The Last Day Image of Christ

Carter common from the historic Times Square Church in New York City wants to make a difference now. The society is to get down there will not be another political leader. There will not be another superstar these days are now live the life of the world were glad you joined us for a call to the nation with Carter, the world is living in darkness. Satan has blinded mankind with lies and deception, but in Matthew chapter 5 verse 14 Jesus tells his followers. You are the light of the world is by the love of God lives in us that the world recognize us as the people of God for the life that is within us cannot be hidden.

Let's join Carter now with a message titled the last image of Christ. I'd like you to turn your Bibles please to Matthew chapter 5 begin their verse 14 to 16. It starts with these words.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

If if our hearts are set on honoring the Christ.

He went to the cross for our sin than the testimony of his life inside of us cannot be hidden from this generation. If our hearts are set upon the victory that was one for us the gifting to God said he gave to us when he rose from the dead into captivity captive. If we are fully set on that hill to say Lord I want my life to glorify you in this generation in the promise in the sense of the end result of that kind of a heart is that the light within us cannot be hidden from this generation notably light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. The light of Christ in us is to be visible is to be displayed.

It's to be public. It's to be in a place not a hidden place, but it's to be in a place where were all can see it now. We recognize that some are not going to appreciate in this generation the light of Christ in us as much as they didn't appreciate him. They're not going to appreciate you or me as we stand and fight for their eternal soul even though they fight against their own salvation in verse 16 he says let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Let this presence of God within your life. So shine in this generation. The people live in darkness. It won't be so much that they hear what we have to say I think were in a generation where people are not going to listen necessarily to the words of God any longer, but the going to see this inner presence of Christ in each of our lives doing through us what only God can do, and it will bring glory to God.

I mean even the most jaded center will look and say and look at the true church of Jesus Christ is the only God, it has to be something other than than what this world produces that is doing what I see in the life of this particular person now throughout history. It's been proven that people can become so hardened in the direction in their thinking that even words from God cannot turn them it's it's a sad reality. But I do believe that in our society and in the Western world today, particularly in this country we have come to the place where people are no longer able to receive truth. Truth doesn't matter anymore. Truth is, is something subjective. Truth is, there is a new concept in America today is called my truth if if I think this is the way it should be. It doesn't matter what truth is. I have my truth and therefore my truth becomes truth that is that is that is exactly what happened in the Garden of Eden. That's what the devil Soden and fallen humanity said you can be a determiner of what truth is of what is good and what is evil. And that's exactly where we live today.

That's the moment that our society is now living in in the days of the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapter 2 we we see a pattern in the kingdom of God. When a crisis moment like ours arrives as they have throughout history, the response of God quite often is to draw somebody into his presence, that becomes a not only a voice but an expression to their generation of who he is and maybe you're feeling that maybe you are one of those persons of God is drawing into his presence not, let me tell you if that is happening you are starting to feel undone. You become aware of your frailty you become aware of your failings. This is always the pattern throughout Scripture. It's the is Isaiah 6 moment when God calls Isaiah into his presence in a crisis time of judgment in the nation.

Jeremiah moment Daniels moment. John on the Isle of Patmos Paul on the Damascus road when you're if you truly are being lifted into the presence of God, you become completely aware of your otherness you become aware of the lies that come from your lips and the thoughts that flow through your mind to become aware of the boasting in your life, you become aware of issues of character in the sense that maybe you weren't aware of before, but suddenly because you're being drawn into the presence of God tell and make that point today for those that are sitting here and you're feeling undone is saying that what could I possibly do to make a difference in this generation will then if that's the way you feel you're feeling exactly the way Isaiah that in his day when he is drawn into the presence of God. He saw the holiness of God and in seeing the holiness of God became aware of his otherness from God. Then, in his words were always me. I'm undone. I well I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell amongst the people of unclean lips. Now he's speaking off the most religious culture on the face of the earth at that time the nation of Israel, he recognized that if God dealt with us in the manner that we deserve none of us can stand and I do believe that God is going to use any of us in a significant way in the future, we have to go. Actually, through that pathway to come into proximity with God means that we become aware so don't let the devil condemn you already knew what you and I were when he saved us and is already covered us is already declared us to be righteous but if he's going to use us, lest we should be lifted up in pride he will draw us into his presence and show us what we really are without him, so that when he does what only God can do.

