THE WEDDING AND THE WAR Message 1: I ain’t scared
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
Being a Pastor means having lots of responsibilities.
- a man of Prayer
- a man dedicated to a life of Contemplation and Bound and determined to think God thoughts
- Since I’m a teaching Pastor, a willingness to grow in communicating. I live my life like there is a story in everything and like I have a responsibility to tell that story.
- A willingness to constantly learn
- But many of those things are my responsibility as a Christian…
- My main responsibility is not to do weddings, funerals, hospital visits and personal counseling. I like to do those things, but I just can’t anymore.
- I have to be a team builder and I have to stay very connected to my team members and pour into their lives.
- Psalm 68:11 – THE LORD GAVE THE WORD AND GREAT WAS THE COMPANY THAT PUBLISHED IT
- I have to do a whole bunch of things I didn’t used to have to do but there is one thing I still have a huge responsibility for – one thing I must take very seriously and make sure I carry it out.
- My main responsibility is to be the chief architect of the culture of the house.
As the Senior Leader and visionary here, I have to constantly upgrade and reevaluate what we make a big deal out of.
- choosing to a be relational church
- choosing to be a church that stands with the poor and actually does something about it
- choosing to stand with Israel
- choosing to be a light to the nations
- choosing to be the kind of church that goes after encounters
Values define a team and agreement on what we make a big deal out of define the culture of our house.
- We embrace the supernatural side of God.
- We believe in the gifts and in the fruit of the Holy Spirit as a very present reality in our journey in Christ.
- We want to make a deal out of the prophetic.
- We want to to make a big deal out and have a huge value for a church that prepares and is made ready for the return of Jesus Christ.
- WE ARE A PROPHETIC CHURCH THAT BELIEVES IN AND LOOKS FORWARD TO THE GLORIOUS AND IMMINENT RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Over the next 4 or 5 services we are going to be looking at what the Bible calls our “blessed hope.” Because we want to be a church that is watchful, a church that is ready and a church excited about the return of the greatest person ever.
The position of our heart toward things matters in the Kingdom and qualifies us for supernatural upgrade.
I am going to be somebody who says, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”
“I don’t want to learn about the end times because it’s too scary to contemplate.”
ANY PART OF YOUR LIFE THAT DOESN’T HAVE GREAT HOPE IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A LIE.
1. You don’t have that luxury! You are part of the end times Church.
- The challenge I have during this teaching is to absolutely convince you that these are the last days – the end times and that it’s a privilege to live in this day.
- John Paul Jackson said the best of every blood line is on the earth at this time.
- You are being trusted with this generation.
- Romans 13:11 – “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
- In other words, the closer we draw to the second coming of Christ, the more urgent it is that we awake out of spiritual sleep! Indeed, we have entered the fearful end-time years that are the grand climax of human civilization. If ever there was a time to pay attention and get prepared, it is now!
Being prepared for the assignment God has trusted us with should be a top priority.
- 1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness (gentleness) and fear (respect)…
- Be gentle and respectful, but be confident of your hope.
- The people who live in our day ARE instructed to be watchful.
- Luke 21:28 – “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and be watchful, because your redemption draws near.”
- Jesus brings very strong warnings to the church of our day about the perils of not be ready and prepared.
- A big part of watching means being actively involved and engaged in this thing.
- There is a grace for this … God gave us marvelous minds to use — to study, learn, observe, analyze, judge and think.
2. You are a warrior who plays a big part in all this.
- The return of Jesus is not for wimps.
- This day is not for wimps and no part of christianity is for wimps.
- It is true that Jesus Christ is coming back for a bride but the bride that Jesus comes back for is not a frail and freaked out drama queen addicted to happy pills and emotional support groups.
- Jesus is coming back for a warrior bride
Jesus doesn’t warn to scare us. He warns us to prepare us.
- John 14:1-4 – “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
- I am going to use this brief piece of scripture as my reference and talking point as I begin to step into the wonderful but very muddied waters of the glorious return of Jesus Christ.
- There is a lot of biblical instruction when it comes to believing in the return of Jesus.
- When it comes to Jesus coming back, the first thing Jesus instructs those of us who are his disciples.
- Don’t let your heart be troubled…
It breaks God’s heart that we dread the second coming.
- IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW WHO TO BELIEVE.
- John 14:1-2 – “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.”
- If you don’t know how to believe, you know who to put your trust in. Then he says, “You already know the way…”
- John 14:5-6 – Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
THE WAY: “The course and how things go on the course.”
way (noun)
: how someone or something does something
: how someone or something behaves, appears, feels, etc.
: a method or system that can be used to do something
: a person’s usual habits, actions, qualities, etc.
Full definition of WAY
: a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place
: an opening for passage this door is the only way out of the room
: the course traveled from one place to another
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. – Corrie Ten Boom
- IT MIGHT BE TRUE THAT YOU DON’T KNOW THE MECHANICS OF EXACTLY HOW EVERYTHING WORKS BUT YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW THINGS GO WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP BECAUSE JESUS HAS ALREADY SHOWN UP FOR YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
- When times are uncertain, JESUS IS NOT.
- Psalms 34:8 – Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
- Tasting is all about personal experience and trusting is all about believing you will not get into trouble for trying.
- We must be willing to smell the savor of things unexperienced in Christ, instead of holding our nose for the parts of God that are much more common.
- We learn to trust God in things we have not experienced by looking at what we have experienced in Jesus
- When we forget we are supposed to look forward, we settle for what others have experienced. We assume no responsibility for knowing God’s heart today.
- We become Bible thumpers instead of Heart listeners. We learn the culture of our denominations instead of the ways of God.
- You know how things go when Jesus shows up for you.
- You know the ways of God.
- You don’t just know what Jesus does, but you know how He does things.
- Psalms 103:7 – He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.