It is Finished

 Intro: Welcome to the final week of our series, “On the Edge of Eternity.”

This series has been a short overview of eschatology, the study of the end times. 

Previously we have examined what the Scriptures teach regarding: the Rapture of the Church — the Rise of the Antichrist —  the Saints at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb — The 7-Year Tribulation — The 2nd Coming of Christ — The Battle of Armageddon 

Today as we conclude our series, let’s examine what Scripture teaches about the Millennial Reign of Christ, The Great White Throne Judgment, The Lake of Fire, The New Heavens and New Earth and the New Jerusalem.

As an overview, we have purposefully left out some information.

Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.

Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.

Our focus in this series is NOT to get everyone to agree exactly on “what happens when.”

Our focus, rather, is to remind us as the New Testament Church that… “MARANATHA!” 

(Greek word meaning… “Rejoice!  Jesus Is Coming!)

Revelation 22:7 NLT “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

Revelation 16:17 NLT Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” 

After the last bowl of judgment a mighty shout from the throne in heaven declares, “It is Finished!” (Part 4 - Complete Control)

This marks a point of completion. 

The time of tribulation is coming to an end.

At Armageddon, Satan and his evil followers will be dealt with so that Christ can usher in a thousand years of righteousness and peace on earth.

All of God’s covenants and promises in Scripture have pointed to one event:

Revelation 19:11-16 NLT Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

It has been God’s plan from the beginning to restore what Satan polluted.

God's plan was completed at the Cross.

John 19:28-30 NLT Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The plan was accomplished at the Cross and will be fully achieved when evil is removed from the face of the earth and every living being recognizes Jesus Christ as The King of Kings. 

The Millennial Reign of Christ.

The Millennial Reign of Christ is not symbolic, it is a literal thousand years.

The first order of business in the new kingdom is removing the tempter. Satan is confined in the Abyss as his temporary punishment. This means he does not have any evil influence over nations or people for a thousand years.

The world will now experience a thousand years of peace.

Revelation 20:1-7 NLT Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 

3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) 

6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.

7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 

In the first seven verses of chap. 20, the term “thousand years is used 6 times. This shows the importance placed upon this event. The term is in no way figurative, but it is a literal thousand years of Christ reigning with His saints. The seal on the pit ensures that Satan will not be able to deceive anyone during this time. We are also told that when the thousand year reign is finished, then Satan will once again be let loose upon the earth.

The Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46)

When the armies of the nations are destroyed at Armageddon, the populace of the nations will still be intact, and will be judged at the Judgment of the Nations. The goat nations will go immediately into hell, but the nations judged as sheep nations will become subjects of the Millennial Kingdom. The judgment, which will decide if a nation is a sheep or a goat, is based upon that nation’s treatment and heart for the Jew during the Tribulation period.  (Isa. 2:1-2; Zech. 14:16-21; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-10)

The Millennial Reign of Christ will be quite an awesome Kingdom. Many attributes of the Kingdom are revealed in the Scriptures.

Revelation 20:7 NLT When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 

Satan is released from the bottomless pit. WHY?

Two reasons: 1) Each one must personally receive Christ in order to attain everlasting life, and it will be true also of the Millennial subjects.  Since the fall of man way back in the garden, humanity has had the option of following the dictates of our fallen nature or by faith trusting in the Lord. The real test comes when there is a choice before us.

Free-will. God wants our love for Him to come from our heart, not because there are no other choices.

2) This is God’s way of showing mankind that even under a perfect society, with no needs, and under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ; without redemption and change of nature, humans cannot resist the temptation of sin. 

Human nature is not changed by the near-perfect conditions of the Millennium.

For 1,000 years people will live under the perfect rule of Christ. The release of Satan will reveal the true heart of many.

Keep in mind that even though there are many who are deceived, a vast number do not follow Satan.

Revelation 20:7-10 NLT When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

 

Vs. 10 Satan is confined to his final destination, the Lake of Fire.

Never again will Satan tempt, trouble, or deceive.

The stage is set for the New Heavens and the New Earth. 

The Great White Throne Judgment

Attention now turns to those who died without accepting Christ as their Savior.

Revelation 20:11-13 NLT And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 

13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.

 

Following the final defeat of Satan and those he deceived, John describes a great white throne. The throne is literal and the white indicates absolute righteousness and justice of the judge. (Ps. 45:6-7; 96:10-13; John 7:24; Acts 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:8)

The location of the throne is not revealed, but it will be somewhere in the vast heavenlies. That it would be located somewhere other than the earth, or the material universe is understood, because these will be experiencing a renovation by fire while the final judgment of the lost is taking place. 

(Rev. 20:11-15; 2 Peter 3:7-13; Heb. 1:10-12; 12:25-29)

12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 

We see the lost of all ages stand before the awesome majesty of a Holy God of judgment. The judgment is based upon a stack of books that contain every deed, every word, and even every thought of the individuals now being weighed in judgment. 