He gets all the glory. We get none of it. We take on the we don't reach out and try to touch it.

We don't say look with Jesus and I have done. Our testimonies really just he is the light of the world.

He has chosen to shine his life through me at this time and I am a recipient of great grace and that becomes our message to the fallen masses around us in Ezekiel's day the Lord drew Ezekiel into his presence. Israel was going into captivity that the captivity had already begun. There was a certain group of people were already taken into captivity.

Ezekiel was among them. But they did not believe that the judgment they were now experiencing was going to become more severe than it was this something and in every society. The something in our society today that says yes weren't difficult days but better days are coming, were going to get back to where we used to be.

We were going to one day be a righteous people again and and and and we sing our patriotic songs and we think about our history and we just don't believe that the judgment could actually be total, and God was trying to speak to his people of that time. Think Jerusalem is going to fall.

Dude is going to be taken captive but there were other voices being raised up among those who are already captive are already experiencing the judgment of God, and they were they were telling the people know this is everything is going to change were going to go back. Everything is going to be the way it was. And God raised up Ezekiel to tell the people know it's not going to be the way it used to be. As a matter fact is going to get worse in the captivity is going to be very, very long-standing in chapter 2 and verse one. The call comes to Ezekiel's life and he said to me, Son of Man stand on your feet and I will speak to you then the spirit entered to me when he spoke to me and set me on my feet and I heard him or spoke to me in verse three of Ezekiel to Reese's. Then he said to me, Son of Man, I'm sending you to the children of Israel to a rebellious nation that is rebelled against me. They and their fathers are transgressed against me to this very day.

They are impudent and stubborn children. I'm sending you to them and you shall say to them, thus says the Lord God is for them whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are a rebellious house, yet they will know that a prophet has been among them. In chapter 3 verse 26 the Lord says to Ezekiel.

I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them for they are a rebellious house. In other words, the people of that time. The rebellion against God's ways in God think he had become so deep in them that they would no longer respond to words, they had their own truth sold it's a trip didn't matter anymore and folks whether not you recognize that this is the moment were now living in. I was sitting with a member of Congress just about a year ago on the particular person said to me how how do you have a discussion with people who have no basis, no foundation for truth. I want to reach out to others around me, but there there stuck in this concept of your truth and my truth.

Are there no parameters of truth anymore because we have forsaken the ways of God. Therefore, we lost the foundation of our nation and every man's way is now right in his own site and there's a point where people can't be reasoned with anymore. You can't speak because they won't here because they don't believe that the foundation of truth is the word of God and the kingdom of God in the person of God himself in Jesus Christ. If they literally cast it off and so there's a point where God said to Ezekiel. I'm going to stop you from speaking to them anymore, but something interesting happens now in chapter 4 verse one is the Son of Man take a clay tablet and lay it before you and portray on it as city Jerusalem, so it is as lay siege against it. Build a siege wall against it heap up a mound against it sit camps against it also plays battering rams against it all around. Moreover take for yourself an iron plate and said it is an iron wall between you and the city, set your face against it and it shall be besieged. You shall lay siege against it, and this shall be assigned to the house of Israel. So bottom line because they wouldn't hear his words anymore gods in the last thing I'm going to speak to them is in the picture. I'm going to give them a picture of who I am. A picture of their own future. I'm going to set before them an image because they can't be spoken to anymore.

You can imagine figures 390 days Ezekiel had to do this if people are coming in and out during their whatever they had to do and throughout their daily lives in and here's the prophet of God is laying on the ground. He's cooking his food with cow manure he's which represented the siege and that the hardship is going to commend that the Jerusalem and Judah, and he's built this a little cardboard city now put it that way on on the slate and is laying siege against it. It's it's almost like a cartoon in the South, but that the past by the everyday and is not speaking anymore because nobody's listing but God said this is the last morning I'm going to give is going to come in the picture and were living in a moment like that in America today. Pictures that are heartrending. The pictures are heartbreaking. Here are just a few examples.

Just a couple of weeks ago a store camera in New York City at about 11:58 PM almost midnight captured an image of a mother crossing the street and the little toddler four years old is is trying to keep up with her behind her. The toddler stops in the corner.

The mother just keeps on walking and literally just abandon third midnight in New York City.

