[0:01] Greet you in the name of Jesus this morning. It's good to be here. It's good to know that he is here, our Lord and Savior, through the Spirit of God.
[0:21] We've already heard much this morning. We sang many meaningful songs this morning. Let me ask us a question.
[0:33] What is our vision today? Do we have a vision? What is our vision? You know, Jesus said in John chapter 4, he said, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.
[0:56] And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal. He says, lift up your eyes.
[1:07] You know, many times I believe that we don't see because we do not look. We are so focused on ourselves and our own things and our own life and our own cares that we forget that there is a world around us going to hell.
[1:36] You know, I had to think. You know, we sing that song about the love of God and how great his love is.
[1:51] And we're so appreciative of his love and so thankful that he saved us.
[2:02] We're so thankful that he loved us so much that Jesus came and gave his life for us. You know, he didn't just give his life for you and me, but he gave his life for the whole world.
[2:22] He gave his life for the whole world. And you can turn to 2 Peter.
[2:36] 2 Peter chapter 3. He says here in verse 9, he says that he is not willing that any should perish, that all should come to repentance.
[2:51] Jesus came. Yes, he came for you and he came for me, but he also came for those that are still rebellious.
[3:07] You know, we were all rebellious. We were all living a life in rebellion to our God.
[3:18] You know, Ephesians talks about this. He says, You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. We walked according to the course of this world and according to the prince and the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
[3:39] We were all among those. We were all living that way. But in his love and in his mercy, he drew us and we responded.
[3:55] But do we have a burden for those who are yet walking in rebellion? You know, God loves them just as he loved us, just as he loves us.
[4:09] He also loves them. And he desires that they hear the gospel. He desires that they come to the knowledge of the truth.
[4:20] I believe that, you know, in the day that we live in, you know, he is drawing men. He is trying to give them an opportunity to make that decision.
[4:35] You know, the prophet Joel, he talks about a people, a time of people being brought into that valley of decision. And I believe that the day we live in, in this last day and in all the calamities and the wars and rumors of wars and all of the end time things that are happening that we see.
[5:03] God is bringing the people of this world into that valley of decision and trying to give them an opportunity to say yes to Jesus.
[5:20] He is not willing. Now let's go here to Peter again. We'll just read verse 9 for right now. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
[5:45] This is the heart of Jesus. This is the heart of God right here, is that all should come to repentance. Now will all men come to repentance?
[5:57] No, they won't. But there's still some that will. And it is the heart of God that they hear the gospel and that they have that opportunity to give their hearts and lives to him.
[6:12] Now let's look at this verse. What's he saying here? He says, He is longsuffering to usward.
[6:25] You know, he's longsuffering to the world, giving them opportunity to come to Christ. But he's also, I believe, at the same time, God needed to be longsuffering with his church because we get sidetracked so easily.
[6:46] We lose the vision so easily. You know, there's a verse that, I believe the Apostle Paul wrote. He said, That there's some that do not have the knowledge of the gospel.
[7:03] I speak this to your shame. You know, it is the desire and the will of God that all people will hear the gospel. Matthew 24 says that every nation will hear the gospel.
[7:21] The gospel will be carried to all nations and then will the end come. And I believe that we, our generation, we are responsible for our generation.
[7:35] You know, there might have been, you know, probably the first generation of Christians was probably as close as any to bringing this gospel to the whole world.
[7:48] Now I want to go back and I want to read a little, let's see. It's 2 Peter chapter 3.
[8:07] So let's start in verse 3. You know, when we live in that day, we hear this.
[8:33] Where is the promise of his coming? And maybe more than people actually saying it, they say it with the way they live. Because many people, they just throw off all restraints.
[8:48] They don't care what the Bible says. They just go out and they live. They profess the name of Christ. But they live. Their life just shows what's in their heart.
[9:06] You know, it's always that way. Your life will show what's in your heart. If you live for yourself or you live for God, your life will show what is in your heart and what you really truly believe.
[9:31] Scoffers, walking after their own lusts. You know, when a person walks after his own lusts, but they profess the name of Christ, their profession, does that match up with their life?
[9:49] Where is the promise of his coming? Yes, Jesus is coming. He promised to come. He is coming. But I believe that God is yet bringing in a harvest in this last day before he sends Jesus back for his bride.
[10:08] Now, verse 5, For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished.
[10:27] But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store, reserved on a fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
[10:41] Notice what he says here. He says that people are willingly ignorant. You know, that, that, that, I believe that talks of a people that have been taught this word, they've heard this word.
