Month: August 2020

Message 14: Preaching the Gospel

III. The call to preach the gospel and save people comes from four directions

C. The third direction from which a call for the gospel comes is an inward call, an irresistible call, an urgent, inward sense of responsibility—1 Cor. 9:16–17
1 Corinthians 9:16–17 For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 If I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a stewardship.
1. When we receive His salvation, we also receive His commission and spontaneously feel a spiritual responsibility
2. This stewardship is in our innermost heart, and through the moving of the Holy Spirit, it becomes a burden, a pressing voice, that compels us to preach the gospel

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, watch the following short video podcast sometime during the day.

Message 14: Preaching the Gospel

III. The call to preach the gospel and save people comes from four directions

A. The first call comes from above, from the heavens; it is according to the Lord’s command, which He spoke immediately before His ascension; from the day of His ascension, His call from above has never ceased—Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19; cf. Rom 10:14
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call upon Him into whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe into Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without one who proclaims Him?

B. The second call comes from the cry of the rich man who was suffering in the flames of Hades—Luke 16:27–28
Luke 16:27–28 And he said, Then I ask you, Father, to send him to the house of my father — For I have five brothers — so that he may solemnly testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.
1. His cry indicates that there must be many in Hades who have a desire that their relatives on earth would hear the gospel and be saved in order to escape the suffering of perdition—Luke 16:27–28
2. We should be moved by these pitiful cries and go to the living, who still have a chance to repent, to preach the gospel that can save them from eternal perdition

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, watch the following short video podcast sometime during the day.

Message 14: Preaching the Gospel

II. Depositing the silver with the bankers signifies using the Lord’s gift to lead others to salvation and to minister His riches to them; interest signifies the profitable result we gain for the Lord’s work by using His gift—Matt. 25:27; Luke 19:23
Matthew 25:27 Therefore you should have deposited my money with the money changers; and when I came, I would have recovered what is mine with interest.
Luke 19:23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and when I came, I would have collected it with interest?
Matthew 24:45 Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time?

A. We have to contact the bankers and deposit our talent with them—Matt. 25:27; 24:45

B. The bankers are the very sinners whom we are going to visit; we need to deposit our talent with these bankers, and then we will receive some interest—Matt. 25:27

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, watch the following short video podcast sometime during the day.

Here is this week’s outline & verses in a downloadable PDF format.

2020 Summer Truth Pursuit Week 14

Message 14: Preaching the Gospel

Scripture Reading: Matt.25:14–30; 1 Cor. 3:10–15; 2 Cor. 5:10; John 4:35–38; Matt. 28:19; Luke 16:27–28; 1 Cor. 9:16–17; Acts 16:9; Rom. 1:14; Acts 1:8

I. Our talent is the seed for sowing and the possessions for scattering; therefore, we need to reap where the Lord has not sown and gather where He has not scattered—Matt. 25:24–27; John 4:35–38
Matthew 25:24–27 Then he who had received the one talent also came and said, Master, I knew about you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow. 25 And I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the earth; behold, you have what is yours. 26 And his master answered and said to him, Evil and slothful slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not winnow. 27 Therefore you should have deposited my money with the money changers; and when I came, I would have recovered what is mine with interest.
John 4:35–37 Do you not say that there are yet four months and then the harvest comes? Behold, I tell you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are already white for harvest. 36 He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto eternal life, in order that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true, One sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.

A. When we preach the gospel to people, we are sowing the seed of the Lord’s gospel into the field of their hearts; when the seed of the gospel grows in their hearts, it can be harvested—John 4:35–38

B. Sometimes others sow and we reap and sometimes we sow and others reap; the seed of the gospel, which was sown into them through a tract, may be reaped and brought in by us years later

C. Therefore, we should preach the gospel whenever we meet people and sow the seed of the gospel into their hearts so that there will be a harvest in due time

Read over the outline points and verses above and use these for your prayer to spend time with the Lord in the Word in the morning. After your prayer time, jot down in your notebook one or two things that the Lord touched you with.

Later, watch the following short video podcast sometime during the day.

Here is this week’s outline & verses in a downloadable PDF format.

2020 Summer Truth Pursuit Week 13

Spend some time this morning to open up to the Lord in prayer regarding what He touched you with during the previous six days. Review your notes and the outline points and verses. Ask the Lord what He would have you share with all the saints. Prepare a prophecy (1-2 minutes long) to share with the saints what you enjoyed this week.

Here is a hymn you can use for your morning revival this morning: The Day Approaches.

Message 13: The Three Stages of Salvation & Reward and Discipline

Scripture Reading: Heb. 2:3a; 12:1; Acts 26:19; 1 Cor. 9:24; Phil. 3:12–14; 2 Tim. 4:7–8; Rev. 22:12; 1 Pet. 1:3–9; Matt. 16:27; 24:27; 24:42–44; 25:1–13; 25:14–30; Acts 10:42; Heb. 9:28; Rom. 9:21, 23a, 24a; 2 Tim. 2:21; Eph. 3:17; 5:18; Matt. 24:45

I. The first stage of salvation is the stage of regeneration and in this stage our spirit is saved; this is the beginning of the Christian life—John 3:6; 1 Pet. 1:3
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

II. The second stage is the progressing stage, the stage of transformation; this stage saves us in our soul; from our spirit we need to allow Christ to spread into our soul day by day; by opening to Him, by praying and by confessing our sins, we allow Him to spread in us; this spreading is our sanctification—Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Pet. 1:9 and note 55
Romans 12:2 And do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.

