← 2819 Church
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- [00:47]
Pastor A
There was a man who I became familiar with sometime last year in the fall, and who slipped into eternity this week at the age of 54.
- [01:06]
Pastor B
And.
- [01:11]
Pastor A
He is with Christ now. But I just want to remind all of you that life is precious. It is a gift.
- [01:27]
Pastor C
And it is temporary.
- [01:31]
Pastor A
May the Lord help you to come out of your foolishness that you would learn to make the most of every.
- [01:42]
Pastor C
Day.
- [01:45]
Pastor A
And to be thankful for all you have been given above all life and breath and opportunities like this to sit in these kind of holy gatherings. And so if you are guests to 2819, we welcome you to this holy place. We welcome you to this holy stream. If you are one of our digital disciples watching live across the nation and around the world, you are our family. We welcome you to this holy gathering. And if you are not a follower of Christ, we fear for you.
- [02:37]
Pastor C
We.
- [02:37]
Pastor A
Pray for you, and we are thankful that you're here or that you're watching and believing God, that death will not find you outside of the Kingdom.
- [02:49]
Pastor C
But.
- [02:50]
Pastor A
That as the Word is being proclaimed or as song is being sung or invitation is given in a moment alone outside of these gatherings, you would be brought into the Kingdom of light by the power of the Holy Spirit, lest you wake up in eternity with the shock of your life. We are in the final moments of what I think is one of the most important series in our journey through the Book of Matthew. That outcast Jew who became a follower of Christ in the first century A.D. who wrote this book that bears his name. We are in the ending of a series called Entry and End Times, in which we are walking through the final actions and the final words of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I think final words are very important, especially when someone is on their deathbed. Whatever they said to you last is very, very important.
- [03:51]
Pastor C
And if there are any final words.
- [03:53]
Pastor A
We should be paying attention to in this life, it is the final words of the one you call Lord and Savior. These are the words that we are studying in this te and not just only final words, but prophetic words.
- [04:09]
Pastor C
Our text this morning is coming from Matthew, chapter 24, verses 36 through 51. And these titles are not sexy. They're not meant to stimulate emotions. They're pulled right out of the text for our note takers to be able to go back and find at the top of your page titles that correspond with the message of the text. Two words today for our title. Two words that we desperately need. Two words, I'm praying for the body of Christ. Two words that are very important in this Hour two words buried at the center of this text title of our message today is just stay awake. Stop sleeping. Rise from your slumber and your apathy.
- [05:15]
Pastor B
Wake up from your foolishness, open your blinded eyes and unstop your deaf ears. Father, is this not the prayer of my heart for these my brothers and sisters? Is this not the cry of your heart for these, your sons and your daughters? Is this not your appeal to us day in and day out, Sunday in and Sunday out, to stay awake, to come out of our slumber and our sleep to be delivered from apathy and lethargy and indifferences? Does not the beckoning of your Holy Spirit? Are you not summoning an alarm to the church globally? Is this not the hour for your children to be awakened? Would you do that, Lord? In this room, Would you do that? Across that camera, would you do that? And our digital disciples, would you do.
- [06:17]
Pastor C
That in these final days.
- [06:20]
Pastor B
Would you deliver us from our playing around and our wasting time and taking for granted.
- [06:29]
Pastor C
Lord, these precious moments? Would you awaken your sons and daughters?
- [06:34]
Pastor B
Would you help me in my frailty.
- [06:39]
Pastor C
And my weakness to proclaim these words.
- [06:41]
Pastor B
Of yours.
- [06:44]
Pastor C
That are too great for anyone to properly explain, but let it some way somehow make sense and not fall on deaf ears? That is my plea. In all humility and sincerity, Father, I.
- [07:03]
Pastor B
Ask in the mighty. You should look up that word and the majestic.
- [07:13]
Pastor C
You should look up that word and.
- [07:16]
Pastor B
The matchless name of our soon coming.
- [07:20]
Pastor C
King, the Lord Jesus Christ. You should look up that word and all of God's children said amen and amen and amen. You should look up those words. You see, they describe no one except.
- [07:37]
Pastor A
The Lord Jesus Christ.
- [07:39]
Pastor C
Mighty, majestic, matchless.
- [07:45]
Pastor A
Now, my brothers and sisters, as I.
- [07:50]
Pastor C
Laid on the floor in my prayer closet this morning crying out to God for you in tears, I was reminded by the Holy Spirit that I should.
- [08:05]
Pastor B
Remind you that there is nothing. Hear me. There is nothing you're hearing right now anywhere on social media, on podcasts. There is nothing you're hearing right now.
- [08:21]
Pastor C
Anywhere that's more important than the words.
- [08:25]
Pastor B
And teachings of Christ.
- [08:29]
Pastor C
In this hour.
