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The Church: Its Meaning - The Pillar of the Truth of God, Part 3

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Lance Sparks

The Church: Its Meaning - The Pillar of the Truth of God, Part 3
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Transcript

Turn with me your Bible if you would to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 2nd Timothy chapter 3 as we begin our Time in the word this morning.

I want to draw your attention to What the scriptures say about the latter days or the last days? Paul is is writing to Timothy and he wants him to understand What characterizes the the last days? So he says in 2nd Timothy 3 verse number 1, but realize this that in the the last Days the time between the first coming and the second coming of the Messiah Difficult times will come That's probably not the best translation Some texts say perilous times will come That's an okay translation still doesn't hit the mark It's it's a word that's used over in Matthew's gospel Mark's gospel Luke's gospel about the Demoniac From the land of the garrisons He was filled with demons And he violently attacked all who came next to him In other words his life was filled with with Satan What Paul is saying is that that in the last days What's going to happen?

Is that the world will become like Satan's graveyard? It'll become very violent like the man filled with demons in the land of the garrisons He says it this way for men will be lovers of self lovers of money Boastful arrogant revilers disobedient to parents ungrateful unholy unloving irreconcilable malicious gossips without self-control brutal haters of good Well, we know God is good Psalm 119 68 tells us that so they're going to hate God because God is good Hebrews 6 5 tells us that the Word of God is good.

So they're gonna hate the Word of God We also know That the will of God is good. So they're gonna hate anything dealing with with the will of God And so they hate that which is good They'll be treacherous reckless conceited lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of And then notice this it says ever learning verse 7 and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

That's a unique phrase because in first Timothy 2 for the Bible says that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth Earlier in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 Verse number 24 Paul says the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome But be kind to all able to teach patient when wronged with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth and they may come to their senses and Escape the snare of the devil Having been held captive by him to do his will In other words the bondservant must be committed to preaching and proclaiming the truth of the Word of the Lord If perhaps God would grant men repentance because repentance is a gift, right?

and that they might be set free from the snares of the evil one Liberated from being taken captive by Satan Because every unbeliever is captive to Satan Everybody in the room is a slave to someone you either slave to Satan or you're a slave to Christ there is no in-between and Those who are enslaved to Satan need to be liberated set free and The only way they're going to be set free is if we give them that which sets them free the truth of the Living God So Paul tells Timothy that in the latter days Violent days are going to take place and they're going to grow Increasingly worse as time goes on and that's that's evident All you got to do is look at our culture argues watch the news All you got to do is read the newspaper if people still do that I'm not sure people ever buy newspapers anymore, but maybe you do Whatever information you get coming your way.

All you got to do is just open your eyes and realize that things are getting worse and worse Not getting any better So if you're a post-millennialist, you're in front you're in trouble because things aren't gonna get better. They're gonna get worse before Jesus comes again But Paul tells Timothy listen to combat that there are two main things that need to happen one is you must follow the pattern of the Saints and Number two, you must focus on the power of the scripture Paul says these words in verse number 10 now you Followed my teaching conduct purpose faith patience love perseverance persecutions and sufferings Timothy you followed my teaching In order to combat the difficult days in order to combat the perilous times in order for you to be able to do what?

You need to do you need to follow the pattern of the Saints Those who have lived for God those who have served God those who have honored God those who have gone before you Timothy You followed my example in when it comes to teaching when it comes to my life and my conduct Don't stop doing that Timothy because you know the the persecutions that I faced, you know, the hardship that I endured It will only encourage you Timothy during difficult times So not only follow the pattern of the Saints but focus on the power of the scriptures for he says in verse number 14 you however continue in the things that you have learned and become convinced of knowing from whom you've learned them and that from Childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith Which is in Christ Jesus Timothy you continue in the things that you have learned and that you have been convinced of Timothy was convinced he was persuaded of the things That he had learned in fact over in in First our second Timothy chapter 1 Paul says these words second Timothy 1 Verse number 12 for this reason.

