While driving to church today, we all couldn’t help but notice the signs of the lateness of the season. The leaves are turning dull, and some already falling. The final cuts of hay are in progress. Corn and tobacco fields are ready for cutting. Summer is indeed ending, and harvest time is beginning. Harvest time signals the coming of the long season of winter. This is generally a brief period. With all it’s beauty and bounty, harvest speaks to us to prepare for what is so soon to come, and to make the necessary changes for it. The light warm-weather clothing is exchanged in the storage room for the warmer, heavier outfits for the cold. It is still yet hot, but all the stores are stocked with winter wear. The beginning of harvest is now, and the final harvest will come before we know it.

We would not be prepared for winter had we not first noted the signs of the season, and this observation has prompted us to prepare likewise. In this passage, Jesus is preparing the seventy disciples for their task to go ahead of Him into the villages along His itinerant, and to prepare them for His arrival. Before He instructs them as to what to take and what to expect, He instills within them the most necessary part of their mission: the Vision. They were to go as harvesters into a ripe field, and to harvest it. He reminds them of how large a work this would be, compared to the number of they who were to do it. He told them the first work was to pray. Pray for themselves. Pray for help. Pray to the One whose harvest is was: the Lord. It was His Harvest. This hour is come for us this morning, in the spiritual realm. The hour of harvest has come upon the world for both the harvesters, and those needing to be harvested. The time has come for us to pray. To pray to be harvested. To pray for help from above to harvest the parts of our lives that need brought in to the soul’s barn. To pray for help to reach those in every corner of our life’s field to bring them in. To pray to the Lord of the Harvest.

The harvest truly is great. There are so many needing harvested. My, how much work needs to be shortly done, and so little time in which to get it done. So few it is who are willing to come and to work. It seems almost more than we can handle, doesn’t it?

Remember. He is still Lord of the Harvest. Not the devil. Not the world. Certainly not you and I. Praise God there is still a Lord. He remains over it all. Harvest is still possible. For any and everyone who is ripe, including ourselves. Lost souls, growing ever higher in their sins, are ready now for harvesting. If you are among them, be harvested now. The Fallen among the thorns and weeds can also find harvest. Though the weeds may grow high around those tomato vines, one can reach through every weed and safely pluck even the most hidden tomato, and bring it out into the basket. If you are fallen and surrounded, see the Lord’s reaching Hand, and let Him pluck you out. Every field is now ripe for the harvest of revival. True revival isn’t a bygone concept. It can be yours today, for the Harvest Lord is reaching. Soon there will come the final harvest. The fruit picked will be safely in the barn, while any left behind will remain in the worked fields, facing a season of judgment whose weather conditions are too horrible to bear or endure. And there will be no return of Spring for last year’s crops.

How ripe is your heart, your life, for harvesting? It can be done. Pray to the Lord of your Harvest. You can, He says you can. You have a prayer, and have it now. You have a place in His Barn, and belong there, not left alone in the empty, dying field. You were never meant to be left behind to be swallowed up, along with the devil and this old world, in the eternal winter of retribution.

Know this. It is His Harvest, and He intends for you to be His. This is why Jesus so sincerely calls for you to pray.
Use your prayer now.

Nehemiah 4: 2 “And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. 19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. 20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. 21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.”

What an accomplishment—laying brick with one hand and fighting with the other.  Both of these tasks need two hands. It was vital that the wall be restored so the city of Jerusalem could be.  God burdened Nehemiah. He was not a builder but a cupbearer for the king. God, however, supplied the skill.  God gave the promise that if the work started the wall would be built, and if they carried their weapons, he’d fight for them.

The circumstances dictated they work with a tool and a weapon.  Their work was so opposed by enemies. You would think that all would have jumped in and helped with the task, but that was not the case.  We get that as well.  Many times we’re not appreciated; we suffer reproach. We’re opposed simply because we believe the Bible and live by a different standard. The devil is our adversary, the commander behind it all.

In verse 2 Sandballat made fun of the builders.  Who in the world did they think they were to even start such a project?  He tried to instill doubt.  The devil also tells us we can’t be successful as a Christian. We can’t win the victory.  See how alike we and Nehemiah are. We’re not building a wall, but we are in a work for the Lord.  The true Word, the true Christian, the true church of the Lord is opposed by the world. We have plenty of Sandballats.

