by Pastor Ayo Sparks
THE RETURN:
2 Timothy 4:1 NET | I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom…
The epistles to the Thessalonians were one of Paul’s earliest. In them he wrote about the return of the Lord and in 2 Timothy, about 39 years in ministry and experience, he still believes in the return and with that he’s charging his young associate. All the apostles lived their lives based on their expectation of the return. They must have actually done so for some reasons…
Of course, the persecutions they experienced would really be a factor, their thought will be “please, Jesus come back in time so that this persecution would stop”.
Yet! Much more practical would be that “They really missed Jesus.” Who wouldn’t miss him? The provision they enjoyed in his presence, the fellowship they shared and the hope of a brighter future.
The person I am not sure is Paul, why was he so eager? If Paul was, then we should also be. Sometimes in a believers meeting, you just so enjoy the moment so much so that you wish the meeting would not end. That’s exactly what it’s like for them and even much more.
I strongly believe that these experiences should be real in our local churches today, believers should be cared for as though Jesus were present, fellowship should be spiritual and not political nor “Cluby” as though Jesus were around and much more Church should be a place where hope never dies as though Jesus were around… Truth is Jesus is around, however, there is longing we should have for koinonia birthed by the return of the Lord.
John revelation summed it all up… “come, Lord Jesus come!”
ARE you expecting the return of the Lord? Or you are so enjoying the comfort of our world so much that you desire that he doesn’t return anytime soon? Maybe until you get married because you want to know what sex feels like? Or you want buy that car?
Inasmuch those feelings are real it just proves that the church has lost the true message of the gospel and veered into a different kind of good news… The church is supposed to plant in you a burning desire for the return of Christ.
The Message:
2 Timothy 4:2-3 NET | Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction. For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.
Some of us have neglected the charge to preach the message. This isn’t just Paul’s charge, it is Jesus’ charge and I have Pastors from my Bible School denomination who don’t evangelize and lead the people to evangelize because of the In- thing… “Lifestyle Preaching”
There is no place in scripture that says use your lifestyle to evangelize. No place at all… MANY will say, even if you cannot Preach, Preach with your lifestyle. Though the gospel is to be lived but it is to be preached to get men saved.
Luke 24:47 | And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
2Cor. 4:5 | For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord… Tell the Gogolight beside you, “Preach the Gospel”
1Cor. 1:21 | For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
You are not the focal point of the gospel, Christ is and there is a message, a particular content and not you. You are not the power of God unto salvation, the Gospel is! That verse as an extension…
A time is coming when people will not tolerate sound teaching…
On the surface, our message doesn’t sound like sound teaching does it? You don’t follow 10 commandments… You don’t pay tithes… You don’t fast… Yet, it is that which doesn’t sound that God uses to make us sound! (Forget the rhyme, I am sure you get the drift)
1Cor. 3:19 | For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
Be bold with this Gospel. It is found teaching… It is in it that the power of God is revealed from faith to faith. I am proud of the Gospel!
I am a proud Gogolight!!! You?
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