What Should I Do With My Life?

Acts 22:10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus ; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

The title of Po Bronson’s book, “What Should I Do With My Life?” stood out to me. I bought it. I don’t recommend it to anyone, because it is a secular answer to spiritual questions. It advocates a person to look within themselves rather than listening to God. But the question is legitimate. Bronson calls it “the ultimate question.”

Saul of Tarsus faced the biggest decision of his life. This question does not refer to what tie he should wear, or whether he should invest in the stock market, or what to eat for supper. It was not what he should preach at BOTT, or whether or not he should let his name run for District Superintendent.

This was about the direction of his entire life. Everything in earth and heaven for Saul depended on the answer to this question.

There are stages in our lives when we must make life-changing decisions, decisions that will determine what we will be. All the important elements come together at the critical time and place.

Some don’t think they can do anything with their lives.
Some think their choices have already been made for them.
Some fear failure, others fear success.
Some waste their true potential because of discouragement or despair.

You Determine Who You Are and What You Will Be

That sounds like it is straight out of a Zig Ziglar or a John Maxwell book.
But I’m not talking about PMA or psych-hype.
I am talking about the solemn responsibility of choice.
I am talking about the sum total of your life.

You have the power and prerogative to answer the eternal question about the way you live your life. That’s what free will is all about. It doesn’t matter who your parents are, or what your skin color is, or how much money you have, or what your level education may be. What does matter is that you are a creation of God, and that God has a purpose for your life.

You have to do something with the life and ministry that God has given to you…and you will either enjoy the rewards or suffer the consequences for the choice you make…and you will be held accountable to God for your decision.

But, before you answer this question, you might need to fast-forward to a future question: What did I do with my life?

I wonder if he had a keepsake drawer somewhere in his fine Thessalonican house? Maybe, while rummaging in it for something, he came across a scrap of parchment…a used quill…an old garment or sash. I believe he did. I believe, in the privacy of his own bedroom and thoughts, he broke down. I believe he pounded his fist into his pillow, and raged against his foolish choice. Whatever he finally decided to be, it never measured up to what he could have been.

2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;

Judas had every advantage of every other disciple, maybe more. He had a business mind, favorable circumstances, the right set of friends, a golden opportunity to change the world. What happened?

Was it ambition? Greed? Disillusionment? Impatience? Did he just misread the whole situation? Who knows?

The point is that Judas had critical moments when he made wrong choices. He botched the “What am I going to do with my life?” question over and over.

Acts 1:16-19 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem ; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama , that is to say, The field of blood.

When you don’t buy into God’s will for your life, you buy a field of blood!

I believe guilt of betrayal overwhelmed Judas.
I believe the guilt of innocent blood drove him to the rope and the tree.
But, I wonder if there was also this agonizing, punishing thought…”What did I do with my life?”

We have our modern Demos’s and Judas’s.

I hesitate to tell you about their painful stories, but these are sobering issues.

• Some examine their stock portfolios, but look longingly at church buildings as they drive by them.
• Some sit in their corporate board meetings, or survey their travel itineraries, and stifle inward groans that they walked away from the best for less…they discarded the eternal for the temporal…they put their gold before their God.
• Some look at their once-beautiful second wife…that flirt for whom they forsook their marriage and ministry…and see the embodied reason why they lost everything.
• Some turn over the keys to their office, and front door to the church, and collapse in sobs. They were forced to resign in disgrace, because of what they did with their life.
• Some wail night after night, asking God for only one small thing…”Just let me preach one more time!”
• Some continuously rummage around in the keepsake drawers, looking at their license or ordination papers, wishing they had the moments back when they threw it all away.
• Some join up with ragtag groups, trying to content themselves with lesser choices.

The answer to “What did I do?” begins with “What will I do?”

What happens to many people when faced with a life-changing decision?

• Put it off.
• Wait for more details.
• Jump too soon.
• Talk themselves out of it.
• Busy themselves with lesser choices.

I submit to you today, that the greatest decision you will ever make will not be your college, your plan to move, your kind of automobile, your HMO or what set of clubs you will buy.

Your greatest decision is the one that will define you in the eyes of eternity.
Saul of Tarsus now asked the question, “What shall I do?” What brought him to this point?