In verse 8 Sandballat began a conspiracy. He planned a surprise attack.  The first thing the people did was pray. We live under a threat. The truth is opposed at every hand.  It’s not only the church; it is on a personal level. Before I can help build this church, I must build me. The same is true of each of you. We need to grow in grace. We have to build the inside—our soul.  We need the proper tools.  They needed trowels, hammers, chisels, and such. We need the appropriate tools.  We’ll never build ourselves spiritually without them.  We’re building our own wall with the Lord.  We need personal development. I can’t do it for you, and you can’t do it for me.  When we come together, collectively we can build.

It would be nice if we could put both hands into the work, but every time we read our Bible or pray something comes up. We get sidetracked. The phone rings. The newspaper article catches our attention.  Our minds wander. It would be nice to pray without the devil on our back. It would be nice not to be challenged for being a Christian.  It’s just the way it is.  Nehemiah knew it wouldn’t be a piece of cake. Even if we only have one hand to work and must carry a weapon in the other, God supplies the hand that makes it work.

It was very hard for the people on the wall to work. To protect their bodies they wore clothing similar to a knight’s chainmail.  Even with all the opposition, they worked. Even for us, it’s still good to be a Christian.  All God asks is for us to be willing to work and defend the Word of the Lord.  It may be a sword today, a spear tomorrow. Whatever is needed will be supplied. The right tools are supplied, and God asks that we use them.  God supplies the weapons to protect what we’re building for him.

The people had to work far apart to get the wall built, but there was a trumpet.  When it blew, it meant the enemy was near; the people were to come close together. They helped each other. Verse 14 says to fight for the brethren.

We may feel like a one-armed, one-handed Christian. Remember God supplies the other part. We labor in the work. This is the way the job gets done. Keep one hand on the trowel and one on the sword.  We’ll get it done.

In the end, Nehemiah’s enemies were defeated. The wall was built, the city restored, and God prevailed.  He’ll do the same for us.

Isaiah 59:14 “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. 16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.”  20. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.”

If ever there was a passage of scripture that could be in a newspaper, this would blend in with what we read today. It would be as correct as the other news stories.  It is a good summary of society.  We speak of the world as they and society as them.  It’s never “we.”  We make up the nation, society, our localities, wherever we are. We are the human race.

Isaiah takes an objective look at the conditions in his day.  By a gradual tolerance and acceptance, there was a departure from the Lord.  What was clear was now unclear. Even though the people had the Old Testament scriptures and the word of the Lord, individually they had trouble.  False religions and blended religions, a mixing of the worship of God with the worship of Baal, confused the people. Israel became a divided nation.   It was the same in Jesus’ day. Pilate knew all about the Jews and the Romans, yet he threw up his hands about Jesus and asked “what is truth?”  He said “I find no fault in this man.” Isaiah’s time was the same. Lord help us that those times are not the observation of us.

The devil causes confusion. He sows seeds of discord. He loves to defile the soul to the point that we become unclear and wonder if there is anything left to trust in.  Instead of fixing the problem and turning to God, the only One who is clear, we ask why life is in the shape it is. Why? Why? Why? In reality God wonders about us.  Look again at verse 16. God wondered.  What did he wonder?

Up in verse 14 Isaiah said “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” The people were perverted. Those are strong words, but they adequately describe our day as well.  How can there be such a reversal of truth? The fact of the matter is that truth is always the same. The problem is with man. Judgment is reversed. Wrong is considered right and right is frowned upon. Fairness has gone out the door. On the throne sits a God who is fair. He treats us all the same.  What he’ll do for me, he’ll do for you.

Look at the perversion. The devil doesn’t want us to.  See yourself. Read the Word and let it guide you to truth. We will cease wondering why. This is why Jesus said if we trust him and continue in His Word, then the truth will make us free. The only anchor in this world is truth, the truth of God.  He is a fixer of what needs fixing. He shows us what is wrong. He’s a plumber if we have a leak. He’s a carpenter because he’s the master builder.  We see our life all coming down around us and say it’s all right, but it is not.

God saw the permissiveness of the people.  Look at verse 2. They were so used to sin and the twisted judgments that carried on. If there is something wrong in life, there is nothing worse than to ignore it.  If you have a cavity and let it go, pretty soon you’ll be at the dentist getting that tooth pulled.  Now is the time to have the tooth filled. What killed Israel can kills us. Have a clear way to inspect yourself before cavities become abscesses.  Judgment will yank it out. I want the Lord to be my redeemer, not my judge.

