Forever Faithful - Part 1

This is Michael Carbone with the Truth Network were partnering with Bible league international on open the floodgates Bibles for Africa in many parts of countries like Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Mozambique as many as 9/10 Christians are denied God's word by corrupt governments majority religions in poverty and remoteness five dollars and the Bible.

$100 since $2500 sends 100 call 800 yes word that's 800-937-9673 thank you for caring. This is Robbie Gilmore from the Christian card I am king in pursuit where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds.

Enjoy it and share it but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network network. This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill.

Do you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God, you, do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today. Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose of local Triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living.

For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious as her body doing I want to welcome all you men here tonight and I just like you showed up with the weather is nice is it is not already be out playing tennis or something, but glad you're here, and to deal at night. We start since first is that they see the first Tuesday after Labor Day next September we're going to start at an incredible study on the gospel of Luke and we will pack this house okay and I believe a going to say about it. I do like Andrew Zimmerman Andrew he went got his brother was his brothers. Nine. Peter that's what the Billy Graham session is called operation android with a Derrida Crusade in an error. They go out in it.

All these people to invite friends and family member. So that's what you guys gotta do you don't believe it doubly that showed up. He is worth your time which I assume you must believe that he show up here. We got the good news to share and we will pack this place out okay so next year hopefully cover will be go, and will be able to meet her in person and we will still be doing last spring because I believe that God is expanding our reach through the Internet live stream inside is amazing. The you think about how fast, as usual by we finished the second half of Mark. We went through all 13 chapters of Hebrews and when the tonight we in Colossians so that's just amazing. You think we covered a lot of ground. So on a schedule Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, thank you for the your word, the Bible, which you preserve for us and it's your word which it shows us what you what you what you but what you know to be true.

This issue is your mind that we can actually porn to our monster that we might begin to think like you that we might begin to look at the world what you look at the world that we might be able to avoid being pulled down the wrong path that we might know you intimately and personally because that's what salvation ultimately is.

This is knowing you salon upright in every minute here notion if they don't, that they would come to know you tonight will thank you for bringing these men here. Thank you Lord for teaching is your word is upright, each award will go forth tonight and accomplish the very purpose for which you intend appraisal that I would decrease that you would increase to the men would see you and not me.

So I ask you to got to speak for me tonight towards it.

You want to share with these men is anointed upright. A man okay have entitled. Tonight's message for ever faithful were going to be looking at Colossians chapter 4, early on Sunday morning October 23, 1983 Terrace Drive, an explosive laden truck into the Marine barracks in Beirut Lebanon killing 220 meringues 18 sailors and three soldiers. Moments later, 58 French paratroopers were killed in an attack on their barracks. It was the single deadliest day for the United States Marine Corps. Since the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II and Americans were shocked as they witness the devastation of the scenes with the building collapse and they were pulling soldiers out of the out of the out the rubble. It was all of the niece. But at the time, very few people grasp the significance of the deadly bombing as it marked the emergence of a fraud and a new form of terrorism never sing on the scale, unfortunately, seem more and more of this in the last 20 years. A few days after the tragedy in incredible story emerged from the rubble Marine Corps Commandant Paul Kelly visited some of the wounded survivors. Then in the Frankfurt Germany hospital among them was Cpl. Jeffrey Lee gnashed and who had been severely wounded in the attack. His wounds included a cracked skull, a compound fracture of one leg. A puncture wound in his chest to collapsed lungs and a crushed arm Nash and had so many to two running in and out of his body that a witness they look more like a machine that a man yet somehow he survived. When Kelly walked over to his bed gnashed and granted the general's camouflage coat and fill his way up to the collar to fill his four stars struggled to move in right with pain gnashed in motion for piece of paper and a pink as he could see his his face was covered with Golson bandages and tubes. We finish writing.

He passed a note to the Commandant opponent he had scribbled two words. Semper Fi the Marine Corps motto that means always faithful forever faithful with those test two supports nationalists spoke for the millions of Americans who sacrificed life and limb for the country that we might sit here tonight and freedom. Those those soldiers who have remained forever faithful if two wars to convey the message that Paul wanted to convey to his fellow believers in the little town of colossi.