- [08:32]
Pastor B
There is no labor, no activity. There is nothing that you're doing right now with your life that's more important than those things that are directly connected to the will of God and the words of Christ for your life. There is nothing that you are involved in that's more important than all the things that you are doing that are connected to the will of God for your life. Absolutely nothing. Hear me. There is nothing for me more tragic than to think of all of the people who are alive right now in cities all across America and nations all around the world who are going to come to the end of their life and wake up on the other side of eternity with the shock of their life. And there is nothing more tragic even than that of the atheists, of people who will sit in gatherings like this, Hear me, for years with your arms folded and your heart closed and your ears deaf. And this is only a show, this is only a check off the box to ease your conscience. There is nothing, I'm telling you right.
- [09:46]
Pastor C
Now, more tragic watch than people who.
- [09:49]
Pastor B
Will sit in rooms just like this or watch gatherings just like this for decades, for years, thinking that they was all right with Christ, only to die having been in church for years and to wake up on the other side with the shock of their life hearing you cannot enter into this place. You sat in gatherings, but I never knew you. You played church, but I never knew you. You went to conferences, but I never knew you. You had devotionals, but I never knew you. There is nothing worse than the watch self deceived Christian who have ignored the teachings of God's Word, who have ignored the warnings of God's Word, who have ignored not only any warnings, but the.
- [10:41]
Pastor C
Warnings we come to this morning in.
- [10:44]
Pastor B
Our text, very serious words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- [10:48]
Pastor C
I am not playing with you this morning.
- [10:54]
Pastor B
For you know how Christ has come into Jerusalem for what will be the.
- [10:59]
Pastor C
Final week of his life.
- [11:00]
Pastor B
Leaving that city here, sitting on top of the Mount of Olives, he is surrounded by men who have no idea what's about to take place. They hear prophecy about the destruction of a beautiful complex.
- [11:14]
Pastor C
And they ask questions, three of them.
- [11:16]
Pastor B
When will these things be? And what will be the signs of the end? And what will be the signs of your coming? To which the Lord ignores their first question. He prophesied about that destruction of the temple. It happened 40 years later. Confirming that he's a prophet.
- [11:31]
Pastor C
And talk to them about the signs of the end times, the atmosphere of the earth just before his coming. He talked about those signs.
- [11:40]
Pastor B
He talked about his coming.
- [11:42]
Pastor C
He talked about the cracking of the sky. He told them that when you see these things coming in rapid succession, you know that the end is near. He gave them the parable of the fig tree. And then on the heels of the parable of the fig tree, an analogy meant to tell people, when you see these things coming, you know that the end is near. What the Lord says next is so critically important. I beg you to pay Attention. He says to them In Matthew chapter 24, after he said, learn the lesson of the fig tree. Talking about his personal second coming. He says to them in verse 36 he says, but concerning that day important word and watch our important word.
- [12:40]
Pastor B
No one knows.
- [12:42]
Pastor C
Not even the angels of heaven, nor.
- [12:46]
Pastor B
The Son, but the Father only. So he says, concerning the exact day and hour of my return, no one knows. The angels do not know.
- [13:00]
Pastor C
Not even the Son knows is what he said. Now pay attention to the text.
- [13:07]
Pastor B
The Lord says watch. Prior to this text, he gave them signs of the end of the age and his coming. So that we will know the season in which he would return. We will know the time frame in which he would return. We will know the atmosphere of the earth in which he will return. We will know these things that will happen just return. So we know that watch the Rapture will happen very soon.
- [13:33]
Pastor C
It could happen in our lifetime. There is nothing else left to be fulfilled for the Rapture to take place first.
- [13:39]
Pastor B
Thessalonians 4 the catching away of the Church. Those who are dead in Christ will rise first. The dead will rise. Those who are alive will be transformed to meet Christ in the air. The rapture of the Church will happen next watch.
- [13:54]
Pastor C
It can happen next week, next year, next month.
- [13:58]
Pastor B
After the rapture of the Church, the Antichrist comes to power. According to the Scriptures, he will rule a ten nation European confederacy.
- [14:07]
Pastor C
He will dominate the whole world.
- [14:10]
Pastor B
He will sign a seven year peace treaty with Israel. Halfway through that treaty, he will break it when he desecrates the temple and.
- [14:18]
Pastor C
Sets up an idol for all people to worship him as God.
- [14:22]
Pastor B
The Lord then will execute his wrath.
- [14:24]
Pastor C
On the world, pouring out all of the bowls and the vials and the judgments and the trumpets. We see this in the book of Revelation. And then immediately after that time, seven years, the Lord said he would return. Now when those seven years is over, someday after those seven years, watch the Lord will break the sky. Although we know these things will happen according to the Scriptures, what we don't know is the exact watch day. And what we don't know is the exact watch hour. But we know that he will watch come.
- [14:58]
Pastor B
He will watch return. But as soon as the tribulation is over, as soon as the seven years is over, it could be a day after the seven years, a week after.