I also suffer these things, but I am NOT ashamed For I know whom I have believed and I am Convinced I'm convinced that He is able to guard that which I've entrusted to him Paul was absolutely convinced Paul told Timothy He had been convinced of the power of the scripture and the power of the Spirit of God that functions in the life of the believer and that is so important because as we look at at the at the meaning in the in the mission and ministry of the church we're Looking at at what it means to be the called-out ones the assembly of believers that have been called out from Satan's domain into Christ's kingdom And we told you that it was the plan of the Son of God and The church is the possession of the Living God and the church is the pillar of the truth of God And last week we told you that this week we're going to tell you what does the church look like that is the pillar of?

The truth of the Living God and we told you as we began last week that that church is the church That understands how to study the truth carefully How to study the truth Carefully, that's why the early church was committed to the Apostles doctrine That's first on the list.

Why because they're new believers and What do new believers need more than anything else? They need the truth. They need the Word of God If you have given birth to a baby and you hold that baby in your arms And you love that baby you kiss that baby you caress that baby you change that baby you buy the best clothes for that baby That's all great. But if you don't feed the baby the baby what dies? right, the baby's not gonna live because you caressed them and changed them and you and you made sure that he slept in a nice or She slept in a nice crib.

They're gonna live live because they were fed you have to feed the baby. That's the priority Well, the priority of the church is to is to feed the church To give them the truth of the Word of God You know, we don't invent the truth. We don't alter the truth. We don't come up with the truth God gave us the truth. You know, my job is to is to it's not I'm not the chef I'm the waiter That comes and serves you the truth. I Don't the truth doesn't originate with me It originates with God because he's the God of truth My job is to make sure I don't mess it up By giving it to you to make sure you get an undiluted truth to understand What you need to be fed God's Holy Word and the truth Needs to be studied Carefully if you've ever looked at our doctrinal statement, you'll notice that it's lengthy And it's filled with all kinds of scripture references, why do we do that?

Because we want you to know what we believe You can go to a church and the very first thing you do when you look at a church is go and see what they believe right and you go directly to their doctrinal statement and Most of them will have a line or two about what they believe but there are very few if any scripture references That would tell me they devalue the authority of scripture when it comes to what they believe You want to go to a church that really?

Outlines for you exactly what they believe and they do it in great detail so that you're not confused once you get there So, you know what it is. You're going to be taught because you know what it is. They believe So, you know what it is they study So they can grow in their walk with the Lord That is so extremely important So the church that is the pillar and support of the truth is the church that studies the truth carefully Number two they show the truth clearly How do you know you've studied it carefully?

You're able to demonstrate it put it on display and so you Show it very Clearly that's why the Apostle Paul could say Timothy follow me as I follow Christ Because his life was marked by Influence his mark life was marked by godliness an example that that others could follow listen if you take the power of example out of the life of the leader nobody follows Why? Because if he doesn't live up to what he says he studies and believes then he's a hypocrite That's why his father's is so important for us to realize that we are the leaders of our family And so we must live out in a very practical way what it is We say we believe so that our children don't look at us as hypocrites Oh, they don't look at us is not knowing what it is.

We believe But we're true to the word That's why it's so important to live out the truth Every single day and sure enough you study the book of Acts the early church lived out the truth They didn't love just in in word and in tongue But actually as John says indeed and in truth why because love? lives out its truth every single day and So the church that it's a pillar and foundation of the truth is the church That simply is the church that studies the truth carefully Shows the word clearly and number three is where we left off last week speaks the word or the truth Convincingly Speaks the truth convincingly listen if you study it carefully, and you show it clearly you'll speak it convincingly But if you don't do those first two you won't speak it convincingly Think about the Apostles in Acts chapter 5 After they had been beaten because they had preached the gospel It says in verse number 40 if I'm sorry in Acts chapter 5 verse number Yes Verse number 40 they took his advice and after calling the Apostles in they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name Of Jesus and and they released them So they went on their way from the presence of the council Rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name and every day in the temple and from house to house They kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ Why because they were convinced in?

