The Myth of the Extremes:
Often we hear about the dangers of the "two extremes" in the church -- legalism and worldly compromise -- and how to avoid them. While these are definitely issues that should be addressed, Satan is far wiser and less obvious than this, and his "two beautiful counterfeits" fall much closer to what most would consider "the center," lulling the vast majority in the middle into a false sense of security as they compare themselves to the two extremes on the fringes. In this sermon we examine what those two beautiful counterfeits are according to Scripture so that we will not continue to fall into them.
An Army of New Creatures:
By beholding we become changed. We must be born again. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. These statements are familiar to us, but do we really believe they can happen in our own lives, and if so, HOW? God is raising up an army of new creatures, preparing them for Earth's last, great battle. We may go to church every week, we may know everything about the mark of the beast, we may feed the homeless and even spread the gospel on mission trips worldwide, but if we are not born again, it is all for naught and just works, which amount to nothing. The first sermon diagnoses the problem; this sermon outlines God's one and only solution.
Three Pillars of Fire:
The Word of God promises that we will be refined in the fires of affliction to prepare our characters to reflect His image. This is particularly true for the generation that will face the final conflict. But what do these refining fires entail? How can we know what to expect in this process? The Bible clearly outlines the three areas of our hearts that God will refine so that we can truly say we love Him with our "whole heart" which is the first and greatest commandment. This sermon is a real eye-opener for those who desire to walk by faith. Are we really giving our entire heart to Him in our daily walk? Scripture faithfully tells us how to know if we are and this sermon outlines the process.
Hearts of Armageddon:
In sermon one we let the Word diagnose the problem ("What"). Sermon two pointed out God's solution ("How"). Sermon three showed Scripture's clear road map through the three areas refined in the fire ("Where"). Our final sermon answers what could be the most important question for our generation: "Why?" While Satan seduces the middle with his two beautiful counterfeits, he has in reserve one, final, grand counterfeit, from which the other two flow. One, final counterfeit unleashed on the final generation with a magnitude of force never seen before. This is his last-ditch effort against those who avoided his two beautiful deceptions through holding onto Christ. But God has one, final miracle reserved for planet earth, which, like Satan's grand counterfeit, has not been witnessed in all of earth's history. When these two forces clash, like massive colliding continents, we can know that we are in the battle of Armageddon. God's previous preparation of our hearts is our only hope in that final hour. This sermon will remind God's people of their true role at the end of time, and why the Three Angels' Messages are so vitally important.