Saul of Tarsus now had an experience with God.

Acts 9:1-6 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem . 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus : and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Do you think God made a mistake when he called you?
Have you been arguing with God about your ministry?

God gives supernatural experiences with a mandate attached!

Saul of Tarsus now had a clear choice before him.

Acts 9:10 -16 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus , named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem : 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel : 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

You don’t have to figure God out.
God won’t allow you to say, “Well, I really didn’t know…I wasn’t sure.”

Saul of Tarsus now had a mission driving him.

Galatians 1:13-16 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God , and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Once you have a mission, you don’t need an incentive!
Once the reason grips you, the rewards don’t matter!
Saul of Tarsus now had a sense of who he was.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

You will never be more fulfilled than when you give up and let God take over.
Right choices define who you really are.

The choice that Saul of Tarsus made transformed him into Paul, the Apostle. Your choice will transform you. What you become is in your hands.

• Maybe you have accepted the fact of your calling. It’s not over…in fact it’s only just begun.
• Now you have to answer the question of degree of commitment.
• How much…how far…how long…how high…how big…how many…??????
• Is it enough for you to wear the badge? To join the fellowship? To assume the honors?
• Will mediocrity be the measure of your ministry?
• As a preacher, what will you do with your life?
• As a pastor, what will you do with your life?
• As an evangelist, what will you do with your life?

(Read the list of war casualties.)

The Acts of God

Exodus 33:17-19 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

We are always searching for the secrets. We want to know what the underlying truth is to the great, supernatural happenings in the world. We want to understand what triggers the power of God to spring into action.

1. We acknowledge and celebrate certain acts of God.

By “acts of God” we mean that man had no role in an occurrence.  (e.g.Floods, Tornadoes, Earthquakes)

We also attribute miracles and revival, etc. to acts of God.

• Lazarus; centurion’s son
• Outpouring of the Holy Ghost

We see God operating out of his sovereignty, independent of man.

We see God aloof, remote, unresponsive, detached.

2. Yet, beginning with man’s creation, God has not acted unilaterally.

Acts of man have precipitated acts of God.

• -Fall of man: covering and exile
• -Murder of Abel: mark and exile of Cain
• -Noah’s: Found Grace and was saved
• -Man’s continual evil: Flood

God judges the evil works of man.

Judgment is more than a pronouncement; it is also a process whereby God discerns one thing good and another thing evil.. Exod 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

God blesses the righteous works of man.

2 Chr 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Question: How and why does God have such a unique relationship with man?

Psalm 8:1-9 1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

3. The greatest illustration of God’s omnipotence lies in His restraint.

• -His willingness to form man out of dust rather than speaking the Word.
• -He binds himself to the history of mankind. (Interested in earth, not Mars)
• -His inclusion of grace as an antidote to His judgment.
• -His condescension from Glory to earth; from God to man.
• -His refusal to know certain things such as the time of his coming.
• -His selective healing. (Pool of Siloam; Nazereth)

4. The great question, then, is why?

For what purpose does God refuse to act unilaterally? Why does he restrain his divinity?

Because He wants to include man in His plans!

• God is not satisfied with king>subject; boss>worker relationship.
• He wants us as friend, confidante; espoused wife; companion; sharer.
• Therefore, God wants to enfold his own acts into the acts of man.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

5. God binds himself to any man who will enter into this special relationship with Him.

• -Adam: Power to name
• -Abraham: Power to pray
• -Moses: Power to triumph
• -Elijah: Power to perform the supernatural

6. Does God really enfold His mighty acts within the acts of man?

Peter in prison: Prayer meeting at the house of the mother of John Mark.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

7. God acts depend on man’s prayer.

• We must not think that man’s prayers are unheeded by God.
• Just because we see God’s works without seeing man’s prayer, or we see man’s prayer without seeing God’s works does not mean that there is no connection between the two.

2 Chr 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

8. The Acts of God are enfolded within the Acts of Man!

Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

A Place of Broad Rivers

Isaiah 33:20-21 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. 21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

Introduction:

Things are not always what they seem to be.

• Ancient Babylon seemed to be in impregnable city.
• The Roman Empire seemed to be incapable of defeat.
• The Titanic seemed to be an unsinkable ship.
• It has seemed to generations past that electricity could not be harnessed; that the speed of horseback could not be surpassed; that air could not support a flying machine.

