1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (Part B)

Luther was going up the steps. He was a priest he was going up the steps in one of my God spoke to him just, and he got up and never went back to that religion became a Protestant. He protested that religion and when they said listen, if you go to the city of worms funny, but what what why the word others will people but God's not the same thing anyway they going to arrest you and kill you and he said I have to go and he went and he stood up. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Thessalonians.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching in today's edition of cross reference radio.

Pastor Rick will be teaching in first Thessalonians chapter 1, but he'll begin in Malachi chapter 1 on today's edition of cross reference radio and if I am master, where is my reference says Jehovah of Holst to you priest despise my name yet you say in what way. We despise your name so that a cell cannot give me a break you playing these games with me on God. You think I don't know that I would create a look around you. How dumb can you be you got the rope and you got that using my name and a new light on my face. You mock me and you think I'm too dumb to figure this out. It's amazing how a human being can can fall off a horse and be just about as smart as a donkey's foot spiritual things he says. He says these things to people that were supposed to be devoted to him not to idols to this is one of the problems the Christian who recognizes that my flesh is devoted to pleasure and sin and everything that is I am to renounce and I will fight this young believer says well I might fight it to, but not for the same reasons that you do.

I'm not fighting you because I love Jesus I fighting it because I want control back in my life. This is one of the problems with groups that claim that you know there's a higher power out there. Any one of them. Jesus said, what is a profit you if you gain the world lose your soul.

So what you able to break an addiction which is still going to hell.

Jesus as I want. I want to break your addiction and I want to lead you to heaven. At the same time you cannot have these ungodly alliances running around inside your head and expect me to be good with it. Why is it that idolaters often times outdo us in their own faith even though they worship something that's false.

For example the Hindus to their idols and shrines. They put us to shame in their offerings and their get things what they give to build their temples for them to be starving to death. What they give to say I am a believer, I am willing to suffer to show you how much I believe we look at that which is crazy.

You got a spanking made that thing up, and then not give assent to the Lord. King David said I shall not give anything that does not cost me pain to the Lord when I sacrifice it's going to be sacrifice how many Christians never learn this. You know what they do when they hear the pastor talking this way is fundraising here and it just load all away. Listen we will pay our electric bill will meet under a tree. We don't need the money we need to follow what God says and if you have been intercepted in your faith by some corrupt pastor that's your business and your been a part of your business to straighten it out before the Lord.

Me personally I almost went to hell because I look to Christians and saw the mess they were making of their testimony is I don't want that that's a bad as God better off over here what I was saying is I want the truth, but I was looking at people reclaiming the truth and living lives wasn't until I came to touch with Jesus himself that I met real Christians we were. These guys before, I could not of appreciated among sure God knows what he's doing so so we let the pagans outdo us in serving their God I hope not. This is what Walter Martin said if you ever recognized what a Walter Martin was a believer who wrote one of the not any longer, but at the time the definitive work on the coldest Kingdom of the cults and Walter Martin says, are you willing to do for the truth. What a pagan is willing to do for lie and it is a question that convicts now that does not mean you should not do anything.

What it does mean you should do something and that something is this get on your knees and say here I am Lord, what would you have me to do and then do it, but how many times does God move someone in the pew through powerful sermon that I have given and then and then not make good on it. Pastor God spoke to me.

I'm going to do this and you never know what all I can say he was was the bursting radius of lightning strike because I want to be away from you when it comes in. So what happened is why they turn from idols to God is when Paul showed up in Corinth having coming from heaven come from Philippi, which will talk quite a bit about such will get to chapter 2 will revisit this again took the beatings and Philippi. Philippi was 100 miles away thereabout from Thessalonica but on the same travel route Diggnation way they spoke the same late language word travels fast. 3 to 7 days you could be from Philippi to Thessalonica.

If you took a horse or card, walked it and so they knew before Paul got there, what was happening in Philippi. Somebody came from the city they didn't beat these Christians would rod they found out they were Roman citizens. No way. Well, the word was beginning to spread before he even came there to build the church when he gets there as he realized long before that there was great opportunity for Christianity within the Roman empire, but would come only by blood and hope that's how it would come the people that were in the Roman Empire. Following these mythological gods was there mythological to us but to them. They were very real and they wanted a better God most many of them I should say many of them wanted a better God. They knew that the gods Mercury and Susann and all the other ones.

Bacchus Apollo. They knew that they were scheming they were lustful, quarrelsome, paranoid warring vengeful malicious towards each other in man, also cruel week that this was the.

The pagan gods of ancient Rome. Just read up on the literature is been preserved. Gods of these petty, vicious, so the people began to secretly say we only follow the gods because we fear the consequences of the gods and the associated everything with the God that there was a volcano of the rains didn't come or did, it was all connected to the gods. Any miracle they would sacrifice a bowl. This is a story when Paul and Barnabas. They go on Paul's preaching looks of the many heals him and it was a buffalo band God to come down to visit us and they got a bullet with sacrifice balls. Please get my barbecue elsewhere. That's your bed cooks anything, but this is not how we do business. Judaism was another of the religions moving around the Roman Empire at the time no remember Islam was was 600 years away. Hadn't even thought of yet.

