0:00 [Music] Good to see you all family. Thank you for praying for Olu and me as we were in Atlanta last weekend. The Lord really was with us and u saw the Lord 0:19 moving for a work to come. Praise the Lord for that. So I really more and more see the importance of prayer for everything we do and um like we've heard already this morning pray for the 0:37 conference the worst thing for us would be that everything goes smoothly practically we get some good messages but we're not in tune to the presence of the Lord and the fire of the Lord is not burning here. So pray. I've been to conferences where 1:00 everything went smoothly, but the effect of that conference was not felt was didn't carry over beyond that weekend. We're not here just to have a good time together and for a bunch of hungry men. Some of them coming with their wives and children to just be 1:18 here and enjoy some good food and some good company and good conversation. I hope that's not what we're looking for. We're asking the Lord to move. And it must start with us as we sing in that song, send a 1:34 revival start the work in me. If we're going to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a revival this weekend, which I'm praying for, it must start in us today. As the hosts, I think it is our responsibility to ensure that we're 1:53 preparing the way for the Holy Spirit to move. that there's something we who are privileged to be in this church have done to bring down every lofty thing, any pride in our lives, any lofty thing is laid low and any valley, any 2:12 discouragement, any laziness and half-heartedness that you've been living in is up. You're wholehearted. No more lukewarmness. So send a revival, Lord. Start the work in me. There's any lofty thing in me, bring it down. If there's 2:30 any depression in me, bring it up, Lord. Lift me up. Make a straight path that your word will go forth in clarity and anointing. So, let's be in a spirit of prayer for that. I believe God will answer. 2:49 Uh let's turn to 1 Timothy chapter [Music] 1. As you know, I I crossed another year, calendar year in my life recently. [Music] And some of the things that the Lord 3:09 reminded me of around the time of my birthday was his tremendous patience towards me. And with each year that I and each day really, but especially when I reach another year in my life, I am more aware of his 3:29 patience with towards me, more conscious of it. And you read here in 1 Timothy 1, an episode that I believe Paul wrote towards the end of his life in which he says 1 Timothy 3:47 1, verse 12, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful putting me into service even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because 4:04 I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And I think Paul was talking about the time when before he came to know Jesus because he was acting ignorantly and in unbelief. But for me it was a little bit 4:23 different. Even though it was ignorance from pride and unbelief, I had the privilege that Paul didn't have to hear the truth about Jesus Christ and the new covenant pretty much from the time I was 4:39 born and have grown up hearing it all my life. And and yet, so in some sense, I feel like God had to be even more patient with me than he had was with Paul. Verse 14. And the grace of our Lord was 4:58 more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save 5:14 sinners among whom I am foremost of all. Now when Paul was writing this, he wasn't quoting 1 Timothy 1:15. There was nothing for him to quote. And many people say it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into 5:33 the world to save sinners among whom I am foremost. You can just say it like a recitation. You just recite the verse. Paul wasn't reciting anything when he said this. He hadn't memorized some verse that he was then saying to 5:49 look pious. I don't know if he had any idea. I don't think he had any idea that 2,000 years later we would be re reading what he wrote in some personal letter to Timothy. But God bore witness to Paul 6:06 because Paul absolutely meant it. When Paul said, "I am the worst of sinners," he absolutely meant it. And this was after he had been converted and walked with Jesus and God 6:24 had used him to uh reveal tremendous things to him. I believe he wrote this after he had been taken up to the third heaven and seen the very presence of God. And by now, he'd already planted many churches. He wrote words that to 6:41 this day we read as the inspired word of God. There are very very few in clearly inspired words of God. That's in this book and Paul's are a good majority of that in the New Testament. And yet this man who had got such tremendous 6:59 revelation, who had been used by God to speak his truths and to reveal them and explain them in such a way could say, "I am the worst." And he really meant it. And I'll tell you honestly, I feel a little bit like that. I am very careful 7:17 to say these words, I am the worst of sinners. Because it better not be a lie. If in some way I actually think that there is even one sinner worse than me, then I'm lying when I say I'm the worst of sinners. So before we just glibly 7:36 casually say, "Oh yeah, I'm the worst of sinners." And I'm not saying it to you. I'm saying before I felt that way in my heart around the time of my birthday, the Lord asked me, "Sontosh, do you really see it? Is that really the truth? 7:51 If not, don't say it. say, "I'm the second worst or the hundth worst or maybe the thousandth worst." Something like that. Don't say you're the worst unless you've actually seen it. And I believe God wants to bring all of us to the place where we see I am the 8:07 worst of sinners. It can go tremendously well with us. And I I don't I want to be careful even in saying that. But the way I looked I looked at it like this for many years. See, I I probably there are people in this world who have done 8:24 things that the world would consider as worse sin than what I've done. You can read the newspaper about all these criminals and read history about dictators and evil people that have done horrible things to mass mass number of people and in the world's eyes 8:42 they see that sinner as worse than me. But in God's eyes, he his ways are not our ways. And his ways of looking at things are so different from our way of looking at things. And I believe that the closer we get to God, how is it that 8:58 Paul could say, I mean, there are some there are some people