III. The third stage is the completing stage; in this stage our body is saved and God’s complete salvation reaches its climax—Rom. 8:23, 29–30; 1 Pet. 5:5
Romans 8:23 And not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers;
Romans 8:30 And those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Philippians 3:21 Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory, according to His operation by which He is able even to subject all things to Himself.

A. In this stage, our body is conformed to the body of the Lord’s glory and is transfigured, glorified—2 Tim. 4:7–8; Phil. 3:21

B. By this stage, our spirit will be full of life due to regeneration; our soul will be full of Christ due to sanctification and transformation, and our body will be full of the glory of the Lord; then we will fully be sons of God, full of God’s life, expressing God and representing Him eternally—Rom. 8:30

C. We can only arrive at this stage by being initially saved and then by being sanctified and transformed; to arrive at this stage we must go on to enjoy Him as the Spirit and the Word and cooperate with Him daily, allowing Him to spread in us by always following His leading within and by confessing our sins and shortcomings to Him—John 6:63

IV. The Scriptures repeatedly mention that the Lord will come again and the age will come to an end; this is a fact that the whole human race must face—Matt. 16:27; 24:27, 30; 26:64; Acts 1:11; 2 Pet. 3:4, 9; Rev. 22:7, 12, 20
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each man according to his doings.
Matthew 24:27 For just as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 24:30 And at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, You have said rightly. Nevertheless I say to you, From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.

V. Christ has a number of statuses at His coming
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly well that like a thief in the night, so the day of the Lord comes.
Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of the heavens is just like a man about to go abroad, who called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions.
Acts 10:42 And He has charged us to proclaim to the people and solemnly testify that this is the One who was designated by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time to those who eagerly await Him, apart from sin, unto salvation.

A. As a thief to take away (rapture) His overcomers—Matt. 24:42–44; 1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 12:5

B. As a bridegroom to marry His bride—Matt. 25:1–13; Rev. 19:7

C. As a master to settle account with His slaves—Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 19:12–27

D. As a judge to execute judgment—Acts 10:42; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 4:17
1. The judgment will begin from the house of God—1 Pet. 4:17
2. At the judgment seat, Christ will judge His believers not concerning their eternal salvation but concerning their dispensational reward and punishment—1 Cor. 3:11–15; Matt. 25:30.
3. The reward of the prepared saints includes entering into the joy of Christ’s wedding feast and reigning with Him for a thousand years in the millennial kingdom—Matt 25:10,
22–23; Rev. 19:7–9; 20:6.
4. The punishment of the unprepared saints includes suffering loss, discipline and being perfected in the outer darkness with the weeping and gnashing of teeth during the thousand years—1 Cor. 3:15; Matt. 24:51; 25:30.

E. As a Savior to accomplish God’s complete salvation—Heb. 9:28; 1 Thes. 1:10; Phil. 3:20–21

VI. How to prepare for the Lord’s second coming
Read Matthew 25:1–13, then pray over verses 1, 2, 4 and 10
Matthew 25:1 At that time the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish and five were prudent. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them; 4 But the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Matthew 25:5 And while the bridegroom delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Go forth to meet him! 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their own lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. 9 But the prudent answered, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.
Matthew 25:10 And as they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came; and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast. And the door was shut. 11 And later the rest of the virgins came also, saying, Lord, lord, open to us! 12 But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. 13 Watch therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

A. Preparation in life—by being filled with the Spirit as the extra portion of oil in our vessel (our soul)—Matt. 25:1–13, Rom. 9:21, 23a, 24a; 2 Tim. 2:21
1. We must believe into the Lord Jesus so that we can be saved and regenerated. Thus, Christ, as the life-giving Spirit, enters into our spirit; this is to have oil in our lamps—Prov. 20:27; 1 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 8:16
2. We must let Christ make home in our hearts so that He, as the pneumatic Christ, will saturate our soul (mind, emotion and will); this is to have oil in our vessels—Eph. 3:17; 5:18; 2 Cor. 3:16–18; Matt. 25:3–4

B. Preparation in service—by faithfully using our spiritual talents (gifts)—Matt 25:14–30;
Luke 19:12–26
Read Matthew 25:14–30, then pray over the following verses.
Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of the heavens is just like a man about to go abroad, who called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions. 15 To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went abroad. 16 Immediately he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained another five….20 And he who had received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents; behold, I have gained another five talents. 21 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.
1. According to the two parables in Matthew 25 and Luke 19, the Lord will judge us according to how faithful we are in using our spiritual talents
2. The Lord will judge us if we “bury” our God-given spiritual talents in the world (the earth)
3. We should invest our talents in the church (the bank) by coordinating with the saints for fruit-bearing and by ministering the riches given to us by God to others (the money changers)—Luke 19:23; Matt. 25:27

C. Our preparation in life and in service are not two separate things but one thing with two aspects: enjoying Christ as life while giving food to God’s household at the appointed time; this is the practice of shepherding—Matt. 24:45

Further reading:
God’s Full Salvation, Lessons 22–23.