(Matt. 12:36-37; Mark 4:22; Luke 12:2-3; 1 Cor. 4:5)

This judgment is not to determine whether Heaven or Hell is the final destiny of those being judged. It is judgment to prove that Hell is the deserved destiny.

Each person freely chose either God’s wrath or God’s love.

Each individual is given the opportunity to accept God’s grace in his or her lifetime. Once each life ends, the possibility of redemption is gone.

The real test of the White Throne Judgment — regardless of what the books reveal, the final test is having one’s name in the Book of Life.

No doubt many good moral people will be proven to have been as good and moral as natural flesh can possibly be, but the final test is the name in the Book of Life?

This will be a time of personal pleading to God. They will not be able to justify themselves though they will try. (Matt. 7:22-23)

The Lake Of Fire

Revelation 20:14-15 NLT Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Bible describes the final destiny of the lost as terrible beyond imagination. It is “outer darkness” for those who choose to love darkness rather than light. (John 3:19-20; Matt. 22:13)

In that darkness there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” That is, there will be frustration and remorse as the lost continually suffer the wrath of God and as they think of all the sin and wrong in a life that could have been blessed by God but was wasted by their own choices. (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Luke 13:28; Rom. 2:8-9; Jude 13)

The destiny of the lost is described as a “fiery furnace.” (Matt. 13:42-50) where the fire by its very nature is unquenchable and never goes out. (Mark 9:43; Jude 7)

It causes eternal loss, or everlasting destruction (2 Thess. 1:9) and “the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever.” (Rev. 14:11; 20:10)

Vs. 14 The statement that death and hell is cast into the Lake of Fire certainly has reference to the inhabitants, but it is more correct to understand that the locales of death and hell are “transferred” to the Lake of Fire. The abode of Hades which has been in the heart of the earth all these centuries is moved to a permanent location of the Lake of Fire. The new earth will not be a place for any remnant of death, not even in its center.

At the end of the Great White Throne Judgment, John sees the destruction of the old earth and heavens and He sees a new heaven and a new earth.

The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-8 NLT Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem 

(Rev. 21:9-22:5)

Revelation 21:9-10 NLT Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 

It’s dimensions:

• Shines with the glory of God, and is like that of a very precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.

• 1,400 miles wide, 1,400 miles long, 1,400 miles high.

• Walls of jasper.

• Streets of pure gold (as transparent glass).

• 12 Gates of pearl (each one from a single pearl). [Tribes]

• City Wall has 12 foundation stones. [Disciples] 

• No sun or moon for light — no more night, they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. 

• The River of Life flows from God’s throne down the middle of the great street of the city.

• There is no Temple/church in the New Jerusalem, instead we have the very presence of His glory and the majestic face to face fellowship of His very person.

• AND WE WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER!

My prayer for each of you is that the messages in this series would create in you a desire for holiness and living a life to please God and upon your entrance into eternity, be prepared to receive your just reward for your life of commitment to God.

My prayer is also that this series would create in each of you a burden for lost friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers.

People get ready, Jesus is coming!

Revelation 22:7 NLT “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

Revelation 22:12-13 NLT “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Revelation 22:20 NLT He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Peeled 6

Goodness

Welcome to our series "Peeled."

We are examining the Fruit of the Spirit and discovering characteristics of a life changed by Christ.

Here’s what we know about fruit, fruit is never grown overnight, it must be cultivated.

Picture your life like a piece of fruit. When you are peeled is the fruit sweet or sour?

We are peeling back the layers of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Many say “fruits,” however there are not 9 “fruits” of the Spirit, the Fruit of the Spirit has 9 characteristics, 9 layers if you will.

One Fruit with 9 attributes.

These Fruit taken together make up the character of Christ.

Some people try to pick and choose their way through the Fruit of the Spirit. Many pray and ask God to “give” them the fruit of the Spirit. Gifts are given. Fruit is cultivated.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The Fruit of the Spirit is a description of the character qualities found in Christ.

So far we have examined Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, and Kindness.

This week let’s examine Goodness.

Goodness is perhaps one of the most significant words used to describe God’s character.

1. God is Good.

a.) Goodness is Who God is. God’s Character.

The Hebrew word for Goodness (Chesed) is often translated as mercy or lovingkindness. Lovingkindness is unfailing love.

Chesed means loyal love – it refers to God’s loyalty and faithfulness to His covenant.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 34:8 NIV Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 100:4-5 NKJV Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

⁵ For the LORD is good. His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures all generations

Exodus 33:18-19 NKJV And he said, “Please show me Your glory.”

¹⁹ Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Exodus 34:5-7 NKJV Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

b.) Goodness is What God does. God’s attitude and practice.