Isaiah had a hard time in the perverted and permissive world he lived in, but he trusted God.  It is he who will get us through in our day and time.  We have the tendency to get passive; we get lazy and complacent as we go along. God knows that.  There is one thing he wonders about.  When the people saw all this going on around them, they didn’t pray. There was no intercessor. Eyes saw, but they didn’t pray.   Ears heard, but they didn’t pray. What makes God wonder is that there is so much to pray about but there is so little praying.

Perversion and permissiveness bother God, but what really gets to him the most is when we do nothing about it.  Do you pray less now that you did 10 years ago or when you first got saved?  Times are worse now, and we ought to be praying longer and seeking God more than ever.  Are we?  God looked down and wondered why no one interceded. No one was praying.  He had to do something else and brought salvation to us.  In verse 20 he said the “Redeemer shall come to Zion.”

Prayer life is not just a daily routine. Are you concerned enough to get on your knees. Are you interceding? Sometimes there is very little we can do, but we can pray. The best we can do for ourselves is to seek God. Pray for me.  Pray for the church.  Pray for the United States.  Pray about deliverance from the devil.  What was it the Lord said in his model prayer? — “deliver us from evil”

It’s our lack of sincere praying that makes God wonder.  All around us the need is there, yet we do so little praying.  Revival begins in prayer. Change begins in prayer. Miracles begin in prayer.  The hope of the nation, of the family, and of our own soul lies in our willingness to seek God.  Prayerlessness in any life always makes God wonder why.

Is God wondering about you?

Matthew 8:23 “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

If you took a piece of paper and wrote down what Jesus is master of, the list would keep growing and growing.  If you then made a list of what you really believe Jesus is master of, it would probably be a shorter list.  It could be that way because of the way we’ve been taught or simply our personal beliefs.  But honestly, Jesus is everything you could imagine or need.  The fullness of the Godhead was bodily in Jesus Christ. There is no greater power than that.  He’s the Son of the living God. You’ve trusted Jesus as you Savior. How far do you have to go to consider him as Total Master?  He is, whether we believe it or not. This scripture is a wonderful illustration to teach us spiritual lessons.

This took place on the Sea of Galilee. It is 11 miles long and a 7-mile journey to the other side. That’s not too far in today’s time, but all they had was a fishing boat with no propulsion. The wind drove its sails. Jesus had been busy all day healing people. The lepers came. The centurion’s servant was healed long distance because he wasn’t near Jesus. Demons were cast out. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was near death. Jesus healed her. She got up and fixed supper for them.  Every need was met. It had been a long day. Jesus was in a human body and got tired just as you and I do.  He and the disciples got into the ship. Jesus went to the back and lay down to sleep.  Even asleep, Jesus was still Total Master.

If you feel short changed, don’t say the failure is on Jesus’ part.  That is on our part.  Jesus asked the disciples “why are you fearful?”  In other words “you should have known after all you’ve seen today it would be all right even if I was taking a nap.”  We don’t see Jesus sitting here in church. He’s not in the choir or behind the pulpit. Think so?  He’s in every row, up and down; he’s even in the bathroom.  He’s right beside every person. We have different needs. Prayer requests usually involve physical ailments. Jesus is Master of them.  We have greater needs in our soul as we face the devil every day. We should have a greater concern over that than we do our body.  We battle lukewarm hearts and indifference. The oppressions of the world can get to us.  Whatever your battles, Jesus doesn’t need to be “awake” to help. He’s in the midst of the storms.

Jesus was asleep during the worst of the storm. Had he run out of gas; could he not do anymore at the moment? The devil would have us believe that.  The church is going down; Christianity is going down. Not so.  Even though Jesus worked miracles all day, he knew the storm was coming that night. Was he worried?  No!  If he can control the worst storms while he’s asleep, why do we worry? Talk about a sleeping giant—Jesus is.  He’s Total Master.  The disciples could have laid down right beside Jesus and slept, but they stayed up and worried. Jesus was still Total Master.  He had not lost his ability to help.

The storm inevitably came; ours will too. Our boat will fill with water. Winds from every direction will come. We may get sea sick from being tossed around. Jesus doesn’t get sea sick.  Too many times our faith is gauged by how smooth life is going?  When things go wrong, we blame Jesus. If he was real it wouldn’t have happened. Because he’s real, you won’t sink.  Let Jesus sleep and trust and obey him.  The winds don’t obey us, but they do obey the Total Master.  The devils in our life don’t obey us, but they do obey the Total Master.  It’s time to take our problems to the Master.  Don’t worry. If he appears to be asleep, he can still take care of them.  With Jesus in the boat, even seemingly asleep, we won’t go down.

