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Lighthouse Baptist Church
Missions: God's Desire
[music] >>Thank you for listening to this message brought to you by the Audio Ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church. It's connected in New York. For more great content, please visit us at LighthouseBaptist.org. Now let's open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. [music] >>Hey, Permissions Conference. I want you to know that mission is very near to the heart of God. And I want us to kind of take that as a church and understand that truth. And then also be ready to hear from God during our Emissions Conference. So I want you to turn in your variables to 2 Peter, chapter 3, 2 Peter, chapter 3. And we're actually going to break the norm as well. Normally I'm all over the place. This morning I won't be as much, so it's kind of weird. And so if it's weird to you, it's weird to me. It's not normally my style. But I think it'll be good that snow is going to mess me up the entire time. Thanks a lot, Harry. And so I second Peter, chapter 3. And let's all stand out of respect for the reading of God's Word. And I think it's a good thing for us to do. And I know we've stood a lot, I don't know if we've stand it. Stood a lot during the service so far. But if I have to stand, you have to stand. And so we're going to stand the entire time. I'm just getting all let you sit down. So let's start with verse number 9 of 2 Peter, chapter 3. I still hear pages turning, so I'll wait. It's OK. We got time this morning. I hear that. I see that, Christine. I saw that troublemaker in the front, 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse number 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness. But his long suffering to us were not willing that any should perish, but that all should come for repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as the thief in the night, in the wish the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the element shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also in the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the element shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Let's ask the Lord to impact our hearts this morning as we look at missions, God's desire. This is God's heartbeat, and so let's ask God to impact our hearts this morning. Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for the opportunity we have to come to your word. But I'm so grateful that you're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But there is a great world, a massive world that needs to hear the truth of your word. And I'm so grateful that you are calling people to go into missions and that they are responding. But what I ask is that each of us would have that same desire, that we would desire that people would come to know you as their savior to the point where we not only give during our missions conference, but we are willing to go. What I ask is that you'd impact our hearts in a very real way. So what I ask is that we would all respond as you lead us this morning as well. You pray this all in the wonderful, precious, holy name of our savior, Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you. You may be seated. I get to stand. You get to sit down and so enjoy the comfort of your wonderful pew. So first of all, the first point this morning is this, God's long suffering. God's long suffering. As we look at this passage, and as we look at God's desire when it comes to missions, I want you to understand that God is long suffering, and we see that right in our passage. Look what it says in 2 Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse number 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some end count slackness, but his long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. So first of all, as we break down this verse this morning, I want you to understand that he is not slack concerning his promise. You know what that means? This carries the idea of delay or teary. God's not just delaying just because he doesn't want to do something. You know, like my kids, when I ask them to clean up the room or something, you know what happens? They find a whole bunch of other things to distract themselves, right? To delay that work, to delay the effort that it's going to take, but that's not what God is doing. God is not delaying or tearing just because he doesn't want to do this. I want you to understand this as well, that don't take God's delay as in capability. Just because God is not slack concerning his promises, meaning he doesn't delay his promises, I want you to understand that God is not pausing his judgment on the earth because he's incapable of judging it, okay? Do you understand this? God as a great God of the universe has every right to judge this earth because he is the creator of it, and so God is not lacking capability in his judgment. He is actually delaying his long suffering because he has a plan. I also want you to understand this, don't take God's delay as indifference, okay? God is not going, "Okay, world, I know you're wicked and I just don't care." God is not that kind of God. God is holy and therefore he must judge unholy behavior. And so we've got to understand that God is not indifferent, okay? God doesn't just be like, "Okay, well I love everybody and therefore I'm just going to let them come to me and it's going to be all hunky-dory, that's not biblical." God is very clear that we must come to him on his terms and that is through grace, by grace, through faith. We have to come. He has to give us that gift and I have to come through him through faith, okay? The world sometimes in some churches preach that God is a loving God and therefore he doesn't care how you live. That is not biblical, okay? That is not biblical. Remember this is directly tied to his promise. He's not slack concerning his promise. God will fulfill