[10:57] Maybe they grew up in church and they heard this word from young on up, but they turned their back on, on Jesus. They turned their back, they're out, they're living a life of sin, a life of pleasure.
[11:13] You know, and we'll look at this later, but not, you know, many times people just live for self.
[11:27] Maybe it's not a life of drunkenness and drugs and, and, and adultery and so on, but a life of pleasure instead of living a life for God.
[11:41] It says, they are willingly ignorant. They willingly lay aside the word. They willingly do not, do not lift up their eyes and look at the field that is white to harvest.
[11:57] They, they try, they, you know, Satan will blind us if we will allow him to. You know, we, we heard about those gatekeepers that, that were bribed, like, you know, Satan, he's a master deceiver, he's a master negotiator, he's a master compromiser and he will bring you any compromise that he thinks you will take, anything you are willing to compromise, he will make a deal with you.
[12:31] That's how he works. That's how he gets a foothold in your life. verse 7 says that this earth, the heavens and the earth that now are, they are by the word of God, the same word of God that created them.
[12:53] That word is keeping it. It is keeping it. You know, I believe that if it were not for the word of God, this world would disappear, it would burn up and as we read on, we will see that someday it will.
[13:12] But it is the word of God that is preserving this world. It's not the green agenda, it's not anything that man can do, but it is the word of God and when the word of God is removed that holds this earth, then it will be over.
[13:29] The same word keeps this world in store and it is reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
[13:45] But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but his long suffering to us were not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance for the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
[14:22] The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting into the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
[14:52] Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless.
[15:14] so he gives us some instruction in how to live our life and how we should live and how he desires us to live.
[15:27] You know and if we will keep this in mind that someday this world is going to burn up. Someday it's all going to disappear. Someday all the buildings we've built are going to burn.
[15:41] They're going to dissolve. They'll be over. The time for them will be gone. All the works that we've done. All the things we've built. All the empires of this world.
[15:53] Someday they will disappear. Someday it will be over. All the works of man. They will go. And he asks the question then.
[16:08] Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved. what manner of persons ought ye to be. How then shall we live?
[16:19] How then should we live our life? I believe that it is of utmost importance that we make every decision. The decisions we make in our life.
[16:31] That we make them in the light of eternity. We remember that yes we have jobs. Yes we have families. We need to support them. Yes we have responsibilities.
[16:44] But ultimately our goal must be that we are living the life that God wants us to live.
[16:54] And that we make our decisions in the light of eternity. Knowing that the things that are seen are temporal. The things that we have here. All these things they are temporal and they will disappear.
[17:10] Only what is done for Christ will last. You know there's a poem used to hang in my mom's house. It said only one life will soon be passed.
[17:23] Only what's done for Christ will last. This life will soon be over. It will soon be over. And only what we've done for Christ that's the only thing that will be left.
[17:41] Someday we will stand before him and we'll give an account for our life. We'll give an account for what we've done, how we've lived our life, what we've done with the grace of God that he's so freely given us.
[17:59] You know, are we living in the fullness of the Holy Ghost? Are we living to the fullness of his desires? Are we living for him in all?
[18:16] You know, and when I say this, you know, are we living to our fullest potential? And that's not in our own ability, but it's in the ability of God through the Holy Ghost upon us.
[18:32] you know, I want to get a verse here in Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, chapter 12.
[18:52] here we have the apostle Paul, he prayed to God and he asked him to remove that thorn in the flesh, you know, whatever that was.
[19:07] But the answer, well, let's read verse 8 and 9. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
[19:28] Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake.
[19:46] For when I am weak, then am I strong. Let me tell you, you know, it's not in what we can do in our own strength, but it is in what God can do through us, what God can make of us.
[20:04] You know, you know, people used to say, I can't talk. That was me. And when I started preaching, there were people that they just couldn't believe it because I couldn't barely talk.
[20:24] You know, it's not in what I can do, it is what God can do through me. It's up to Him. And it's only what He does through us is what will last, is what will stand the fires of the judgment, of the testing.
[20:47] Paul says, I will gladly glory in infirmities. Why? Because in my shortcoming, in my weakness, His strength can come when I don't have any way forward, when I don't know what to do, when I don't know what to preach, when I don't know the answer.
[21:12] There's a God that has the answer, and He will come and He will fulfill, He will meet that need, if we will allow Him. But if we are self-sufficient, if we can handle this thing on our own, if we can handle this in our own strength, then He just stands back and He watches us, and He just lets us go.
[21:37] But in this day, in this last hour, we desperately need the power of God to do the work that He has called us to do.