Psalm 145:8-9 NKJV The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,

Slow to anger and great in mercy. ⁹ The Lord is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 119:68 NKJV You are good, and do good;

Teach me Your statutes.

James 1:17 NIV Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

God wants us to know Him as the source of all good things, and when He says no, He wants us to trust Him, that He knows what is best. He wants us to learn to take no for an answer instead of taking matters into our own hands.

2. A False Understanding.

Many today have a false understanding of what is good.

Psalm 73 begins and ends with the word good.

Asaph, the writer of Psalm 73, had a false understanding of what is good. He writes of his journey to understanding the goodness of God.

Asaph’s misunderstanding of the word good is the same misunderstanding of many people today.

Asaph is describing a season in which he was struggling mentally and spiritually.

His struggle was understanding the goodness of God. Particularly His goodness toward the people of Israel.

Psalm 73:1 NIV Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

To Asaph, this statement was a declaration that those who belong to the Lord would continually receive the Lord’s blessings.

And those who didn’t belong to the Lord would be the recipients of continued difficulties.

   

Psalm 73:2 NIV But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

Asaph admits to his readers that he strayed far off course. He was so far from the truth that he came close to destruction. In his words, “his feet had almost slipped” (verse 2).

He seems to be confessing that he considered giving up the faith and forsaking the way of righteousness, supposing that it was of no real benefit.

3. A Distorted Perspective.

Asaph had a distorted perspective.

His perspective caused him to envy those who were wicked.

He didn’t hate their sin, he envied their success.

A). Envy.

Psalm 73:3-5 NIV For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. ⁵ They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.

As Asaph looked around, all he saw was wicked people with great wealth. He saw people who apparently lived without pain seeming to enjoy the high life, fat with material blessings, always having all they could ever want or need.

What is envy? – RESENTING God’s goodness in someone else and IGNORING God’s goodness to me.

Envy thrives on the idea that “God owes me.”

Envy causes us to look at what others have that we don’t. Then we become jealous of the people who have what we want – beauty, abilities, possessions, etc.

We begin to tell God, “It’s your fault!” “If you’d have taken care of me the way you have taken care of them, I would be much better off.”

Our problem is not really with people whose things we envy. Our problem is with God. Envy has convinced us that God actually owes us something, and our sickness causes us to hold a grudge against God.

Envy begins to grow in our heart when we become jealous because we didn’t get what we wanted but someone else did.

Envy begins to grow in our heart and feeds on our jealousy over others

The real problem with envy is that we are trying to find fulfillment in things that were never meant to bring fulfillment.

We’re jealous because others have things that we think could make us happier, or could make our life easier.

If left unchecked our desires can grow into serious sins.

The longer you cultivate feelings of jealousy, the harder it is to uproot them. The time and place to deal with jealousy and envy is when you notice yourself keeping score of what others have and you don’t.

Asaph was keeping score. And he thought he was losing out!

Psalm 73:3-5 NIV For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. ⁵ They are free from common human; they are not plagued by human ills.

B. Poor Me!

Not only did Asaph envy the wicked, but he was self-righteous and consumed with self-pity.

Psalm 73:12-13 NIV This is what the wicked are like — always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. ¹³ Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; and have washed my hands in innocence.

Asaph begins to feel that his righteous lifestyle was pointless.

This is where Asaph almost slips into sin! His sin was believing his sufferings were unfair punishments from God.

He is basically saying, “I’ve done everything I am supposed to do. I’ve done everything right, even enduring hardships – for nothing! I’ve done everything right and yet I am still suffering.

Psalm 73:14-15 NIV All day long I have been afflicted; and every morning brings new punishments. ¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.

Asaph’s suffering brought him to the brink of a deadly sin: accusing God of being unfaithful or unconcerned!

When calamity falls on us, when trials come our way or when we are grieving, we must guard our hearts from slipping into unbelief.

According to our human thinking, life should be like this:

If we give everything to God, we should have a clear path to glory, with no obstacles to slow us down or block our way. No trials, no suffering.

Yet the truth is… when you look at trials and suffering through human eyes, they never make sense.

4. Trust God is Good.

What are we to do when our dreams are crushed and die right in front of us? We are to trust God is good.

When it seems those who are evil and wicked have more success and prosperity that we do. Trust God is Good.

A. What changed Asaph’s perspective?

Psalm 73:16-17 NIV When I tried to understand all this,

it troubled me deeply ¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

As Asaph thought about the Lord and all His goodness, he began to realize, “I’m not the one who is slipping, they are!”

To guard our hearts from slipping into the sin of unbelief, we must get alone with God!

James 4:8-10 NIV Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Exodus 33:3 NIV Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”

Hebrews 10:22-25 NIV let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

B). The strength of our life.

Psalm 73:23-28 NIV Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

As Asaph waited before the Lord, he began to see the whole picture.