This toddler was picked up by the police department taken the social services. It took four days to find the mother of course everybody is horrified writer, but the police said that she's charge now with that willful neglect and abandonment in all these things people fail to realize this is God sending a picture before the nation and nation that has walked away from 60 million of its babies, and it's a picture of the fathers or walk away from their families are not raising their children.

The fathers are because of the lust of their own heart and the lack of the lack of ability. As Paul says to the loss of family affection is one of the signs of the last days. You see, it's a picture but just like when Nathan came to King David and he talked about this man came in a whole bunch of sheep and he took one. He took this one man's little lamb is sacrificed to Frizzell Gaston and David was angered and David was just as men's gunplay fourfold from what he is done he declares judgment on himself freely without even knowing it. Nathan turns his is yours and then David yes it is God's trying to do everybody's horrified that his mother would walk away from his little four-year-old at midnight in New York City, but how many have done that many fathers walked with midnight from their families. How many mothers walked away from their children.

This is a picture of what American society has become because we won't listen anymore, can't be spoken to see we have our truth and you have your truth we call all of these things we do medical necessities to call it. You call it murder for the sake of convenience that your truth, but our truth is we have the right to do what were doing.

I woke up this morning to pictures of riots and in three of our major cities last night were people are now caring. Pepper spray and bear spray on hammers and saws and axes and weapons. This is a picture of what's going on is a picture of the lawlessness that started to invade our society and in its it's not going to get better. It's going to get worse in the days ahead. We have pictures every day of corruption. Corruption at the highest levels of religion in this nation incivility in our political system's inability to speak civilly. The inability to have a discussion with one another.

It's it's a picture that God is presenting history because the nation is under judgment whether anybody wants to believe it or not, the nation is under judgment.

God has been setting the pictures very very clearly because is a God of justice, a God of righteousness. He doesn't judge without warning were living in a society today that's glorifying evil and vilifying good a pastor. We could go in it in a sermon, a decent good man to get uppity. He basically talked about various forms of sexual attraction in practice and he said it's not right. According to the word of God.

Now, this morning is getting huge demonstration outside of his church. A picture of what we have the common I was thinking this morning of Sodom and Gomorrah when when the crowd gathered outside the door, pushing against the door trying to get the messengers of God to become partakers of their sin. All beloved, let me tell you, there's a line you can't cross with God and we've come. There is a society, do we even know how close we are the prophet Haggai cries out in chapter 1. Consider your ways. He cries out twice. Consider your ways to the people of God but yet we come to a point were no longer is a society willing or able to even consider her ways little over a year ago I was walking across the street, New York's city with one of our staff members and at this point are essentially the leaders of our city and leaders of our state and others are saying covert is not coming here no reason to worry. Go out to restaurants, eat and enjoy your life carry on as usual. I turned to my friend. I said I want you to order 1500 medical mass for our staff is his will is saying that there's not can be a problem with covert is to know the wrong covert is coming and it's going to be problematic.

He said are you afraid of covert I said to him, no, I'm not afraid of covert what I really have a trepidation about is what's coming after covert has run its course covert is going to come up with something after covert much more sobering and much more serious is coming our way.

I don't honestly know what it is but I know that I have a churning inside even when I think about it, but now even in these dark times. Just as with Ezekiel.

There is one final picture one final picture you live all these other pictures.

The mothers and fathers abandoning their children religion being exposed for the corruption at some high levels that's always been there, our political system, breaking down the incivility and divisions becoming almost the not almost they are irreparable. Apart from an intervention by God. But even in this dark time. Just as with Ezekiel. There's there's one final picture through which the grace, mercy, and goodness of God can still be known, and that final picture is you.

You are the light of the world.

You are the city set upon a hill but cannot be hidden. You are the lap but God says I will put it on the lampstand and will give light to all who are in the house but you see, you have to want the light.

You have to want this life. You have to want this picture to be to be displayed by the power of God through your life. It is, is not going to impose it on. You can impose it on me. We live our lives just hiding in church or we can say God I want my heart set upon that hill. I want a new heart. I want a new purpose.

I want new gifting's I want the enablement of the Holy Spirit in my life to make a difference for this generation. I am just done. I'm not going to lay down and let the children of this type be given over to evil. I'm not going to lay down. Let our families be destroyed by the power of evil and I don't know what is going to cost and I don't care anymore. What is going to cost but by the grace of Almighty God put me on the lampstand set me on a hill put something in my life.

