Gtcotr/ss082723
Revelation 22 NKJV
13 “I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
14 Blessed are those who do His
commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter
through the gates into the city.
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and
sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a
lie.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
If anyone ever asks me what the secret is to pastoring the same Church for decades, I will say: The secret to pastoring a Church, or successfully doing anything for Jesus for any period of time, The secret is knowing the One who knows everything.
I
know God. I have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. He is my
Lord and my Savior. I know him!
·
I
know He is the Alpha and the Omega.
·
I
know He is the Beginning and the End.
·
I
know He is the First and the Last.
·
I
know He is the Root and the Offspring of David.
·
I
know He is the Bright and Morning Star.
· And I know He loves me, and every other sinner who ever born.
The question I want to ask today is: “Do you know Him? Or do you only know about Him?”
God knows everything. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
God knows the end from the beginning … The Prophet Isaiah said:
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, “My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.”
You see, God knows everything, and we don’t. God knows everything and yet He guides us down pathways in life which are challenging and difficult at times. God knows the end from the beginning, only we don’t. Yet …
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in the hearts of men, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
He walks with us along our path in light and in spite of what He knows.
We decide a lot without knowing much, but God sees everything, and He is always prepared. God sees the completed work; we only see the moment.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory …
While we see a moment, God sees the future and how the moment contributes to the overall success of His eternal plan. God wants us to trust Him in each moment and with the outcome He is working towards.
God is never unprepared for anything that happens. And I believe that contrary to what some may believe, neither are those who know Him.
Even though we may not always realize it until some point afterwards, God prepares us for the things He knows we will encounter before they happen. God is faithful to us … more faithful than we are to Him. God is faithful …
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
When we know Him, we know He is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End; the First and the Last; the Author and the Finisher.
And as such … we know He is never surprised but always prepared. And, even though we are often surprised, we are also more prepared than we realize.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
This is not just wishful thinking, positive confession, or mind over matter. This is the truth. And, if you know Him, you know this. God is working all things together for our good.
The last week in August of 1988, 35 years ago, the good people who made up the congregation of Golden Triangle Church on the Rock in Nederland, Texas, were more prepared for the tasks ahead than they realized … so was I. God had evidently used the difficulties life had thrown our way to fashion and temper us all into the vessel He knew He could use for His glory.
Time fails me, as it did the writer of Hebrews, to tell you of all the wonderous works, significant signs, and marvelous miracles which have been done in the name of Jesus through GTCOTR in the past 35 years. Together we have reached the whole world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have indeed left it better than we found it.
How … it’s because we know the One who knows everything … and we trust Him with each moment knowing He will take it and make it all into something beautiful in its time.
So
again …
·
Do
you know Jesus in a personal way?
·
Will
you trust Him with this moment?
·
Give
God His chance to write the story of your success.
· He knows everything!
Church on the Rock, Elders, staff, congregation members, missionaries, family, and friends, I want to thank each and every one of you for the past 35 years of faithful service to the Lord and for all the years God will yet offer and for which we have been prepared.
He knows!
May God bless you and continue to make you a
blessing to the whole wide world.
