RELEASING JESUS, July 11, 2021
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a sermon group discussion. CLICK HERE to find a discussion group. Enjoy!
Sermon Title: Releasing Jesus
Main Scriptures: Revelation 1:3; Ezekiel 33:11-15
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Pastor Coon showed us a Chart of the End Times for the purpose of helping us see the urgency for being ready and sharing the Gospel with others.
Teaching Notes:
END TIMES:
RAPTURE - When Jesus comes on the clouds of glory to gather His Saints from the earth, give them a new body and take them to Heaven.
I Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
We are very close to what we believe is the “Rapture” of the church which is before the Tribulation of 7 years.
I Thessalonians 1:10 “And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven – Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terror of the coming judgment.”
I Thessalonians 5:9 “For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.”
Revelation 3:10 “Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”
We believe the rapture is before the final judgment of the tribulation because of these promises and other patterns in scripture.
TRIBULATION
Daniel 9:26-27 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. 27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
Verse 26 was fulfilled at Christ’s death and resurrection and in 70 AD the Temple was burned destroyed.
Verse 27 is yet to be fulfilled as the 70th week divided in half.
Daniel 10:14 “Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”
Revelation 13:4-6 4 “People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it? The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.”
The seven years of the Tribulation is broken into two parts of 3 ½ years with peace and prosperity the first half and great desolation and destruction during the second half as the Anti-Christ places a desecration of his statue in the temple and expect people to take the mark of the beast or suffer loss or death.
The condition of the world before the Tribulation will be such that a “Savior” is needed and the Anti-Christ presents himself as Christ with signs and miracles.
The war of Armageddon is near the End of the Tribulation when Jesus comes down to destroy the armies trying to defeat the Israelites and push them into the sea.
The devil and his demons will be defeated and thrown into the abyss for almost 1000 years.
At the Second Coming which is at the end of the War of Armageddon Jesus comes down with the Saints to establish His rule on earth called the millennium (1000 years)
Near the end of the thousand years, the Devil and his demons will be released to do a final war and they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire forever.
Then God establishes a New Heaven and a New Earth
QUESTION: Why was it so important to show you this chart?
We need to be aware of what is coming.
What is coming we cannot stop!
Things and times and nations and kings are being aligned for the end and ushering in of the Tribulation.
Even now Russia has been granted oil which they desperately need as they align with China and Iran against Israel.
All Nations will rise up against Israel.
The United States may be so weakened that we can do nothing to stop the aggression against Israel.
IT’S SHAPING UP CHURCH FOR THE RAPTURE AND TRIBULATION – WE MUST BE AWARE AND READY – NOT SCARE, BUT PREPARED!
QUESTION: After seeing this chart and Scripture what do you think is most important today as you move along from this day forward?
To be a Witness – to share the Gospel with others around us. To warn them of the coming judgment.
BE A WITNESS - WARN OTHERS
EZEKIEL 33:11-15 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ 12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.
God wants the wicked to turn from their sin, but they won’t know to do that unless we share our testimonies of how the Gospel has changed us.
If a person in right standing with Christ repeatedly denies His power in them and continues to commit unrighteous or evil sins, then their previous righteous living will count for nothing. We must continue to progress in our walk with Christ, ask forgiveness or repent and turn from the sin and to God for the power to walk in righteousness. We need to check our own lives and submit to God’s ways.
If the wicked turn from their sin and follow God and make right for what they did wrong and follow God and walk in righteousness, then none of their wickedness will be remembered against them.
We need to warn the wicked and share the good news of the Gospel so they too can be saved from the wrath to come and live a transformed life.
There’s another power at work in our world but we have on the Armor of God which is us clothed in His Righteousness and power. We can stand against the schemes of the enemy.
Revelation 1:3 “God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.”
Many don’t read Revelation because they fear what it says. Others think they won’t understand.
But God promises a blessing to anyone who reads and obeys the Word of God.
QUESTION: Do you think Satan wants you and I to warn people of the future?
Here’s What Satan Wants: He wants us tired, bored, sickly, busy, scared, overwhelmed, distracted, discouraged, defeated, hurting, worried, anxious, nervous, in denial and self-absorbed, etc, etc.
That way we will not feel like warning others or think we’re capable.
QUESTION: What is keeping us from warning others and sharing the Gospel?
“I’m afraid… (what? – rejection? Anger?)
“Don’t know what to say?”
“Won’t be able to answer their questions?
“Not my responsibility”
Your answer
QUESTION: What proof do we have that people are not warning others?
How many people have approached you in the past week, month, months, year to offer Christ to you for salvation?
In 42 years of living here, no one has done that with me.
IN PREPARATION FOR NEXT WEEK, LET’S SHIFT
What do the following verses have in common?
Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while e may be found…
Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord… be of good courage, wait I say on the Lord.”
Daniel 6:10 Example of Daniel who had a habit of praying 3 times a day, was thrown in Lion’s Den as punishment for not bowing down to a god, yet God preserved his life. He endured persecution because He had been with God regularly.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me … I will give you rest.”
Luke 10:38-42 “But only, one thing is needed, Mary has chosen what is better.” Sitting at Jesus’ feet.
John 15:1-7 “Abide in me and I will abide in you…”
James 4:3 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Folks, it’s time to be serious about being in relationship with God so we are prepared for what’s coming.
Anchor yourself in God instead of fearing the future.
Draw strength from His Presence and Word to face the challenges, trials, and persecution.
Keep the Armor of God on and stand in prayer.
Takeaways:
We need to pay attention to the times from a Biblical perspective
Get alone with Christ and fill your soul with His Presence and His Word so you are ready to stand in these last days.
Make sure You are ready to meet Christ!
Be available to seize the opportunities to share the Gospel so others are ready to meet Christ.
Discussion:
What was one big takeaway for you from today’s message?
What is something new you learned, from the message?
What scripture verse stuck out to you and why?
How might you be falling into the trap of the enemy when it comes to warning people of their need for Christ? (tied, bored, sickly, busy, scared, discouraged, defeated, worried, anxious, nervous, hurting, in denial or self-absorbed, etc?)
What excuses might you be making for not sharing the Gospel and how can you overcome them?
What did you sense the Holy Spirit was saying to you during this message?
How can you make sure you are ready to meet Christ?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed we encourage you to say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I see my sin and how wrong it is. I see how without Jesus I’m lost. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me from my sin, my past, this world, and your judgment. I repent, I turn away from that life and I put my faith and life in Jesus! Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!