Nero was around in Paul's time, are you, you could ask Paul, Paul, are you really saying that you're worse than Nero? He would say yes. Otherwise, he's lying. And the and 9:15 God could never record his words in scripture. Paul, you mean you're worse than Nero? Do you know what all he's done? He said, I'm worse than him. Why, Paul? He doesn't give an explanation, but he just got that revelation. I believe he had come so 9:32 close to Christ that he saw the seriousness of sin. In my case, I've seen it this way that others in the world, even the worst person, the worst terrorist or the worst dictator, they were never given the privileges that I was given to know 9:50 Christ from a young age and to know his truth and to be taught and to be grow up in a loving home with loving parents, to grow up in a loving church where the truth and the grace of God were manifest as purely as they could. I I 10:06 was tremendously blessed and many of the others who have done horrible things they didn't have that privilege and for me given that environment to have fallen the way I fell is worse than somebody else who 10:24 didn't have that same privilege to fall into things that I think are despicable and even the rest of the world thinks is despicable. That's how I see it. Now, you don't have to see it the same way because your circumstances are 10:33 different. But what I'm after and what I want to encourage you with, dear church family, is this real attitude that Paul had that he was the worst of the sinners. Now, Paul wasn't living in constant sin. He wasn't out there committing adultery, living a 10:50 hypocritical life, loving money, cheating in on his income taxes. It's tax week this week, by the way, or anything like that. Loving the honor of people. He was really seeking to follow Jesus. But the closer he got to Jesus, 11:03 the more his eyes, the spiritual eyes were open to see sin the way God sees it. And that caused such a like a hatred for it. And some small little sin, a small attitude, a small little thing like the way he answered back to a high priest 11:22 became so horrible that he said, "That's worse than if I'm a serial rapist or a serial killer because God has shown me so much." God hasn't shown that murderer on death row what he's shown us family. So let's not compare ourselves to other people 11:37 when we see the standard of the world and the and where things are descending in the world in terms of what's becoming acceptable in society. That's not what we compare them to because God has shown us so much. And so more and more we start to 11:54 see Lord I am actually worse than I thought I was. and that but then we can sing I'm a sinner who's been saved today I'm accepted by God but let me never forget that I've been forgiven and the pit that God pulled me up from let's 12:09 turn to second Peter chapter 3 that's why as I shared with with with you the church family I oh sorry before we go there I want to finish reading that next verse which was where I wanted to get to verse 16 yet for this reason 1 Timothy 12:25 1:16 I found mercy so that in me as the worst Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life. paraphrase that God had to show how 12:43 perfect his patience is that he had to pick somebody as stubborn and self-willed and self-centered as Santosh as if to say I can do if I could do it for Santosh I could do it for you my patience is so long that's really how I 12:59 feel that God has been so tremendously patient with me he is it's like his his patience was much longer than I realized because I am so self-centered and self-willed and he's been tremendously patient. May we continue on and press on into this 13:17 journey of discovering the patience of God towards us as an example for others who would believe. So second Peter 3, he also talks about patience. 2 Peter 3:8. But we do not let this one fact 13:39 escape your notice. Have you ever read such a verse in scripture? Don't miss out this one fact. If you could pick one fact, I mean, I don't know if there's a verse like this where it says, "Do not let it escape. Let this one fact escape your 13:55 notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any 14:14 to perish, but for all to come to repentance. And what the Holy Spirit is telling us through Paul here is that God is restraining himself. When it seems like he's delaying, when it seems like he's he's taking a long time to come, he's not 14:33 slow. He's not forgotten about his church that's here on this earth. He's not somehow like, uh, I guess I'll come back sometime. I'm not in a hurry to come back, so I'll just wait. Is that the sense you get that God is just sort 14:45 of sitting around in heaven like h yeah one of these days I'll come back the L don't let this one fact escape your notice that the Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness in other words some will say oh God is slow slow 15:01 to answer my prayer God doesn't care I'm suffering through this and the suffering doesn't seem to end he's so slow to answer me God is not slow even though you think he's slow but is patient. There's a difference between slowness and 15:17 patience is and what he's saying is God is restraining himself. Oh, he wants to come and redeem his church and take us up to heaven. He wants to put an end to all the suffering here on this earth, but he's holding himself 15:29 back. Jesus Christ is waiting to come and take his bride. I mean, as excited as a couple that's engaged, that really is in love with each other, can't wait for the wedding day to come. Jesus even more to be united with his bride. But 15:43 he's holding himself back because he's patient. Because Santosh is still so stiff necked. Still so loving of himself. Still have such an attitude in this area and that area. Still can't get along with that brother. Still can't get 15:59 along with that sister. Still so full of pride. And he's holding himself back because once he comes, it's over. Once he comes, there's no more time for repentance. And he's holding himself back. Dear brother, dear sister, 16:14 if God seems slow, he's not. He's patient. He's holding himself back. He's restraining himself. Let's go back to verse one. This is now, beloved, the second letter I'm writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of 16:34 reminder that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Know this first of all that in the last days mockers will come with their 16:49 mocking following after their own