It was these two words forever faithful see Paul single desire for the small church and for everyone who has ever read.

This epistle was and is men to remain forever faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves and who men we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. I think the Lord every day for the fact that he has forgiven me of all my sins and he remembers them no more.

Our theme of the past few weeks has been about running this race known as the Christian life. And we run it to win the prize is or not I want to continue this theme as we conclude our study of this wonderful short epistle by the beloved apostle Paul to keep in mind this. Paul wrote this he was sitting in prison is under house arrest, they can have visitors.

The date was approximately 60 ID even while in prison Paul was concerned about believers everywhere.

Why was he so concerned because perhaps he more than anyone else understood that we have an enemy, Satan, who wants to destroy lives he knew firsthand that Satan is out to destroy the lives of those who claim to be Jesus followers.

He won't men he wants to take us down and it will keep a bodyguard.

He will just look at Ravi Zacharias. Just look at so many others do you know what the greatest desire in my life is right now.

Whatever rights I have left before millions 6W.

67. In June June 19. If you come up after getting my dress tickets and presence can return 67 so I'm I'm looking at any of the lifespan is shorter than the what I've lived so far but I want to run this race without being disqualified and the only way I can do that is if you guys pray for me. If I pray for myself and spend time in God's word. So how do we do this.

How do we run this race in order not to be disqualified less re-Colossians chapter 4 and with RC how to run the race. Look at verse one Masters provide your slaves with what is right and fair.

As you know, that you also have a Master in heaven devote yourself to what prayer, being watchful and thankful and pray for us to do.

God may open a door for a message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, which I'm in change chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should be wise in the way you act toward outsiders make the most of every opportunity and let your conversation always be full of grace. Season with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone the other day as I think it might've been last week and I can remember, and I was coming to sit there for a few minutes and I was watching what I didn't realize at the time, but I'm resource is one of the greatest films ever produced the bridge on the river qua four stars in 1957. How many men were born in 19 00 where he had been born about 1957 Ray Jan this group is way too old in 1957 the bridge over the river qua 17 Academy Awards, including best picture. In this movie a battalion of British soldiers has been Capt. captured by the Japanese and they are being held in a POW camp in Burma and they have been ordered to build a bridge over the river class of the Japanese kinship back-and-forth supplies and an artillery in the sink that I was watching was of two men. Col. Nicholson of the British Army and Col. Saito of the Japanese army because there were enemies, but they cannot join together to build his British, as they stood together one afternoon on the bridge all by themselves, just the two of them.

They stood there and there's a beautiful sunset and Col. Nicholson was laying of the bridge, the writing of the bridge with his back to jet to Col. Saito and he was reflecting on his life. Tomorrow it will be 28 years to the day that I've been in the service.

He said 28 years of peace and war.

I don't suppose I've been at home more than 10 months in that time still is been a good life.

I would have had it any other way. But there are times when suddenly you realize you are near the end and the beginning and you wonder you ask yourself what the sum total of your life represents what difference you you be in there anytime amounted to anything or if it made any difference at all really.

And I'll sit there so there's a really great questions and I was captivated by them. These are questions men there. We all need to ask ourselves, and we all need to give an answer is if you ever asked yourself what is been the sum total of your life.

What difference has not been here made for anyone has my life counterfeit. Anything of eternal value as some of you men may be looking back at your life and you feel like it was is been entirely wasted. I talked to a man who came to see me a couple weeks ago when the boys life is a mess and I know he feels like his life is been wasted and most of it has been wasted and maybe you can look at you like or say will this allow has been wasted and maybe it has to let me give you some good news.

God is in the business of second chances I can look at sometimes in my life when I totally wasted the opportunities that God gave me my colleges.

For example, or a waste. Academically, you know why it is really good. I go to class and about my textbooks.

I paid a fortune for them in the end I had him open them up.

That's not a good thing as a Jeff timeline I'm doing. I did better in some America just for the record, but it was a waste because and apply myself and I mate something that I regretted to this day, and are plenty of other examples I could put forth when I squandered the time that I had.