Yes you may be suffering. Yes you're strength may be failing. Yes you are enduring a great battle with many afflictions.

But you’re not alone in your struggles. You have a loving Father in heaven that watches over you.

When Asaph realizes that God is his refuge, he is able to rest. He had almost slipped, but he’d held on.

2 Timothy 1:8-14 NIV So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹ And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹² That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

¹³ What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Closing:

Now Asaph understands the “goodness” of God in a different way. He has a new definition for “good.”

In verse 1, “good” really meant the absence of pain, difficulty, trouble, sorrow, poor health, or poverty.

In verse 28, “good” means something far better than physical prosperity:

²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Nearness to God is our highest good. 

When God brings suffering and adversity into our lives, our confidence in His goodness should not be undermined. Instead, we should be reassured of His goodness to us.

As we allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate the fruit of Goodness in our lives, we will begin to see others as God sees them.

We will live to let His love live through us.

We will serve others and seek to lead them to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.

We will live with the purpose of being available to meet the needs of others.

How? Through fellowship, hospitality, benevolence, encouragement, and most of all love.

Have you been testifying of God’s strength in your life? Or have you decided the devil has more power than the Spirit of God who lives in you?

We must get our eyes off of people and focus of the Lord. He is our strength. He is goodness.

He has reasons for everything He allows in your life. He may not always tell you the reason, but He promises to be the strength of your heart through it all.

Psalm 135:3 NIV Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

You Are Good - Bethel

STOP THE HOP by Steven Furtick

This is a great post from Steven Furtick. Decided to share his thoughts!

All Content Copyright © 2014 Steven Furtick

STOP THE HOP

May 2nd, 2014

One of the things that really troubles me about the church today is the phenomenon of church hopping and church shopping. It’s a consumeristic mindset towards the body of Christ that grieves the heart of God.

It’s time for us to stop the hop. This isn’t Christianity. Jesus didn’t die so we could sample different churches like varieties of meat on a party platter. Jesus died to establish His church as the most powerful entity on the planet.

We are alive at the greatest time in history for the advance of the gospel. We have so much going for us.

We have the ability.
We have the resources.
We have the people.

What we don’t have is them committed to a place where they can actually be used for their God-ordained purpose.

If this generation doesn’t make the impact it should, it won’t be because it didn’t have the resources. Or even the passion. It will be because it was too busy hopping to different churches to stop and commit to one where its resources and passion could actually find an outlet.

The church is the change the world is waiting for. God help us if we keep the world waiting for us while we try to find the perfect church for us.

If you’ve fallen into the trap of church hopping, let me encourage you: embrace your place somewhere where God can use you. At the end of your life, God’s not going to be impressed or pleased that you saw what He was doing at ten different churches. He’s going be more pleased that you were a part of what He was doing at one church.

And you’re never going to find the perfect one, so give up looking. If the church you’re visiting doesn’t have what you’re looking for, it might be because God wants you to provide it.

Let’s all commit together to begin a campaign to stop the hop.
Find a place to get planted. Embrace it. And start changing the world.

The question of our day isn’t if God wants to do incredible things through the church. The question is will we be in place to experience it?

All Content Copyright © 2014 Steven Furtick

Commitment

Recently I shared the following west by Bishop Dale Bronner, "Most people fail, not because of lack of desire, but because of lack of commitment."

How many times do we fall short because we are not committed?

As I reflected on Easter weekend and compared Easter weekend to this past weekend, I realized we had 90+ less people in church this past weekend than we had on Easter Sunday.

Why the big difference? I would say it is because of one word, "Commitment."

It seems that in today's culture people are committed to so many things that they have lost their commitment to God and to church attendance.

I know people are involved in a lot of "good" things. But we must realize that our involvement in "good" things has caused us to edge out the "best" thing.

Today, the church is competing with all the "good" things people are involved in. And sadly these "good" things cause people to fall away from their commitment to Christ. "How is that possible?" you ask.

Well it's simple. People are replacing what they should do with what they would rather do.

I hear things like this all the time.

"We would have been at church but we made a commitment to _______"

"We won't be at church because our child's team has a game."

You know, there was a day when people put their commitments to Christ and to the church above other things. Now the church has taken a back seat for most people.

Recent statistics say that the average church attender in America attends church once every 3 weeks!

So if you attend church every other week, you are above average!

Another survey said that on any given Sunday in any church in America, only about 40% of the people who call that church home are in attendance. And out of that 40% only about 30% will give financially.

I always thought saying your committed to something meant you gave 100%!

I wonder if so many people are struggling in their marriages, other relationships, finances, and other areas because they have their priorities all messed up?

I know this post probably won't get a lot of likes. But you know when it comes to commitment. there are "good" things we can be committed to and then there is what is best!