lusts. You think mocking? They will come to churches. He's warning disciples. He's not talking about the people in the world who in the movies and in their conversations mock God. He's talking about people who will 17:03 come in the church and mock God. How? He goes on to say verse four, they will mock God by saying, "Where is the promise of his coming?" Oh, he's not coming back. Yeah, you know, you got a lot of time. Do you know that if we take 17:18 sin lightly and if we have the attitude that I can continue to live in this self-centered, sinful, selfish way because Jesus Christ is not coming back soon. I'm mocking God. And there will be people sitting in churches who will have 17:33 that attitude. That's what we're told here. Where is the promise of his coming? Forever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. Look, today just seems like yesterday and that 17:47 seems like last week and last month. Where is the promise of his coming? Ah, he's not coming anytime soon. Go back and live your double-minded life. See, that's the thing. Let's let me finish reading here. Sorry. For when 18:02 they maintain this verse 5, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water through which the world at that time was destroyed. They forget that God was 18:17 patient and he saw sin. He saw horrible sin. He saw men eating and drinking and giving in marriage and being married and the every intent of man's heart was for evil. You read in Genesis 6 and he was patient and patient and Noah preached 18:34 and Noah preached and Noah preached and Noah preached but one day the flood came. It escapes their notice that through which the world at that time was destroyed verse six being flooded with water but by his word the present 18:52 heavens and earth are being restrained are being reserved are being are waiting for fire kept for the day of judgment and destruction of un ungodly men. So don't let this fact escape you that with a day with the with the Lord a day is 19:09 like a thousand years. You think it's been a thousand years and Jesus Christ still hasn't come. He said, "I'm coming back soon 2,000 years ago." It's just been 2 days. That's what he's saying. You think the Lord is slow? It's 19:23 only been 2 days for him. He's like, "You think I've been waiting 2,000 years? It's only been two days for me. Verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass 19:42 away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up. This is the truth. This is just going to happen. And it I don't know how many of us I wonder I'm speaking to my own self, 19:58 brothers and sisters and children. This is a reminder the Lord laid on my heart as I crossed another years, another year. Santo, don't let this fact escape you that everything you see around you is going to be burned up with fire 20:11 and intense heat. That thing you think is so attractive, that job that you're so attached to, that other thing that you're waiting for, that dream that you're hoping to, it's going to burn up in intense heat. It is. But Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5, 20:28 "We are not of the darkness that this day should not come upon us like a thief." It will be like a thief. I believe that for many Christians it will be, but it'll be because they are sleeping because they didn't take heed 20:40 the word that was given the warnings that were given in God word in God's word and they went to sleep. And most importantly, they were doubleminded. See, I think the people in Noah's day in Noah's day were double-minded. Let's turn to Genesis 20:55 chapter 6. This is the deception. This is how why we are given the warning. This is why for many people it will come like a thief in the night is because they're double-minded. And the devil will allow them to think that you 21:12 can live a double-minded life on this earth and get away with it. See, in Moses, in Noah, in Noah's day, um, it was the people in Noah's day, we just read about Noah, right? The flood. Enoch 21:30 lived for over 300 years along with Adam. If you do the math, and I looked it up, and I think I'm correct in saying that, but correct me later on if you're wrong if you do the math and I come up with a different number. It says that Enoch lives. Enoch 21:47 was the great-grandfather for Noah. You know that, right? Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. So, here was Noah's great-grandfather setting the stage for this destruction where the whole earth was completely destroyed by water. Enoch 22:03 as a descendant of Adam walked with God. But before that, he lived, it says, 65 years. It's Genesis 5 21. He lived for 65 years and then he walked through with God for 300 years. At after 365 years he was taken up with God. He walked with 22:20 God so intimately in the midst of a people who didn't walk with God in the midst of the same people who a few years later would be destroyed by flood. Do you think it kind of happened overnight? From the time of Adam, there was a slow 22:36 regression, a slow descending more and more into such evil that God said, "I regret that I have even created man on this earth. It didn't just go from light to darkness like that. It was a slow progression. The light of God growing a 22:51 little bit more dim, a little bit more dim. I think it started with Adam. Even though when he was kicked out of the Garden of Eden, maybe he was discouraged over the fact that he lost out on the Garden of Eden. And then it Cain did all 23:05 that evil to Abel. And then there was Seth. Sure. But there was a gradual progression downwards, a gradual spiral downwards. But then in the middle of that comes a man named Enoch who walked with God first for 65 years. He he was 23:22 part of that gradual decline for 65 years. And Adam was still alive at that time. But something happened. God told Enoch, "I'm going to destroy the earth with flood. When your son, I'm giving you a son, Enoch. His name is going to 23:37 be Methuselah. When he dies, the judgment's going to come." And that woke Enoch up. In the same way that second Peter 3 ought to wake us up, that the judgment's coming, intense heat, the burning is coming. That back then it was water, it's going to be 23:55 fire, and that's going to be a permanent destruction with fire. It woke up Enoch and he says, "I got to walk with God. Sure, I've got to earn a living. Sure, I've got to provide for my children." Enoch had children and grandchildren and 24:06 great-grandchildren. We know that. But in the midst of that everyday life, in the midst of that, in the midst of a world that was declining and declining and declining, he says, "I got to walk with God. Even if I'm the only 24:18 one, we don't know about his wife. We don't know about his ch children." Even I don't know if Methuselah walked with God. When he died, the flood came, but we don't know. He wasn't saved. I mean, he died before the flood, sure, but did 24:32 he walk with God? We're not told. Enoch walked with God. And even if nobody else followed him, he walked with God. He walked with God. And then and you know he lived for about 300 years together with Adam. And then sometime 24:47 after that, Adam died and Enoch continued to walk with God. And he goes up and then he's taken up. And Noah, if you do the math, was born about 70 years after Enoch was taken up. So Noah never got to see his great-grandfather Enoch. 