- [15:07]
Pastor C
The seven years, 30 days after the seven years. But right after those seven years, on.
- [15:12]
Pastor B
A day we don't know and an.
- [15:13]
Pastor C
Hour we don't know, the Lord will return.
- [15:17]
Pastor B
Now he says of that day and hour, no man knows.
- [15:21]
Pastor C
So this debunks everybody who has made prophecies about the day he would return.
- [15:27]
Pastor B
This debunks every fool that will come after today that will make prophecies about the day he would turn. Anybody that rises up and said, jesus will return on this day, in this year, at this hour, is a false prophet. Don't matter their title, don't matter their platform, don't matter their age. Any man that rises up and say.
- [15:51]
Pastor C
On this day, Tuesday and this year, on this month, Christ will return is a false prophet.
- [15:59]
Pastor B
Why? Because Christ said from his own mouth of that day and of that hour, no man knows, no angelic being knows. Angels can't whisper to anyone in a.
- [16:14]
Pastor C
Dream.
- [16:18]
Pastor B
And say, an angel came to me in a vision and told me that on this day, in this year, on this month, Christ will return. You have lied. You have been visited by a demon, but not by an angel, because the angels don't know.
- [16:38]
Pastor C
But the next part is crazy too. He says, not even the Son knows.
- [16:45]
Pastor B
Pause. Christ, who was God in the flesh.
- [16:52]
Pastor C
Did not know the day that he would return. How could this be? Let's study this together. Christ, when he was on earth, was fully God and fully human at the same time. So how could he not know the day of his coming if He's God? If He's God, he is all knowing, so how could he not know? I think the kenosis of Philippians 2 solves this question.
- [17:26]
Pastor B
For Paul wrote to the church in Philippi in Philippians Chapter two, and said, when Christ came from glory, he did.
- [17:34]
Pastor C
This word watch in Greek.
- [17:35]
Pastor B
He emptied himself, the kenosis in Greek.
- [17:39]
Pastor C
Of some of his divine nature so.
- [17:42]
Pastor B
That he can fully step into humanity to understand what it's like to be a human like you and I.
- [17:49]
Pastor C
Come on, man.
- [17:51]
Pastor B
The evidence that he emptied himself is that he needed to pray just like you. He fasted to get near God, just like you. He did not perform a miracle until he returned from prayer and fasting in the power of the Spirit, just like you can. And so I believe in his humanity. Like Luke taught that when he was young, Luke said he grew in wisdom and in stature with the Father and with men. If he's growing, that means there's things he's learning as he's growing. And so, because he was a full.
- [18:46]
Pastor C
Human, just like you, had to pray just like you, had to fast, just like you, so he could understand all the trials and temptations, just like you. For this reason, the scripture says you should not be afraid to pray. Let me Help some of you is when the unknown writer of Hebrew says, we have a high priest who understands everything that you go through. For this reason, you should stop being.
- [19:07]
Pastor B
Phony and just come to him. How boldly when should you Come boldly in times of need and mercy and grace, Then when your heart is hurting, come boldly. Then when your mind is heavy, come boldly that when your battle insecurities, come boldly when your marriage is in trouble, come boldly when you have financial needs, come boldly when you're battling lust, come boldly when you bow by addiction, Come boldly when you feel ashamed, Come boldly when you feel unworthy. Come boldly when you feel like you don't deserve it. Why are you hiding from him when.
- [19:50]
Pastor C
He knows everything you're going through? When you've fallen and missed it, come boldly when you've sinned and made mistakes.
- [19:58]
Pastor B
Come boldly when you've drifted from him.
- [20:00]
Pastor C
Come boldly when you stop reading, come.
- [20:02]
Pastor B
Boldly when you stop praying, come boldly when you stop going to church, come back boldly when you've been gone from the gathering for a long time, come back into fellowship. How boldly.
- [20:23]
Pastor C
Man, I feel the spirit of God in here.
- [20:27]
Pastor B
It's the lies of the devil that keeps you out of his presence.
- [20:38]
Pastor C
I don't care how bad I missed it. I'm gonna keep running back to the one who told me I should come to him.
- [20:44]
Pastor B
How boldly. Here I am again, Lord, I messed up. I'm here again, Lord. I fell down. Here I am again, Lord, I'm struggling. Here I am again, Lord. Somebody shall come boldly. Somebody give your high priest praise right now, the one that hears everything. When you come boldly, therefore, there is.
- [21:48]
Pastor C
Now no condemnation to those who are in Christ.
- [21:54]
Pastor B
It does not matter how bad you mess up. You can return to him. How boldly you can pray, how boldly you can come into his presence. How boldly.
- [22:16]
Pastor C
Because while he was on the earth, he was a man like you and I. And I believe for that reason he did not know at the time he said this context, the day or the hour. I do believe now that he's seated at the right hand of the Father. He probably knows the day and the hour, his hand on the doorknob of eternity, just waiting for the Father to say.
