Gtcotr/ss050122
God gave us the Bible so we could understand Him, in hopes we would choose to be like Him.
The Bible only tells One Story. It is a story of Good News to all men.
No one verse in the Bible is intended to be read independent or apart from the One Story God is telling. Every verse fits together like pieces to a puzzle and it only paints One Picture.
The only way to accurately interpret any story, prophecy, verse, or account in the Bible is to interpret it in light of the One Story God is telling.
The Bible tells only one story – it is the story of redemption.
Even in the last days, just prior to the tribulation, the Book of Revelation describes 7 Churches to whom Jesus wrote His last messages. In each admonition Jesus left His signature in plain sight. He said: “To him who overcomes …”
God’s redemptive intent should be sought out and championed in everything we do for Him. If it is going to be signed by Jesus, it will be signed in love. (Not in anger or resentment) Let me put it this way. In every prophecy and each word from God, even the Holy Bible, if the message comes from the Holy Spirit, it will be signed, “Love, Jesus.” If you haven’t gotten to the "Love, Jesus" part, you’re not finished … keep reading!
Don’t imagine you’re at the end of the story until every knee bows, and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus said it best in:
John 3 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.
17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
This morning we are going to discover God’s intent to redeem even the worst of sinners. God gave us this story in Acts 9 to help us understand Him better. Again, God’s hope is that we would choose to be like Him.
Acts 9 NKJV
1 ¶ Then Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the
high priest
2 and asked letters from him
to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way,
whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came
near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
One of the biggest things we notice when we read this account is how personal Jesus took it when someone persecuted His Bride.
Jesus interrupted Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and dealt rather strongly with him because He loved Saul and wanted to redeem him.
God corrects us because He loves us not because He gets sick and tired of us or because He wants to hurt somebody who’s made Him angry.
God was not punishing Saul for his past; He was positioning him for his future. And God is not interested in punishing others for their past either.
Please get that “God wants to punish people” attitude out of your heart. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And that’s just not our message. We are commissioned to preach the Gospel that saves sinners, not our aggravation or our assessment that judges, criticizes, or condemns them. If we are ever going to be like God, we will have to fall in love with sinners, (not sin). We are called to love our enemies, and do good to those who aggravate and irritate us. It’s hard to do good and hate at the same time.
We note from the account in Acts 9 that Jesus cared about Saul of Tarsus and the story does not stop with Jesus blinding and correcting him. The story continues with Saul getting saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, healed, called into the ministry, being discipled, and becoming a powerful witness for Jesus, everywhere he went, for the rest of his life.
We
also note that Jesus cared about the Church. In fact, this is
probably one of the biggest reasons why Jesus got so personally involved. Saul,
and the politically motivated piously “better than you” religious establishment
of the day, were bent on persecuting the Church. Now we must note – the
Church in the New Testament was not perfect. (Corinth, Galatia,
Pergamos, Thyatira for example) They all had problems. In fact, the Church
has never been perfect. However, we will miss a huge God-point here if we
imagine Jesus did not love His Bride or wanted you to hurt her, condemn her,
destroy her, or abandon her on His behalf because she is not perfect.
·
Jesus died for the Church
·
Jesus is coming again for the Church
·
Jesus loves the Church
o
The Church is the Body of Christ
o
The Church is His Family
o
The Church is the Bride of Christ, not one of His
girlfriends
·
Don’t be dissing the Bride of Christ!!!
·
Who are we to judge, malign, or belittle the Bride of
Christ?
o
Jesus is not just dating us to see if He likes us …
o
Jesus is not about to let anyone start pointing out all
the imperfections of His Bride … (Matthew 7 for example)
o
He is committed to the Church – fully committed throughout
eternity
o
He is the Head of the Church, and He will take care of
whatever she needs - He is able to sanctify and cleanse His Bride with the
washing of the water by the Word so that He might present to Himself a glorious
Church, not having spot or wrinkle – holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5)
o We must not let the rare bad actor blind us to all God is doing in and through His Church in our day.
Just
to set the record straight …
·
The
Church today is bigger and better than the Church in Paul’s day
·
The
Church today is more powerful and more productive than it was in Paul’s day
·
The
Church today is going farther and growing faster than in Paul’s day
·
The
Church today is more educated, more spiritual, more balanced, sharper, more
inclusive, less legal, more doctrinally sound, more spiritually secure, filled
with more hope, feeding more people, more present in governments, more
prevalent in societies, covering more of the world with the Gospel, and saving
more souls than ever before in history.
· I’ve been across this nation, around the world – Jesus and His Bride are alive and well in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. It is getting difficult to mention Jesus without getting a “yes and amen” from someone who is listening. It happens everywhere I go.
Refuse to believe what the world, the devil, and misguided saints say about the Church. God is not mad at the Church, and He is not sick and tired of us. The Church of Jesus Christ is doing well, and that’s exactly what we will hear when we enter the gates of heaven … “Well done good and faithful servant. For I was hungry, and you fed Me; thirsty and you gave Me drink; naked and you clothed Me; sick and in prison and you ministered to Me.”
That’s the truth because that’s what we are doing in the name of Jesus!
Oh yes … remember the title of this message: Plan B – Well, there is no plan B … The Church is all God has and all He wants.
And
God wants you to become a functioning part of the Bride of Christ. What can you
do? Every local Church still needs:
1.
Goers
2.
Stayers
3.
Prayers
4. Payers
Find your place of service in the Bride of Christ.
Rejoice
and be glad … God is in love with you!