25:01 But I'm sure he heard stories about his great-grandfather. Man, there was this great your great grandad. I imagine that Lamek and Methuselah told Noah stories. Methulah says, "My dad, yeah, he he I would see him and he would just be 25:16 praying all the time and there was something different about my dad and he never got attached to the things of this world. He was living for a different kingdom. Even though he was the only one and one day, he just didn't show up 25:26 anymore. We don't know where he is. He's gone." And Noah, something worked in Noah's heart. He's like, "Really? that my great-grandfather walked with God even though he was the only one and something worked in Noah's heart. At 25:39 some point, he says, "I want to walk with God." And Noah walked with God. But in the midst of that, Noah were his relatives, descendants of the same godly man named Enoch, for whom the decline continued. Enoch preached, I believe, 25:54 was a preacher of righteousness, we're told, and he preached, and he he also tried to get people to walk with God. Finally, God said, "Nobody's listening to you. I'm just going to take you up. I'm going to be patient a little bit 26:06 longer." God could have destroyed the earth when Enoch was taken up saying, "You guys have listened to Enoch, but you haven't paid attention. Destroy the earth." No, let's give him one more day. One more day. And then Noah comes along and he walks with 26:21 God. And his wife walks with God along with him. And his children and their wives walk with his sons and their wives walk with God. And here's this family of eight. a picture of the church that's walking with God, going to work every 26:34 day, having to provide for their for each other, for for them, for their livelihood. But in the midst of that, their devotion was to God and his kingdom. And the ark, my dear brothers and sisters, is a picture of the church, 26:46 not this church, but the church. The only thing that will survive is the church. And I hope that you are committed to building the church above everything else. that if God was to look down into the secret areas of your 27:01 heart, he would be able to say, "This son, this daughter of mine is 100% committed to the one thing that will remain when the fire comes, and that is the church." And our passion, dear brothers, dear sisters, dear children, 27:14 this that every one of us who considers RLCF their home will be a part of that ark, will be a part of that church, will be preserved through the fire. That's our only ambition. And if this isn't the place where where because we're not the 27:28 only church. I you've heard us say that before. But if God wants you to be somewhere else, go where you will be a committed to the church, the pure body of Christ, not just some gathering of Christian people who take the name of 27:41 Jesus and have meetings and conferences and Bible studies and listen to sermons and all that, but the pure bride of Christ that God is preserving when the fire is going to come. So, in the midst of all these double-minded people, see the people of 27:57 I believe that in Noah's day there were people who loved God too cuz they're like, "Yeah, Enoch, you know, he was a good man." And they maybe they had a a stone, his grave site because his body wasn't there. He was taken up at some 28:09 commemoration. They referred back to Enoch as a godly man. But they were double-minded. They wanted God plus the world. And one day, Genesis 7, you read, God told Noah, "It's it's time. The time's coming." And God was patient. Noah 28:28 preached for over a hundred years, 120 years, something like that. He built the ark. People watched him build the ark. People are watching us build a church. People are watching you when they say, you say, "You're a part of a 28:39 church." Okay? And there's a lot of people in the world that say they're Christians and go to church. It's time to be a part of the church, not go to church. As we say, are you a part of building the one thing that will 28:53 remain, the church of Jesus Christ. Are you a part of building that work? Are you committed a wholeheartedly committed to it? Wherever the Lord plants you and that's why we say if the Lord takes you from here and plants you somewhere else, 29:05 that's fine. We're not trying to build a an an allegiance to this place because this building will burn up. These chairs will burn up. Our clothes we're wearing will burn up. All of that will burn up. But the church of Jesus Christ is the 29:17 only thing that will remain and be preserved through the fire. Be a part of that. And if the Lord calls you to be planted in this church, then commit yourself wholeheartedly, brother, sister. No more double-mindedness. No more love of the 29:31 world. Because after some time, God's patience, I wouldn't say it ran out because his patience endures forever. And even in the midst of that patience, his patience meant closing the door. One day, God in his patience will 29:51 shut the door. And children, you've been hearing a lot about what it means to be born again and living your life to Jesus. And I know the devil's still playing with your mind, saying, "Nah, you have a little bit more time. Take it 30:02 easy. For some of you young people, it might be like that. For some of us adults, it might be like that. Yeah, Santosh is a little bit radical, a little extreme. It's not that serious. You don't have to be really only committed to this. Yep. That's what the 30:14 devil wants you to believe. But God in his patience will one day shut the door. Genesis 7, you read in verse 16, after