- [22:53]
Pastor A
Go now.
- [23:02]
Pastor B
And considering all of that, what should be the posture of man has almost never been the posture of man. And today is still not the posture of man. We're not looking for him. We're not expecting him. That's what should be the posture of men. But he tells us next, what was the posture of man? And what is the posture of man? And what will be the posture of man? I just hope you're not that man. Verse 37. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
- [23:49]
Pastor C
I feel the spirit of God.
- [23:55]
Pastor B
For as in the days of before.
- [23:59]
Pastor C
The flood, they were eating and drinking.
- [24:04]
Pastor B
And marrying and giving in marriage, family, pause. I want to draw your attention to three massive truths in that verse. Look right at me.
- [24:22]
Pastor C
Especially for all of you that go to secular colleges, I want you to see first in that verse that the Lord Jesus from his own mouth confirms the historicity of Noah and a global flood. All right. He did not talk about Noah like.
- [24:38]
Pastor B
He was a myth, and he did not talk about the flood like it was a myth. Jesus confirmed the existence of Noah and the existence of a global flood. As read in Genesis 6 through 8 and 9. Which means when we hear people mock that historical account, we got to decide, is that fool credible or is Christ credible? One of them is a liar. It dang sure ain't Christ. You see atheists all the time hear Christian foes all the time. No, that was just mythological. There was no global flood. That was just a symbol and a prototype. Excuse me. Jesus confirms. Look at me.
- [25:31]
Pastor C
The historicity of Noah as a human being. And he confirms the historicity of a global flood. That means they happen. Do you know the world right now is scarred with the evidence of a global flood? You know about the Marineris Trench and all these deep water trenches where we can't. How you think they got there? The scripture says the fountains of the deep burn open, leaving all around the planet massive cracks in the floor.
- [26:09]
Pastor B
For.
- [26:09]
Pastor C
Water to come all the way up and rise.
- [26:15]
Pastor B
Scientists have found plankton at the top of mountains, an organism that only grows underwater when the scripture says the waters rose above the highest mountain.
- [26:30]
Pastor C
Come on, man, y' all playing around.
- [26:34]
Pastor B
The scripture says that ship came to rest on the mountains of Ararat in the Middle East. The bottom of that ship has been found in the 1940s by a pilot flying over the mountains. They have found petrified wood, petrified iron, and an anchor stone with the names.
- [26:53]
Pastor C
Of eight people on it.
- [26:55]
Pastor B
There is a town near that mountain that was named after Noah. The Lord said that there was a firmament of ground between the waters above and the waters beneath. That means at one point in time in history, there was a layer of water that wrapped the whole world. That's no Longer there, where you think all that rain came from to fill the earth above the highest mountain.
- [27:28]
Pastor C
That water probably protected people from aging too fast. That's why they live for 400, 500, 600, 800 years. And after the flood, you see the lifespan of man going all the way down, dealing with that hot sun with no water. The second thing I want you to know from this text is that Noah was 500 years old when the Lord told him to build that ship. Watch. And if you read the narrative, he was 600 when they entered the ark. Which means he spent a hundred years of his life building a ship. He died at 950. This is equivalent to you spending a decade of your life obeying God to do one thing while people don't understand.
- [28:24]
Pastor B
He's building a ship on dry ground for a hundred years when they never saw rain. They're probably mocking him, scoffing at him, laughing at him. What are you doing? He had to listen to people.
- [28:50]
Pastor C
Not understand his obedience. But he had a word from the Lord.
- [28:58]
Pastor B
This is why you need to just obey God. Even when people don't understand. They don't know why you moved to Atlanta to be a part of 2819 Church. They don't know why you walked away from that job to be a part of 2819 Church. They don't know why you started that business, started that ministry, started that podcast. They don't know why you stopped doing this. Fill in the blank.
- [29:27]
Pastor C
They don't understand why you're not a witch anymore.
- [29:32]
Pastor B
They don't know why you don't mess with crystals anymore. They don't know why you don't mess with horoscopes anymore. They don't know why you go to church faithfully or why you serve on a team, or why you're in a squad, or why you give your money to the church. They don't understand that the Lord ain't call you to be understood. He called you to be obedient. I know this personally. Got every Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to mock me. Spend all their time making videos about me, wasting all their breath while I'm out here preparing the way for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Go ahead, keep making your videos. When it's all said and done, we will see what legacy you left and what legacy I left. Too busy about my father's business. The third thing I want you to.
- [30:46]
Pastor C
Know about this text. Hear me. Listen that the scripture says in 2nd Peter 2.
- [30:53]
Pastor B
5.
- [30:54]
Pastor C
Don't touch that 2nd Peter 2. 5. That Noah was a Preacher of righteousness. That means them hundred years. He was building. He was preaching.