But in the economy of God, seemingly impossible situations provide the arena for God to put his supernatural power on display. He delights to take the very things man calls impossible and turn them into monuments to his excellency.

Notice where God placed the spiritual capitol of Israel. Most cities were founded because of their advantageous location. But Zion was chosen, not because of what advantage it gave to God, but because of what happened there.

ZION

The first mention of Zion in the Bible is in <2 Samuel 5:7>: “David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).” Zion, therefore, was the name of the ancient JEBUSITE fortress situated on the southeast hill of Jerusalem at the junction of the Kidron Valley and the Tyropoeon Valley. The name came to stand not only for the fortress but also for the hill on which the fortress stood. After David captured “the stronghold of Zion” by defeating the Jebusites, he called Zion “the City of David” <1 Kin. 8:1; 1 Chr. 11:5; 2 Chr. 5:2>.(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

There was nothing any more remarkable about this than Sylvania at Holland-Sylvania. God takes the ordinary, the less-than-promising, the common and transforms it into something of His making.

All God’s critters got a place in the choir
Some sing low, some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire
And some just clap their hands, or paws
Or anything they got.

Listen to the bass, it’s the one on the bottom
Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus
Moans and groans with a big to-do
The old cow just goes MOOOOO

The dog and the cat pick up the middle
While the honey bee hums and the cricket fiddles
The donkey brays and the pony neighs
And the old coyote howls

Listen to the top where the little birds sing
On the melody with the high note ringing
The hoot owl hollars over everything
And the jaybird disagrees

Singin’ in the night-time, singin’ in the day
Little duck quacks, and he’s on his way
The possum ain’t got much to say
And the porcupine talks to himself

It’s a simple song of livin’ sung everywhere
By the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear
Grumpy alligator and the hawks above
Sly raccoon and the turtle dove.

by Bill Stains 

Isaiah 53: 1-3 1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Look at the unique ability of our God to overcome any natural deficiencies that seem to afflict the church.

Most great cities were founded upon a broad river.

• Babylon on the Euphrates
• Nineveh on the Tigris
• Thebes on the Nile
• Roman on the Tiber
• Paris on the Sienne
• London on the Thames

Yet Jerusalem had no great river.

• Without a natural river, it had no natural supply route for commerce.
• Without a natural river, it had no means of nourishment for the land.
• Without a natural river, it had no natural means of defense.

Even so, here is what the Psalmist said,

Psalm 48:1-2 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 

Jerusalem is a type of the church. The church has been criticized some because it lacks all the things that other great religions of the world have.

• Who is our founder?
• What is our history?
• What great contribution have we made to the world?
• Are we listed in the who’s who?
• How many adherents do we have?
• What great colleges or universities do we run?
• Those who are part of the church sometimes get nervous and paranoid that they lack all the advantages that people in the world have.

A. A nation cannot sow to the wind without reaping the whirlwind. We’ve given a carte blanche to high-minded educators in our institutions. Now, we discover that they have effectively dismantled the sacred precepts and the moral machinery that made this country great. The list of things America believes in at the threshold of the millennium look more like quicksand than solid rock:

• Abortion rights: The real result is total disrespect for human life.
• No prayer in school: No prayer, except when being shot at.
• Sex education : Sexual expertise, but moral ignorance.
• Rights of alternative lifestyles: Deviancy is now celebrated.
• Multiculturalism : Everybody is right, thus, nobody is right.
• Historical revisionism : Everything done in the past was wrong.
• Moral relativism : No one has the right to judge anybody else.
• Progressive education : Let us play with the minds of children.
• Permissive parenting : Never say no. If you say it, don’t enforce it.
• Freedom of expression : I can say or print anything I wish.
• Political correctness : You cannot say or print anything you wish.

Lot chose the well-watered plains of Jordan, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, because they appeared to possess the best attributes that the world could give. He ended up losing everything he had.

If you learn the ways of this world, you will share the fate of this world.

The secret: Jerusalem had no natural advantages because Israel was to focus on the supernatural advantage they possessed—-The Lord God Jehovah! The less you rely on the natural resources, the more you will rely on the supernatural resouces.

Verse 21 “The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers…!

Cultivate your relationship with God instead of continually looking for everything you need elsewhere.

• He will supply your need for commerce or livelihood.
• Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

He will supply your need for nourishment.

• Elijah in 1 Kings 17.

He will supply your need for protection.

• a. Galley with oars and gallant ships were invading ships
• b If you choose the world’s rivers, you will also choose the means by which you will be overthrown. Satan will sail in on the very river you thought was so important for life.

4. The important principle for us to learn is to trust in Him alone—-not in geography, pedigree, education, money, connections, nothing but Jesus!

He will be your broad river!

The Success Of A Failure

Luke 15:15-18 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

Introduction: The story of the Prodigal Son has been told and retold so many times that it would seem there is nothing left to say. It is the sad story of a young man gone wrong.

My question is this: When did his failed life turn around?

• At his assertiveness? “Give me my portion.”
• At his awakening? “When he came to himself.”
• At his his decision? “I will arise and go.”
• At his action? “And he arose.”

No, none of these. The success of the prodigal happened when he uttered the three words most difficult for anyone to speak: “I have sinned.”

• Three sweetest words, “I love you.”
• Three hard words, “I was wrong.”
• Three hardest words, “I have sinned.”

1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I. We have sins to confess.

• Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
• Eccl 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
• Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
• Jer 17:8-9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
• (The testimony of our conscience. The story is told of a teen girl who had a baby, but suffered so much mental anguish that she killed it. Afterwards, she rejected any help because she said she could still hear the baby screaming.)

II. Bible sinners.

• Pharoah: Hardened in his sins. (His confessions were not sincere.)
• Balaam: Wavering in his sins. (He was convicted in emotional moment, but went back.)
• Achan: Late in his sinning. Years of service wiped out. Hurt his entire family.
• Prodigal: Early in his sinning. Some claim the right to sow their wild oats. (Too many are hopeless addicts or alcoholics today because of this.)

III. Why is it so hard to say, “I have sinned?”

• Ignorance of sin. When you hear truth, you must respond.
• Pride of life. Refusal to place yourself in a bad light, embarrassment.
• Stubbornness. No reason other than you don’t want to.
• Fear of discovery.
• There must be another way.

IV. These three words “I have sinned,” call heaven to attention.

Not,

• “Look how good I’ve been.”
• “Look how much money I’ve given.”
• “Look at the great sacrifice I have made for you.”
• “Look at my great successes in life.”
• “Look at the wonderful works I’ve done.”

But, “I have sinned.”

Luke 15:20-24 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Ps 51:1-4 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

A Message to Philadelphia

^“7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; ⁸ I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. ^[1] ”

The book of Revelation is a book of the future. Seals and vials and every conceivable human calamity rock the pages of this book. It is in the book of Revelation that we see the rise of the Antichrist, the false prophet and the beast. It is in the book of Revelation that we learn of the mark of the beast, 666, of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse who come riding with death, famine, disease and destruction. In fact, it is what we read in the book of Revelation that scared many of you to start taking the Bible seriously. Who can read the following description from Revelation 6 and not be a little nervous?

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³ And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs^c, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. ¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

^[2]

If the reports of the cataclysmic events strike fear into our hearts, then we ought to pay closer attention to the way the book begins.

^“12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; ¹³ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. ¹⁴ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; ¹⁵ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. ¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: ¹⁸ ^† I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. ¹⁹ Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; ^[3] ”

Philadelphia was the sixth of the seven churches of Asia Minor singled out in this prophecy. It was the only church that had no condemning message or no call to repentance.

First, the writer says, “I know thy works.”

Nothing you do in life escapes the knowledge of God. If anyone has a self-esteem problem, they need to know that God thinks you’re important enough to examine everything you do.

One of the most ridiculous theories of the origins of the world holds that God might have created the universe and the world to begin with, but then went off and forgot about it or left it…kind of like a divine case of Alzheimers disease. I think if God was smart enough and big enough to get it going in the first place, he is probably smart enough to keep it going! He knows you…your downsittings and your uprisings (as the Psalmist David put it). You are important to God!

Second, he says “I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it.”

The God who concerns himself with you, who knows all about you, is going to take care of you. He cares about what is going to happen to you.