Whom they believed what did Paul say in 2nd video 112 I know Whom I have believed he didn't say I know What I have believed He says I know whom I have believed big difference Why because the demons believe everything there is to know about God? They know it all but We need to believe in The one who gave us the truth and Paul was convinced of the Christ in a relationship with the Living God and so these Apostles having been flogged when that means you've been beaten 39 times on the back and one time on the front Right and so that you have been basically Shredded on your back.

They went out and they just kept right on preaching the Christ why? because they were convinced in the one they believed and Therefore they would speak the word convincingly same with Stephen remember Stephen Acts chapter 7 He was stoned because he preached the gospel It says in verse number 54 of Acts 7 now when they heard this they you they were cut to the quick and they began Gnashing their teeth at him and being full of the Holy Spirit He gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And he said behold I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God But they cried out with a loud voice and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse and when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul and They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said Lord Jesus receive my spirit Then falling on his knees.

He cried out with a loud voice Lord. Do not hold this sin against him having said this he fell asleep Stephen spoke the truth Convincing Why because even while he was being stoned and we're not talking about throwing little pebbles or rocks of people We're talking about boulders that you pick up with two hands Okay, and they're heavy and you have to throw them down on an individual And so as they're throwing these boulders down on Stephen He is still looking up into heaven gazing intently into glory Knowing that the Sun is waiting for him to appear and as he begins to speak they are so incensed with him They cover their ears.

They don't want to hear the truth They don't want to hear the truth about the Messiah about how They had crucified the Messiah and missed him when he came But Stephen would speak the truth Convincingly You go to chapter 8 verse number 1. It says Saul was in hearty agreement with putting them to death And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him But Saul began ravaging the church entering house after house and dragging off men and women.

He would put them in prison Therefore those who had been scattered went about preaching the word Wow They would speak the truth convincingly even though they were persecuted even though they've been driven from their homes even though they were in threat of losing their lives they still went about preaching and teaching about the Christ Because they spoke the truth Convincing let me ask you a question.

Do you do that? Are you the kind of person that speaks the truth? Convincing Let me give you seven words that you can evaluate whether or not you do this Seven very simple words all beginning with the letter a Okay, if you speak the truth convincingly you speak the truth Apostolically Apostolically Why do I say that?

Jesus said the disciples in John's at the 21st over 21 as the Father has sent me so send I you What is an apostle? Apostle is a sent one One who has been sent forth And we know that there were 12 Apostles, right? They were 12 Apostles with a capital a But we are Apostles with a little a Okay, we haven't seen the resurrected Christ But we are still sent ones because as the Father has sent me so send I you listen Listen, you were you were chosen in eternity past You were called with a holy calling Once you were called you were converted once you were converted you were cleansed Once you were cleansed guess what you were commissioned by God to go and proclaim the gospel That's why the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse number 21 or 20 these words Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us We beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God You see we are Apostles and ambassadors We are the ones who have been sent with a very unique message about the kingdom in which we represent we are aliens and strangers in this land and God has commissioned us to go and preach the gospel.

That's why the Bible says as you go make disciples And as you go making disciples You baptize them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and you teach them to observe all That I've commanded you But the Lord says we are in the process of going.

Why are we going? Where are we going? We are representatives of a greater kingdom not the kingdom of this earth, but the kingdom of heaven and we are the Ambassadors of that kingdom we are the Apostles the sent ones from that kingdom to proclaim the gospel That's why we say if you're gonna speak the truth convincingly, you're gonna speak it Apostolically, in other words, you are convinced that you've been called by God and that you have been commissioned by God to preach the gospel If you understand that the early church did the Apostles did Peter James John all those guys they knew that God had commissioned them to preach the truth and They were unwavering in their commitment.

