Forerunner Christian Fellowship – Mike Bickle
Being Lovers of the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10) Page 4
Being Lovers of the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10)
I. the End-Time conflict over the truth of who Jesus is
A. In the End-Times there will be a battle for the truth about Jesus. The Holy Spirit was sent to glorify and exalt Jesus by guiding us into all truth about Him. Truth is a gift of God.
13 The Spirit of truth…will guide you into all truth…He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (Jn. 16:13-14)
B. In the last days some believers will give heed to doctrines that lie about the person of Jesus.
1 The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…2 having their conscience seared… (1 Tim. 4:1-2)
C. The conflict in the End-Times will center around defining who Jesus is and how we love Him. We must love God on His terms. Love for God is loyalty to His truth as seen in Jesus. Our love must be expressed in alliance with the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of humanist sentiment.
D. Three offensive truths about Jesus include, first, His deity thus His right to establish absolute standards for which the nations are accountable to Him for. Jesus is NOT tolerant and accepting of everyone’s view of righteousness and love. Second, the only way of salvation is through Jesus. Third, that He possesses the wisdom and love to judge sin in time and eternity.
22 Consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (Rom. 11:22)
E. Love for the truth is more than adherence to it but it takes a firm stand regardless of the cost. Loving truth requires that we commit to accept any new ideas as long as they are substantiated in the Scripture regardless of how different they are from my religious background.
7 The mystery of lawlessness is already at work…9 The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all
unrighteous deception…because they did not receive the love of the truth… (2 Thes. 2:7-10)
F. The mystery of lawlessness includes man’s “surprising capacity” to hate Jesus and love sin. Humanists believe man is basically good and innocent, thus they hate God’s judgments.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer. 17:9)
23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25…They hated Me without a cause. (Jn. 15:23-25)
9 They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 Many will…betray one another, and will hate one another. (Mt. 24:9-10)
G. Some are naïve about the depth of sin in which many will walk in End-Times. The fullness of man’s sin will be seen in the actions of evil people against one another (Rev. 9:21).
21 They did not repent of their murders...sorceries...sexual immorality or thefts. (Rev. 9:21)
1. Murder: the primary sin on earth (Rev. 6:9-11; 7:13-14; 13:7; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2) 2. Sorceries: occult and demon worship will fill the earth (Rev. 13:3-15; 14:11; 16:13-14)3. Immorality: demon energized perversion (Rev. 9:20-21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:3; 19:2)4. Theft: legislation and persecution motivated by theft (i.e., the Nazi’s anti-Semitism)
H. Sin will reach the greatest heights ever in all history in the generation in which the Lord returns.
23 In the latter time…when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king (Antichrist) shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. (Dan. 8:23)
I. Sin will escalate to such a degree that it will surpass the violence in the days of Noah.
5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence… (Gen. 6:5-11)
J. The Antichrist be followed and worshipped in every nation.
3 All the world marveled and followed the beast (Antichrist)… 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life… (Rev. 13:3, 8)
K. The nations will hate Jesus and rage with anger against His love and truth.
1 Why do the nations rage…? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves…against the Lord …saying, 3 "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords…" (Ps. 2:1-3)
18 The nations were angry and Your wrath has come… (Rev. 11:18)
L. Judgment is necessary because God has created the human spirit with the great dignity of free will. Many use their free will to hate God’s love, truth and people. Our freedom to act in love or hatred has real consequences. Our choices really matter to God and really affect others.
II. The most important question: what is the truth about Jesus
A. The question to the End-Time leaders is “who do they say Jesus is”. Jesus has called His people to partnership with Him through prayer that binds and looses in agreement with His Word.
13 He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 They said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah..." 15 He said, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Peter answered…, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered…, "Blessed are you…for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father…18 On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom…and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Mt. 16:13-19)
B. The Book of Revelation is a “prayer manual” to equip the Church to partner with Jesus in confronting Satan’s authority. The miracles of Exodus and Acts will be combined and multiplied on a global level. This “Jn. 14:12 prayer anointing” will loose revival and the Tribulation and will bind the works of Satan. The Tribulation redemptive judgments will be released by the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8; 6:9-11; 8:3-5; 9:13; 10:6; 14:18; 16:7; 19:2).
12 The works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do… (Jn. 14:12)
C. The Tribulation is released by the praying End-Time church under Jesus’ leadership in the way that Moses released the plagues or tribulation on Egypt and the how first apostles established the Church in the Book of Acts. The Book of Revelation is an “eschatological Book of Acts” in that it is a record of the acts of the Holy Spirit through the End-Time apostles and prophets.
D. The End-Time prayer movement under Jesus’ leadership will both bind and release judgment.
4 The prayers of the saints, ascended before God…5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth… (Rev. 8:4-5)
E. The primary theme of the Tribulation is God’s judgment against the Antichrist’s empire that is being released by the End-Time Church. The secondary theme is ...
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