- [31:05]
Pastor B
Come on, man. Building, preaching, building, preaching, building, preaching, building, preaching, preaching.
- [31:15]
Pastor C
Being ignored. Preaching, being ignored.
- [31:18]
Pastor B
Preaching, being ignored. Until the day the first drop of rain fell, the water start rising and then wans and people are everywhere, banging on the door of the ark like, let us in. Let us in. The water's rising. Let us in. Let us in. No. You should have heard the warning before it began to raise. Why you wasn't listening when you was in church? Why was you ignoring the proclamation of God's word? He said, in the days of Noah, men were marrying, drinking, giving in marriage.
- [32:07]
Pastor C
I. E. They were doing life.
- [32:08]
Pastor B
Preoccupied with everything outside of God, outside.
- [32:13]
Pastor C
Of his word, outside of warning. They were busy doing everything we do now.
- [32:17]
Pastor B
Just doing life.
- [32:18]
Pastor C
No Christ, doing life, no God. I'm doing my own thing, Building my.
- [32:22]
Pastor B
Own thing, getting ambitions for your own thing. This is my life.
- [32:25]
Pastor C
This is busy doing everything except the will of God. And he says, it'll be the same way in the end until watch men are swept away in judgment.
- [32:36]
Pastor B
Why?
- [32:36]
Pastor C
You spent your whole life doing what you wanted to do, never did what God called us to do, which is just be faithful to his word until you take your last breath and are swept away in judgment. Busy, but not fruitful.
- [32:52]
Pastor B
Like I can't get a hold of you. I'm busy.
- [32:55]
Pastor C
Busy doing what?
- [32:57]
Pastor B
Building your own kingdom. But not his.
- [33:19]
Pastor C
Verse 40. This is what's going to happen when he comes. Then two men will be in the field. One will be taken and one will be left. Then two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and one will be left. Stop. Many of you have read this and see commentators read that and they think they're talking about the Rapture. But the Lord can't be talking about the Rapture because he's talking about when he comes back. The Rapture happens at the beginning of the tribulation period. I can prove it to you. Right. We are caught up before the tribulation period. The scripture says in Revelations 3, 10, we shall not see that day of wrath. Right? Let me just give you some. Some. Some sneak. What can I say? Let me just give you some insight. In the book of Revelation. Look right at me. Revelation 1, 2 and 3, the Lord is talking to the church. Revelation 4. He tells John, come up hither. Then you see no mention of the Christian church from verse 5. From chapter 5 until chapter 19, no mention of the Christian church from chapter 5 to chapter 19. The only thing you see Is God dealing with Israel and the outpouring of his wrath during the tribulation period. Then in chapter 19, you see Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb with the church, who was there for seven years, and he's returning with them behind him, the armies on the right horse.
- [34:42]
Pastor B
That means the church was raptured before the tribulation period, an event that can happen at any day now. He's not going to take us up.
- [34:54]
Pastor C
To bring us right back down at the end.
- [34:56]
Pastor B
That doesn't make any sense.
- [34:58]
Pastor C
So this is not about the Rapture. It's why you need to study the Word in context. The verb here taken means taken in.
- [35:04]
Pastor B
Judgment, which means when the Lord comes, one man will be taken in judgment.
- [35:09]
Pastor C
Another man will be left, one woman.
- [35:11]
Pastor B
Will be taken in judgment, the other person will be left. When he comes, he will remove people who was against them, remove people who's not saved, and those who remain will.
- [35:21]
Pastor C
Enter into the millennial kingdom he's coming to establish. The verb for taken is taken in judgment, not taken to the sky, taken towards hell, which means when he comes, he will settle everyone's account because he's coming. Look what he says next. Because people will be caught off guard. Look what he says next. Because people are going to go to church their whole life and be sleeping. Look what he says next. Verse 42. Therefore, stay.
- [36:03]
Pastor B
Awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Therefore stay awake. Live every day with expectation of the coming of the Lord. How do you stay awake? Have a prayer life, have knowledge of the Word, Be in biblical community. Have people around you who are serious about the Gospel. Come out of apathy, come out of lethargy. Come out of sin. Come out of pride. Pursue Christ. Stay awake. Stay watch, stay alert, Check your heart, make sure you're really saved for real. Is it just church or is it a relationship? So tired of y' all American Christians.
- [36:59]
Pastor C
Just in and out of church, Christmas and Resurrection Sunday.
- [37:04]
Pastor B
Check off the box two times a month. No relationship.
- [37:10]
Pastor C
I'm trying to help y' all.
- [37:15]
Pastor B
Stay awake. Now. He strengthens his admonition to stay awake.
- [37:20]
Pastor C
With a simple story. Man, I love this story because I'm from New York. Don't catch. Don't get caught slipping coming to my house. I got more than Bibles in my house.
- [37:31]
Pastor B
He says verse 43. But know this, that if the master.