his promises. Aren't you thankful for that? Anybody? I'm so grateful that my God, when he says something, he's going to do it and I can trust in him and I can rest in him and I can say, "God, I know you have this under control because you have things that you have promised to me that I have not fully experienced yet and I can trust in that and I can rest in that." God is not slack concerning his promises. And I want to make note of this as well. God will do what he has said. He will do what he has said. Sometimes we have good intentions and we say, "Oh, I'm going to do this and we forget." Or we really don't want to do that and sometimes we can be wicked people and we can say, "Yes, I will help out in your work day." And then, "Well, I'm sorry this came up," whatever, but that is not God. If God has said he will accomplish, he will do what he has said. Look back in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise," look what it says, "As some men count slackness." So men are slack. People are slack. God's delay is not tardiness. You know, when you show up to school and especially in college, this was more of a problem because when I was in high school, my mom made sure that I was on time, right? In college, now that's my responsibility and guess what? Sometimes I was. I was tardy, okay? The class was supposed to start at this time and I didn't show up till 10 minutes later because I forgot where I was running late or I was running behind and sometimes you can be tardy, right? You can be late, but God is not late. He's never late. He is never absent. God is always present and we may not understand what God is doing in our lives. We may not understand everything that God is going to accomplish but can I tell you something? God has a plan and he may not answer my prayer request when I expect him to. Sometimes when we pray we're like, "God, you need to answer this prayer request in 2.5 seconds," right? We may not give him that specific of a time but that's what we do. We say, "God, you need to answer this prayer request by tomorrow." Sometimes we don't see that answer right away. God is not late. Maybe he's causing you to develop your faith, right? He's saying, "Okay, I'm not going to answer it when you expect me to answer it. I will answer it when it is best for you because I have a plan for you. God is not tardy, he is not late, he's never absent." Let her see under this point, look back at our verse, verse number 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some accounts slackness but is long-suffering to usward. By the way, if you want to know what it means, let's break the word up a little bit. It means to suffer long. That's what it means. He is long-suffering to usward. Another word if you want a kind of word you probably use more often is patience. He is patient to you. He suffers long for you. Just think about your own Christian life this morning and say, "Okay, God, I know you as my Savior, but do you always live like it?" No, for me, the answer is no. I don't. Anybody else with me, anybody else that he's in this morning, "Okay, good. We're all in the same boat, okay? I don't always live what God expects, I don't always do what he expects, and I'm so grateful this morning for God's long suffering." That he is patient, that he is working in my life, that he has a goal, it also carries the idea of forbearing. I want you to understand this as well. Now, this is one of the times where you're going to have to go to a different passage. Okay, can we do this? You ready? Put the little ribbon thingy in your Bible, okay, if you have one, and then go to this passage. Genesis chapter number 15, Genesis chapter number 15. Specifically, I want you to understand that this long suffering is not just for us, it is also for the world. Okay, and in Genesis 15, we see a very interesting statement, and it's kind of, if I could get to it, I'm kind of like my Bible all of a sudden freaked out. I know where it is, Christine, in case you're wondering. Genesis 15, verse number 16, okay, Genesis 15, verse number 16. Now we're just jumping into this passage, and if you want to read more, you can, but look at what it says here in verse number 16 of Genesis 15, "But in the fourth generation, they shall come hither again." Look what he says, "For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." You know that means, God is even patient with the unbelieving. He is long-suffering, even with the unbelieving. He's saying, "Hey, their iniquity is not yet full," and I want you to understand what that means. He is giving them space to repent. Why hasn't God come in and judge America very harshly because of what we have done? Because he's allowing us a time to repent. Which God has not turned a blind eye to the wickedness of this country. He is giving us a chance to turn around, and Christians, it is our responsibility to share the truth. It is our responsibility as Christians, and I firmly believe this, to vote biblically. To look at the issues and make the best decision, and you may say, "Well, I don't like either of you." Make the best decision that fits the most with scriptural principles. It is our responsibility. It is our job. I cannot come and complain about America and what America is doing if I'm not willing to let at least my voice be heard. Understand what I'm saying? God is long-suffering, but we should not go, "Well, America's, you know, God's going to judge it." No, he is allowing us time to repent. He's allowing us time to come back to him, to turn back to him, for us to make a difference, for us to share the truth, for us to go out and share the gospel. He is allowing us a chance to come to him. He is long-suffering, and he sometimes delays his judgment to give time for those people to turn to God. Don't believe me? Look at the nation of Israel. Look at the nation of Judah over and over again. God wanted to wipe them off the face of the