This church had a vision of the future. This church wanted revival. This church wanted to see souls saved. This church wanted to make a difference in the world. This church had the heartbeat of God in all their endeavors.

Therefore, it is as if God is saying to them, I know what you are praying about and I am going to see to it that your prayers are answered.

Listen, if you are praying about the right things, you can have confidence that God is going to answer your prayers. Pray with faith. Pray with assurance. The door looks closed…maybe even locked, but keep praying.

Maybe there isn’t even a door to your vision. There may not even be a window. You can’t get there from here. This is how big God is: He will set up a door between you and your future. Every carpenter knows that you can’t set up a door until you’ve made an opening for it. Believe that God has created an opening and has already set up a door so that when you get there, it will open up for you.

Not only that, but doors are meant to be shut, and even locked. The door that God has set up for you isn’t shut. The bible says that it is open. If it is open, it must be unlocked.

Not only that, but God has done something else. He has built a door that is stuck in the open position and no man can shut it. I think that means that people are trying to close your door. They don’t want you to enter into your vision. But, they can push all they want. God says it’s open and it’s going to stay open.

There are three reasons why God told Philadelphia that he knew their works and he had set before them an open door.

“For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”

You have a little strength.

You may not look very strong.

You may have fought some battles and have been wounded and fatigued.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that you are as powerful as the day you were founded.

But I will say this. I know your works. I know that you have a vision to get to places you haven’t been.

It seems as though you have been walking in quicksand, or that a huge resisting wind has kept you from doing what was in your heart to do.

But no one had better make the mistake in saying that it’s over for you.

I see something stirring in you. I see a vision that will not die. I see some former glory in you that is rising to the top.

You have a little strength. You have some power left in you. There is some dynamite in your heart.

You have enough power to preach.

You have enough power to live righteously.

You have enough power to pray.

You have enough power to win the lost.

You have enough power to hold high the banner.

I have been preaching and teaching about soulwinning. Soulwinners are not passive. Soulwinners are not carefree. Soulwinners are not weak. Soulwinners attack the harvest with aggression and conviction.

³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. ³⁵ Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. ^[4]

The harvest doesn’t come easily. Farmers will tell you that not all workers are the same. Some laborers glean far more than others, even though they work side by side with others through the same fields. Why? They harvest more because they attack the harvest with greater determination, vision and work than fellow workers! Some work for a living; others live to work. Some put in their time with their eye on the paycheck; others work to please their boss knowing that the paycheck will take care of itself. But our passion to reach souls must surge past selfish motives, outlast the fatigue factors and pit our will against the stubborn barriers to the harvest. Here’s what we must do:

Push back the branches that are in the way. As fruit often hides behind leaves, so souls hide behind facades of disinterest, rejection, or false argumentation. Push back the leaves and you may find a glorious harvest.

Climb a tree and get out on a limb. Sometimes the harvest requires risk. How far are you willing to go to reach someone? How much are you willing to invest to reclaim a soul for Christ?

Expect thorns and briers. Many gatherers of blackberries have pulled thorns from their flesh. They knew it would happen because blackberry bushes grow thorns. The love of the fruit made them do it. Likewise, soulwinners often feel the painful prickings of anger, resentment and pent-up bitterness. The love of souls drives them onward.

Ignore the pain . No one manhandles a sickle or scythe for very long without blisters and sore muscles. Wimps quit at the first little red mark, but the veteran laborer works through the pain. He knows that after a while it will let up. Calluses will form and muscles will become stronger. He just keeps on going.

Keep your implements in good condition. Sharpen your blades, oil your machinery, repair your broken parts and your chances of reaping a good harvest will increase. Spiritually, stay prayed up, read up, paid up and you will increase your effectiveness as a witness.

The ripened harvest is there. God put it there. Go after those souls with a greater determination and perseverance than you’ve had in the past. The field will yield her fruit to the good laborer.

You have kept my Word.

I like that. If Philadelphia was commended for keeping the word, what must have been going on in the other churches?

Keepers of the Word must have been dropping like flies.

But, Philadelphia kept the word when it wasn’t popular.

When it wasn’t easy.

When it caused you pain and embarrassment.

When they were ridiculed for doing so.

When they were called old fashioned, unreasonable, warped, brainwashed.