[21:54] And what is He calling us to do? Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We will start in verse 9.
[22:10] Wherefore we labor, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
[22:30] We must all appear before the judgment seat of God. verse 9, he says, we labor that we may be accepted of Him.
[22:44] You know, our labor must be that we get ourselves into the position that God can work through us, that His Spirit can work through us, that we can hear what He is saying.
[23:00] That is our part in all of this. and then allowing Him to use us for whatever purpose He might have. We will all receive what we have done in the body, whether it be good or bad, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord.
[23:24] We persuade men, you know, there's a day of terror coming for the unbeliever, a great day of terror, for those that do not believe, for those that are disobedient.
[23:40] You know, there's a verse in Thessalonians. Let me just read that while we're talking about this. in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1, he says here, start in verse 5, which is a manifest token.
[24:13] He's talking about, well, let's read verse 4, so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer.
[24:42] now notice this verse, these next verses are the ones I wanted. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his saints.
[25:35] Notice what he says here, this will be a great day of terror to those who do not know Jesus, to those who have been disobedient to his word, says that he will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and those that are disobedient.
[25:55] And in verse 6 he says, it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation on these people that are disobedient, on these people that don't know God.
[26:08] it is a righteous thing to bring the judgment of God upon them. You know, we hear so much about the love of God today, and it is so.
[26:18] He loves those people, but there's a day coming when the day of salvation will be over with, and then it will be judgment. It will be judgment, and His wrath will overtake them.
[26:39] Inflaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and those that are disobedient. You know, but our God, He is not willing that any should perish.
[26:53] He wants these people to come to know Him, and He's trying to give them the opportunity. But are we faithful in bringing the gospel to the people that God would have us to, the people that, the opportunities that He gives us, and the places He desires to take us.
[27:15] Are we faithful in that? Knowing therefore, in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, again, verse 11, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, we persuade men, yes, verse 14, for the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that He died for all, Jesus died for all, He didn't just die for us, but He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again, Jesus died for us, yes, and now because He died for us, let us live for Him, let us fulfill His plan and His purpose for us, He has a plan for us, if you're saved today,
[28:17] Jesus has a plan for you to walk in and to fulfill in this life here on earth, and let us give ourselves to that plan, and let us find out what it is, and live it faithfully, for the Lord, wherefore, henceforth, know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we Him no more, you know, we know each other, yes, by our earthly names, and we know each other in the flesh, but let us look past that, and know that we are new creations in Christ Jesus, we are a new creation, we'll read that here in a moment, but that is who we are, and though we might make mistakes, and though we might have failures, we are that new creation in
[29:23] Christ Jesus if we've been born again, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, all things are become new, and all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
[30:03] Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
[30:24] We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. Now let's look at this, verse 18.
[30:41] You know, God sent Jesus into this world. Why? To reconcile humanity back to God almighty.
[30:52] That is why Jesus had to come. That is the purpose of him coming to this earth. But Jesus, when he left here, he left the job of reconciling this world, he left that in the hands of the church.
[31:10] First the apostles, the disciples there, and then the church as it grew. But this is now our work.
[31:22] This is now, we are now the generation with this work of reconciling the world unto Jesus, reconciling this world back unto God.
[31:40] Verse 20 says, we are ambassadors for Christ. We represent him. You know, if we are born again, and we're full of the Holy Ghost, and we bear the name of Christ, we are his representatives everywhere we go.
[31:59] let me ask you, are you a good ambassador? Do people see Jesus in you as you go out on your job, as you work during the week, wherever you go, the things you do, the recreation you do, the things you go after, do they represent Jesus?
[32:29] we then as workers together with him, we are now workers together with God.
[32:45] Jesus started this work, and he turned it over to the church. It is now us, it is now you and me. We are co-workers together with God.
[32:58] and he says, we beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
[33:10] You know, his grace, his spirit is upon us. Are we allowing his spirit to work through us, to speak through us, to witness to those that we meet.
[33:27] He beseeches us that we not receive the grace of God in vain, but that we allow him, that we surrender our life to him, that he can use us to his honor and for his glory.
[33:44] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Oh, might the spirit of God stamp eternity on our hearts that in our lives, the decisions we make, the places we go, the things we do, that we always do all things in the light of eternity, in the light of him who gave his life for us.
[34:24] In the light of eternity, there's a judgment day coming, there's a day coming when all these things will pass away, when all the earthly labors we've done, they will all perish, they will all go.
