The Pushback Against the Messengers
We shouldn’t be surprised at pushback from people when we faithfully deliver the gospel, because God always uses it for the unpleasant work of exposing sin and guilt before he uses it to save.
Judgment
The Paganism of the People
It is always more costly than we think to follow our wayward enticements, and to turn away from obedience to Christ’s life-giving words.
Betrayed
When we experience the inevitable betrayal from those we trusted, we must give ourselves to prayer as we trust our loving and attentive God will eventually make things right.
When the Lord Seems Far Off
The present world will be filled with injustice that will often touch close to home and should rightly make us indignant, but we should not despair, but rather pray, knowing God’s coming justice is certain.
Salvation in Perspective
We would do well to keep this sinful world and our eternal salvation in perspective, pitying the lost and joyfully anticipating the return of our glorified and exalted Savior.
The Unexpected Postponement
While Israel’s widespread rejection of King Jesus resulted in a postponement of the earthly kingdom, we should remain confident in God’s impeccable promises as we work and patiently await the King’s second coming.
Fearing the Cost of Insurrection
It is entirely reasonable for us to trust and obey the words of the Triune God, not only in light of his character and authority, but also in view of the judgments meted out on those who rebel.
Living the Christian Life
True Christians must be fearless and faithful as stewards of God’s message of reconciliation in a defiant culture until Christ returns to reward his ambassadors.
God’s Payment for Lawbreakers
Pondering God’s longtime plan of redemption humbles us Christians, as we realize that Christ’s horrible suffering was the judgment our sins and transgressions had earned.
Loving God’s Gracious Patience
God’s pending judgment is the sobering aspect of Christ’s return that should make us grateful for its gracious delay, motivated by the current opportunity for evangelism, and thankful for our forthcoming salvation.
Feeling Godly Grief
We must seek to be zealous enough for God’s honor that we find ourselves selflessly grieving over those who reject the truth (with all its commensurate consequences) and sincerely rejoicing over those who repent.
Knowing Genuine Repentance
We must see our absolute necessity to repent of our sins regardless of any sense of security we may feel based on a relative comparison of our sinfulness.
The Fear of Broken Relationships
While one day all pain and problems will be behind us, for now we must draw strength from God’s family as we endure the sting of strained and fractured relationships that are inevitable because of our alliance with Christ.
The Fear of God
We must understand the clear and repeated call to fear God, first in view of our need for salvation and then in view of his absolute and ultimate authority over every aspect of our lives.
The Fear of Being Fake
Real Christians must fall into the same pattern as phony Christians, as though we will not face a day when our Father will thoroughly evaluate and call us to account for our actions and words.
Pugnacity
We must understand the reason people respond in a hostile way toward the truth, prayerfully and lovingly warning of the multiplied consequences of rejecting it.
When Your Efforts Don’t Yield Fruit
We need to be discerning in our evangelism, knowing when to move on and understand the gravity of the situation when we have to.
Jesus as Judge
To present Christ accurately to our generation we must relay a clear sense of Christ’s authority and power both to direct and to judge our lives by his standards.
Jesus, Son of David: Confident in a Faithful God
God has shown his faithfulness to his good promises, as well as his faithfulness to his just judgments by the way he provided Jesus from the lineage of David.
Loving Enough to Tell the Truth about Hell
Faithful messengers of the Good News of Christ must be willing to endure unfavorable responses when we speak plainly of sin and God’s impending judgment.
When Nothing Seems Fair
Though we experience a lot of painful inequities in this life we must replace frustration & complaining with a trust in God’s justice and a focus on his incomparable benefits.
Forecast for a Rebellious World
We should gladly submit ourselves to God’s only sanctioned Savior and King, mindful of the grave consequences of opposing or rejecting his loving leadership.
Working Harder At Love & Unity
We must lovingly anticipate the potential negative impact our “gray area” decisions might have on others, and always be willing to sacrifice our freedom for their spiritual good.
Choosing To Be Done With Selfish Living
Christianity assumes and requires that Christians are consciously and purposefully living for the glory, honor and benefit of God – not themselves!
Living In Light of Our Coming Judgment
All of our decisions about “gray areas” need to be carefully and soberly considered in light of our future accountability at the bema seat of Christ.
Being Totally Honest About the Problem
Our ability to readily discern sin in others must be utilized in honestly appraising and admitting our own sinfulness as God’s unmerited forgiveness requires.
The Resurrections & Judgments
We must be informed and prepared for the resurrections and judgments that await all of people.
Motivated by the Fear of Being Phony
Because Christ has demonstrated an extreme love to redeem us from sin and its consequences, we should soberly insure that our lives are transformed and growing in a deepening devotion to God.