Address—Bob Thonney
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Let's start our meeting with #170.
Lo, he comes from heaven, descending once for favorite sinners slain.
1000 thousand Saints attending swell the triumph of his train. Hallelujah, Jesus comes and comes to reign.
If him describes probably what is the most glorious event that will ever take place.
On planet Earth, the introduction of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, to reign supreme in this world. It's still ahead, but we believe, as we mentioned this morning, that it's getting close.
I'd like to suggest we stand up, please. I know you're all wrestling with sleep. A lot of you, anyhow.
Let's sing it standing.
Before he comes.
Out from the rainbow. Now you know I'm going to come back and get him. That's God.
Blah blah blah and Thai shrunk flow and flowers.
On the ground and let's back up and jump little bit of crops and worship worms from all the neighbourhoods and I'm from the neighborhood now you're right from one hour from the end of the day, the spirit of mirror, mirror.
Uh.
The program.
6.45765.
0132 in heaven.
One sixth place, thy big love home.
00:05:02
Oh, really? Well, I'm pretty good. So we're not going to grow. You're going to fall. Just go home alone. Oh, creepy. Have any Shall not create anything. Shall throw them thrown. They will not come. Come.
Yeah.
Lord.
Of the rings.
Thank you.
I remember our brother talking about the Lord's coming and he said then I'm really gonna say Hallelujah.
Let's pray Father, we're so thankful for the hope that's before us.
And the grand future that belongs to the children of God.
Oh Lord, Jesus is gonna be wonderful.
Thy coming again. When we think about it, here we are still in the wilderness.
And our purpose this afternoon is to open Thy precious Word. Help us, we pray, we confess our need of the help of Thy Holy Spirit. So we ask as we give thanks, Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
I just wanted to say if I get seeing too many people.
No, uh, nodding off. I might cite another hymn to sing, so keep that in mind. Uh, just last week this time I was down in Mexico City, and the brethren in Latin America tends to sing quite a bit more than we do up here, so I don't think that's a bad idea. I'd like to turn to the Book of First Thessalonians this afternoon.
And we're going to read Chapter 5. My desire is to speak.
About the two parts of the Lord's second coming.
Not 2 Cummings. It's one coming, His second coming. We talk about his first coming. That's what is mentioned in First Timothy 115. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That was his coming in meekness and loneliness when they nailed him to a cross. But Jesus is coming again.
And the second coming has two distinct parts, but it's one coming. And I'd like to, uh, show that from First Thessalonians briefly.
Sometimes I've given this illustration. Supposing the president of the United States was coming to Asheville, NC He's going to visit the town. But when he arrives at the airport, I take it that Asheville's airport is outside this town. Is that right?
Brother John Mark.
OK.
And uh.
So a big entourage of officials go out to the airport to meet him. He hasn't come to the city yet, but with that group of officials, he comes to Asheville. And that's something of the thought of the two parts of the Lord's second coming.
Let's go to the book of First Thessalonians. And as I say, I'm going to read first of all the 5th chapter because that's my desire is to is to go through that chapter a bit.
00:10:09
1St Thessalonians 5 verse one. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have known me, that I write unto you for yourselves. Know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travel upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
You're all children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober.
Putting on the breastplate of faith and love and foreign helmet the hope of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do.
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you and the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them.
Very highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace.
Among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren.
Warn them that are unruly, Comfort the feeble minded or the faint hearted, support the weak. Be patient toward all. See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good both among yourselves and to all men.
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit, prove, despise not prophesying, prove all things, hold fast that which is good, abstain from all appearance of evil, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God your whole spirit and soul.
And body the preserved, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with unholy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
The verse was read this morning in Titus chapter 2.
Looking for that blessed hope and quote it as it says in the Darby translation. The appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
So both those events are the hope of the believer. We often talk about the hope that we have of being caught out of this world to meet the Lord in the air.