[34:41] Proverbs says, he that winna souls is wise. Jesus said, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. and he admonishes us to seek first the kingdom of God, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
[35:05] You know, Jesus, I read here the last few verses in Matthew 28, you know, the last, the last things that Jesus commanded his disciples, Jesus came and he spake to them.
[35:27] In verse 18, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
[35:41] teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
[35:52] Jesus, Jesus, he said, all power is given unto me and because he has all power, because he is above all, because he is over all, he is sending forth his disciples, he is sending forth his church to go into all nations, to go into all nations, baptizing them and teaching them.
[36:23] You know, we can't individually go to all nations, but that's not important. What is important is that we find out our spot, our place that God would have us to walk in, that he would have us to fill here on this earth, and that we are faithful in that call, in that work.
[36:52] In Acts, Acts 1-8, let's read that. You know, Jesus, Jesus said, in verse 4 here, he says, wait for the promise of the Father.
[37:10] John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. In verse 8, but ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
[37:35] Let me tell you, the only way we will be faithful, the only way we will fulfill the call of God upon our lives, is as we walk in the power of the Holy Ghost, as we allow him to fill us and use us.
[37:54] you know, he has, you know, Ephesians, let me find that, I was going to, well, I read some of that, or quoted it anyhow, but in Ephesians chapter 2, he talks about the life we used to live, and there's still most of the world, is still under the power of the prince of the power of the air, and they live according to that.
[38:34] But verse 8, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
[38:47] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.
[38:59] You know, he has before ordained that we should walk in good works, but I believe that he has a foreordained plan for each one of our lives, that we would walk in it, that we would fulfill his will, that, you know, as the whole church across this world walks in the power of the Holy Ghost, and fulfills his calling, and fulfills the will of God in their individual lives, then the world will hear the gospel, the world will have the opportunity to come to Christ, but if we are not faithful, in our part of this, someone might not hear, someone might not hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
[40:04] All. He wants all to hear the gospel. He wants all. He wants all to have the opportunity to come to him.
[40:25] Let's go to the book of Romans. Let's start Romans 10, verse 9, that if thou shall confess, with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus shall believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
[41:04] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
[41:19] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. The same Lord over all is rich and all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[41:32] how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
[41:45] And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.
[41:58] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed I report? So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
[42:12] You know, not all people will respond to this word, but God wants all people to hear the gospel, that they will have to make that decision.
[42:26] And you just look out across this land and you look out across the world and all the things that are going on. You know, we don't know but a fraction of it, I imagine.
[42:40] But I believe that God is, in this last day, he's bringing people into that valley of decision that they will realize that there's something greater going on.
[42:56] And somehow they will hear the gospel and they will have the opportunity to give their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ.
[43:09] How will they hear unless someone tells them? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
[43:20] You know, those unbelievers out there, those that are living in disobedience, they need to hear the gospel, they need to hear the word of God, they need to hear it.
[43:32] Yes. And if they will grasp a hold of that word, I believe faith will arise in their heart to come to Christ.
[43:47] It says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. you know, Joel, the book of Joel, it says, because in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, there's deliverance, you know, in the church today is where God has placed that call to go out and has placed the call that people can come to the church and find deliverance if the church will be faithful that the harvest can be brought in.
[44:31] How will they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? Are we being faithful?
[44:45] you know, let us lift up our eyes. Like Jesus said there, he said, lift up your eyes and behold the fields.
[44:58] Just look at the fields around about us. Look at the lost around about us. Look at the many people that are out just living for self, living for pleasure, living for, for just living for themselves.
[45:17] You know, in Luke chapter 8, here we have the parable of the sower. I believe that one of the greatest problems hindering the work of God is the church not living the way that it should.
[45:44] I believe this describes much of the professing church. In verse 14 of Luke 8, that which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard they go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection.
[46:08] I believe that's the church of America. Not all of it, but too much of it. You know, they hear the word and they might even start to bring forth fruit, but notice what it says here.
[46:28] Bring no fruit to perfection. You know, you know, there's, you'll see, there's, you'll see on apple trees, you'll see some of that fruit, it will start, but it will never mature.
[46:46] Why? Well, there's something amiss. There's something amiss. Maybe the nutrition is not right. Whatever it might be.
[46:58] And so the fruit never develops. There might be little apples, but they die before they grow, before they mature. That's how so many Christians are today.
[47:12] They start, you start seeing some fruit, but it never develops, it never matures. And why is that? Why is that?
[47:26] I believe we have the answer right here. The word is choked. with cares, you know, cares of this life.
