Wednesday 021925
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH; and this is not of yourselves, it is a GIFT of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Let’s together, open the Word of God this morning, and study what we have been given. Allow me to help you in your study and search the Bible what God has intended for us to hear.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Revelation 1:1b, :2, 4:11, 22:18-19; Colossians 4:16; 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, :13-15.
This morning we’re going to begin in Revelation. To too many people, the Book of Revelation is a difficult book to read as well as to study.
Here is a scene taken from the Book of Revelation, written by the apostle John. John was told to write the things, that he saw … ‘the things which must soon take place’ (Revelation 1:1b) NASB
John wasn’t told to write down the things that were told to him or the things that he had heard, he was told to write down the things that he ‘saw,’ he basically had to interpret what he had seen, before he could then write them down on parchment, for us to see.
Revelation 1:2 ‘…who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
So, right now, take a moment and look around. In your house, your car, outside on the back deck, wherever. Look out the window or front door, whatever, just look around and ‘WHAT DO YOU SEE?’
Every good thing you see has been created by God. It’s been created for His pleasure.
Revelation 4:11 ‘…Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
We are told in vs10 that the words in vs11 is what the 24 elders will say as they fall forward, casting their crowns before Jesus as He sits on His throne.
Many times, today, when people sit around and study their Bibles, they tend to read the words that they think are there instead of them actually reading what has been written. This can and probably, has gotten our churches in this world into a bunch of hurt.
Some years ago, I was an associate pastor in a small church, when there was a young man that was preaching a sermon to our congregation.
This particular Sunday, the man’s sermon was on the placement of a comma in a verse found in the Bible. The young man repeating the question, what if the comma was put on the other side of the word, he was telling the church how different the interpretation would be.
I’m unsure we should be changing what has been written in the Word. In fact, the Bible warns us of changing what has been written.
Revelation 22
vs18 ‘…I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book…’
vs19 ‘…and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
We shouldn’t be changing the Word to fit into our lifestyles, we should be changing our lifestyles to fit around the Word.
There are many people that have a hard time reading any Bible unless it is printed in a certain and specific version, of course I’m talking about the King James.
I understand their point, however, the version they read from, and they would rather that we all read from that same version, is itself, a translation from the original language that the original Bible was written in.
In the first century, the letters that Paul sent to different churches in his area were meant to be read to the entire church and then sometimes to other neighboring churches.
Colossians 4:16 ‘…When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, read my letter that is coming from Laodicea…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Many times, the people that were selected to deliver a message were the ones that first read the letter to them.
Times were very different twenty centuries ago.
In fact, in those first original letters that Paul sent, there were no commas or periods, and the letters weren’t split up into chapters with verse numbers either.
This was all done at a later time by religious monks, making it easier for them to copy the different writings.
I myself, I like using the NASB version of the Bible.
It has been said that the NASB version of the Bible is the most accurate version compared to the original writings.
I am confident though, that God would never allow us to be given the wrong message for us to learn about Him.
With that being said, if we never open up our own Bibles and begin reading the Word for ourselves, we are allowing ourselves to be sold a bill of goods that we ‘presume’ has been actually written in God’s Word.
When actually the sermons that we hear are nothing more than man-made stories that tend to make us feel good; we in essence are having our ears tickled.
2 Timothy 4:3 ‘…For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
When a man-made church today preaches a sermon, it takes a person that knows what the Word really says to determine if they’re being taught the truth.
So, whose fault is it if a made-up lie is preached to an entire congregation?
Actually, at fault, it is not just the person doing the preaching. Those sitting back listening, they’ve all been given the opportunity to know the true Word, most times these people just choose not to know what has been written in the Word.
Their excuse is they don’t have the time to read the Word of God.
They’re putting their trust in the preacher that he is teaching them the truth.
Many, many reasons, but I don’t think God is going to recognize any one of the many excuses on ‘Judgement Day.’
2 Corinthians 11
vs3 ‘…But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ…’
vs4 ‘…For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, this you tolerate very well…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Paul is writing to warn his followers of ‘false teachers.’ Back in Paul’s day, his followers didn’t own Bibles.
They couldn’t go home after a service to look up a message that they heard. Today almost every home has a Bible in it. We can’t go to a motel without most of them having a copy of a Bible in the room.
Bibles are everywhere today. what kind of a defense are these people going to be able to tell
God that they didn’t know they were being taught a bunch of lies.
But to be truly honest, most people in America alone couldn’t tell you the different books found in our Bibles today. The extent of most people’s knowledge of the Word is they know there is an Old and a New Testament, and that’s just about it.
These people go to church every Sunday morning, and they rely on that pastor to preach to them what they need to hear.
Unfortunately for them, most times the message being taught is nothing more than man-made, gobbly gook.
It’s nothing but words the pastor thought his congregation wanted to hear, it’s nothing more than the question what if the comma was on the other side of a word.
2 Corinthians 11
vs13 ‘…For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ…’
vs14 ‘…No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light…’
vs15 ‘…Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Have you ever asked yourself the question as to why God would talk about ‘false teachers?’
Why would God warn us about something if it wasn’t actually something that could happen?
This world has to wake up and realize the end is coming, one day.
When? I cannot tell you that. The twelve original disciples, they thought Jesus would be returning just after Jesus’ crucifixion by the Romans … but we know that was 2000 years ago.
The way things are going on today in this world, all we can do is make sure we’re ready for that day when the trumpet sounds.
ARE YOU READY?
You better get yourself ready.
No one knows when God is going to decide that’s enough, the time is done.
This world, as we know it, will be over with and gone.
We have been given two (2) choices. We can either choose a future of EVERLASTING Life or Torment.
The choice is ours to make.
Keep your Bible always open and near to where you are so it can easily be gotten and opened up and studied.
Don’t stop reading just the verses we talk about in any particular lesson. Get on your search engines on your computer and type in a question. I use google.com.
My question and I’m going to type in ‘false teachers.’
Here are the first seven (7) things that pop up on my computer …
1-Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends
2-What are the signs of a false teacher
3-What is considered as a false teacher
4-What did Jesus say about false teachers
5-Who are false teachers in church today
6-How to identify false teachers if you don’t know the truth
7-14 top bible verses about false teachers
Keep your Bibles open and study God’s Word. The only limit that we have been given today is what we can type on the computer.
We are shown Bible verses we could read to make us aware that God has actually prepared us for the questions that might arise.
Don’t be afraid of what you will find. Have the FAITH and trust that God is going to protect you. He is going to guide you through this life when and where you need His help.
You have got to voice with those you know and meet every day. Tell them they need to get themselves ready for that day that could come at any time.
The Bible tells us that family will be torn apart. Friends will not remain the same.
We have got to be wise and aware of these things. We have got to trust and rely on the FAITH that we have on God our Father in heaven, Jesus help us, Holy Spirit please send me a helping hand.
I love every one of y’all.
Put your FAITH and Trust in our God and He will keep you from harm’s way.
Study the Word He has given us to help us make our way through this life we are living in.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen
InHIM. ><)))o>