That's first of all, that's going to happen at any moment, and that is a present hope for every believer that could occur at any time. There is no signs that God has given us to tell us when that could take place. It could happen any moment, and it may very well happen before this meeting is over.
Then at the end of what is called the Great Tribulation.
The last of Daniel, 70 weeks, it's a week of years. At the very end, the Lord Jesus heaven is ripped open and Jesus comes on a White Horse accompanied with all his Saints. And as I said before at the beginning of the meeting, I really believe, brethren, that is going to be the most glorious display that there will ever be in the history.
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Of time here in this creation, there will be no other display quite so glorious as when Jesus comes to take the Kingdom. And you and I who are believers in the Lord Jesus are going to be eyewitnesses first hand. We're going to see it happen. I tell you when I think of that rather just overwhelms my heart to know that I'm going to be there, I'm going to see it happen. Jesus is coming again.
Annie is going to reign supreme in this world.
When we read First Thessalonians, we find that the two different parts are mentioned in a number of of the chapters. Every single chapter First Thessalonians talks about the Lord's coming in one way or another. Just like to point it out to you in first chapter. At the end of the chapter he's talking about the testimony of the Thessalonian believers and he said the end of verse nine, he turned to God from idols.
To serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead. Even Jesus, which delivered us for the new translation, puts it our deliver from the wrath to come.
The Tribulation period is a time when this world is going to feel the wrath of God. Jesus is our deliverer from the wrath to come. We who are believers in the Lord Jesus do not expect to go through the Tribulation. I know that there are many believers today who think that the Church is going to go through the tribulation, but I was encouraged not too long ago reading a book.
And in that book it says the vast majority of Christians today still believe in the pre tribulation rapture. Thank God, thank God, because that's the truth of Scripture. And the Lord wants us not waiting for tribulation. He wants us waiting for the sun from heaven. Chapter 2. Notice at the end of the chapter, it's almost always at the end of the chapter, verse 19.
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For ye are glory and joy.
Chapters one and two really refer, I believe, to the Lord's coming at the Rapture before the great Tribulation starts.
That's what it refers to, but now notice chapter 3 and verse in verse again it says to the end, He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With all his Saints, very clearly that refers to his coming at the end of the tribulation when he will come with his Saints just like deposit here and just mention that the coming of the Lord for his Saints are what we call the rapture word. Rapture is not does not occur in the King James translation. The word is caught up. It really is the same thought as rapture.
The Spanish translation that uses the word.
It's being caught up too, but the point is, is that I wanna make is that that truth of the rapture is not known in the Bible, in the Old Testament.
It is something that the apostle Paul very specially was given to explain to us how it was going to happen and more or less the time frame it's going to happen. But the coming of the Lord Jesus with his Saints at the end of the great tribulation period is mentioned all over the book. You go through the Old Testament, it's all over there.
Even.
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Uh, Enoch, who lived before the flood, knew about the coming of the Lord Jesus with his Saints, Doesn't talk about it in Genesis where you have the story of Enoch's life, but you go to the book of Jude. The very last epistle talks about the very first prophet in the Bible, Enoch and Enoch prophesied.
Behold, the Lord cometh, when 10 thousands of his Saints the word.
10 thousands is really the myriads of his Saints.
Uncountable millions that are going to be in that company. Tremendous glory. The Lord will come with His Saints. How in the world did Enoch find out about the Lord's coming with his Saints?
He didn't have the Bible. He didn't even have the Old Testament.
But Enoch walked with God, and it was something so high.
On the agenda that God has about his own Son, that God evidently told Enoch, You know, Enoch, something's gonna happen in the future. That's gonna be tremendously glorious. And so Enoch prophesied about the Lord's coming before the flood. Isn't that interesting? I find that very interesting.
Now let's go to chapter 4. Here is one of the places where we have.
