The Frontier of Spiritual Warfare
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction: This is the last lesson in this series on Spiritual Warfare. As we think about closing out this series, we come to the last topic that is of great importance.
The question that comes to mind is this,
Where are we headed?
We can answer that question by looking at The Frontier of Spiritual Warfare.
This subject is of great significance for us individually, as a local church body, and even as the body of Christ.
As we will see this was the subject to which the disciples were so often concerned with.
This would be classified as eschatology. (The study of last things)
It is this major facet of doctrine that compels us even as the love of Christ constrains us.
The Bible declares to us that there is the Frontier of Spiritual Warfare.
We are headed somewhere.
Let me remind you this morning of a few verses just to get our minds and hearts thinking in the right direction.
The Bible tells us of this frontier in Hebrews chapter 11.
Listen carefully to this passage beginning in verse 8
“8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
In verse 13 the Bible continues,
“13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
I would like to this morning just remind you of three great truths concerning the frontier of spiritual warfare.
The first is the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Turn with me to Matthew chapter 25.
I. The Coming Lord Matthew 25:14-30
I. The Coming Lord Matthew 25:14-30
This revelation of truth began with a remark from the disciples in Matthew chapter 24.
Jesus and the disciples were leaving the Temple after the Lord had just denounced the Scribes, Pharisees and Hypocrites in chapter 23.
Seven times in chapter 23 the Lord used this phrase “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” (23:13, 14,15,23,25,27,29)
Then in verse 37 of chapter 23 the Lord looks at the seat of the nation of Israel and declares the desolation of His people and Jerusalem.
When we come to chapter 24, it is astounding because it is almost as if the disciples did not understand all that was said in chapter 23.
In verse 1 of chapter 24 they begin to speak about the wonders of the Temple building. How magnificent it was.
And to their shock, the Lord replies, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
This was inconceivable to the disciples at this moment. This was a shocking revelation of truth. A prophecy that would find its fulfillment when Rome destroyed the that Temple in 70 AD putting down the rebellion of the Jews which began in 66 AD
In other words, the Lord was revealing to them that contrary to your understanding of the world around you at this moment. Contrary to how you feel concerning this Temple, there is coming a day, when one stone shall not be left upon another.
And the disciples at the shock of this ask the Lord three questions of which the Lord answers.
They ask, “When shall these things be?”
Then they asked “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
To which we find the text in Matthew 24 and 25.
Notice with me as we jump into this long section beginning in verse 14 of chapter 25.
“14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”
“19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.”
I want you to hang onto that phrase, the Lord of those servants cometh...
“Which coming of his is after a long time; for seventeen hundred years are now past, and he is not yet come; which is a long time in man's account, though not in God's account, with whom a thousand years are as one day; and in the apprehension of the saints, who love long for, and hasten to, the coming of Christ, are desirous of it, and impatient for it. But though it may seem long, he will certainly come: he stays long, to give time to his laborious ministers to exercise all those gifts he has bestowed upon them, and to leave slothful ones without excuse.” - John Gill
You and I as we think about the frontier of Spiritual Warfare need to be reminded that the King is coming!
We looked at the forging of spiritual warfare and understand that the Lord is doing a work in our lives in this present state, but here we are to understand that the Lord is coming.
I am not speaking of anything new this morning, but am simply reminding us of the frontier of spiritual warfare. What is it that is out ahead on us on the frontier? The coming of the Lord!
The Bible says in I Thessalonians 4:16 -18 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive andremain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
So often it is that we might say it this way, would if the Lord was coming tomorrow, how differently would you live?
And to that we think, boy if i knew He was coming tomorrow, I would live a life wholly pleasing to God. I would act differently. I would tell others about Jesus Christ. I would get serious about my service to the King. I would take these talents of mine and invest them in eternal things.
But is this thinking correct?
Are we admitting by saying that that we do not believe He is coming?
The Bible teaches us not that the King is coming tomorrow. The Bible teaches us that the King is coming!
In other words, it is not just that He could come tomorrow or the next hour or even a week from now.
It is the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming!
He is coming to receive us unto Himself.
And because of this, it does not matter if it is today or tomorrow or the next day because I realize by the grace of God that He is coming and so I live all of my life understanding that truth.
Secondly,
II. The Coming Judgment II Corinthians 5:1-11
II. The Coming Judgment II Corinthians 5:1-11
I want you to understand that all of this is on the horizon.
All of this is what is ahead, it is the frontier of Spiritual Warfare.
Romans 14:11 -12“11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Every one of us… I think so often about my service to the King.
And I think to myself there off in the horizon is a point in time, when I will see my Lord Jesus Christ face to face.
I can’t grasp it, but I know it is coming.
In this meeting, there will be a coming time of judgment.
I can rejoice that it is not to determine whether Heaven will be my home or not.
I can rejoice because all of sin has been dealt with because of the shed blood of my Savior Jesus Christ.
But what about my service to the Lord? What about my dealings with others?
How will these things pass through His trying furnace?
Notice with me this passage in II Corinthians chapter 5.
“1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”
“10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
The Bible tells us of this revealing fire of judgment in I Corinthians 3:13
“13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
My works will be tried. My actions as His child will be tried by fire.
All that’s taken place from the time of my Salvation till the time He takes me home will be proved by fire.
What will come out on the other side?
Will I receive reward?
Will I suffer loss?
These things move me. They should move all of us.
Just as we look at the frontier and see the Coming of Christ, we consequently see the Coming of the Judgement Seat of Christ.
I would like to close with this third truth, that with God’s help will stir up in us all the God has given us to do.
The Coming Eternity Revelation 22
The Coming Eternity Revelation 22
Turn with me to Revelation 22.
I do not know how to express how I feel in this day that we are living.
But I do know this, on the horizon, for each one of us is eternity.
I already possess eternal life because I’ve received Jesus Christ as my Savior.
But there in front of me, the frontier ahead is eternity.
All of this that we know and experience in this world today, will be different.
What is described here in Revelation 22 will be experienced.
This is the frontier of Spiritual Warfare. This is what is ahead for all of us.
I think about all that we have studied over the past many weeks.
A great deal of time and attention has been put into understanding our present estate and how fight the good warfare.
There is much that will be coming our way in the coming weeks, months and years no doubt, but the on the frontier, out past all of this is:
The Coming Christ
The Coming Judgement
The Coming Eternity
Let’s pray.