That monstrosity was concocted that whole world would take a nosedive from which would never recover.

To this day I think part of this and time scenarios with the armies from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The Islamic nations that ran coming against Israel will largely be because they don't need their oil anymore. And once you take away that you just left with sand and so anyway that's for another sermon will maybe as we dig deeper into Thessalonian letter.

We thought getting to the rapture and end times what Judaism Judaism is a religion that came as an alternative to these pagan religions and the people of the Roman Empire were listening to the juicing.

I'm liking this in the sun things about this. I'm not liking pork mom, you know I don't give up or cut off is worth the whole circumcision for the men things like you know what all just like you, but I will follow you just think you have to have Facebook and all that to make that and that's pretty cool. Okay back to this, but what they had observed in Judaism is that it the people practice it though devout were mostly concerned with circumcision and sabbaths dietary restrictions.

We don't have that in the church today. Animal sacrifice and endless list of rules and burdens to put on other people. The rituals and extreme requirements and then that turned the people what this is not the same as the myth of the Roman gods of the Greek gods, but this is bad to tell it was almost there was liking it. Then it dropped and fell in so they didn't. They wanted something else.

They were ripe. The people were right when Paul comes into Thessalonica and he comes there and he brings them. Christ the world system.

Without these gods without the gods of the Greeks and Romans. Without Judaism, the world system as we see it today.

The atheism the foolish people who can get A's on tests but can't figure out where they come from.

Like Hawking's this you know mad scientists is what is the world is infested with corruptions to open to be denied. Look at the words they can deny this.

You guys are so corrupt you can even send a bottle water to Kenya and hope it gets to someone think of the government was stealing.

We throw money at things were going to throw away their what happens to government comes and takes it gives it to their army to the higher of the people on the route you know what I was just reading the pastoral training of Asia PTA.

Here's a pastor that goes into the deepest parts of Southeast Asia. Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and he teaches go gives conferences to the pastors and start the church, the Philippines, another place he does and he was talking about this Christian group that had come into Vietnam and the Commies over there and that's what they are, they have strict rules you can you can have your church but you got to you via follow this pattern, you can have with so many people you can have a Christian school, what you've got to teach Marxism at the same time that would be like saying you know you can have up our church, but you've also got a preacher of Mormonism more or Hinduism or some other religion with it because again Marxism is a religion. And so anyway goes into these places and he says these Christians had dug a well for this little village in Vietnam. One of their if you drink it, especially a gringo will kill you.

The water is so bad so they dug a well in the Commies come along and they take it as well is just for the Communists is not for the Christians, so this infestation of corruption is indisputable and is global is not limited to this little village and no one knows about in Vietnam world is too rotten to be defended by any person that has these two traits, honesty, insanity, some people honestly and saying others are insanely honest and that's what I would hope I fall into that category.

So my point is here you have Judaism. The idol worship of the Greek mythological gods. The world system. Whatever you where you find these systems they're wrong and then are wrong because we just insist that they're wrong and everybody knows someone says you Christians going around bombing abortion clinics.

Those are Christians or imposters humming. What part what part of the Bible. Do you not understand all you don't stick any of it. You can find one I put on top your head so my point is when these charges are bogus. They want them to be so they don't want Christianity to be what it says it is. So when you find some of the other religions that there are other religions out there that if you that they shall love you so wait a minute that's not in your scripture you got only shall love your own can't type, not to anybody you kill everybody else, but for us you go around. Scripture says love your enemies, you find Christians hating on the enemies you find a Christian is disobedient, old, don't go attacking the faith. It's it's his problem. Christianity came in to preach God's love and preach this to God searched for man man did not search for God, climbing up steps on your knees will only wear your pants out cost you some Band-Aids and stuff like that you will not find God at the top of the steps. Martin Luther you know. Again, I'm not a fan of many of the reformers. I appreciate what they went through.

I respect many of them some of them I don't have great respect for Luther as a man. Luther was going up the steps. He was a priest and he was going up the steps it will I do, God spoke to him at the just shall live by faith, and he got up and never went back to that religion became a Protestant. He protested that religion and when they said listen, if you go to the city of worms is kind of funny but what what are the work of others and people with notes is not the same thing anyway they going to arrest you and kill you and he said I have to go and he went and he stood up. There were others. The Scottish Scots the Reformation when he got to Scotland they were men like Patrick Hamilton who preached the truth and they burned them at the stake. They said that he burned for six hours in all his body, the flesh was dead. Of course, before that, and then there was George Wishart who John Knox was his bodyguard and a before John Knox became the great reformer of Scotland and Wishart was also turned over to the same authorities and they burn him at the state and John Knox was his bodyguard wasn't body guarding him at the time you got turned over Iraq, it would been killed, but not Saturday would carry a sword because Wishart was threatens is like they were put people to print on his life for preaching the gospel for telling people that the Scripture had the answers to their lives and that the popes and the Cardinals were so corrupt they could not be prepared. They were outside of Scripture policeman died for that than John Knox and John Knox became a slave on a galley and he's really annoyed rolling and they would bring around the relics for them to kiss and they get the John Knox and he should they try to force on the kissing that this appeaser Gordy would and they try to force as he takes it he throws it overboard is is to figure out how to swim God's will is men had guts to me.