We are a contradiction.  “I’m saved, but I’m going down this time.”  Jesus is not a contradiction.  He is who he is—Total Master.  He didn’t come from heaven to prove himself Total Master. He performed the miracles because he was Total Master.  Let’s face the fact that we can’t provide for our own situations. The winds that won’t obey us will obey the Master.  Jesus was tired, but they could have rested in his power.  Why not rest in him during your storms? In one of the other gospels, Jesus was asked if he cared about them.  Even asleep we trip right over him. I don’t blame him if he gets aggravated at us.

We’re in the same boat. We’re on the sea just as the disciples were.  He looks at us just as he did to them and says “why are you so afraid?”  What should scare us is the fact that we don’t trust him enough. We call him Master, but do we really trust him?  We’ve seen him do miracles and yet we can’t see him. We won’t shake him down from heaven. We just have to trust him. Jesus won’t fall overboard. He knows the situations. You survey it after he already has, and all he has to say is “peace be still.”

Immediately the storm ceased on the Sea of Galilee. The clouds opened up.  The disciples said “what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Think about it. What manner of man is he to you?  Do you trust him to be Total Master?  All impossibilities are under the Master.  We must acquiesce to him not partially or occasionally and not only in thought.  The only way he can be Total Master in our life is if we let him be.

What about it?  Is he your Total Master?

This passage is very helpful. The devil is the author of confusion. We see his workings today in our nation. The belief in God, what is true and false, and an influx of religions bear witness to that.  We are so well trained in other fields, yet so vulnerable in others. Society at large seems to embrace anything. The way we are countered is another example.  “You can have yours; I’ll have mine” is the philosophy today. When we say we believe in one way, we’re considered religious bigots. Regardless of what is said, who and what we believe has made us a child of God. This is true, not because we say it is, but because it is.

This is why God sent the Holy Spirit. He came to be our comforter.  In fact, Comforter is one of his names. The invisible one is with us. Through him we have the fullness of God and Jesus Christ. He will guide us to all truths. He helps us to see. A lost person can read the Bible and not understand it at all and be completely wrong about what it says.  Being unsaved he sees it as the natural man; the Bible can only be perceived by the spiritual.

As a child of God we can learn each time we open our Bible even when it’s the same scripture we’ve read before. It’s not that the meaning has changed. We can learn the deeper meanings.  I can eat one piece of a pie, and that’s good. I can go back and get half a pie, and that’s better. The Holy Spirit is that better piece of pie. He shows us every truth we need.

The Holy Spirit is wonderful and will glorify Jesus, attesting to the truth that he indeed is the Son of God. He gives the seal of divine authority of the cross as salvation. He bears witness to the Word of God. Jesus is the only way to salvation. Nothing else is needed, and we can’t settle for less.

Our hearts are assured. He inspires us and will show us things to come. Many are blinded by the signs of the time, but we can see how close we are to the end.  When the Holy Spirit is taken up, we too will go.  Then we’ll be able to see visibly what has been invisible.

We have a Comforter. Thank God for his goodness to us.

Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”

God’s hand is always long enough, strong enough, and present with us.  His hand is not shortened that it cannot reach  and save us.  When Peter was sinking in the water, he was probably floundering. Jesus reached out to him when Peter cried “Lord, save me.” Jesus has power to walk on water and reach out to us whatever our need.  Regardless of what it is and if we’re willing to trust, by his hand God can save us.

In order for Jesus to save Peter his hand had to reach him. He pulled him up and made sure he got in the boat.  The Lord’s hand is still within reach. He’s not slack. We’re still serving a big God whose arms are long enough.  His hand can take care of all our needs.  I can look at this congregation and see that God touched each of us in the past year. He cared for us physically and spiritually.

The other truth is God’s ear in not so heavy that he can’t hear.  He’s not lost the ability to hear; his ear isn’t full of wax or water. It’s not plugged up. He hears more than we think and sometimes more than we want.  When we pray he may not answer the way we want or when we want, but he hears us and sees our faith.