planet. Remember that time when he told Moses, "Hey, get out of the way. I'm going to destroy them all, and I'm going to restart with you." But you know what God was long-suffering for those people, and when you look at the nation of Israel, you go, "How can you complain and, you know, murmur and all these different things about what God has done when God has provided for you in such a miraculous way?" Can I tell you something? We do the same thing all the time. I remember reading through the Old Testament when I was in college, and I got to the nation of Israel, and seeing all these stupid mistakes that they did, especially in the wilderness, and just how they would complain, and they would do all these things, and I'm like, "Man, those nation of Israel, they were so stupid." Those stupid Israelites, and then God took what I call the two by four and hit me over the head, and he said, "Dan, you are a stupid Israelite. You do the same thing. You complain. You murmur. I've been so good to you. I'm giving you everything you could ever want, everything that would make you happy, and you complain about it." Think about it in America. We have food all over the place. You travel around the world, you don't have it, and you know what we do? We complain. So I'll use an example, because I don't think they'll be listening, McDonald's, okay? You go to McDonald's, and sometimes you're like, "Why is this drive-through taking so long? This is a fast food place." You start complaining, "This isn't fast food. This is slow food." Oh, come on. You realize you had like four billion different choices to eat at, especially around here, and you chose McDonald's, and so we complain, and we murmur, and we murmur about the dumbest stuff. Well, the church was too warm this morning. Would you rather it be negative five degrees in here? Probably not. We complain about the dumbest stuff. Well, that person sat in my seat, so what, okay? It doesn't matter. Sometimes if you actually flip and sat on the other side, you probably meet other people in the church. It'd be a good thing, and it's not a problem. Okay? God is long-suffering to us. We make dumb mistakes all the time, and he is long-suffering. But let's continue on as we consider God's long-suffering this morning. He is not slack. He's not like men. He is long-suffering. But let's look at his heart. Let's look at our heart at his heart in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse number 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some accounts slackness, but is long-suffering to usward. Now, here's his heart not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. You and I see in his heart, he doesn't want anyone to go to hell. That's not his desire. He was everyone to come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. So when we think of missions in specific this morning, when I think of that world that's on the back wall back there, I think of a world that desperately needs the gospel. And even the enemies of the United States, God is not willing. He doesn't want them to die and go to hell. And you know what that means for me? Somebody's got to share the truth, right? We know in Romans chapter 10, how shall they call on him in whom they have not heard? How are they going to come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior if they've never heard about what he's done? And guess whose responsibility that is, Church, ours. It's ours. When I think of the millions of people that are dying without Jesus Christ, I can't say, "God, you're not good." I've got to say, "Hey, maybe we're not responding the way that God wants us to respond." I firmly believe that God is calling people to missions and people are just flat out telling him no. I firmly believe that God is calling people to missions, but they can't hear that still small voice anymore because they're so filled with noise from our society that they don't hear God speak anymore. Maybe they're so stuck on a phone or on a device or stuck in a TV that they don't even listen to what God has for them anymore. God's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell. That's his heart. He wants them to know. He wants them to know about the truth. When he talks about perish, this is talking about being destroyed. This is talking about hell. I want you to go to Matthew 25, Matthew 25 or number 41. Some people have argued, "Well, why did God make hell then if he doesn't want anyone to go there?" Well, in Matthew 25 it very clearly tells us why he made it, why it is there. Matthew 25, verse number 41. I want us all to see this, so I'm going to wait till you get there. Matthew 25, verse number 41. We there? Look what it says. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, apart from the ye cursed into everlasting fire." Now, look at what it says here, "Prepared for the devil and his angels." Why was it created? It wasn't created for mankind. It was created for the devil and his angels who were building against God. Now us, as human beings, we have rebelled against God. Romans talks about how God is clearly seen from his creation, that you can look at creation and you can see that there is a God. Now, you don't know all the truth yet. You don't know that he died for your sins. You don't know all of that yet, but you can look at creation and go, "This did not happen by chance." So they are without excuse. What that means, you have rejected me. You've done the same thing that the devil and his angels did in rejection of God himself. So guess what you deserve? You deserve the punishment that is reserved for the devil and his angels because you have done the same thing. Do you understand what I'm saying this morning? God's not willing that any should perish. He didn't make hell for human beings. He made hell for the devil and his angels. And human beings have to go there because of the rejection of Jesus Christ. He wants all people to come to repentance. Look what he says in verse number 9 of 2 Peter chapter 3 again. Now, we're going to go back and forth for a little bit here and that's okay. You understand what we're doing here. Go back to 2 Peter chapter 3 verse number 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise of some men count slackness but his long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Now, how does that happen pastor? How do I come to repentance? How do I come to this place that God wants for me? We'll go to Ephesians chapter 2. This is a great passage and probably one of the most clear passages in a brief statement. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 our church should be familiar with this. I've shared this a whole bunch but if you're new this morning and maybe you haven't heard this before I want you to understand it because this is crucial. If you don't know Christ as your Savior this morning God doesn't want you to go to hell. He wants you to spend eternity with him in heaven but you have to come to him on his terms. In here it is in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. You are by grace God giving you that which you don't deserve. You don't deserve it. You are a sinner. You don't deserve God's grace. You don't deserve heaven. You have violated his law and look what he says for by grace or you save through faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God not of works plus any man should boast. You see you can't come to Christ and say hey God I am righteous. I have lived a sinless life because the reality is you have it. If you've ever lied in your entire life you are a law breaker. James tells us if we offended one point we are guilty of all. So we are extreme law breakers and even just lying makes you not worthy of entering heaven. So my works they are contaminated they are not good enough they cannot be good enough for me to go to heaven I have to rely on his finished work in Jesus Christ. I cannot depend upon myself. When you come to repentance you are saying okay God I am turning from relying on myself on my righteousness to now turning around and saying God I am relying on your son and his sacrifice and his work alone. I am not adding my work to his it will never be enough. It is his work alone that I am safe. Church people in the auditorium this morning if you don't know Christ as your Savior please accept him this morning if you want to know more of course talk to me after the service I would love nothing more than to share the truth of the gospel with you. So what is he saying here he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance this is people getting saved. So church here is my question to you this morning is that your desire. If God says I am not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and it is talking about people getting saved is that your desire this morning. The great Apostle Paul I want you to go to Romans chapter 10 and I want you to look at this verse because if you want to look at why the Apostle Paul went to the extreme that he did in sharing the gospel where he is beaten he is left for death he is shipwrecked and he continues to get up he continues to continue to pursue the gospel he continues to share it you want to know why because that was his greatest desire look at Romans chapter 10 and I want you to see verse number one okay Romans 10 verse number one brethren my heart desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. What was Paul's driving force that people would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior that is what drove him that is what pushed him that is what made him impact the world with the gospel church I look at a world that desperately needs it and he was sometimes I realize in my life and hopefully you realize in yours that is really not your desire. We act like it is we say it is and when we ask and I say hey is that your desire we all say amen they are going to tell you something saying amen and actually doing something about it are two different things you can say amen and you can say God yes that is my desire I want people to know Jesus Christ as their Savior but when was the last time you passed out a gospel tract when was the last time you said hey come with me to church when was the last time you said okay I'm going to have that awkward conversation and they may not like it but I'm going to share the gospel you see we can say it's our desire but unless our actions back it up I can tell you it's not really your desire and that's reality why do missionaries go around the world and hardship and difficulties why does brother Harmon want to go back to China even though he knows it's going to be hard and knows it's going to be difficult because he is consumed with sharing the gospel with people that desperately need it why is G.S. Nair in India a place that is poor and difficult and all these different things because he has a desire inside of him to say you know what my desire is to share the gospel my desire is for them to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and I'm going to work as hard as I can and I'm going to do whatever it takes to reach as many people with the gospel as I possibly can church here's the reality if God's desire is that no one would perish but that all would come to repentance you know what our desire should be the same thing and so you know what that means we need to sacrifice when we talk about faith promise and we talk about these different things maybe sometimes we need to say you know what I want the gospel to go further and I'm willing to sacrifice some things to make the gospel go further I could talk about sacrificing coffee or whatever we could talk about all that stuff and how much that would add up over time but I think we understand that if we took a little bit of hurt and uncomfortableness for us the gospel would go further right the gospel would go further