They were like head and they were they were not just men and women to women had faith.

One of them, and the like a townhome in the first bullet the guy for the lies he was on a pump counter protest schools in the sanctuary. Well anyway, those reformers were turning from idols to crept into Christianity and killed it. We know it is the dark ages we could not even find the Bible and in many places. If you quoted the Scripture you were to be killed or suffer some form of persecution by the church not called dark ages by mistake and so with that introduction, we come to the I don't know if any of this is fascinating to you are about what is real. It's there, the record has been preserved south. There and you know the danger with history as much of it is for Christian is much of it is fascinating but it can end up leading you away from that which is necessary which is the Scripture and so just be careful. Then in verse 10 he says, and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the raft, so this is the message he preached to them they preached a crucified Jesus look if you think you can preach Christianity without the cross.

You not preaching Christianity. You have to preach the cross of Christ. Faith comes by hearing, hearing what that a pure and holy God died on a cross for you. That's the gospel that's the first part of the gospel second part is that he rose again. He demonstrated his love on the cross. He demonstrated his power by busting out of the tomb, and he did so with class because when they came to the tomb. They found the garments folded up like a group that is godlike to nominally displace a mass of sloppy depositors and the like.

Just you know right there in the corner and he commented and some of those because they recorded it there. They were folded up so anyway wait for his son from heaven.

Early believers lived in anticipation of Christ's return. If you're not living in with this anticipation, you're missing a beat as a Christian singer, not a Christian but I am saying you missing a beat, for sure, and it's a critical when you're out of step. The early church. They expected Christ to show up at any moment. We should have the same feeling because God designed it that way.

John the right heel has these thoughts, purifies himself with these things. It makes us claim Christ can come back at any moment eager anticipation. This is what love does, yet they have loved to have been a part of granite part of our desire to be raptors to escape the corruption of this life. All of but the greater part of it should be the love for Jesus Christ to see him face-to-face. That's what I want, so it says whom he raised from the dead's resurrection is our guarantee that we're going to be risen.

Also, so the water baptism which speaks of this very thing.

Water baptism says that I have been crucified with Christ.

I have been buried and then I come out of the water, which symbolizes the resurrection with Jesus Christ will take that from Romans chapter 6 or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life as a changed life, he says, for if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man. That is the sinful nature that is you before you were born again. That is when you sat on the throne of your life and not Christ. He says our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin that is right, but it's not the whole story because if you're not going to be a slave of sin you going to have to fight you going to have to learn how to fight you, not violent. You are now against sin, not people. So he says listen to this beautiful verse of the bottom of verse 10. Even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. I don't understand whether those are sick and I don't believe that the Christians will escape the great relation when the Bible says is going to deliver us from this.

The raft was already wrapped Paul to slip up like a take a sharp sound. Show your wrath is wrath right now but it's not wrath to come. That is unlike anything ever seen. And God will spare his people from because he says so that's why I believe it because I only like it is because I like the thing doesn't mean I can't believe it. So listen to these this twofold message from this verse wait for his son from heaven, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come close with a verse in a statement.

Revelation chapter 6 I'm reading about this wrath to come because remember in the book of Revelation, which is the end time story it's it's prophetic history short. What is the book of Revelation is prophetic history, its history that is recorded that has not yet happened that all of it with the bulk of it is, and so there in the six chapter now. Remember Revelation is the introduction chapter 1 chapters 2 and three talks about the churches that were in existence at the time John and that also speak of the churches through the age types of the church.

Then he gets to chapter 4 and the church is now in heaven.

In chapter 5 is five and four and then chapter 6 he returns to what's going to happen on earth when the church is no longer here after the rapture of the church and their writing on the white horse with the bow in his hand is Antichrist coming as though he's a comic is a peaceful conqueror. Nothing peaceful about him at all in any way as we hear during that time he says Revelation 6 speaking of the wrath that's coming upon the earth, the great tribulation. And the kings of the earth. The great men, the rich men commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man. That about covers every group hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb of the great day of his wrath is come, and who is able to stand what we know will find out in the seventh chapter that the hundred 44,000 witnesses will stand as well as tribulation saints will stand spiritually will they will life is, and these things are up against the service. So in the end.

Every must choose life and then be with God without choice is yours.

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