See if you've been called by God Because you have been cleansed by him Then you are commissioned by him to be his ambassador To be his Apostle his sent one You are sent into your sphere into your arena in which you exist So each of you has a different sphere in which you live out your spiritual life, right? Some of you are in this place of employment and others are in in this place of employment Some of you are in elementary schools Some of you are in public schools and in in high schools and junior high schools Some of you are in Christian schools.

Some of you are in in in In in in places of government in our in our country. Some of you are in in places of employment with the LAPD or with Fire department or whatever job you might have That's your sphere. That's where you have been sent by God to speak the truth convincingly and You have to be absolutely sure that this is where God wants you to be because if it is then you have been commissioned by Him to be his representative. You are an ambassador of the Living God and you are pleading with people be reconciled to God So if you speak the truth convincingly you speak it apostolically number two If you speak the truth convincingly you speak the truth Authoritatively You speak the truth authoritatively in other words You don't have authority but God's Word is authoritative That's why the Bible says in Luke's Gospel in Luke's Gospel The fourth chapter verse number 32 and they were amazed at the teaching of Christ for his message was one with authority Authority why because they were the words of God So when you speak the words of God you automatically speak authoritatively because you're not giving your opinion You're not telling people what you think because what you think is irrelevant your opinion is Irrelevant, but what is relevant and true is the authoritative word of the Living God?

so Paul says at Titus In chapter 2 verse number 15 these things speak and exhort and reprove with all Authority What things he just said verse 11 for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly righteously and godly in the present age Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself of people for his own possession Zealous for good deeds these things you speak and exhort and reprove with all Authority and let no one Disregard you See that's why that's that's how you speak the truth convincingly Because you speak authoritatively Not because you are an authority But because the words you speak are the words of the Living God as you open the scriptures the truth and That truth is extremely Convicting That word is authoritative because of the words of the true and living God So those who speak the truth convincingly they speak it apostolically they speak it authoritatively they speak it Absolutely In other words truth is absolute There are no gray areas in truth Truth is black and white It's very clear It's absolute There is nothing that should cause you to back away because of the absolute nature of truth It is that which gives you courage boldness It gives you the kind of confidence that you need So Paul says in 2nd Timothy 4 verse number 2 preach the word in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and patience Speak that which is true In absolutes Why Because we know very clearly what God's Word says So when Paul says I am convinced When Paul tells Timothy you have been convinced of The holy scriptures that have been taught to you by your mother and your grandmother.

They made you wise into salvation These words have convinced you because they are the absolute truth that God has given to you And so when you speak you speak authoritatively because you speak in absolutes There's only one way to heaven There's not a variety of ways to heaven. There's only one way to heaven Paul says these things are written that your John says these things are written that you may know that you have Eternal life. We know we have eternal life How do you know you're going to heaven when you die?

It's based on what God's Word says We understand that and Because we do we believe it. In fact John says this way in first John chapter 2 first John chapter 2 John says Sorry first.

Yeah first John 2 verse number I'm sorry. I'm still in Peter my pages are stuck together if I wouldn't spit so much they probably wouldn't get stuck together, but That's what happens but I'm about new for a new new Bible it's been five years in this one And so every five years I have to get a new one because it begins to to fall apart and all my pages start to Stick together. So we start our study in Thessalonians. I'll I'll get it my new Bible out and be all shiny and new and Sparkly and all that kind of good stuff and then about a year later.

It'll be all Tattered and torn up again, but that's okay first John chapter 2 says These words verse 20, but you have an anointing from the Holy One and you all know I Have not written to you because you don't know the truth But because you do know it and because no lie is of the truth Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?

This is the Antichrist The one who denies the Father and the Son John says, you know these things, you know that the Son is God You know that the Father is God You can speak absolutely about the deity of Christ You can speak absolutely about the reality of heaven and hell Why because God's Word speaks to those things? Listen the person you're speaking to Might not be convinced But your job is not to convince them Your job is just to speak the truth convincingly And you do it when you speak the truth apostolically when you speak the truth authoritatively And when you speak the truth Absolutely, and then number four you speak the truth Affectionately Affectionately because you speak the truth Ephesians 4 15 in love Remember first Corinthians 13 verse number six love never rejoices in unrighteousness but love rejoices always in the truth always does Love rejoices in the truth Love never rejoices in unrighteousness But Paul over in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 says these words verse number 7 We proved to be gentle among you as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her children Having so fond and affection for you.