The Lord may get aggravated at our repetitious way of praying. Our same old prayers, like immature children, may do that, but he hears.  However, sin will get between us and God.  Verse 2 says “but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Sin becomes a barrier to his speaking and reaching out.  It corrupts and takes away assurance.

Take inventory.  David said “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Take away anything that might hinder the Lord from reaching and hearing. God forbid that we let anything block his hand or his ear.

Pray “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

Go on, speak to Him, and reach up.

Almost is to miss all. It’s to stop short. It’s to not make it.  If almost describes your soul and what you’re doing with Jesus, don’t be satisfied with it any longer.  You may think it’s enough for this life, but it won’t be in eternity. Agrippa thought this for a long time, but when his life was over, he went into eternity with almost, and it wasn’t enough.

Are you a Christian inside and out? If you hope so, you might as well say you’re an atheist.  An almost Christian is in danger of hell as much as the atheist. It would be nice to have alternative ways, but if I told you that I’d be lying. There is no other way but by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart.  I cannot save you.  You have to do it by yourself, just between you and God.

Acts 26:27 “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”

Almost but lost reminds me of that old song. It helped me see. I thought I was close enough, but it reminded me I was not.  Do you see and realize the insecurity of almost being saved?  In the story of Agrippa and Paul we see one of the saddest stories ever told. Two thousand years have come and gone, and we’re still reminded of it.  It’s sad that it’s repeated in the lives of countless numbers of people today who never accept Jesus as Savior.  It is good this message is being given again. It gives the opportunity for someone to accept the gospel. Agrippa’s story doesn’t have to be yours. You can be like Paul—both almost and altogether saved.

Be sure of your finances, assets, health, and other concerns of life.  We have to be, but above everything else be concerned about your soul.  When life is over all these things will be left behind. If you die in your sins, they will follow you to judgment. It pays to be altogether persuaded. Here we see close up Agrippa’s response, and it is proof that almost is not and never will be enough.

This King Agrippa is grandson to the Agrippa who ordered the slaughter of the male children when he heard the wise men’s story about a king being born.  This one had never been accused of upsetting the Jews, but he knew who Jesus was. He knew he died and rose again. Here, face to face with Apostle Paul, he faced the gospel.  Paul was in prison, and his legal hearing gave him the opportunity to witness of what Jesus did for him on the Damascus Road. The Messiah who saved him can save the whole world, and Paul wanted King Agrippa to come face to face with that fact.  Agrippa heard it in the simplest of ways as Paul spelled out the plan of salvation. He was an intelligent man. Paul told Agrippa that he knew he believed the prophets. He was well versed in the Old Testament.  Paul stood before this earthly king and presented the King of Glory to him.  While Agrippa knew all about it, he remained lost.   He held close his pomp and glory. He had the power to set Paul free or destroy him, yet Paul stood in his presence unafraid.  Paul looked at the real person. Regardless of how many layers we think we have, we are the same as Agrippa.  Paul saw a lost soul on its way to hell.  We are all just a soul. We’re on equal ground with each other because God doesn’t look on the outward appearance. He looks at the heart.

Paul spoke to Agrippa personally. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.” He was saying you believe it and I know you do. Contrary to what others say, deep down he knew he was a sinner. If we know anything, we need to know that. After work we go home, change clothes and go to bed. If we die, the undertaker will remove those clothes. Naked we came into the world and naked we’ll go out. When our naked body is laid down, the only part left is the soul. Jesus came to save the part in most danger. It wasn’t our heart or liver, but our soul.  He came to save sinners.

Agrippa felt his power leaving him. All his securities that he padded between himself and God were taken off when Paul told him that he believed what the prophets said. No matter how “churchy” we are, underneath God knows our soul. We can believe, but it must be a believing to the salvation of our immortal soul.

Historically, Agrippa was religious.  He financially supported the temple and synagogues. On the outside one would think he was a Christian, but he was almost one—almost but lost.  It doesn’t matter how good we are. Almost is still not good enough. You’re as lost as if you went to the liquor store instead of coming to church this morning.  In verse 20 Paul reminded Agrippa of what we need to remember.  We “should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” We’re not good so we can help the Lord save us. We must realize Jesus died for us and turn to him for salvation. Then we’re able to do what we’ve not been to do before. We can be a Christian. How about it? The Lord is being very direct with you. What’s your response? Agrippa lost his composure when Paul told him he knew he believed. He considered it and counted the costs in regards to his friends, his wife, and his position and stopped short.  It wasn’t enough. Whatever reason is holding you back is not reason enough either.