The rapture explained, and I just like to say for it helps to understand in chapter 4, if you can put a parentheses around starting at verse 15 right to the end of the chapter, that's a parenthesis. Now let's go back before the parentheses to read verse 13 and 14 because we wanna see what he's talking about here.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep means.
Some of their company had died. Christian really doesn't die. He he sleeps.
That ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
Even so them also which sleep in Jesus.
Will God bring with him?
What's that talking about? It's talking about God bringing with him those believers.
That had died. Now how did they get to be with Jesus if they had died and their bodies were placed in the grave? Verse 15 through 18 is a parenthesis in which.
He explains how those believers that had died in faith get to be with Christ to come with him at the end of the great Tribulation.
For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent. That's an old word, English word, that means, go before them which are asleep.
That means that those who have died gone to be with Christ are not going to be with the Lord before us who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord.
How's this gonna happen?
I can't, uh, refrain from.
Telling you brethren, from verse 16 forward, one day I was in Walmart in Vincennes, IN.
And.
I was walking down there aisles looking for something in the background I hear this voice coming over the PA system.
And this voice says, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, with the trump of God.
And the dead in Christ shall rise first.
I stopped to scratch my head. Where in the world am I anyhow? I.
Couldn't figure out what was going on. Just thrilled me to hear those verses and I looked at one of those monitors they have in Walmart and.
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It was after the 9/11 Chapter tragedy and there was a chaplain, the United States Army, I think it was.
Put in these verses just stood there.
Just drove me to think that was going out over the whole nation.
Rather than it's the truth of God's precious word, and God has His ways of getting it out. Even though there's so much elements in our country against God, still God has His way of getting out His truth. What a glorious event it's going to be. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. So there's a first.
And there's a then in the sequence here. Notice it verse 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together. That word caught up is really rapture. It's the same word caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
So how do those things that have died and are buried from the beginning of time where their bones are? I don't think we have any clues to where Abel's bones are, but he died in faith.
And at that grand moment, they're gonna all come out.
Wherever they are and they're going to be raised incorruptible, it says. Also it tells about this event in First Corinthians chapter 15 towards the end of the chapter. The theme isn't really the coming of the Lord there, it's the resurrection. But still it happens at this time of the rapture and so the dead in Christ.
Are in the first part and then we which are alive and remain and as Jim mentioned this morning, he the apostle Paul includes himself there. It shows that it's always to be the present hope of the believer in the Lord Jesus. Paul was waiting in his day and we should await for that moment at any moment it's gonna happen. Oh brethren, it's called in first John chapter 3A purifying hope.
And when you think that is going to happen at any moment, it makes you careful how you live.
Sometimes people don't watch their words very much.
Out slipped some angry words. What would happen if the Lord becometh that instance? Who?
And we get caught up right after those angry words came out of our mouth.
I don't know, I've tried to think about that.
It makes me want to be careful.
What I let out of this mouth of mine, because it's gonna happen at any moment.
Young people.
Are you involved in going places you know that are not for Christians?
What's gonna happen if the Lord comes while you're there?
If you're a real believer, you'll go too.
What kind of a face are you gonna lift up to the Lord Jesus when that happens?
That's why it's called a purifying hope. It makes us think twice about what we say and about what we do.
Oh the Lord help us, it's going to happen at any moment. Now let's go on to the chapter 4, the 5th chapter. We've already read it.
But he starts out here. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
In other words, when he's dealing with times and seasons.
He's dealing with the second part of the Lord's second coming, when he's going to come in power and glory. As we mentioned before, the rapture could take place at any moment. There is no outward sign when that event is going to take place. I suppose that we could say if there's any sign at all of the Lord's second coming to get us out of here, it would be the present state of the Christian testimony.
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If there's anything that.
Resembles it in Revelation 2 and three, where you have a historical, uh, outline of the Christian testimony through the ages. It's what we have in Laodicea, indifference as to Christ's glory.
Thinking they're all right and not realizing that he has a lot of negatives to say. That seems to characterize the Christian testimony today more than anything else.
