After going to Calvary for pretty much half a year on-and-off, I’ve finally given them my visitor’s card, haha…so I’ve completed the first next step in learning more about this church. Now, if only I remembered to sign-up for the Newcomers Session…
How to Live While You Wait for Rescue
1 Thes. 1:9,10
- Acts 1:11
- Here’s what the Bible says about your future:
- There Is Wrath Coming
- God will give conclusive decision/action (wrath); God will cry out and say ENOUGH!
- Rom 1:18; wrath is already coming…
- when wrath being expressed: withdrawal of ability to praise, withdrawal of God’s influence and impact in world
- Rom 2:5; storing up wrath
- absence of wrath = ambivalence
- We don’t WANT to talk about a wrathful God…but God sans wrath is an ambivalent God; do you want this?
- Jesus is alive, in heaven, and is coming to us
- Is God saying to us: “in preparation of my wrath, I have prepared the Way”?
- Acts 13; same message that Christ has prepared way & is coming
- Connection b/w Jesus & escaping wrath
- 3-6 of John (ch3? ch1? don’t remember…): choice is to reject&receive remaining wrath OR accept Jesus&have wrath removed
- 1 Thes 1:9-10; John 1:12; escaping wrath requires conversion and belief of Christ
- Here’s how you should live and the choices you should make:
- put faith in God (verse 8)
- living by 10 Commandments…is not enough nor sufficient!
- many people miss/disobey the 1st Commandment (the most important)
- turn away from idols; idols are:
- first things we turn to when were in trouble
- where we spend most time
- what we rely on more than God
- ie. finances, people…the Church itself (instead of God)
- living by 10 Commandments…is not enough nor sufficient!
- REPENT; not “reform, then return to God”…REPENT!
- Acts 17; “wow, you’re very religious people…you even have an altar to the ‘Unknown god'”
- John 4:24
- turn away from your idols!!
- Acts 17; “wow, you’re very religious people…you even have an altar to the ‘Unknown god'”
- serve Him; give full attention
- turning and fully devoting life&time; not “throwing your life away”, its being all you can be
- express glory of Christ
- put faith in God (verse 8)
- God rescues those waiting in Him
- Choose to go from fretting&fearing the future to “I can hardly wait!”
- Acts 17:31; The tomb is empty, that is our hope!
- to rescue us
- instead of living enslaved to things that can’t help, totally dedicate yourself to the God who can rescue you
- Greek ‘eck’ in “to rescue us…out of…”
- Choose to go from fretting&fearing the future to “I can hardly wait!”