all the animals had entered, after all the preaching that Noah had done, after all the building of the ark and sealing it 30:32 up, it says verse 16, those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him, and the Lord closed the door behind him. Noah didn't close the door because Noah said, 'Lord, one more day, maybe one 30:51 more day. Yeah, Noah was willing to preach for 100 plus years. And God said, "Yeah, you think God was less patient than Noah? He was more patient. God God is infinitely patient. He's perfectly patient." We read in second Peter in 1 Timothy 1. And 31:07 out of that perfect patience, out of that perfect patience, God one day closed the door. It is a perfectly patient God. Dear family, listen to this. This is serious. This is life and death. It is a perfectly patient God who 31:23 is one day going to shut the door. And that half-heartedness, that lazy attitude towards sin, that unwillingness to let him deal radically with the way you speak to your wife or your husband or your children or the way you treat 31:35 others, that bitterness, that u unforgiveness, that hang-up you have in your heart. There will be no more time because the patient God will have shut the door and there will that double-mindedness will be exposed. And what do you think it was like when the 31:51 door shut? Sometime after that, a few raindrops started to come. It hadn't rained yet on the earth and all of a sudden these people who had waffled, they're like, "Uh, do I have to is it yet? Can I can I have a little bit more 32:04 of the world for one more day?" And God didn't tell them when he would shut the door, but he did one day. And then the door shut. And then the rain started to fall and a few drops. And then it became more and more. And they thought, well, 32:17 is it just a shower? What is this thing coming from the sky? Rain. Noah promised us. Noah warned us. But then it started to get and and then it started to build up. The water started to rise and they realized Noah was right. And this double mind is Lord, can 32:33 I be single-minded now? But the door was shut and I imagine people I remember seeing a cartoon drawing of it once which people climbing onto the ark standing on the roof thinking the the roof maybe will save me or something 32:45 like that. They weren't inside the ark. Let me be attached to the church somehow. But it was too late. The door was shut. And anybody that wasn't inside the ark perished forever. Anybody that was not inside the ark. And in this drawing I remember it 33:02 had a deep impression on my heart when I saw it as a kid. people hanging on to the ark, banging on the door, saying, "Noah, please. I should have listened to you, but I'm here. I'm ready to come in. I'll do anything. I beg you. Let me in. 33:12 Open the door." But God had shut the door. Noah couldn't open it. And one day, dear friends, God is going to shut a door that no man can open. It will be too late. And it could be somebody I love dearly. It could be somebody I love 33:26 dearly. And with everything with me, I say, "Lord, can you open it just a crack? Let them slip in." He says, "They've had time." and the perfectly patient God will shut the door. It's coming. Dear friends, there's no more 33:40 time for double-mindedness. See, James chapter 1 tells us about double-mindedness. It's double. See, I don't think anybody here wants to live an allout sinful life. I don't think anybody listening to this message wants an allout sinful life. But the devil is 33:57 going to tempt us with a double-minded life where you can have a little bit of the world and some of God. Let me ask you an honest question. Do you believe that a 99% commitment to Christ and his church is double-mindedness? Let me say 34:11 that again. A 99% commitment to Christ and his kingdom is double-mindedness. It is, brothers, sisters. It is. If I if I was a 99% committed brother and member of this church, you'd say, "Wow, that's a committed brother. He's 34:31 99%." But that's double-mindedness. There is room for some other mind. That's double-mindedness. And those are the ones that will be banging on the door saying, "I can I get in?" The devil will use that 1% to leave you outside the 34:46 ark, brother, sister, child. James 1, we read in verse 6, "If you lack wisdom, you must ask in faith without any doubting. For the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. Am I here 35:05 here today, gone tomorrow?" Like, uh, you know, never know. I'm waffled, tossed back and forth. Do I really want to commit to the Lord and his church? Is this really the church that God has planted me in? Yeah, back and forth. Yeah, some days I feel 35:17 like it, some days not. Back and forth, double-mindedness, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man, listen, the last part of verse 7 says that such a person is doubleminded, unstable in all his ways. And you can say 99% of the time 35:34 I'm stable. 1% I'm unstable. Double-minded. And what does the Bible say about such a person? Will that person get 99% from God? According to your mind, you think if I give 90 99%, God will give me 99%. Look at what he says. Let that man ought not to expect 35:54 that he will receive anything from the Lord. God says, "You gave me 99%, I'm going to give you zero." Why? Because you're double-minded. Let not a double-minded man expect that he will get even 1% from the Lord. He will get zero. This is 36:09 God's math. You give him 99%, he'll give you zero. and you'll find yourself outside the ark. There were double-minded people in Noah's day. I'm absolutely convinced of it because I see double-minded people today. And God 36:21 Jesus said the end times will be like the days of Noah. Double-minded people who will do good things. They will attend church. They will call themselves members of a church and they'll put their money in and they'll have the 36:34 right language and they'll show up for the prayer meetings and the Bible studies, but their mind is not 100% for the kingdom of God. Let not a double-minded person think they will get even one thing from God. They'll get nothing. This is God's word. 36:47 I'm not trying to beat anybody over the head. This is a warning from my own heart. I I'm one year older than I was a year ago. And I'm like, Lord, I'm I'm seeing double-mindedness in me. And I'm And it hit me like a brick when I read 37:01 that verse again. Let not a double-minded man think he will get even one thing from God. You mean everything I