONE CONFESSES WITH THE MOUTH, RESULTING IN SALVATION. 11 Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, 12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Every person is made in the image of God, and every person needs God because of that. A life without Christ is not life at all. People need the Lord. Speak the same thing. Tell others of Christ. Let your words be Godlike, Christlike. The Apostle tells us:

Colossians 3:14-17 …. And above all …. put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Speak Grace, speak love, speak Christ. Praise Him!

3 Speak As A Servant Of Christ. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 1:10 ^(KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing ….

If you are a Christian, then Christ is your Lord. You live for Him. You speak “in His name”. You speak as a steward, knowing that one day you will give an account of your words.

Matthew 12:33-37 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

When I lived in North Carolina we heated our house by propane. I hated that, because it cost nearly a thousand dollars to fill that tank! One winter the heat came on, but was blowing cold air. I went out and checked the tank. Sure enough, I had let the tank run out. You can’t see propane … you can smell it because of what they put in it …. but you can’t see it. But you can see how much is in the tank by the GAGE on that tank! I had a tank, but it was empty. I had a tank, but there was no propane in it.

If you belong to God – if you are saved by His Word – then His Word effects your WORDS. What you say changes. If you are a sweet water well, when you speak sweet water comes out of your bucket. What’s in the bucket comes up from the well. If the well is filled with dirty water, that’s what will come out of your mouth. We all shall give an account to God on judgment day for our words. We shall either RUN from a Great White Throne, or RUN TO the Judgment Seat of Christ. Either way, there will be an accounting.

The World Hears What God’s Church Says. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 1:10 ^(KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Note that he says that as Christians we are to be perfectly joined together in the SAME mind and in the SAME judgment. God’s standard for His Church is to be in ONE accord. Why is this so important? Because he goes on to say to the Corinthians ….

1 Corinthians 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Back when the Church was first started no one met in big buildings like we have the freedom to do in America. No, people met in HOUSES. For instance, Paul commends Priscilla and Aquila – a Christian married couple in Romans 16 who had a Gentile Church in their home. (see Romans 16:3-5).

In the early Church you didn’t meet in a big building with the word “Church” on the front door for the same reason that Lobsters … if they had a choice …. wouldn’t meet in them little aquariums that you find them in at fine restaurants.

People met in homes. Paul tells the Corinthian Church “I’ve heard you’re fighting from the Church in Chloe’s house!” A Church gains a reputation based on the word of its members. And Beloved, PEOPLE WILL NOT BE SAVED AT FIGHTING CHURCHES! Where are people saved?

Where the love of Christ rules both body and tongue. Where people keep the commandment of our Lord, which is:

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Troublemakers were actually barred from early Churches. The Bible commands:

Romans 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

If you have been loved by Christ … love. Love as He loved. Love one another. Speak the same thing. Be of the same mind. Be like Christ. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

So beautiful! Praise God.