Hard to say that, but.
There are no outward signs. We don't have to wait for the appearing of Antichrist. Some people think you do, but we don't wait for his appearing. In fact, we know specifically that the Antichrist cannot appear before.
He who hinders is taken out of the way. We believe that to be the Spirit of God in the church that hinders the progress of evil.
But when we are dealing with the second part of the Lord's second coming, his coming in glory with his things at the end of the great tribulation, it's accompanied with all sorts of signs and it's connected with times, seasons, it says here.
And I think one of the most useful.
Keys to understanding the prophetic picture is Daniel's 70 weeks. You know, Daniel was given that prophecy. And as I said before, it's not weeks of days, it's weeks of years. And they're divided into three parts.
Seven weeks.
62 weeks and one week, seven weeks or 49 years are the time when Jerusalem was rebuilt. It's very specific date when that command was given in the book of Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem and then another 62 weeks.
Bra brings us up to the time when the Lord Jesus actually entered into Jerusalem, and seeing calculations of that prophecy and how accurate it is, is incredible. No way that Daniel could have known that by himself. You know, some of the critics of Daniel, critics of the Scripture, try to show that Daniel actually lived after the facts, and that's why he spoke so.
Accurately, that is false. The Lord Jesus himself speaks of Daniel the prophet. Now it was prophecy, but it was from God.
And when the Lord Jesus entered into Jerusalem in his triumphal entry, mounted on a donkey, it was just a few days after that that he was crucified and rejected, killed.
And if we can put it this way, God stopped the prophetic clock at that juncture.
They didn't accept his son, and so there remains still one week of years. That's where we get the thought of seven years of tribulation. Actually, great tribulation refers to the last half of that prophetic week, 3 1/2 years.
But that coming is connected with all sorts of times and I like to ask sometimes.
Young believers, what is it? What event is it that signals the beginning of that last week of Daniel's 70 weeks? Most always, they say it's a rapture. No, it's not the rapture. I hope you realize that.
We believe the rapture is going to take place before that takes place, but what signals the beginning of that last week of Daniel? You can read it in Daniel Chapter 9. The very last verse is a pact that is going to be signed between the Roman Prince, which is the head, the political head of the revived Roman Empire, and the people of Israel. You know that Israel.
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Depends on the United States, largely for defense today. I don't know that they could survive without the, uh, help of the United States.
But I suppose you're aware that the United States is starting to fall. To me, it is incredible. You go overseas and you realize how much value the US dollar is lost. I was. I was astounded the last few trips I've made to South America when I went to Europe the first time.
Euro is only $0.90 U.S. dollar now. It's I don't know exactly. I think it's a dollar and a half dollar, sixty maybe. I don't really remember too well.
With the US dollar is going down and if the Lord lifts his people out of here, I think this country is going down major time and that's what's gonna force Europe to come to the forefront. And as soon as a pact is signed between the Roman Prince and the people of Israel, the prophetic clock starts to click again. And it will be 7 years from that moment till Jesus sets his feet down on the Mount of Olives.
When he comes back with his Saints in glory.
When you see the things that are shaping up in today's world, Europe, the way it's shaping up, the powerhouse that it proposes to be, and it will be, you see Israel where it is increasingly hostile neighbors.
See Iran, which is really Persia, poised to knock Israel out completely. Can't you see we're getting close?
Somebody has put this illustration. I don't know where the weather comes from in this part of the country. You know, Denmark and Lawrenceville, we got a lot of our weather from the northwest. So if we look at the northwest and we see a big cloud out there with Thunder and lightning, we say, hey, the storm is on its way.
It hasn't arrived yet, and I think that's exactly what we're seeing today.
We had something else happen in Lawrenceville not too long ago that is one of the definite signs of the Lord's near return earthquake. I guess some of you probably heard of that.
But it wasn't as severe as it is in South America and some of the other countries have been, thank the Lord. But it is a very real thing. Those are things, wars, rumors of wars, those are things that are signal the fact that we're getting close to the end, so.
