Gtcotr/ss111508
What if there was really a God in heaven?
* What if He was Creator of the Universe, Sovereign Lord of everything and the Eternal Judge of all the souls of mankind?
* What if He was separated from His creation by a dark veil of sin?
* What if God so loved the world that He substituted His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind?
* What if God established a law that whosoever embraced His Son, Jesus, as Lord would be saved from the powers of sin and eternal damnation?
* What if God decreed that any one who did not accept Jesus would be cast into outer darkness and live eternally in torment of the soul?
* What if this Sovereign God of the Universe set a time, a certain number of years, days and minutes in which He would give each individual their opportunity to take advantage of this salvation, after which time they could no longer access this grace?
* What if God gave every person who received salvation the responsibility to tell others about the opportunity to be born again into God’s family?
* What if God also set a time, a certain number of centuries, decades, years, months, days and hours, before He brought final judgment to the world and every soul who had ever lived?
* What if God wrote a book and gave it to mankind confirming what I’ve just said and describing how we would know the end was near?
* What if God chose a generation … to witness the return of Jesus to the earth and see Him rapture the saved to heaven before God unleashed His wrath upon all who choose to reject Him and live without Him in the ungodly corruption of this world?
The title of today’s message is:
* What if …
The question of the day is:
* What if we are that generation?
Key Scripture: Esther 4:14 "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
We live in exciting times. Imagine the days of the first church and the early disciples … the persecutions, the imprisonments, the martyrdoms … what exciting times to serve and to see the Kingdom of God advance against such odds and individuals.
There are two great days in every adventure: The day it begins and the day it ends – often with many adventurous days along the way.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof … (KJV)
Ecclesiastes says that the end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof.
The New Living Translation says it this way:
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Finishing is better than starting …
Like a race in the Olympics, the excitement at the start when the gun sounds and the runners first get their footing. Along the way the pace changes while runners move within the pack. Then, near the end the excitement builds once again as the leaders push themselves to see who has the stamina, the heart, the power to win the race.
You’ve got to admit, we do get excited about the start of a race … but we stand with greater excitement to see who wins!
Every dedicated football player would love to get the chance to play in the Super Bowl … to perhaps make the winning play.
Every committed baseball player dreams of playing in the World Series and hitting a grand slam to clench the title.
Stand by any basketball court where young men are practicing, listen and you will eventually hear one of them saying something like this: “The score is 100 to 99 with just 3 seconds on the clock, he has the ball, can he score … he dribbles, he shoots, there’s the buzzer, will he make it? He makes it! Final score 101 to 100 … What a game!”
They are dreaming about themselves, encouraging themselves, speaking to themselves, preparing themselves … what you hear is from their heart … a desire to be in the heat of moment and win the game against the odds. God has put that desire in each one of us!
Not one of us has the lifelong dream of losing, failing, quitting …
Every diehard soldier longs to be on the front lines, fighting the war on the battlefield of determination.
And …
Every true Believer wants to live in the end times standing as a testimony of truth, facing down the enemies of the cross, holding back the forces of evil, serving in the last day Church filled with Power, caught up in the rapture of the saints just before the Anti-Christ reveals himself and takes over all world powers … beamed up just in the nick of time, just before the guillotine hits it mark.
Well, this just might be our chance!
Some generation will have the privilege and honor of facing the end times. Many prophets of old longed to be in that group but were not chosen for such a time as this. This is our day! Once again, Jesus has saved the best wine for last.
It’s like being asked to compete in the Olympics!
I believe that we are either that generation, or we are training that generation, who will see the return of Jesus and the end of this age.
We live in a day when the world only wants peace, prosperity and pleasure. Any person who can promise these will have the following of the whole world. Whoever can bring these will be their king.
The Church however knows that worldly peace, prosperity and pleasures are but fleeting illusions that can never fully satisfy. Don’t be fooled into thinking that any government of man has the answer.
You see, Jesus is the answer and He is coming back in your lifetime for you, whether He comes for everyone or not, He is coming for you. You will not live forever here in this life and we are told to prepare ourselves by living every day as if Jesus were coming back that day!
We should always be looking for the coming of the Lord …
Dear friends, if you are not already a believer in Jesus as the Messiah, Savior and Lord, then give Him your heart today. God is preparing your heart and mind to accept His Truth. All you have to do is trust Him, try Him and He will prove Himself real to you.
There is a peace which passes all understanding and this true peace will come to you from within, when you have Jesus, The Prince of Peace living on the inside of you.
There is prosperity, more than the gold and silver of this world can afford … prosperity which results from being an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.
There are pleasures beyond your imagination awaiting you in the Kingdom of God. The Bible calls them ‘pleasures forevermore’.
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
If you will only make public what you already know in private to be true. There is a God and He is drawing you to become a Believer in Jesus as Messiah, Savior and Lord. Invite Him into your life today.
And Dear Saint,
I believe these are the last days, they are your last days for sure, in fact they are not only your last days … These days are your only days! You have but one life and one chance to make a difference throughout eternity. Your chance begins today …
This is the time to get serious about your salvation, your conviction and your commitment to Jesus as Lord. What are you doing with your everyday life? What are you pursuing? Is it God’s will for your life and are you making a difference? What can you do to better prepare yourself, your family and others for the coming of the Lord?
1. Increase your prayer commitment
2. Stop your pursuits of sin and selfish ambition
3. Return the Church to its original vision of winning the lost and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.
Become a part of what God is doing in the earth. Surely He will do it even without you but what an opportunity we have to participate in the most exciting times this world has ever seen.
I feel just like I have been asked to participate in the Olympics, play in the Super Bowl, fight for the heavy weight championship of the world, or sling a rock at Goliath … the two minute warning has just been sounded and our game is at its most critical moment.
I leave you with four scriptures … testimonies of truth:
Luke 10:24 "I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."
1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is my hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
James 5:8 Be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