We were well pleased to impart to you. Not only the gospel of God But also our own lives because you had become very dear to us Verse 10 you are witnesses And so is God how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers Just as you know how we were exhorting encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father with his own children So that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his kingdom and into his glory There's a genuineness there There's a transparency there There's an authenticity there when you speak the truth affectionately You're speaking it simply because it has genuinely done a work in you in such a way That people see the change that's in you.

Why because you speak the truth genuinely not hypocritically You speak the word Transparently in other words you want people to see your life Paul one of those in Thessalonica to see his life Because his life backed what it is he said and those in Thessalonica Followed him. In fact, the church of Thessalonica is the only church in the new testament. That's called the pattern for all the other churches No other new testament church is called the pattern But the church of Thessalonica, it's called a pattern why because they were Adhering to the pattern that paul had set before them as he lived his life affectionately before their lives So if i'm going to speak the truth convincingly I'm going to speak the truth Apostolically authoritatively absolutely affectionately.

I'm going to speak the truth authentically Authentically There is something authentic about the truth in other words if i'm going to tell you about god's power of scripture To transform a life and my life has not been transformed. There's a problem there Right if i'm speaking about how god gives me victory over sin, but I can't get victory over my sin There's a problem there, right? There's a major problem there And so you are speaking the word Authentically because it's done a work in your own life in a very powerful kind of way So if i'm talking to you about how god works in your marriage and my marriage stinks You're gonna have a hard time believing what god says about marriage, right?

Because it's not being lived out Authentically in my life if I can't overcome sin personal sin Secret sin in my life. How can I help you overcome secret sin in your life? I can't if I can't do it in mine. How can I help you do it in yours? So you speak the truth convincingly when you speak it Authentically it's done a work in you. That's what paul did in second thessalonians chapter two It's also what he did in second corinthians chapter four When he said these words in verse one and two Therefore since we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart But we have renounced the things hidden because of shame not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of god but by the manifestation of truth Commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of god We have walked according to the truth So therefore you have no reason to doubt what it is.

We say Because it's been authenticated in our lives So those who speak the truth convincingly Are a church that's a pillar and support of the truth And they do so because they speak it apostolically authoritatively absolutely affectionately authentically And number six they speak it accurately Accurately acts chapter 18 Tells us that a man named apollos. He was a jew Alexandrine by birth Chapter 18 of acts verse number 24 He's a man who came to ephesus and he was a man who was mighty in the scriptures What a testimony Mighty in the scriptures That's the way all of us should aspire to live mighty in the truth This man had been instructed in the way of the lord And being fervent in spirit he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning jesus being acquainted only with the baptism of john And he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue But when priscilla and aquila heard him they took him aside and explained to him the way of god more accurately And when he wanted to go across to aki The brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him and when he arrived He greatly helped those who had believed through grace for he powerfully refuted the jews in public Demonstrating by the scriptures that jesus was the christ In other words, he only knew about the baptism of john He hadn't even heard about the the baptism of the spirit.

He hadn't even heard about the the messiah's ministry in his death and resurrection But when a priscilla and quilla took him aside and began to instruct him in the ways of god more accurately he became More bold he became more courageous. He was able to refute jews who stood against the christ Because he was convinced that jesus was the messiah And he preached the truth accurately That's why the bible says in second hebrews 2 15 study to show yourself approved unto god a workman that needeth not to be ashamed Rightly dividing the word of truth The church that's the pillar in support of the truth Speaks the truth convincingly Because they speak it apostolically Authentically authoritatively absolutely affectionately accurately and lastly my favorite They speak the truth That's it right there They speak the truth apocalyptically Apocalyptically in other words the apocalypsis the unveiling of the messiah The book of revelation is called the Apocalypsis, right?