Agrippa looked at Paul and said “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” How could he argue against his own soul?  Almost can’t go all the way. Paul knew this was Agrippa’s final answer. He didn’t force him just like God will not force you. You know the condition of your soul.

Almost may have gotten you this far. You may want to get out of this church right now, but don’t try to get away from the Lord.  Try your best to get to him.  The time came for Agrippa to choose. Paul never saw him again. You can run away from me, the Bible and church, but you cannot run from your sins. They are like a ball and chain dragging you to hell.  You cannot escape Jesus.  Paul said “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am.” He was saying I wish you were like me, almost and altogether saved. He wished that for everyone who heard his testimony that day.

Don’t tell me after church that I preached a good sermon. That’s like I’m acting out a role. I have one life and I’ve given it to God to preach the gospel.  I don’t want to see you lost; I’ve given my life to see people saved.  Don’t be almost persuaded. I can hear Agrippa yell from hell. Don’t be almost a Christian.

They lyrics of the song go like this. “Almost persuaded, harvest is past.  Almost persuaded, doom comes at last.  Almost cannot avail.  Almost is but to fail.  Sad, sad that bitter wail.  Almost but lost.”

Don’t be almost saved.  It is not and never will be enough to be a Christian.

When Paul wrote the epistles, he was able to express details and reality of the spiritual world we inhabit in this physical world. He was in prison. Around him were Roman soldiers. Many Romans felt animosity toward the Jews and Christianity. Even so, Paul noticed how well trained soldiers were. Through the unique organizational structure of the military, Rome was able to dominate the known world.

This is why Paul wrote to Timothy as a good soldier. In II Timothy Paul talked about the external conflicts. There is so much we fight against. In the above scripture it’s different. Before we face the challenges from without, we have to struggle with the enemy within. There is no greater enemy than our old nature. All of these have a commander and chief in the devil himself. Behind every adversity is the motive to bring us down.  The fight we wage is with ourselves, our old nature, our old feelings, and fleshly lusts. In verse 11, Paul says to “flee these things; and follow after righteousness…fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”  The best way to do this is to keep fighting our spiritual battles. The struggle is great. The devil wants to get us down and living in spiritual bleakness to make us lose the fight. The devil is determined to keep fighting; we should be also. Our Commander and Chief has a fighting spirit. We can win, even over ourselves.

Who among us doesn’t deal with provocations and lusts? We’re tempted to lie. We are all bothered by the devil; he makes sure we’re tested. He’s a real fighter. We have to be real fighters too. Many look at Christianity as if playing a game. It is not.  Many treat Christianity as a role they play in church. God doesn’t play games. Neither does the devil. This is not a sport to be a player in. We fight a fight to the death. Either the devil wins or we do.

I’m thankful for times of recreation; we get a breather from our everyday life.  This is not recreation. Christianity should never be a diversion from our everyday life. It should be our life. When we rest, it has to be with our sword in hand. This is not a drama we act out. Jesus saw the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They would don their robes and put on a good act, but Jesus said they were like dead men’s bones inside. We never act like a Christian; we are to be one or nothing at all.

The devil is who he is. Sin is what it is. This is why Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. The stakes are too high. The causalities are too great. The threat is too ominous for us not to be engaged. A soldier first enlists. To be saved we must enlist under the command of the Lord. He gives us training. He gives the orders. We don’t tell God what to do anymore than a soldier tells his commanding officer what to do.  All the work and discipline of a soldier is to equip him to stay alive. Jesus enables us; he trains and disciplines us. He keeps us on the narrow way. He can take the most unlikely recruit and make a good soldier out of him.  A war is successfully fought  by following orders. God knows more about our enemy that we do. He’s not backwards and doesn’t cut corners. We cannot make excuses for ourselves. Don’t say “I’m human.” We can cut our own throat quicker than anyone else.

Faith is the key to Christianity. We cannot grasp the danger of a soldier overseas. He has to have faith to go and faith in the commander. As a child of God we must never lose our fighting spirit. Always follow God’s orders even if you don’t understand them. Ours is not to question but to do or die. We need to live for God without questions. We know the outcome. Verses 13 and 14 say “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Do you sometimes wonder how long you can fight? Do you ask yourself if you can hold out?  You can as long as you follow your Commander.  The weapons Jesus gives us are always loaded. He has a constant ammunition supply so we can keep fighting. And these weapons are superior, for they are spiritual. If we surrender, it is not the Lord’s fault. We have simply quit trusting the Commander. Paul told Timothy to endure, to keep his fighting spirit. The outcome will be good. Hold on until you see the cavalry coming over the horizon.  Paul’s last words were that he had fought a good fight and finished his course. Was Nero to get the crown?  No.  Paul said there was a crown laid up for him.