But here's the good news for me. His goodies for you and I'm a Marine. This years and I thought gosh I love this verse accustomed Joe chapter 2 verse 25 and he says God says I will restore to you the years that the swarming locusts have eaten Joe here that some he thought he wasted your life you got some years you wish you could have back just what God is in the business of doing.

He says he's in the business of redeeming those wasted lives. He says I will restore to you all the years that the swarming locust that they did know what locusts do when they invite a field of wheat. They eat it up.

They leave nothing. This baroness wasted. But God can work a miracle with a wasted life. You believe that all you have to do is bring your life to God. All of it. The productive times the wasted times the good years in the bad years and God promises to give those wasted years back. He promises to redeem the time in your life. There are a lot of men out there who will make it a fortune in their wasting their lives and yet the world applauds for them.

If you have a lot of money, people tend to flock to you George are flocking to allow the time.

Not all attend a lot of many like a lot of money. I know man who's done extremely well.

He's a his son-in-law, he is white, and 90% of the net income of his company is a commit doesn't millions in revenues 90% to get away. He's not wasting his time.

But a lot of people men out there wasted times. I don't care how big house. They have a cath into the glorious their wasting their lives. The Bible says if you do anything is not done in faith.

It does not please God. Nothing done without faith pleases God sale God is a God of many second chances do you need a second chance tonight. Would you like to start over one more time who would like to start it one more time if you answered yes to let me share tonight five commitments or five resolutions that listen I will make the semi we can make them together and we can commit tonight by making these five resolutions that we want to be for ever faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ to his rescue because that's where you sitting here God has plucked you out and you're sitting here not because you chose to be able God chose you to be here, you realize that you have nothing to do with it. So if you're sitting here is not by chance you're sitting here because God rescued you. The reason I'm here is because he reached him, and he rescued me and I will to pay him back with my life. Not that I'm trying to earn his favor. He sorry given his favor.

But I will deliver him.

The rest of my life. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives.

Would you like to live the rest of your life worthy of the Lord, listen and commit your life to him completely in verse one, Paul addresses the issue of masters in this life. I don't spend a lot of time on this because it's it's not because it's clear that slavery is evil so him. He slavery is evil. Anytime someone is kidnapped and healthful labor against their will, that is against everything that God meant for us in this life is evil and God hates it.

In Paul's day, the sled was not exactly what you think of when you think of the evil slavery that we've had here in America. According to is a wonderful website as if you want to have you have questions you would ask and get really good theological answers is a website called got questions.org and is still not this is theologically sound somewhat to got questions.org and I just typed in slavery in the Bible it is what it says there's a tendency to look at slavery as something of the past but is estimated there are today over 27 million people in the world who are subject to slavery, forced labor, sex trade, inheritable property and it goes on and on as those who been redeemed from the slavery of sin. Followers of Jesus Christ should be the foremost champions of ending human slavery in the world today. That's what the Bible stands for. The Bible does not specifically condemn the practice of slavery. Instead, it gives instructions on how slaves should be treated but it does not outlaw slavery altogether. That which is not the purpose of the Bible. The purpose of the Bible and the reason Jesus came to the war was to share the gospel to say slaves and free men as one is one day soon a person gets the dreaded call from the doctor that contains the C word. Most people get gripped with fear as they think they have cancer that we have something greater. Dick that can cure something even greater.

This more different here than sin.

Is he thinking cancer is sin in Jesus came to set us free from it. In Romans 116 Paul writes, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

Miller was the gospel has the power to save a man is when you hear the gospel you come to know who. If you yield to it becoming a Christ did you know that atheists and agnostics, or he's not very impressed with our faith dinner while because they look at us, they say, what if you really believe what you say you believe that how come you haven't shared with me. They got a good point.

Why you keep it to yourself. What are keep it myself. You know why most Christians aren't willing to share the gospel with a friend or family member because of because they fear the sneer of the peer and you might be ashamed of it. So if you having trouble opening your mouth. What should you do look at verse three. Pulses pray for us, to the God may open a door for a message so that we were may proclaim the mystery of Christ is when a guess.