- [37:34]
Pastor C
Of that house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also Must be watch this.
- [37:44]
Pastor B
Word ready when the Lord comes. For the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
- [37:51]
Pastor C
He said, man, if a person had a house and knew that at 3 o' clock in the morning a thief was going to be broken, that he would be ready for that thief. I know we in Georgia, so I know we license to carry.
- [38:01]
Pastor B
Come on, we got guns everywhere.
- [38:03]
Pastor C
If you Knew at exactly 3am Somebody was coming to break into your house.
- [38:07]
Pastor B
You'D be sitting on the steps with the shotgun like this. Come on, we in Georgia. You got the pistol right next to you, got the AK next to you. Waiting right there. Just waiting. Right just like this. Wait. You gonna be watch this word ready. As soon as he break through that back door, bullets is flying. I'm from New York.
- [38:34]
Pastor C
I live in Georgia now. I got guns everywhere on all the floors, first floor, second floor, basement.
- [38:39]
Pastor B
You better not come at my house at 2 o' clock in the morning. I'm gonna be ready for you. Patty cake all you want.
- [38:47]
Pastor C
If you knew somebody was coming at 4:34, you would be ready. The point is trying to make sense. I already told you I'm coming.
- [38:55]
Pastor B
Get ready when? Now.
- [38:58]
Pastor C
Why are you waiting to get right?
- [38:59]
Pastor B
Why are you waiting to be obedient? Why are you waiting to be faithful?
- [39:03]
Pastor C
Why are you waiting to serve?
- [39:04]
Pastor B
Why are you waiting to give? Why are you waiting to pray? Be ready. When? Now.
- [39:10]
Pastor C
And because people are not ready. Now watch this. The Rapture will happen and people will enter into the Tribulation because they're not ready. That might happen in our lifetime. I could be talking right now. Five years from now, some of y' all sitting in this room end up in the tribulation because you was not ready for the Rapture. And then seven years later, you still won't get right and will not be ready for the return of Christ. It could all happen in our lifetime. And he closes with a contrast, verse 45. Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his Master has set over all? Watch his household. Watch this. To give them their food at the proper time. Blessed is the servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. Stop. Listen. The Lord says, who then is the faithful and wise servant? A person who is ready is faithful and wise. And then look at the words carefully so you don't miss this. He said, who is over his household? The word, his very important word, meaning he prototyped every servant as a steward, which means for no one Owns anything.
- [40:30]
Pastor B
And he says, who will be a.
- [40:32]
Pastor C
Faithful steward when I come? That is, who will be a faithful steward over your time.
- [40:40]
Pastor B
Over your money? Don't want to pay your bills.
- [40:45]
Pastor C
Don't want to come out of debt. Don't want to do right with your.
- [40:47]
Pastor B
Money, Your money, your time? Who will be faithful with their time.
- [40:53]
Pastor C
Their money, their relationships, their opportunities, their assignments? Do you know everything under your possession? You are a steward, for that means watch. This whole life is a test of stewardship. You get your little 70 years here, your little 80 years here. That's nothing compared to eternity. And what we have right now is a moment to show the father that everything you've put in my hand, I can faithfully steward this. Watch how I handle my spouse.
- [41:24]
Pastor B
Watch how I handle my children. Watch how I handle my check and my job.
- [41:29]
Pastor C
Watch how I handle my bills and my debt. Watch how I handle my opportunities. Watch how I handle my staff position at the job.
- [41:36]
Pastor B
Watch how I handle my time. Watch how I handle everything.
- [41:40]
Pastor C
Watch how I steward my relationship. This is all a test. Your whole life, man. Some of y' all gonna be in the shock of your life when you die. This whole life is only a test of stewardship. The Lord says, because I'm coming, will I find faithful men and women when I come? Will I find you being a good steward? Watch over everything I entrusted to you. Watch this word temporarily, it is not yours. And then he says, watch. If I come and find you being a good steward, Watch your little money now, your little check. You fighting over that. You don't give to your little portion to the church, your little job now, your little 401k, your little few million dollars you have in the bank, your little opportunities, your temporary assignment to just be a good usher, be a good preacher, be a good fill in the blank, all that. Your little temporary, all of that. If you be faith, I will set you over all of my possessions in the afterlife. You fighting for titles now instead of serving humbly and being a good steward. Humbly. That you can be watching, reigning with Christ for eternity. And you will never understand that. See, I know in America, y' all don't understand that because you'll be clamoring for all this stuff. Your heart is too tethered to these temporary things. Is why you fight over your little check. It's why you don't support the church. It's why you don't stay out. You don't care for your opportunities, is why you're not faithful with your assignments, is why you're not faithful to live. Your heart is too tethered to right now is why you can't see it's only a test. Don't say when you arrived that you was not told. I told you today all of this is only a test. It's maturity that begins to release your heart from being so attached to the things of this life. There's a lot of things I can do and I don't do because I'm being a good steward. There's a lot of things I could buy and I don't buy because I'm being a good steward. It's only a test. Your heart is too attached to now is why you can't see the greater blessing of the future. I, Philip Anthony Mitchell, would not be caught slipping. I want to be a good steward over everything he has. Watch this word entrusted.