I like the story of Elijah and Elisha.

Elijah was getting old and needed a successor. God led him to Elisha and he cast his mantle across Elisha’s shoulders.

^“20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? ²¹ And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”

^[5]

Evidently, Elisha vowed that he would never let Elijah get out of his sight. Even when Elijah told him to stay behind, Elisha would not hear of it.

^“1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. ² And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. ³ And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it ; hold ye your peace. ⁴ And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. ⁵ And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it ; hold ye your peace. ⁶ And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. ^[6] ”

You’ve heard the expression, “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

We need to hold up the Bible and say, “This is my story and I’m sticking to it!”

Do not depart from the Word of God for any reason.

We have no other anchor. We have no other rock to which we can cling.

Do not depart from the mighty God in Christ, full salvation, holiness, prayer, the rapture of the church, gifts of the Spirit, miracles, healings, church attendance, tithes and offerings, soulwinning.

You need the Word of God in your life!

God’s Word is unique.

First, it lives. “For the word of God is living…” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV). The life of God’s Word brings a singular dynamic to the world unmatched by any other literature. No Plato classic, no Clancy or Grisham thriller, no Catton history or even any Shakespearean drama, despite their considerable wit and brilliance, dispenses life to its readers. The Word does exactly that. It breathes, moves and inspires. It interacts with our thinking, both consciously and sub-consciously, and creates a new person within us. Its energy puts it on par with the very presence of Jesus, as we see in 1 John 1:1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.”

Next, the Word is powerful, or active. (Hebrews 4:12 NIV). Many speak, but none speaks words with innate creative power. When God speaks, his Word becomes a viable force, fully capable of performing its purpose. He does more than suggest, hint or muse. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11). The next time you read the Word of God or hear it preached or taught, be careful. The Word makes things happen.

The Word discriminates. Hebrews says it is “sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God operates with a razor’s edge on the reader’s soul, cutting away fat and fraud and exposing the hidden things of the heart. This makes lots of people nervous, even angry. But remember, while one edge cuts clean going away, the other cuts just as clean coming back, judging both the audience and the speaker alike. Long before psychology, psychiatry or any of the mind arts ever existed, the incisive Word penetrated the heart of man.

Most importantly, the Word of God is truth. “Thy Word is truth.” (John 17:17). Vast, organized bodies of opinion float around out in academia, each one claiming or implying that it represents truth. It would totally exhaust our time, money and labor to fully investigate the plank and platform of their every claim. Forget it. Only one concept is worthy of our invested efforts: “Thy Word is truth.” All else is futile.

A sister of Jack Leaman came back to God after Fifty Years! She had a church to come back to!

You have not denied my Name!

There are some people who say we make too much of the name of Jesus.

The truth is that we don’t make enough of his name.

This summer, a Hindu priest from Reno, Nevada gave the opening prayer before the U. S. House of Representatives. Some people stood up and protested the prayer out loud so that everyone could hear. We have now reached a place in this nation where a belief in God, some kind of God, or Gods, is acceptable.

Last year, a chaplain had to fight for the privilege of praying in the name of Jesus.

There is power in the name of Jesus.

Acts 2:38	Sin Remitting Power. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.	G3686 , G2424
Acts 3:6	Healing Power. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.	G3686 , G2424
Acts 4:10	Resurrection Power. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.	G3686 , G2424
Acts 4:18	Social Power. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus .	G3686 , G2424
Acts 5:40	Martyrdom Power. And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus , and let them go.	G3686 , G2424
Acts 8:12	Decision-making Power. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God , and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.	G3686 , G2424
Acts 9:27	Preaching Power. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus .	G3686 , G2424
Acts 16:18	Delivering Power. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.	G3686 , G2424
Phil 2:10	All Power. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;	G3686 , G2424

This is the message to the church at Philadelphia.

Keep your power.

Keep God’s Word.

Keep the Name.

The things you keep will be an arsenal to you.

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^[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Re 3:7). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^c untimely figs: or, green figs

^[2] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Re 6:12). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^† A Greek word occurs that is not directly translated in the King James Version.
Greek Strongs: 2532

^[3] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Re 1:12). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[4] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Jn 4:34). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[5] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (1 Ki 19:20). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[6] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (2 Ki 2:1). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.