End Times
Well, one last invitation to the Church of the Nazarene in Boksburg this Sunday as we kick off the English service, 8:00 AM - and anytime you want to come along on a Sunday morning. I'm probably going to be there most of the time, and I'd love to have you come and worship with us.
The articles of faith we've been talking about this week obviously belong to the Church of the Nazarene, but I hope that whatever tradition you're part of, you've seen how these are true, and these are orthodox beliefs that we all share as Christians.
The Promise of Christ's Return
The last two, Articles 15 and 16, talk about end times. 15 talks about the second coming of Christ. We believe that Jesus will come to earth again and that the believers who died will be resurrected and join Him, and those who are still alive and abiding in Christ will be carried away to meet Jesus in the air and then will always be with the Lord. What a day that is going to be. And we look forward to it with joy.
Final Judgment and Eternity
And Article 16 is about the judgment day, in which the bodies of all people will be raised, and those who are in Christ will rise to live or be saved finally. But those who were not in Christ and who've lived in evil will rise to be condemned and will suffer eternally in hell. And that is just such a sad thought, such a sad thought that people are going to go through that, but we believe it. It's a constant theme throughout Jesus' teaching as well as the whole New Testament.
Living in Readiness
And so I wonder if these two realities are part of your daily faith, the reality that at any time Jesus could come again and we've got to be ready. Remember how we said you've got to be ready because it's going to come like a thief in the night. You're not going to be expecting it.
This is why we believe so desperately in holiness that we spoke about on Wednesday and in expecting it every hour. Remember that, because Jesus could come at any moment. And so let's be ready by living in the Spirit.
Our Mission of Witness
And oh, let's share the good news, my friends, so that those who aren't in Christ can be in Christ! I pray that our lives and our words and everything about us will be such a witness to the goodness of Jesus, that people who are separated from God will come to know His good news through us and won't have to suffer an eternity apart from God.
May it be that our lives draw people into His presence because we are so Christlike. Because our love and our goodness make people want to know who this Jesus that we love is.
Do you know the beliefs of your denomination? I've found such worth in learning these sixteen articles of faith as I've joined this denomination. It's really grounded me in the basics of the faith, and I hope that you've experienced that as well this week, because, friends, we've got to know what we're about as believers so that we can explain to all why we have the hope that we do.
And so go well, my friends. Have a wonderful weekend. Pray for us on Sunday as we start at the new church. I want to thank you as always for your ongoing support of this ministry. Take care. God bless you all.