When the apostles were martyred, someone picked up the flag. It’s now in our hands, and we must go on. Our Commander is still Chief. The devil is defeated. Paul didn’t just say “fight.” He said fight a “good fight.”

Don’t commit treason on the Lord. Our weapons are not carnal. We can fight, and we can fight the good fight of faith.

How is your fighting spirit?

Genesis 37: 16 “And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”

“Behold, this dreamer cometh.” This is the way the brothers felt. Joseph is a good role model, but one thing he lacked was tact. It got him into trouble.

“And Joseph dreamed a dream.”  We dream a lot. Research says we dream almost every night, but we forget them. Sometimes they are so vivid and real that when we wake we try to hold onto them, but they fragment and are forgotten. Some are so real we jump out of bed or scream. Dreams are strange. They are the figments of our imagination when the mind is at rest.

There are two kinds of dreams. There are those of our own that we have at night, and then there is the one God gives. It’s a living, waking dream. At times, the Bible calls them visions. Visions are necessary. The Bible is filled with people who dreamed. God dealt with his people through dreams in the Old Testament. Two New Testament examples are when God spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary as his wife. The other is Peter’s dream before he preached to Cornelius. God has a dream for each of us.

It’s scary that so many have lost their dream, their vision of God. Some have lost the capacity to dream; they have forgotten how. Kids don’t have to use imagination today like we did when we were growing up. Information is easy, a click away. It’s streamlined. Toys are high tech. Many of them have taken away the need to use imagination. This is the way God deals with our mind. There are so many voices calling to us that we fail to hear the voice of God.

Today is like it’s always been. The Word of God is here as it has been for centuries. Amos said there would be a famine of hearing the Word. Isaiah said without a vision people perish.  Every great accomplishment came from a vision. Edison wanted light in darkness. He was mocked, but his dream became a reality. He had a vision.

God deals with us by a vision. We could never have been saved if God had not shown us we were sinners on the way to hell. When we saw that vision, we were motivated to be saved. We must have this dream and keep it alive. It should be our request to be a dreamer. Ask yourself this.  “Do I still dream? Do I allow God to deal with me?”  If we ignore it or quit believing the dream of God, it won’t be long until we fall away. The world will challenge our dream just like Joseph’s brothers did his. Don’t let others take away your confidence in God. Don’t give up or back down.

Joseph had several dreams. Later in his life he became an interpreter of the dreams of others. God was involved in all those dreams.  Joseph’s dreams were true. They were God’s communication. They were real. Many earthly dreams don’t come true, but dreams of God do.  God chose Joseph for them. In one dream he said “For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.”  In another he said “Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.”   His father rebuked him saying “what is this dream that thou hast dreamed?”

What is your dream? Some you’ve had in your life stick out. They were crazy and vivid.  Oh, that our dream and vision of God would be that way. Have you lost your vision for the lost? What about your vision of what it right and wrong? Do you still have a vision for the truth of the Word of God? Do you still hold to our Savior who died on the cross?  Is there now hollowness to your dream? Have you slacked up on the dream and almost given up? Do you run from it or let things crowd in around it? Do you still have your vision of God? Look at your spiritual mirror and ask yourself if you still have the vision like you used to. Do you still see the empty tomb and God on his throne? Do you have a vision of the rapture and the judgment of this world? Do you still dream? What has become of them?

Joseph didn’t stop dreaming and was foolish enough to keep telling them. Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers. When they saw him they said “Behold, this dreamer cometh.”  This is the best compliment ever.  Do others see the dreamer in you?  Do others see the Lord in you? The best thing others can see is a real Christian and it can only be through your dream. This statement was meant as a cut to Joseph, but it was a compliment. If we live our dream, people will have confidence in us. It will be like turning a light on outside and watching the millers run to it. If there was ever something to be said about us it should be “here comes the dreamer.”