- [44:17]
Pastor A
To me.
- [44:20]
Pastor C
Watch this. Let me close with this watch. You don't like that. You don't want to be told you're a steward. You don't want to be told that you're not an owner of anything.
- [44:29]
Pastor A
Your little check, your little bank account.
- [44:31]
Pastor C
Your little 401k, your little few million dollars, your little couple thousand dollars, your little house, your little car, your little girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, children. You don't want to be told your story. You want to say, no, it's mine. I'm going to do what I want. You don't want that. You don't want. You don't want the blessings that. You don't want that part. All right, so you want. You want the last part. That's what you want. You want 48 to 51.
- [44:52]
Pastor B
But if that wicked servant says to himself, my master is delayed, the Lord.
- [45:00]
Pastor C
Ain'T coming no time soon.
- [45:02]
Pastor B
I got all this time to get right. And begins to beat his fellow servants.
- [45:06]
Pastor C
Who take advantage of other people and.
- [45:09]
Pastor B
Eats and drinks with the drunkards. I'm just gonna live a cool life and put my foot up. The master of that servant will come.
- [45:16]
Pastor C
On a day when he does not expect him. I'm done, Sam. You want this part?
- [45:28]
Pastor B
And at an hour he does not know.
- [45:35]
Pastor C
And he will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. Because that's what you are. When you call yourself a Christian and don't live as a steward, you die and end up a hypocrite. In that place he confirms the existence of hell. There will be on that day the shock of people's lives. Weeping and gnashing of teeth. There are going to be many people who have Gone to church, gone to conferences, read books. Who are going to die because you was a poor steward. You was not ready, you was not watching. You was not awake. You're going to die and wake up in eternity thinking you was okay, only to hear the from me. So. Well, how could that happen to a real Christian watch? Well, it can't, because every real believer will be taking his words. You can't be filled with the spirit, hear the teachings of Christ and not care. My question for you is, are you really saved? Because if you feel no conviction through proclamation, then maybe the spirit of God is not in there and the spirit of mouth got in there.
- [46:56]
Pastor B
You.
- [46:57]
Pastor C
The. In your. Your verse. 48, 51. On Thursday and Friday this week, my wife. We celebrated 21 years of marriage. And our staff gave us a gift to Chateau Ylan. So we went out to Chateau Ylan, and we ate food and had a little glass of wine, and we walked the grounds and we seen how they made their juices and their wines, and we took tours and we walked and we went to the spa together. And, you know, they was all on my toes, and I didn't like that. But on the last day, we was walking back to the hotel and seeing a woman in the parking lot. And when she saw me, her eyes lit up bright and tears fell from her eyes and she ran up. She said, pastor, is that really you?
- [48:07]
Pastor B
Is that. Is that really you? Pastor?
- [48:11]
Pastor C
She says, my name is Emily. I'm a digital disciple. I live in so and so state.
- [48:18]
Pastor B
And she began to weep and cry. And she said, thank you for your ministry and thank you for 2019, and thank you for the spread of the gospel. Watch. And with. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at the sky and she said, pastor, I'm waiting for the day when my Savior cracks the sky. And she cried and I cried and Lena cried. And she says, I'm waiting for him to come. And then she said that my heart was overwhelmed because I thought, man, this is what God wants for all of his children. He wants you to live with an expectation of his coming watch. He wants you to long for him. And there are too many of you. You will never feel what Emily felt because you're doing everything other than intimacy with Christ. You cannot tell me you're intimate with him and you don't want to see him. Our hope is not wrath. Our hope is not the tribulation. My hope is that one day I will see the One who saved me. How do you not desire that? Let me. What do you have now, in this life, that is more precious than being with Christ. Not my ministry, not 2819, not this platform, not a million people following me on Instagram, not the money I have in the bank.
- [49:50]
Pastor C
There is nothing I possess that's more valuable than the day I would say I will be united with my Savior. And the more time I spend in prayer and the more time I spend in His Word, and the closer I get to him, the more I want to be with Him.
- [50:07]
Pastor B
How do you not desire that? You don't desire that because your heart.
- [50:11]
Pastor C
Is full of everything other than Christ.
- [50:17]
Pastor B
Emily.
- [50:20]
Pastor C
Is what the Lord wants for us. He wants us to long to see him.
- [50:26]
Pastor B
Desire to see Him.
- [50:28]
Pastor C
He wants you driving to work and staring at the clouds and saying, one day, I'm gonna be with you beyond those clouds. One day I will sit at the marriage supper of the Lamb. One day I will cast my crown at your feet. One day you will redeem me from my suffering, my labor, my tears, my.