It's the unveiling of christ Because it unveils him in all of his glory When you speak the truth apocalyptically You speak it with urgency You speak it with fervency You speak it with tenacity. Why? Because jesus Is coming And paul said in second martin chapter 5 verse number 10 knowing the terror of the lord we persuade men There's something about knowing that the jesus christ should come at any moment That we want to tell others about the christ So they don't spend eternity separated from the christ The reason our message is not as fervent as it needs to be The reason we are not so eager to preach the gospel is because we're not living in the light of the return of christ He's coming again We're about to partake of the lord's table as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup You do proclaim the lord's death Until he comes in other words.

There is a constant reminder to live in anticipation of the coming of christ And when you preach the gospel Apocalypticly, that's what paul said in in second timothy chapter 4 verse number one When he said I solemnly charge you in the presence of god and of christ jesus who is to judge the living And the dead and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word in other words.

Jesus is coming And timothy if this doesn't motivate you to preach the word nothing else will And the reason we are not as compelled as we need to be is because we have forgotten that we're ambassadors of a great kingdom And that we've been sent by the living god to represent him to a lost world And because our christ is soon to come again and because he's going to come again We want others to be able to receive him as well so that they might go to be with him as you are going to be With him So important to realize that That's why over in chapter 17 of the book of acts It says in verse number 30 therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent Because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness Through a man whom he's appointed having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead In other words, everybody needs to repent why because jesus is to judge and jesus is coming again So you preach the gospel Apocalypticly in other words you preach it as if jesus is coming today Today That's why that's why I was drawn to to ritchie hernandez when he came to our church I'm gonna go see him on tuesday night I Think j and I went to spend some time with him and he could hardly speak Because cancer had had riddled his body And you know what he said he just said I just I just want I just want to serve The lord I'm looking for ways that I can serve the lord I want to be of service to my To my lord I thought to myself Here's a guy Who's dying?

And all he can think about is serving the lord And we go to church with people on sunday who are living Who don't serve the lord If that's too convicting for you, I'm sorry about that, but you need to understand this He died yesterday, which he did he went home to be with the lord But till his death He wanted to serve the lord He would share the gospel of people with his family his children his friends That's the way he lived his life He lost the battle but won the war Right lost the battle of cancer but won the war because now he's in glory he's the victor But he lived a a great and wonderful life for the glory of his king So as aj and I sat there and holding his hand and and talking to him We reminded him that you know, you just need to Tell the lord i'm ready whenever you take me Just tell him you can't wait to get there He's prepared a mansion for you It's yours alone The crowns await you And you close your eyes and then open them in the presence of the great king Can life get any better than that?

The answer is no it can't Because we're all going to die Every one of us Some today Some tomorrow Some a decade from now Some a half a century from now But we're all going to die In the meantime Because we know that it's been appointed the man wants to die and after that the judgment We speak the truth convincingly because we know where we're going to go when we die And To do that we speak it apocalypticly Jesus is coming Are you ready? Will you be ready when he arrives? My prayer is that you do The church that's a pillar in support of the truth Studies the truth carefully If they've studied it carefully They will show it clearly Right If they show it clearly They can speak it Convincingly Let's pray Father we thank you for our time together today The opportunity we have to study the word of the lord What a joy We thank you father for the truth Thank you, that's absolute Thank you that it's authoritative Thank you father that you've given it to us To speak it forth In a way that others will know That we believe in the lord jesus christ We are convinced That you're able to guard that what you've entrusted to us until that day We are convinced That you are the messiah the son of the living god And we are convinced That you're coming again And we are convinced That there is a heaven And that there is hell And those who confess christ as lord and savior And believe in their heart that god raised them from the dead They'll go to heaven Those who don't They will perish And lord because we live in a world that's perishing Help us to be apocalyptic In our approach to every day Because we never know When you're going to return we would pray to be today That would be the greatest day ever But if you tarry May we speak the truth Convincing In jesus name amen