Times and seasons are connected with the Lord's second coming when he comes with his Saints at the end of the great tribulation. But notice now let's go on here. Verse two says yourselves, know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
The day of the Lord. I think it is important to understand. It's in our chapter and our reading as well.
It is mentioned a lot in the Old Testament. It's mentioned quite a bit in the New Testament as as well. The Day of the Lord begins at the end of the Tribulation, when the Lord Jesus comes to exercise His authority, put down his enemies, and reign supreme from sea to sea.
And the day of the Lord extends the whole millennial day 1000 years. And at the end of that day of the Lord is when it is we have in our chapter, and I don't want to get too much ahead, but it says the heavens will melt with fervent heat. It's at the end of that day of the Lord that everything is going to melt and dissolve.
Completely.
The day of the Lord does not refer to the Rapture. I think most of us understand that, but I think there's some that probably don't realize that.
When it's talking about the Lord coming as a thief, he's not talking about the rapture. He's talking about the Lord's coming at the end of the Great Tribulation.
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I sometimes say, Brother John, Mark, do you want the Lord to come?
And do you wait for him? Yeah. Another question. Would you like a thief to come to your house?
And do you wait for a thief to come? No.
So the alert is not going to come for you as a thief because you're waiting for him and you want him to come, but for the world that has no interest in the Lord coming back. And do not wait for him. He's going to come as a thief. And that is recorded in a number of places in the New Testament that he's coming as a thief. But remember, it's not talking about his, uh, coming in the rapture. It's coming.
At the end of the Great Tribulation.
And he says that he makes it very clear in verse four, Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Here all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Let us not sleep.
As do others, But let us watch and be sober, for they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. Two things the apostle dresses here, sleep and drunkenness.
And we're going to consider this not material sleep.
But spiritual?
And spiritual drunkenness, what does it mean? Spiritual sleep is somebody who just is not alert. If I had a person sleeping on the floor up here, I can say, hey, listen to me.
Are you gonna respond to me? No. No response. What's wrong with him? He's asleep.
You know what happens sometimes?
Remember, it happened when I was a younger person.
Young people are talking about cars.
Or girlfriends or boyfriends, they're having a good.
Good talk. And all of a sudden somebody says uh.
About the Lord in this conversation and everything gets quiet. Why does that happen?
Would it mean we're asleep?
I think it possibly could.
Or how easy it is to talk about our business, our house, our cars.
Do you know what it means to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ?
What a glorious savior we have to talk about.
Drunkenness. What's that? We often use the.
Uh, illustration or the words under the influence?
And we're not talking about the under the influence of alcohol. I'm sure that would be included. You wouldn't wanna be under the influence of alcohol when the Lord comes, would you?
But there is other things that influence a person so that they can't think properly as a Christian.
Could be sports, could be music, it could be cars, anything that you just don't function as a Christian because you are under the influence. Scripture says we shouldn't allow those things, dear brother.
When the Lord comes, you want to be in your own judgment that soberness. You want to be awake, and you want to be sober for that supreme moment.
So he goes on. And I just want our time is going faster. I want to get down a little bit further here.
Verse eight. Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and foreign helmet the hope of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath just like to.
Uh, draw attention to this verse nine. It's one of the clearest verses in the Bible to show that the Christian is not going to go through the great tribulation. Look at it.
God hath not appointed us to wrath. Great tribulation is a day of wrath. He's not appointed us to that, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. We wake that's if we're alive and remain or sleep that's.
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If some are taken in death, they're asleep, but still we should live together with him.
Now from there on through the end of the chapter, we have a number of exhortations that are related to.
This theme of the Lord's coming, God has.
A way he wants his people to be walking in this world and we need to put some attention to what he wants for us.