- [50:46]
Pastor B
Issues, my problems, my sin. Listen, that is the real. You think the reward is a platform? Come on, man. You think this is glory? You think this is the reward? You think get into some place financially is the reward? You think buying your dream house is the reward? You think getting married is the reward? What is this? It's a temporary service. I'm only a servant. My reward is that I will be.
- [51:18]
Pastor C
Able to stay with Paul. I fought the good fight.
- [51:22]
Pastor B
I kept the faith. I finished my race, not yours. Stop all that jealousy and covetousness. Finish your race. And now there is a crown laid up for me.
- [51:43]
Pastor C
And he's gonna put it on me because I was faithful. Now, while y' all playing church, I'm gonna take that crown and I'm gonna lay it at his feet. And I'm gonna look at my robe that's been stained in his blood and be thankful for the endless ages of eternity. For what Christ has done for me. Saved me from my sins, allowed me to be in his kingdom, gave me.
- [52:13]
Pastor B
Access to his presence, Gave me his word, gave me his spirit, gave me community. Gave me opportunities.
- [52:22]
Pastor C
Signed my name in the book of Heaven, the book of Life. What is going to be greater than that? You have nothing in this life that is greater than that. Nothing.
- [52:36]
Pastor B
Nothing. Nothing. You have nothing in this life that is greater than that. Nothing. Nothing you're going after is going to be greater than that. Nothing. Not your dream, not your visions, not your ambitions. You have nothing you're pursuing that's going to be greater than that. So I long for Him, I do. These fools don't know me. I long for him. I think about the day I will see him. I'd be in my prayer closet imagining the day I will see his face. I will look into his eyes.
- [53:26]
Pastor C
And he will melt my soul. Because his eyes are like a blazing fire. And now with every head bowed and every eye closed, there are people in this room right now. People watching me across this camera. And I don't care. Listen carefully. You are far away from God.
- [53:52]
Pastor B
You've been playing church.
- [53:55]
Pastor C
Playing conference, playing all these things. Far away. You're going to get swept away and be banging on the door of the ark, and it's going to be shut. But the Lord, not wanting you to perish, sent his son n nailed him to a cross.
- [54:09]
Pastor B
Died for your sin. Dead and mine.
- [54:11]
Pastor C
He says if anyone would turn from their sin, put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they shall be saved. He knew this day was coming for you. I don't even know what else you need but a full surrender. If I'm talking to you, this is the moment when you start praying right there in your heart, right there in your seat. Lord, forgive me for my sins. I surrender my life to you. No more playing around. All of me, for all of you.
- [54:35]
Pastor B
Surrender. Surrender. You may not get this chance next week. Surrender. You are among his elect. He already knew this day was coming. Surrender. Christians are praying.
- [54:58]
Pastor C
You're not watching. We ain't playing around.
- [55:00]
Pastor B
People are headed to hell now. Nobody can't see but me. And if that's you, and you just surrendered and you're saying, preacher, I want.
- [55:17]
Pastor C
You to pray for me now, on account of three, I just want you.
- [55:19]
Pastor B
To throw your hands up.
- [55:20]
Pastor C
I just want to see who I'm praying for.
- [55:22]
Pastor B
1. The Lord was calling you. 2. Today is the day of salvation. 3. Lift your hands in the air. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
- [55:32]
Pastor C
Hundreds of hands everywhere, probably across this camera.
- [55:36]
Pastor B
Leave them up.
- [55:37]
Pastor C
Oh, my God.
- [55:42]
Pastor B
Put your hands down.
- [55:44]
Pastor C
I pray for everybody now, Father. I pray first for those hands.
- [55:48]
Pastor B
I thank you that by the power of your Holy Spirit, you are saving them, bringing them into the kingdom. You are writing their name in the Lamb's book of life. You are washing them from their sins. You are making them sons and daughters, they belong to you. Fill them with your spirit. Lead them down the paths of righteousness. Let them run after you with their.
- [56:20]
Pastor C
Whole heart and not look back.
- [56:23]
Pastor B
I thank you that they are being.
- [56:24]
Pastor C
Saved and will persevere until the end.
- [56:29]
Pastor B
And then, Father, I pray for everyone else who are my brothers and sisters, that you will pour out in our souls a longing for you. We would live with an expectation of your coming. We will desire you more than anything else in this life. Deliver our hearts from being overly tethered to these temporary things. I say you pour out on us, Lord, a spirit of stewardship.
- [57:05]
Pastor C
And from this day forward, let us.
- [57:07]
Pastor B
Be found, favored, full stewards when you come.
- [57:19]
Pastor C
Over our time, our relationships, our opportunities, our assignment, our money, our resources, everything. Let us be faithful stewards, living with an expectation, praying, serving, giving, pushing the gospel forward in these last days because time is running out. I pray that over us, in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior.