Sunday Re-cap 09th October 2005

FOCUS: A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH by Frank McLean

Introductory story:
Tom and John dive to rescue passengers trapped in a sunken ship, but Tom gets distracted by gold. Only with John’s help does Tom remember his mission to “save the lost” and proceed to do so!

I. The world will not become a utopia before Jesus comes again.
Matthew 24:4,6-8,14
And Jesus answered and said to them, “ . . . . you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. . . . And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

II. The ways of this world are great distractions from God’s will: REALLY LOVING AND REACHING HUMAN BEINGS WITH THE GOSPEL!
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

III. We can overcome the world and the devil, by keeping our focus on Jesus!
Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Conclusion: Therefore, let us, most solemnly, keep our eyes on Jesus!!!
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

AMEN!