and that has to be our desire when it comes to missions conference we have to come with the desire to say okay God's heart is that no one would perish but that all would come to repentance and God I am willing to match up my desires with yours that I'm willing to sacrifice to do what you want me to do but then God also continues in this passage in 2nd Peter chapter 3 with a powerful reminder the powerful reminder God's reminder point over to this morning look at 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse number 10 now it seems like these verses don't really match right but God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and then you read verse number 10 but the day of the Lord will come as the thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the element shall melt with fervent heat the earth also in the works that are therein shall be burned up God is giving us a powerful reminder this morning that all the things that we live for the things that we desire in this life will be burnt up right you read this passage this the element shall melt with fervent heat these are the fundamental things these are the basic things of the earth they will be burnt up with massive amounts of heat why is he reminding us of that because he just talked about God's desire and he says hey God's going to come like a thief in the night you're not going to have any clue when he does this and the end judgment is going to be all the things you live for are going to be gone hmm does that get home did that hit home to you the things we live for the things that we push for the things that we we strive for they don't matter when it comes to eternity Galatians chapter four verse number three says this even so we when we were children we're in bondage under the elements of the world that's what we used to live under we were bondage to it and then I want you to go to Colossians chapter two keep your finger in second Peter we're coming back I told you we're going to go to many passages now I'm realizing I lied so I apologize I'll be at the altar meet me there it's a wonderful passage here in Colossians chapter two verse number eight so he says our past condition you were under bondage under the elements of the world and then in Colossians two verse number eight it says this actually we'll go back to verse number six as he is therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk he in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as he have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving verse number eight be where or less any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ those rudiments those basic principles of the world you what God says hey don't let anything don't let anyone spoil you by saying hey this is what you should live for church the reality is all of the things that we so often push for the comforts of this life our home our money our car our life all of those things will be gone they don't really matter so here's the reminder don't live for this world don't let this world be the thing that you are pushing for beyond everything else while I want to get this I want to get this promotion and so therefore I'm going to I'm going to do whatever it takes to get that promotion can I tell you something if that is what you're striving for above godliness there's a problem and by the way it shows you what you were really are worshiping you're not really worshipping God you're worshipping your job and you're worshipping comfort so often if we just look at what we are striving for it'll tell us what really matters and what really we are worshipping you go back to second Peter chapter three verse number ten there's another statement that I want you to get here it says this but the day of the Lord will come as the thief in the night in the which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise in the element shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works that are there in shall be burned up those greatest accomplishments that man has ever accomplished the great pyramids in Giza the great things that we have done and we've accomplished are all going to be gone there's not going to be anything left all the great works everything that we have stried for so these works that he's talking about are those things that are temporal those things that really don't matter things for which we labor here's my reminder don't labor for that which doesn't last now I'm not saying you need to quit your job and go into the ministry here's a reality if people don't give I don't have a job okay if I understand that there is a certain element that we need we need to be in the world and we need to we need to work and we need to work hard and we need to tie then we need to give and all those things but can I tell you something if that is the only thing that matters to you your priorities are all messed up that's not what really matters I am to work and I am to work hard and I think Christians should be the hardest workers in any place that they work and I think we should represent Christ well and we should be people of character and we shouldn't be stealing things from the office and we shouldn't be doing all those things I get it but I tell you something if that is what you're striving for about everything else your priorities are out of whack because it's never going to satisfy and I've seen Christians that you know in many churches I'm not saying here necessarily but in many churches there are Christians that are the most miserable people you've ever met in your entire life why because what they are living for is not what really matters we've got to keep our priorities on the main thing which is the glory of our God which is reaching people with a gospel which is going further in our outrasion we've ever been before we've got to keep our focus on the things that really matter there are some obstructions those things those