======================================================================== WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE NEEDED FOR THE CHURCH TODAY? by Alan Baker ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the urgent call for believers in the West to wake up from spiritual slumber and complacency, highlighting the dangers of comfortable Christianity that lacks self-denial and demands little from us. The signs of the Messiah's imminent return are evident, especially through the flourishing of Israel and the return of the Jewish people to their homeland. The message stresses the importance of being spiritually prepared, developing an intimate relationship with God, and actively participating in the harvest of souls before Christ's return. Topics: "Spiritual Awakening", "Preparedness for Christ's Return" Scripture References: Romans 13:11, Matthew 24:32, Matthew 25:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Ephesians 5:27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the urgent call for believers in the West to wake up from spiritual slumber and complacency, highlighting the dangers of comfortable Christianity that lacks self-denial and demands little from us. The signs of the Messiah's imminent return are evident, especially through the flourishing of Israel and the return of the Jewish people to their homeland. The message stresses the importance of being spiritually prepared, developing an intimate relationship with God, and actively participating in the harvest of souls before Christ's return. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I believe for the body of Christ, it is simply to wake up. We need to be aroused from our slumber. And that's very pertinent to the believers in the West. As I mentioned, I was stuck in Chile, and I got out by miracle of God, and next day I couldn't get out. But coming back here into Canada, you could taste the freedom, you could sense the freedom. But it is dangerous, okay? Because it's comfortable. It's a comfortable Christianity. It doesn't demand much from us. There's not much self-denial. And that's dangerous. We got these idlers in our lives, and they're lulling us to sleep. So there's a call, I believe there's a call for the church worldwide to wake up. The Messiah is coming. We see all the signs around us. There's no question about it. These things are accelerating at a remarkable pace towards his return. Look at Israel, established under the state of Israel in 1948. Look at the fact how that land has flourished and blossomed and grown, and the Jewish people are coming home miraculously from all corners of the world. This is a wake-up call for us. And Jesus said this, you know, when you see the fig tree blossom, then take note. And the fig tree, symbolic of Israel, is blossoming. And Israel is the key. Israel is the time clock. Jerusalem is that second hand. So I'm always watching Israel. But the call is to wake up. Wake up from your slumber. What's distracting you? What's keeping you away from God's best? Distractions. We just talked about that a few minutes ago. There's many distractions upon our lives, seeking to get us off that narrow path. And we don't want to miss it. These are tremendous days of opportunity. Tremendous days of opportunity. The souls are coming in the kingdom. There's a tremendous harvest. So we want to be out in that harvest. And we don't want to miss it. But we have to make choices in order. We have to look at our lives and say, how much of our lives is being used for the kingdom of God and how much not is. So the call is to waken up and to get back to him, to develop that intimate relationship with him. And God is working intensely in our lives. He's preparing us as that bride. He's purifying. He's cleansing us. Those things which we could allow in our lives, say, two, three years ago, we can't allow in our lives that because he wants us ready. So the scary thing is in the parable of the ten virgins, five were ready, five were not. I don't want to be part of the bride which is not ready. So we need to be prepared, spiritually prepared, spiritually prepared for his return and spiritually prepared for whatever's coming. We're living in chaotic times. We're living in uncertain times. We're living in times of suddenness, suddenness. Things can happen whenever and however. We need to be prepared for that. We need to be prepared. And the only way to be truly prepared is to have that close, intimate, personal relationship with him. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/V9FWqpoc2Cc.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/alan-baker/what-is-the-most-important-message-needed-for-the-church-today/ ========================================================================