have is not from you? I've got victory over sin in so many areas now. You've blessed me with this. My family seems to 37:13 be doing well, but I'm double-minded and God will not give me anything. I get zero. It's a stern warning. Let's turn to Matthew 25. I gave you that picture of people banging on the door that God had shut in 37:33 Noah's day. And it's a I hope you'll never forget that picture, children, as well. I'm we're not here to scare you. I I hope you'll learn the fear of the Lord. That I do hope. I hope that in in the stern warnings that we receive in God's 37:47 word that you learn the fear of the Lord. I was taught that. I received much stronger teaching when I was your age than any of us has given you. I'll tell you that. I heard much. You think the preaching in this church is strong. The 37:57 preaching I grew up with was much much higher. And I thank God for it. It's taught me the fear of the Lord. And I hope we can increase the fire in this church. That the fear of the Lord will become ABC for us, the beginning of 38:10 wisdom. Not to scare us, not not to threaten us, but that we'll learn the fear of the Lord. It's a holy God we serve, a God who loves us. Absolutely. But we learn the love of God that comes from knowing his fear first of all, the 38:22 reverence for him. In Matthew 25, you read the story about 10 virgins. Five were wholehearted, five were half-hearted, five were single-minded, five were double-minded. And the double-minded, as you know, at the end of the story, are sitting outside. 38:37 Because it says in verse 5, Matthew 25:5, why do I say they're double-minded? You read the story that in these groups of 10 virgins, outwardly they look the same. Outwardly, they all had lamps that had oil in them, but inwardly, this is where the 38:53 double-mindedness came. In their flask, they didn't have oil. The foolish virgins didn't have oil. In the hidden area, they were double-minded. They in their thought life, in their ambitions, in their motives, in their attitudes, 39:06 they love the world. But outwardly, in their language, and in their attendance, and in their speech, and in their outward acts, they look like good Christians, like part of the bride. They look like virgins. Outwardly like virgins, 39:21 inwardly not. Double-minded. And then there were the other five who in the flask and in the in in the in the lamp and in the flask it was the same. The oil was there single-minded. And it says in verse 5, Matthew 25:5 that while the bridegroom 39:40 was delaying, why does Jesus delay? You say, "Ah, he's late." No, he's not. He's patient. He was giving these foolish virgins a little bit more time to become single-minded. He was speaking to them saying, "Get oil in your vessel as well. Get oil in your 39:59 flask. Don't be content with what people think about you in the church. Get oil in secret. Make sure that devotion, that pure, simple devotion to Jesus Christ is in your heart. Doesn't matter what you say and what people think about you. 40:12 Make sure that there's oil in your flask in secret." And he delayed. And they thought, "Ah, he's delaying. Let me just go to sleep." No, he was delaying that they would wake up. They still had time to go and buy oil from the merchants, but they fell 40:29 asleep. Thinking, "Ah, he's late." While the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. And at midnight, there was a shout, "Behold the bridegroom, come out to meet him." And then all those virgins 40:43 rose and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish realized they didn't have any more oil. The time had come when their testimony wasn't going to stand up anymore. What the elders thought about them in the church and what the other 40:55 brothers and sisters thought about them and the fact that they were sitting at RLCF didn't matter anymore. The oil ran out and the door was shut and then they came back while verse 10 while they were going away to try to become 41:11 single-minded. Now let's scramble. I got to get single-minded because Jesus is here. While they were going our way to make the purchase, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast and he shut the 41:24 door. Did Did the bridegroom know that there were some virgins who had gone to try to become single-minded now? Of course he did. And do you think he could have thought and they came on the door in verse 11 it says later the other virgins 41:38 also came saying Lord Lord open up for us and he says I don't know you. Couldn't the patience of God lasted another 10 minutes, another one hour perhaps? They came. They still wanted in, but the door was 41:56 shut. And the the the my imperfect patience says, "Lord, they're here. This is this is going to be life and death for all eternity. For all eternity, they're going to be away from your presence. Can't your patience extend 10 42:10 more minutes to let these virgins in?" And the perfectly patient God says no, the door is shut. And dear friends, dear children especially, but perhaps this is a word some of us adults need to hear. When the Lord shuts the door, it will never be 42:28 opened again. When the Lord shuts the door, it will never be opened again. And there there's no more time and time's running out. We can't be double-minded. I think the v the other virgins would have thought these were my friends. They 42:45 sat in the same church. They were part of RLCF. Lord, just open. I mean, can't you hear them pleading, crying? Don't you think Noah when his cousin was banging on the door saying, "Noah, please let me in." His sister-in-law, his 42:59 brother-in-law, Noah's wife's cousin, you know, parents perhaps, I don't know who all were alive at that time. Noah's relatives, descendants of Enoch, banging on the door, saying, "Noah, I was your neighbor. We played together. We had we 43:12 we shared meals together. Can you open and let me in?" And Noah, imperfect impatience as he was, would have said, "Lord, please, they want to come in now." And the Lord would say, "The door shut." When the Lord shuts the door, 43:25 he's not going to open it again. That's why he's patient. That's why he's ting. Let's turn to Hebrews 12. The time will come when it we won't even be able to repent. Repentance is a gift. Do you know that? I hope you know 43:44 that. Dear brothers, dear sisters, repentance is a gift. The fact that we have repented. We didn't deserve anything. God gave us repentance. There was something in us. There was a time that God allowed