works those all those different things we've talked about now I want you to get some something here what should be our objective what should I be living for look at second Peter chapter 3 in verse number 11 seeing then all that these things shall be dissolved so he says okay because all these things will be destroyed what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation in godliness he is saying with what you know what are you going to do about it it says okay I just shared that everything all of these things that we look out and we see and we enjoy they're all going to be destroyed so he says okay you know that truth how should you live because of it that's what he's asking you know the truth that God's not willing that any should perish but that also come to repents that's great but what are you going to do with it how are you going to live how is that going to affect you hmm why don't you understand the Christian life come down to this perspective look at verse number 12 so he says in verse number 13 verse number 11 seeing then all that these things shall be dissolved what manner persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation in godliness and then he says looking for and hasting under the coming of the day of god wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with firm and heat he says hey what are you looking for we are to be anticipating this destruction of the world it doesn't make any sense does it well why would I want that why would I strive for that because before that and we're going to understand this when we talk about end times before that Jesus Christ is coming to take us out of here and then there's a tribulation and then there's the millennial reign and then this happens so guess what I should be looking for it because Jesus Christ is my blessed hope and he has promised me that he's coming back and he's going to be taking me out of here and that's a wonderful thing and I should be looking for that I should be expecting that I should be saying God come quickly but church so often we say God I don't want you to come right now because I'm comfortable I'm not ready yet and teenagers say well I don't want God to come back yet I want to get married and I want to live my life but when we have the proper perspective and we say that is what I really need and that's what really I should be desiring all of those things change it changes we are to be expecting this God said is going to happen so that means it's going to happen well it hasn't happened yet pastor can I tell you something Jesus said that 2,000 years ago and I could say with 100% certainty or 2,000 years closer than when he said it was the first time and if his apostles said hey Jesus Christ is coming now and he's coming in our lifetime which they believe how much more church should we say it now Jesus Christ is coming back and I can say that with certainty why because he promised it and everything he has ever said he will do and he will complete it and I can take that to the bank in a world of uncertainty I can trust in my God we are to be looking for it and when you look at verse number 12 he says looking for and hasting under the coming of the day of God we should be urging it on we should be like the chiller to that goes yeah yeah do it come on come out yeah go put your pushing God I want you to come I want you to come we are to be eagerly awaiting it how can I do this pastor a look at verse number 14 of our same passage where for beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent that you be found of him in peace without spot and blameless you know that teaches me because Jesus Christ is coming back and I know he is that should affect how I live my life right now I should be living my life spotless blameless where someone throws an accusation and it doesn't stick they say you know let's pick on Jim perfect so so many throws an accusation about Jim and they throw the mud at him and you know what it doesn't stick it just falls off because we know Jim's character we know who Jim is we've seen him we've seen him work we've seen him involved in the church and we know that is not that cannot be true about him that is the idea of blameless so we are to live this way and church can I tell you something if Jesus Christ is coming back which he is right amen he's coming back and he's taking us out of here there's gonna be a whole lot of people right now if he came in this moment there'd be a whole lot of people that be left on this earth that have to go through the tribulation and when you read through the tribulation and you see how many people died the third and two-thirds of all these different numbers and if you do the math with the world right now and you can take the most conservative estimate of how many Christians there are there's gonna be a whole lot of people dying without Jesus Christ during the tribulation any what our responsibility is to say God when you come back I want there to be as few as people as possibly can be here during the tribulation that should be our desire that should be our motivating thing okay God is coming back and yes I know he is and he's taking me out of here and yes that's a glorious truth but I want to have as few people on this planet that to go through the terrible tribulation as humanly possible why should I live without spot and blameless because I am representing my savior so here's the question if Christ was to come back in this moment would you have any regrets oh would you have any regrets if you're like me yeah church we need to change that there are people we need to share the gospel with that maybe we've shared the gospel with a hundred times we need to share one more there are people we need to impact with the gospel there are people that we need to share the truth with and we haven't done it yet because we're afraid of that awkward conversation we need to make sure we're faithful by also this