Verse uh 12 He says, We beseech you, brethren, to know them, which labor among you, and are over you and the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, Be it peace among yourselves. I take this not as those who labor going from place to place as those who are in the local area and who exercise local oversight.
You young people respect them. They watch for your souls. I remember sometimes receiving.
A word of correction, maybe. At the time I just didn't like it.
But I learned if you would just take it and listen and maybe take it before the Lord and get in His presence, that there will be profit for you in it. So esteem them highly, Scripture says.
Verse 13 or verse 14, exhort you brethren to warn them that are unruly.
Sometimes we need warnings.
Comfort the faint hearted. It really should read.
There's people that are just downright discouraged. We need to be aware of that and seek to encourage them. Support the weak, and there are those who need help to get on. Be patient toward all. Verse 15. See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all.
Oh, how important it is not to fall into the world's.
Idea.
You did me in. I'm gonna do you in a little bit worse. Don't go that way.
Return good for evil. It's the greatest way to conquer evil. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. That's definitely the example that the Lord has left for us.
Verse 16 is one of two verses in the Bible.
That have only two words. I'm sure most of you know where the other verse is that has 2 words. I think it's so beautiful to put those two verses side by side.
The other verses, John Chapter 11, Jesus wept.
Here their exhortation is rejoice evermore.
Do you obey that verse? Always, brother?
You don't.
I don't suppose any of us could raise our hand if I ask you to all raise your hand to those who are always rejoicing.
No, we need that exhortation. What does that mean?
The Lord was sorrowful at times, but there was always in His heart that deep flowing joy in His soul that He was doing.
The Father's will. And I think it's not so much an outward exuberance of joy that you're showing, but simply that deep joy in the heart to know that we are doing what the Lord wants us to do.
In Philippians he talks a lot about joy. Fact, he says in Philippians 4/4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Do you listen to me?
Again I say rejoice.
It's important.
00:50:00
Paul was speaking from the prison when he said that he didn't say be joyful because your circumstances are great. No, his circumstances weren't that great.
But it's rejoice in the Lord, Brethren, I know there are trials in your life. I know there are heavy things that happen. I know there's tears.
I know.
But there is, even in tears, a joy that we can enjoy.
Verse 17 says pray without ceasing doesn't mean you're gonna be always on your knees, just simply means that the whole character of your life is the expression of dependence on him who is always with us, the expression of dependence.
You don't have to always close your eyes to pray.
In fact, if you're driving down the freeway, it's better not to close your eyes to pray.
But we should always pray without ceasing verse 18 in everything. Give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Is this possible to give thanks in everything?
That's what Scripture tells us to do.
And if you wanna further thought on this, look in you're not gonna go to it now. Our time is too close. Look in Ephesians chapter 5, it says giving thanks to God for all things that bad thing that happened to you. Give thanks to God not only in that circumstances, but for that circumstance, brother. And I found it a real help to do that. And I just suggested to you, you know, it's easy to thank the Lord when everything goes just.
Fine.
It's not very easy when things go wrong.
But I really believe, if you recognize that there is a man on the throne of God who is head not only of his church, but his head over all things to the church.
That which happens in your life happens with a very specific purpose, a blessing. That's a tough one sometimes to come to, but I found it a real help to be able to say when things go wrong. Thank you Lord Jesus.
You know I rang inside you is upset, but to say thank you Lord Jesus is a great thing to do.
In everything give thanks. Verse 19 Quench not the spirit. Every believer in the Lord Jesus has the Spirit of God dwelling in him, and the Spirit of God is there to guide you.
In everything, not just when we're together in meetings like this, yes, we should give the Spirit of God.
Liberty to guide us when we're here together.
And can I say a word here?
It kind of bothers me.
In our prayer meetings at conferences.
That sometimes we think it's just brothers up here in the front rows that can pray and all those back there, they just have to sit there silently. That's not right.
Brethren, the Lord.
Your our brother and the Lord.
It's not a question of gift, it's a question of being a priest.
And if you're a priest in God's house, you have just as much.