We ask God that he will forestall give us the desire to share with others, and that he will give us the courage to share it you want to do that you have the desire only got you that desire. Paul writes in Ephesians 619, 20. Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth wars may be given.

They said I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for John and ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare fearlessly as I should see even the apostle Paul warned Koester share the gospel to his wobbly if you want to see God's spiritual blessings in your life if you want to run to win the prize. You must be willing to pray fervently and then share your faith frequently and then you would you you will see how powerful God really is is I believe God supplies power to those throughout their share in the gospel with others who have their in the name of Christ, helping others if you just want to Bible studies and collecting knowledge in your like the Dead Sea or the Dead Sea has seven rivers that flow into it and nothing flowing out.

This was dead. So if all you're doing is going from one baluster to the next and collecting knowledge, but you not given it out. You will be dead. God will she be alive. Jesus said, my food is to do the will of him who sent me the worst. He found nourishment for so he found joy in life by doing God's will and God's will for us men is to not keep this to ourselves.

You getting wet and share with your friends and one all you have to do or say hey I get Obama Saturday July is really help me with my life is happy to be a better man. You don't come and join us. Third is man, we must be wise in our encounters with unbelievers.

Look at verse five. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Let me say just a few things about dinner with family members and friends who don't know the Lord but have a family member or friend a dozen of the Lord, don't argue with them about Christianity. You can't argue people into the kingdom of God.

11 you show your love and concern for them. By being a good listener, you show them that you care and the ears to got giddy and how many miles one is a reason for that.

James 119 says my dear brother take notice. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak. If you want to win your friends to Christ, you win them by showing that you love them as they observe the grace of God in you, and perhaps at some point they may ask you for the reason for your hope in this often happens when they go through what trials, hardships, years ago I was walking into this church that will mean it brought me my cell phone rang and I do not recognize the number but I answered it.

It turned out it was some of that. I knew that we were just acquaintances and he had never call me in his life. But the reason they call me was because he got a call from the doctor told him that someone that you love had cancer. One of his children and he call me because you believe I have some answers.

That's what happens people will call you who may not issue baluster right now, but they go through difficulty, and they see you going to Bible study this a change in your life and will call you when the going gets tough, and I will call the people are parting with them call you first Peter 315 says we should be what always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks for to give the reason for the hope that we have, but we should do this.

How with gentleness and respect, gentleness and respect. Fourth, be careful how you spend your time look at verse five. Again, this is make the most of every opportunity.

Time is our most precious commodity in this world is there so many distractions in some of these are structure actually very good distractions. Always good distractions, but I wonder how often we pursue what is good rather than what is best.

Paul writes in Ephesians 515 through 17.

Be very careful in how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will in this John Charles Ryle says what we weave in time we where in eternity. What we weave in time we where in eternity.R1 loose recess. By the way. He's one of the greatest preachers in America only eternal values can give meaning to temporal ones.

Time must be the servant of eternity and when I look at my life. One of my greatest time wasters has been watching way too much. What television's where you find yourself wasted too much time we could be so much more productive. I'm guilty as charged some money. Verse 12 says so teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom will have sunny days left.

The clock is ticking stimulus resolve to live our time for Christ.

Remember what city says that only one life to assume the past only what's done for Christ will last you believe that everything else is going to burn up the new what you do for Christ is going to be glorious. This will God will reward you for you have that glory emanating from you for all eternity. Number five be responsible in the use of your time. Look at verse six. Let your conversation be always full of grace. Season with salt, so that you may know to answer everyone you heard the old saying what's in the will comes up in the bucket.

It might not heard that saying dinner with that saying come from where most of them come from the Bible. Matthew 1234 Jesus is for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks what he means.

What's in the whale comes up in the bucket is a list if you claim to be a Christian and your friends hear you using filthy language telling course jokes, gossiping about others say about you when they hear you going to Bible study.

Your active church member is nothing but what hypocrite and you lose all credibility with them and we need to ask God to give us wisdom because the days are evil. God will live and in some very evil dice. So we need to be wise towards those who are not yet in the faith. When anywise was a time when TV water conversations see what we really need in every era. Life is what wisdom being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living.

You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local tribal men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more finding purpose.net.

This is the Truth Network