for repentance. I'll 43:58 tell you, I've repented. There's no conscious sin I have in my life. I don't say that braggingly, but simply because I've repented and the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin. But even that repentance, I don't take 44:09 credit for it. When I see somebody else that un that's unrepentant, who has heard the truth, when I see worldly people who are unrepentant, I don't think I'm better than them in any way. God granted me repentance. Hebrews 12 verse 44:26 16, we read about the story of Esau. see to it that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau who sold his own birthright for a single meal. Here's another double-minded person. You know the story about Esau that he came and he 44:43 was really hungry and he saw this wonderful meal that Jacob, his brother had prepared. The birthright and the blessing were Esau's and then Jacob deceiver that he was traded with Esau. Esau saw and it says that um who sold his own birthright 45:01 for a single meal. I think one translation says for a swallow just one swallow. He was so famished so hungry that he just like I just want somebody to eat. Man, I'm dying. And then he says what good is the birthright going to be 45:14 if I die? So I'll just take the swallow right now. This temptation, this pressure is on me so much that I I it's either me die or give up my birthright. So, I'm just going to take give up my birthright and take the swallow of 45:28 stew. Double-minded. The stew, the pleasure, the craving that his body felt was greater than his value of the birthright. And he gave up his birthight. Later on, he's deceived of the blessing as well. And then it says he wept. Verse 17, for do you think Esau 45:45 wanted the blessing? Of course he did. But in that moment of of temptation, in that moment of pressure, the fact that he was double-minded, he wanted the blessing plus something else. He wanted the blessing plus a good meal. He wanted 46:02 a blessing plus some pleasure here on this earth. And in that moment of crucial decision, he chose after his flesh. And then the door shut. And then it says in verse 17, for you know that even afterwards when he desired to 46:18 inherit the blessing, he wanted it. He cried and said, "Can I get it back?" He was rejected because the time for repentance had been taken away. He found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. And the time will come when 46:36 God the time had come when God had shut the door on Esau. after he gave up his birthright, he still had the blessing. And I believe God was working on Esau's life. God was saying, "No, it's it says in another place, I've loved Jacob and 46:49 despised Esau." That was God's fornowledge. But Esau could have repented, but he found no place for it. The door had shut. And dear friends, the warning for us, it says, "See to it." Why are we reminded about the story of Esau in the New Testament? Is it 47:05 relevant for us to believers? Do believers need to be reminded about Esau? Yes. Does RLCF need to be reminded about Esau? Yes. Why? Because I might be double-minded. I might want the blessing, but I also want some craving. And then the time will come 47:22 when God will shut the door. And then even if I want all the blessing, I say, "Lord, I'm I'm ready to be single-minded now." He says, "Nope, it's too late." I think there are some people I know of who are unable to repent. I say 47:37 that carefully. I don't know. I don't know what that's like, but some people are unable to repent. And I wonder why. They've heard the truth, but they just are unwilling to. Some pride. And I don't think I'm not here to 47:52 say that God has shut the door on them or not, but I I it it scares me that I could take repentance for granted. The gift of repentance for granted. And I'm not here to point a judge a finger at anybody else except to take heed to 48:05 myself. Hebrews 12 16 and 17 is written for Santo and it's written in your Bible for you. So I'm not here to decide who has lost repentance or anything like that. But I want to make sure that I never reach the point where I'm careless 48:17 with sin, where I'm careless in my attitude, careless in my motive, careless with my um ambitions that the door closes on repentance and now it's too late because the time will come when it will be. That's why that's what 48:32 happened to Esau. That's the warning we're given. Start at numbers 13. Numbers chapter 13 we read the story 48:54 of the Israelites and they were sent out into the promised land to view. God had brought them after two years of wandering in the wilderness. He brought them. He done so many miracles for them. Part of the Red Sea. I mean, the plagues 49:09 that he sent on Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and all of that. Miracle after miracle after miracle. He finally brought them to the edge of the promised land. A picture of where he's brought us. Look at all the things he's done for 49:23 us. Promise after promise after promise, he's fulfilled. He's taken care of us. Everything that you thought, the worst that you thought was going to happen didn't happen, didn't it? Here we are. And here we are on the edge of the 49:33 promised land. And it's time to go in. Despite all the disobedience, despite all the plagues, despite all the times where God was like, I'm just going to destroy this people. And Moses was like, "No, Lord, please don't." God was 49:45 patient. God was patient. God was patient. God was patient. Then we read Numbers 14. And he his patience had not worn out. He brought them despite all the grumbling and complaining, he brought them to the edge of the promised 49:58 land. He says, "You can still have it even though you've tried and tested me and unbelieving and disobedient. Despite all of that, here you are. Go in and take it. You're on the edge of the promised land." 13:27 These 12 spies came back 50:13 and 10 of them said told him and said, "We went into the land where you sent us." And it is true. It certainly is does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. They brought back fruit. You're going to see double-mindedness 50:27 here. Yes, the promised land is there. God said it was milk and honey. He's true. Yes, this new covenant life is possible. It's true. But I want a little bit of the world. But this, but that. Nevertheless, verse 28, here's the 50:44 double-mindedness. God said it, but that's double-mindedness. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong and the cities are fortified and very large. And moreover, we saw the descendants of Anch there. Amalach is 50:57 living in the land of the negative and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites. Look at all the itites that they're complaining about and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan. So double-mindedness. Yeah, it's not going 51:09 to work out for me. Then Caleb comes and says, "No, we should by all means, verse 30, go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it. God has promised it to us. He wouldn't bring us this far to the edge 51:25 of the promised land to just allow us to be defeated. Here you see it. He's going to give it to us. But the men who had gone up with him said, "Nope, we're not able to go up against the people for they are too strong for us." So they gave a bad 51:39 report. Let's go over to verse 21 of chapter 14. Numbers 14 verse 21. So the Lord said, verse 20, I have pardoned them according to your word. Okay? They have forgiven them. But indeed, as I live, here is God about to shut the 51:58 door. Indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. Surely all the men who have seen my glory and my signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put me to the test these 10 times and 52:14 have not listened to my voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned me see it. But my servant Caleb and Joshua, they'll get to go. 10 times they tested God and God was 52:32 patient and God was patient and the perfectly patient God says you're not going to have an 11th time. Does God patient? Does God's patience run out at 10? Couldn't it have been like Lord 11? What's wrong with 11? Give me one more 52:47 chance. What's wrong with an 11th test? I'll pass this one, Lord. He'd shut the door. The perfectly patient God had said, "You'll have 10." And after that the door was shut. Now you'll read later on that they say, "Okay, let's go and 53:01 try it on our own. We'll prove that we can go in." And they got completely thrashed and defeated. And every one of those men who went in there, God killed them first of all. But all the others because they believed the bad report of 53:13 the 10 unbelieving because they remained double-minded despite the warning. And even though Caleb and Joshua had said, "Let's be single-minded. Let's go in and take the land." Every one of those who was offage, the older ones, none of them 53:26 entered the promised land. The door had shut. Is God's patience only good for 10 tests? For their case, it was. And brothers and sisters, God has given us way more than 10 times. He's given us way. He's given me a millions. I don't 53:42 even see how many times he has given me a chance. But one day, the perfectly patient God will shut the door. And then no matter how much I long for it and cry for it, it'll be too late. I don't know when that day is for any one of us. But 53:56 there are people in hell today who died double-minded for whom the door shut. Who sat in churches, who heard the truth, who tried to obey every now and then, but they loved money. They loved themselves. They loved the things of 54:09 this world. They wanted Christ plus something else. And God shut the door. Let's go back to second Peter. I'll close. Chapter 3. Let's continue reading in verse 11. 54:31 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God? What does it mean to hasten the coming of the day of 54:49 God? That means God sees, okay, Santos is now narrow, single-minded. Okay, that's one less person I have to be waiting on to get single-minded because he is single-minded. Okay, RLCF, that brother, that sister, that child, that 55:04 teenager that's still sort of going back and forth. They've taken up the single-mindedness. Okay, there's one more person that's ready. Christ can come. What sort of people ought you to be looking for and hastening the coming of 55:20 the day of God because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements would melt with intense heat. But according to his promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. I 55:35 hope you're not looking for any heaven or earth where there's no righteousness. Are you looking for a kingdom here on this earth? some further success in business, a little bit more money, a little bit more of this, a little bit 55:46 more pleasure where righteousness does not dwell. Is it single-mindedness, brothers, sisters, a single kingdom, a new heaven, and a new earth where righteousness dwells, and you're single-minded? Verse 14. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these 56:02 things, a kingdom where righteousness dwells, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless, and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, as an opportunity to be saved from sin completely. Just as also our 56:17 beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort. Oh, people will 56:31 come and distort this message. The devil will try to twist it in your mind as they do also the rest of the scriptures to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, before the door is shut, I don't think the door 56:45 is shut for any of us listening to this. I hope not. But knowing that the door is still open, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and 57:01 knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. Heavenly Father, help us. It's a stern warning. Lord, you've spoken to my heart and I believe you've spoken to this church. Help us, Lord. 57:19 That's all I can say. Help us. But thank you that you're on our side. That you give us these warnings beforehand. The times of ignorance you overlook. Now you've commanded men everywhere to repent. Today, Lord, may we repent of 57:30 all double-mindedness and seek alone the kingdom where righteousness dwells, even here on this earth. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth, in our lives, in our marriages, and in our homes, and in our children, and in this 57:44 church as it is in heaven. We believe it shall be so. Lord, this is a message of hope. Thank you for warning me that I could wake up and strengthen the things that remain. Thank you, Father. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, Lord, that 57:56 nobody will be discouraged, but every one of us will shake off laziness, shake awake from that sleep, Lord, and run after you with all of our hearts. We believe you'll do that in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. 58:11 [Music]
