Building on The Basics

``The world is always saying, hey, come over here. You need this in your life. Hey, chase that person. Hey, achieve that goal. Hey, do this. Hey, reach that. Have this much income. Hey, do this and that. And the whole time, God is saying, come to me. Come to me. And I'll give you the life that you actually want even though you may not even know it at this point. I'll give you life that you actually need. I'll give you life that is satisfying and full and gives you everything that you want. God says, break free from the attractions and distractions of the world and focus on me, the source of everything that you need. [00:53:38] (45 seconds)

What John is saying is that Everything's ready for the end. Everything's ready for the end. We're in the last period of time. Everything's ready for the end. The redemption, the sacrifice for the redemption of mankind has already occurred two thousand years ago on a cross. As Jesus hung on that cross cross and declared, it is finished. Three days later, as he came up out of that grave, throwing off the shackles of of death, Jesus said to her, John chapter 11 verse 25, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies. [00:56:11] (55 seconds)

John says, hey, let let me just remind you guys. Yeah. You gotta be aware of the the things of the world. These things can become your idols, but be aware that that all of it's going away anyway. It's not gonna be here that that long in the whole scheme of things. And so the natural question might be asked then, why do we spend so much time, effort, energy, and resources on something that has an expiration date? [00:52:56] (24 seconds)

A person may have love for people and even things in this world, but if they are what they are devoted to, well, they're in serious trouble. And even as believers, if we're not careful, we can get out of balance. We can find ourselves too devoted to the things of this world. So the question needs to be asked, what is the priority, the passion, and the pursuit of my life? And an honest evaluation and a purposeful determination to keep my relationship with my lord preeminent will keep me moving in the right direction. As John reminds us, this world and its lusts are passing away. But if we know Christ, there's an eternity waiting that will be more than we can imagine. [01:13:59] (51 seconds)

John's talking about people that that leave the church, capital c, that walk away from the faith, or at the very least, they walk away from the orthodox foundational theological belief that the church has held to for two thousand years. They say, oh, well, but, you know, but Jesus no. Mm-mm. Spirit of antichrist, they they they walk away. And John said and clearly clearly, from verse 19, the implication of what John is saying is, it doesn't mean they lost their salvation. It means they never had it to begin with. [01:03:20] (38 seconds)

And so it was the last hour when John wrote it and it's still the last hour today. Right? That's what he's saying. It's it's it's we're in that time period where everything completed that needs to be completed and the and Jesus can come back anytime he wants to come back in his sovereign plan that he knows when that time will be. So so we don't have to sweat it. We don't have to worry about it. [00:57:34] (27 seconds)

So if if you've spoken to anybody today that that says, boy, I need to get my house in order, then, God, do that work. As we offer this altar call, Lord, it's about you and what you would say to each of our lives. But I pray that we would be a people that would get this, that we would understand that that you will not settle for second or third or fourth place in our life. You will not settle for showing up to church once once a week. That all you expect out of us is all that we have. And so I pray that we would offer it up to you, our lives fully surrendered, for you to accomplish your purposes in and through us, and I ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. [01:12:13] (52 seconds)

And and what breaks my heart as a pastor who's done this a long time is I've known too many people who've come into the church, professed a a belief in Jesus Christ, even seem perhaps excited about it, and then I've watched them drift back out again, caught up in the the attractions of the world or the distractions or cares of the world or whatever the case may be. They they walk away from the church. They walk away from Jesus. They walk. And and Peter says, it shows that they were never really part of us. [01:03:59] (40 seconds)