[47:38] We all have them. We all have them. With riches and pleasures of this life. Y'all believe this verse describes so many people and it describes our temptation.
[47:59] It describes what we, the decisions that we face every day. It's whether we will allow the cares, we will allow the riches, we will allow the pleasures of this life to choke out the word of God and the work of God, to choke out the voice of the Holy Spirit within us.
[48:26] us. Can we hear his voice? Do we hear when he speaks to us, when he prompts us to witness to that man, when he prompts us to go do whatever it might be?
[48:45] Do we hear that voice? Or, oh, I don't have time, I was going to go do this today, whatever it might be, whether it's work or pleasure or whatever it might be.
[49:04] Is God first in our life? Is he first? You know, there's only one throne in your heart. and as long as self is on there, Jesus is not.
[49:22] That's just how it is. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness in all these things shall be added unto you.
[49:37] Verse 15, but that on the good ground are they, and hopefully this is us, which in an honest and good heart having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
[49:51] You know, let me just say, that good fruit takes a while to grow. And we're familiar with that. That's those apple trees.
[50:02] If they will bring fruit that is tasty and sweet and good, it will be the fall. Just a while before frost is when you'll find that apple to be ripe.
[50:16] But it blossoms in the early spring, so fruit takes time. It takes time in our life. And he says, patience. You know, do we have patience?
[50:30] Do we have the patience to do the work of God? You know, we might witness to a man, we might preach, we might sow the seed and not see any response, might not see anything happening.
[50:47] But can we continue on in patience? You know, in reality, when we are asked to sow the seed, you know, it's not our responsibility necessarily, whether that man will respond to it or not, the decision is up to him.
[51:16] But that we are faithful in doing our part, whether it is to sow the seed, or it is to water, or whatever it is, that we are faithful in where God has put us.
[51:31] yes, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. Why?
[51:44] He loved this world so much that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever will believe in him might not perish, but have everlasting life.
[51:58] He is not willing that any should perish, he desires that all people will hear the gospel and might turn to him. Yes, that is his desire, that is his will.
[52:14] Yes. Yes. 1 Corinthians 13.
[52:31] We know it as the love chapter. There is one little phrase I want to quote out of that. Love seeketh not its own. Seeketh not its own.
[52:44] You know, we live in a selfish world. That is the nature of the old man, is selfishness. love. And when we have love God in our hearts, you know, he loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten son.
[53:04] And now, as we are his children, we have his love in our heart. Can we live our life for others? You know, he gave his life that we can have life, but can we live that life for him?
[53:22] And bringing the gospel to a lost and a dying world, seeketh not her own. Charity suffereth long and is kind.
[53:37] You know, and on down the list, but seeketh not her own. Does not, is not selfish, is not selfish, but will freely give.
[53:49] Will freely allow God to use us. To use us. Though it might cost us, whatever it will, you know, we sing that song.
[54:03] Though it may cost me friends and home, I will be true to thee. Cause me lands afar to roam, I will be true to thee.
[54:16] Will we be true to him? Paul said he is a debtor, both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise.
[54:27] I believe we are a debtor to this generation, to bring the power of God to this generation, to bring his salvation to this generation.
[54:44] Where is our heart? our heart? Are we seeking first the kingdom of God? Jesus said where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.
[54:56] Jesus ever liveth to make intercession for us. Are we interceding for our lost and a dying world? Yes.
[55:08] Yes. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. repentance. And it is the goodness of God that desires to lead the rest of humanity to repentance.
[55:22] Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Can he use us to destroy the works of the devil in someone else's life?
[55:39] Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. You know there's a day coming when it will be too late.
[55:57] And there's as of today this world still has the opportunity to come to Christ. to come to perish.
[56:14] And that all should come to repentance. Jim Elliot said this, he said, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
[56:28] You know, if we lay down our life for the gospel, we can't keep this life anyway, but we can gain eternal life. We can gain souls for eternity.
[56:43] Amen. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your great love for humanity, that you gave your life.
[57:03] Jesus came to this earth and gave his life that this rebellious, sinful world can be reconciled to a lost, to a holy God again.
[57:19] O Lord, this lost and dying world, Lord, might that burden come upon our hearts, the burden of lost humanity, the burden of the lost round about us.
[57:38] Lord, and give us a vision of work to be done, of the work that you have for each one of us, Lord, whatever that might be.
[57:50] O Lord, send us forth into your harvest field. Help us to be faithful where you have called us, where you have put us, that you can further take us to wherever you desire.
[58:10] We pray. Help us, Lord. Help us, Lord, today. we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.