I want you to understand that we are to live righteous we are to live clean before God because what we are also to be expecting this look at what it says in verse number 13 yes God destroys the heavens and the earth right with fervent heat we talked about that already in verse number 13 it says nevertheless we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth where in dwell of righteousness hey guess what yeah God's going to destroy this earth but guess what he's going to make a whole better one a whole lot better and by the way we talk about heaven and the wonderful things of heaven heaven is just a temporary place we're going to dwell in and then he's going to make the new heaven and the new earth and that's what we're going to enjoy for eternity and think about how special that's got to be if heaven has streets of gold that are so pure you can see through it and you got the river of life and you got all these wonderful things in heaven and then you got the new heaven and the new earth and God says this is where we're going to dwell think about how awesome that's going to be I've been to a lot of cool places I've been to Colorado I've seen the Rocky Mountains I've been to Hawaii I've been to all these different places and I'll never forget when I was in Hawaii my dad said hey damn this is a beautiful place isn't it and he's nice yeah it is and he said I want you to understand something this is after the fall and yes Hawaii is a wonderful place they don't have a lot of things that we have because of an island in the middle in the middle of the Pacific I get that but it doesn't hold the candle to the new heaven and the new earth and you think about the Grand Canyon you think about all these things and when you think about the Grand Canyon you think about the fact that it was formed by God's judgment on the earth imagine how beautiful his original creation must have been before we messed it up and God says hey I'm going to make a new heaven in the new earth and that's where you're going to dwell and it's going to be amazing don't forget God's got better things in store for you than you could ever imagine but I also want you to understand this only those who know Christ as their Savior get to enjoy the new heaven in the new earth it's not for everybody it's only for those who come to Jesus by faith and also want to leave you with this remember God doesn't want anyone to go to hell remember it's our responsibility to share the gospel so here's my question as we wrap up the message this morning how are you doing like that we're going to have a bunch of missionaries come in and it's going to be a wonderful time during missions conference and I'm excited and you should be too I'm excited to see what God has done but can I tell you something I'm most excited about this truth what God's going to do in us so well pastor why are you encouraging all of us to come to this missions conference why do you have that super awesome trophy right oh ah nobody nobody even said yeah we said anything I mean come on in this trophy awesome ooh there we got one anybody else went on that buddy nobody okay why do we have this awesome trophy why are we doing this international delight why are we having food why are we doing all these things pastor because I want you to be there because I firmly believe that as you hear God's word faithfully preached by men who love God and have served him around the world your heart will be affected when you see the videos and you see their presentations and you hear about what God is doing in all these different places and and you you are impacted by that it's going to cause you now to say God what can I do that's why we do missions conference it's not just us to keep tabs on our missionaries it's an opportunity for us to be impacted to go a little further to reach our mission field with a gospel let's all stand we're going to have a time of invitation and I want us to do business with God I think sharing the gospel is one of those things it's like reading God's word you can never do enough it's like praying you can never do enough and I firmly believe that sharing the gospel is one of those things you can never share it enough so here's my question for all of us this morning first of all do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior if you don't please get my attention I will direct you to someone who can share the gospel with you you can take you into my office I'll place that nice and secure and nice and comfy and all those things and they can share the truth with you for everyone who knows Jesus Christ as our Savior here's my question what are you doing with it the gospel was not just meant for you to say okay I get to go to heaven and that's awesome the gospel was meant to impact you to a point where you now share it with somebody else the church during this time of invitation we need to do business with God we need to talk to him and we need to say God I'm not doing I'm not doing the way that you want me to I'm not living my life the way you want me to and I need to go further with sharing the gospel and I need to reach my co-worker I need to reach my neighbor I need to reach people in my community I need to come on outreach I need to make an impact that's what I'm asking this morning will you respond as the pianist plays I want you to respond to the truth of God's work the altar is open you can do business in your seat you can do business up here if you don't know Christ as your Savior come get my attention I'll turn off my microphone no one will hear us and I'll take you to someone to share the truth with you we hope that message was an encouragement to you to stay up to date with us please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook and LBC is connected if you would like more information on how heaven can be your home please visit Lighthouse Baptist dot org slash the gospel the gospel. (gentle music)