Joseph’s brothers hated him for his dreams. They wanted to hurt him.  They said “Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”  They put him in a pit.  He didn’t dream. When he was a slave and then in prison for 13 years, he didn’t dream. However, his earlier dreams sustained him. You cannot rely on the dreams of the preacher or your family members. The key to your survival is keeping your dream alive. Joseph’s former dreams were enough. We don’t need new ones either. God help us to remember the old dream he gave us.

In Joseph’s story, the butcher and baker’s dreams came true. Pharaoh’s dreams came true. The people considered him a god, but his dreams scared him. Joseph didn’t dream, but he did interpret all these dreams. Many years after he interpreted the dream of the baker, Joseph was remembered and the Pharaoh was told about his ability to interpret.  Because Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, he became the second in command. In the end, Joseph’s family did bow down to him.

We don’t need new ways, new “stuff,” or any additions to Christianity. What we need is to take a look at where our dream has gone. Pray to be shown the dream again. It’s there for the asking. It will help us make it until we get home.

Are you still dreaming? We’ll lose many things in this life, but make sure you never let go of your dream.  We need dreams, and then we’ll see what God can do!

Ephesians chapter 2 tells us several things. (1) It tells us who we were.  We were dead in sin and have been saved by grace and raised from a spiritual death. We are alive through Christ. (2) It tells us what we are now. Verse 15 says we are a new person (“new man”). We are God’s workmanship. (3) It tells us where we’re going.  We have a home in heaven.

We use the phrase “I’m saved” a lot. Have you thought about what that means? The lost can’t comprehend it. What in the world do I need to be saved from?  That’s what I want to talk about in this message.

Verse 2 says “wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”  We were under the control of the devil. Some think they can be free from him by themselves, but it cannot be done without the death of Jesus on Calvary. We’ve been washed and by the grace of God—not our works—we’ve been saved.  Satan’s power is strong. Before I was saved I tried to turn over a new leaf. It wouldn’t work. Salvation is by the power of God. It took the operation of God to free us all from the power of Satan. Greater is the One in us that the devils of this world. Even though we are saved, we still fight the devil, but we can overcome by the power of Christ. Jesus knew we needed to be set free. That’s why he came.  Satan still tempts us, but we are no longer under his control.  The person who chooses to go to the place prepared for the devil after this life goes as an intruder. Jesus came to seek out the lost, and one must realize he is lost before there can be salvation in his soul. Jesus came to destroy the power of the devil and arose victorious over death and the enemy. We have been saved from his hold over us, and one day we’ll go to heaven, the place where there is no devil!  We needed to be saved from the control of the devil.

Sin had a hold on us. The Bible says we’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God.  A Christian doesn’t practice sin as a way of life. Romans chapter 6 says “what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” We no longer live in the kingdom of darkness. Jesus broke the power sin had on us.  I couldn’t do it myself no matter how many times I tried. We will sin as a Christian, but we are to repent. Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of those sins. We won’t continue to live the way we did before we were saved. There is a newness of life after salvation. We can’t go back and change the past, but we can be forgiven and begin a new walk with Jesus. If we say we’re saved but continue to live in sin, we need a reality check.   Verse 12-13 instruct us.  It says “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God….” The key to living this new life is by yielding to God. Verses 14 and 15 give us more. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” We cannot sin just to be forgiven of it. We are a new creature. Then Romans 6:23 sums it up. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Do you have the gift? If you’re saved you do. This gift comes by our faith in the finished work of Jesus, and through him we have life. God’s grace is stronger than the hold of sin. We are saved from the hold of sin over us.

We are free from God’s wrath.  Before I was saved, I was afraid to die. I had heard of the literal fires of hell. It scared me to death. One day I found out God would free me from his wrath by faith in his son.  God doesn’t want anyone to perish.  We live in the age of grace, but the time will come when the church will be called out in the rapture. The wrath will come. It’s real.  John 3:36 says “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”  We deserved to die, not Jesus. If we reject the salvation of God, we have something to worry about. God doesn’t want us to suffer; he made provision for us all.  First Thessalonians chapter one says unbelievers will be “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” Revelation says unbelievers will be cast into hell. Your name must be in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  God gave his son to die for us while we were still sinners.  We are saved from the wrath to come when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.

Because of grace we can look forward to heaven. We have a lively hope. By faith we have an inheritance in heaven. In John 14 Jesus said he was preparing a place for us “that where I am, there ye may be also.”  Aren’t you thankful for the grace of God? We’re saved from the control of the devil, the hold sin had on us, and the wrath of God to come.