Liberty to get up and express prayer to God as anybody else. Let's not get into that frame of mind. Let's shake ourselves a little bit on that one. Please, brother, would you please think about it? And let's not continue to do it that way. Just mention in the look at Revelation chapter 2, it mentions first the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Afterwards it mentions the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
00:55:00
Think about that. I'll just leave that there. But the Spirit of God is in US.
And he's in us to guide us in everything in your life, your daily life.
Those are the children of God, are those that have the spirit of guide to guide them, says in Romans chapter 8. And sometimes I have to confess, brethren, that I'm not obedient to the impulses of the Holy Spirit in my life.
To tell you about what I believe to be a real rebuke that I got from the Lord on that score.
Years ago I used to work in Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital in the city of Chicago.
And there was a strike against the hospital and I was off in some other part of the city with a rental truck parked waiting for trucks to bring supplies for the hospital there. That's the way they did it in the time of the strike. And just gotten back from a Wheaton conference and I was really full up in my soul just enjoying what we had enjoyed at the conference.
And over there was standing one of the supervisors from security at the hospital, and it was as if the Lord said to me.
Talk to him about the Lord.
Lord, he's a supervisor. I gotta, uh, push him carefully. I don't know how to do this yet, exactly. I kind of put it off. You know how we do it twice?
Very distinctly this is the Spirit of God in me saying, Speak to him.
I didn't do it.
It was shortly after that a truck came up and said I got some supplies for the hospital. I said, OK, just back up to my truck there and we'll transfer the boxes. In the course of things, he had bad breaks and he was backing down and he stopped every once in a while. But that hospital supervisor got in between those two trucks and he got pinched.
Got killed.
Imagine what I felt like, brother.
Learned when the Spirit of God gives an impulse in your life, puts on your heart a certain person to speak maybe to the gospel or to do something encouraging, you'd better do it. He knows what he's telling you to do. Don't quench the spirit. Next one is despise, not prophesying. In other words, God uses instruments sometimes that we don't like.
To speak a word to us.
Don't despise prophesying. Remember years ago seeing as a young person.
To an older brother.
And that particular brother speaks. I can't hardly listen to him because his life isn't very in order.
That older brother looked at me and says.
Despise not prophesying, you know. That has been a big help to me.
Listen.
He said that older brother said to me, listen, maybe he's the instrument God wants to use to get a message across to you. Listen doesn't mean you have to accept everything he says. No, in fact it says in verse 21 prove all things.
Hold fast that which is good. That's been a big help to me. I've gotten good Nuggets from those I might not have listened to if I hadn't.
Had that word of correction when I was younger.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. Now before we close verse 23. And the very God of peace sanctify you holy, and I pray God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he.
That calleth you, who also will do it. Thankfully, it's not a focus on our faithfulness here. Brethren. I can't say that I'm that faithful.
But I know someone who is completely faithful and he is the one that is going to bring us home to glory. Oh, when that event happens to be spirit, soul and body ready, blameless for that coming.
01:00:08
God is triune, He made man in his image and likeness, and we are triune.
Three parts in one. The spirit part is that which has intelligence and ability to reason, and ability, if there's not sin to impede it, to have fellowship with God.
An animal does not have a spirit.
The soul is the part of us that is our maybe we can call it our personality, our likes and our dislikes.
I like certain kinds of food. There's other food I just don't like. That's my soul.
And the body is the part that we're so occupied with so often. But how important to realize that there are things in the world that we live that contaminate the soul, the spirit, and the body. Be careful young people. We're walking in a dangerous world. There is a faithful God who is able to keep us all the way home to glory. Let's just pray. Father, bless thy precious Word.
We're thankful.
We can have it open and read it and think about it, help us, each one, to live our lives in view of the fact that any moment we might hear that trumpet.
And hear that shout.
And be gone. Help us, Father. We commend ourselves to thee for the rest of the day.
The name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.