Put something in my voice and this is a call to every saint of God. It has to be calls himself by the name of Christ we are the last line of defense.

We are the Ezekiel that's outside a city about to come under judgment. We are the only ones we can make a difference now. The society is to broken down, there will not be another political leader. There will not be another superstar events as all these days are all it's now you are the light of the world you not somebody else you and so for you and I it's is a God where would you place what do you want to do through my life.

It's that prayer of Paul when he had that encounter with the living God, and he said, Lord, what do you want me to do. It's no deeper than that. God knows you. God knows the plan he has for your life. He knows how to get it done. Paul said, as we behold him. We are changed from image to image and glory to glory, even as by the spirit we have chains were given a new heart were given a new mind were given a new purpose were given new Parsons were given new compassion route were given were given the ability to get up side of ourselves and start living as we teach at the school for the benefit of others because that's where the power of the gospel is actually found I had the privilege of being at the Midwest food bank this week a young lady was there who wandered in and she said who are you people.

What are you doing here and they they said while most are volunteers and we are feeding people that are hungry. She said for real.

You do this you do this just other good to see your heart.

The lady and her husband were talking or said no we do it because the love of God is in us and we do it because we are in relationship with God than he is, is called is clearly to to give food to the hungry and to give clothing to those that have no clothing into to receive those that have no family and they just started sharing with her and as they were sharing with us.

This lady was set about in the late 30s and early 40s. She she said III want that in my life.

I want to receive Christ.

And so the letter in the prayer to receive Christ, she saw an image of Christ in people and it became attractive and she said I would like to be like that. I would like to do that. I would like my life to be like that life and see it was an image and you see we are the last day image of Christ. We are so were not called to be an argument in and said to say some are going to be relegated to stick to throwing rocks over the fence and they throw rocks back and we throw more spiritual rocks at them. This people are going to do that the disk of the arguers of doctrine, but were are calling is to be a light are calling is to be a lamp are calling is Deborah heart set upon a hill where the Savior went to the cross to be given for this is my body which is broken for you. Do this he said in remembrance of me. I've allowed my dreams to be broken of loud my plans to be broken. I've allowed myself image to be broken.

I've allowed my my lust for my own convenience to be broken and I'm I'm I'm out there and I'm you see this is the point. Not everybody has to be an evangelist. Not everybody has to have a high-profile ministry, but every one of us are called to be set on the candlestick and were called and so everybody in that warehouse that they lets say there were 30 people are everybody in that warehouse had a part in this lady's conversion everyone because everyone was a light.

Everyone was a lamp is like.

She walked into a candle factory instead of letting one candle doing the yoga exercise. She walked into a candle factory and saw the light and saw people doing something good, but she knew instinctively, she couldn't do unless there was a power source in her life greater than herself. This is the light, as we reach out and this we just say Jesus in whatever way I can see that so this is for everybody's not just for high-profile people or just breaches of the gospel of those that know every Hebrew meaning of every word in Greek meaning in the New Testament in the Old Testament is not about that. It's about humanizing Lord set me on a hill. Let your light be seen in the because people won't listen anymore, but they will still see this is a generation now as were told has an eight second attention span.

Can you meant and so that's the news news media picked up on this. That's why they'll put a false headline in the middle of the real story of the underneath. They know that most people don't read beyond the false headline so they can form public thought and opinion and legacy while the truth was in the article, but they know that the people in the majority don't read the article he just read the headline so they can form in massive warp public opinion to their the purposes so this is the cry of my heart and I'm hoping that it will become the cry of yours if it's not already in Google back to where I started and finish what I started that if you're being drawn into the presence of God you feel unworthy. That's a good thing too proud person can't represent Christ, proud person will touch the glory proud person will get involved in the work of God in and add that 11 into what God is doing in and poison the whole thing know God needs people who know I'm nothing without you and your everything in me so let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. So the prayer we need to pray every one of us is Lord, what would you have me to.

It doesn't have to be grand just has to be God positive positive you been listening to Carter Conlon from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information and resources to help you in your walk in Christ. Log onto TSC.NYC TSC.NYC, be sure to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,