Good Morning Family,
As I look out upon all of you here,
what an honor and privilege to before all of you today
be so overwhelmingly blessed, to be sharing God's Word.
Thank you all for coming!
Heavenly Father,
We are gathered today,
to call on Your name, God of grace.
As we run the race You have set before us,
help us to keep our eyes on Your goals for us, not our own
Renew our courage and strength, daily when we falter
let us not count ourselves better than others when we succeed
To give You the glory, in both our weaknesses and our strengths
Keep us from wanting to win the race, even at the expense of others
Remind us, that we are winners
because we are all Your children and have been saved, by Your amazing grace.
Make us content just to serve You, knowing the results are in Your hand, for Your glory
Thank You Father, for all You have done, that which is presently being worked out on our behalf, and that which will be done, in faith believing!
We praise You and ask
In Jesus' name
Amen
Okay, I've notices some chatter among you, let me clear things up...
You're not getting rid of me that easily!
(smiling)
This message, I've entitled: Leaving The Church
is about why others leave the church. I will continue to teach and share God's Word, until the time when He should call me home.
So some of you can go ahead and take a sigh or relief while others of you, well maybe, you're left with your disappointment..
So why do people leave the church?
It's a difficult question for a pastor to ask himself..
but certainly one, he or she should be asking.
A congregation, is sort of like money..
It's not how much you make, but how much you keep!
Many count their congregations, by how many new members they've gained,
yet seem to have little or no concern for how many are still there one or two years later.
We as the leaders of God's church need to be concerned with it all
He has entrusted us with a task, and He should be at the forefront of our ministry.
"Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about word to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
2 Timothy 2:14-15
You are not going to keep some people unless your messages are getting into their hearts and mind of the congregation. They have come to hear a Word from God, and we are just His messengers.
First we've got to get a message from the Lord, for ourselves and then give it to the congregation. Believe me, people know if we're just shooting from the hip!
No matter how interesting you think you are, they don't come to hear about you.
They come to hear you teach God's Word!
Often, people leave because they feel the ministry doesn't care about or value them.
Are we taking time to greet them? Smile at them and shake their hands? Make a personal phone call when they've missed several weeks? Or are you delegating that duty to someone else because you're just too busy and important? Or do you even notice their absence?
Are visiting them when they're sick? Or at least sending a care of personal note when you can'? And when you do, are you constantly checking your watch?
We are appointed with the task of tending His flock.
It is our God given responsibility to let them know that we care.
People also leave the church because someone has offended them.
Are you only preaching grace? Or do you also show it?
Are you encouraging the church to forgive quickly and forget easily?
Saying "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" can go a long way to heal many a wound, in and out of church.
Wounds that would otherwise cause people to leave the church.
As leadership of Christ's church, we need to be able to recognize and address the needs of His people.
The pulpit is a privilege and an honor. We are only here to serve God, not our own egos.
Not to receive the coveted, "Great sermon pastor!"
Though, I'll admit, it's nice to hear, but is it really "our message"?
But let's be completely honest here, it should be only our delivery of His message that they liked.
We are only the tool He uses to deliver His message.
You and I can take no credit!
To Him alone be the glory.
Beloved leaders, you and I are unworthy teacher of His Word.
Without Him, we are nothing!
As Matthew Henry said, "No spiritually good thing dwells in us, or can proceed from us. We all must humble ourselves to the mercies of God and recognize a need to be anchored in the Lord."
Are we equipping our youth with a foundation of God's Word?
Or are we just preaching to them on the righteous hatred of sin?
Are the tough messages tempered with God's love and the transforming power of His Word?
Because I do not know of one, no not one, who was a saint before he/she was saved by grace!
The only reason you and I are anything at all today is because of His love?
Am I right?
How many of you were yelled and screamed at into salvation?
Beloved, it is not our job to judge others who sin is differently than us..
to say who in our eyes is worth or unworthy to attend "our church."
We are here to love one another as He first loved us, even while we were yet sinners!
So beloved, when will all of this occur according to God's Word?
The Sixth Trumpet War must occur before the beginning of the great tribulation. The great tribulation is that three and one-half year period that will immediately precede the Battle of Armageddon.
How do we know the Euphrates River War must happen before the great tribulation begins? This prophesied war occurs in Revelation 9:13-21. Right after this in Revelation 10, the beginning of the great tribulation is recorded.
In verse 5, an angel stands with one foot on the land and one foot on the water declaring that delay shall be no longer.
Right after this,in succession, Revelation 11, describes the events of the final three and one-half years preceding the Battle of Armageddon.
In Revelation 11:2, we are told that Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles for the next 42 months, 3 years. Then in Revelation 11:3, God's two witnesses begin their ministries, which continue for the next 1260 days, 3 years, until the end of the tribulation period.
At the end of Revelation 11, the two witnesses are killed, the last trumpet sounds, and the Battle of Armageddon takes place. It is at this time that Jesus Christ returns to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. This same sequence of events is recorded in Daniel 12:5-7
"Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?”
Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished."
In Closing....
According to the biblical prophetic timeline given in scripture, four major prophetic fulfillment will occur at approximately the same time.
The international community's adoption of a peace plan for the Middle East
The building of Israel's temple on the Temple Mount
Preparations being made for the implementation of the mark of the beast
The Euphrates River War
If we can demonstrate that all four of these prophetic developments are occurring right now, then it becomes obvious that the time for the Euphrates River War has arrived! But I do not believe we have arrived just yet, but it's drawing near.
How much time, then, do we have beloved?
I surely cannot say, but I can say this, and I can back it up with scripture:
"But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Luke 12:39-40
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries