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  DISCERN THE CHURCH
  by Thaddeus Barnum
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of discerning the state
of the church today and ensuring that it is a place of refuge with a
solid foundation in Jesus Christ. It highlights the urgency for both
believers and the church to be rescued and to call others to safety,
drawing parallels to Noah's ark and the watchmen of the Old Testament.
The message warns against being deceived by outward appearances and
stresses the need for the church to prioritize the strength of the
gospel and the reviving power of the Holy Spirit.

Topics: "Discernment in the Church", "The Urgency of Spiritual Refuge"
Scripture References: Matthew 7:24, Hebrews 4:12, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 3:11

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of discerning the state of the
church today and ensuring that it is a place of refuge with a solid
foundation in Jesus Christ. It highlights the urgency for both believers
and the church to be rescued and to call others to safety, drawing
parallels to Noah's ark and the watchmen of the Old Testament. The
message warns against being deceived by outward appearances and stresses
the need for the church to prioritize the strength of the gospel and the
reviving power of the Holy Spirit.

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CONTENT
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Last time we talked, I raised the question, friend, can you and I
discern the present times that we're in? It's so necessary. Today, I
want to ask the next question, which is this, can we discern the state
of the church today? Are we doing the job that we're supposed to do? And
if so, what is it? I run to the scriptures with this question. I run to
the end of Matthew seven.

I run to that moment when Jesus, Jesus takes us to this image of a storm
out there, powerful, considerable strength, and it's coming. Hey, can
you see it? Are you aware of it? Do you know what it can do to you? Not
only in this age, but also in the age to come. If so, then what happens
inside of us is that there's an, an urgency.

There's a, there's a, an urgency inside for us to be rescued us to be
safe. And for us to call people to be safe. I mean, you can imagine this
was the preaching of Noah, build the ark, get into the ark where it's
safe before the storm comes.

You can see it in the, in the watchman of the old Testament, they would
stand guard over the city and they would see the enemy coming. They
would cry out urgency, urgency, so that people could prepare. People
could be safe.

Now, the problem I've got with the text here in the, in the, in the, in
the sermon on the mount that Jesus gives us is that there are two houses
and both houses look exactly the same. The difference is actually their
foundations. But if you're not, if you're not wise, you're going to run
to the wrong house.

And that imagery just scares me to death that people would say, ah, I
can see the storm and they run into the house that's built on sand, not
built on the rock. And that's our work. That's our job.

That's the job of the church to make sure that we are assuring the
people that we, that we're, that we're speaking to that this place is
safe. This place is a place of refuge. This has got a foundation that is
solid for that foundation is Jesus Christ.

Here's my problem. I think sometimes our preachers are so looking at the
people out there today, how to please the people, how to make sure
they're cared for, make sure we're politically correct. Most of all, the
growing churches entertain them, give them the best music, make sure
they're doing well.

Give them an inspiring talk, a motivational talk, do anything possible
to bring them inside. But my friends, it isn't the strength of the
gospel that we need today. The children that are being raised up in our,
in our day need a strength that is stronger than entertainment.

We need the gospel to be strong, but most of all, we need the reviving
power of the Holy Spirit back upon the church. My friends, are you sure
the church is doing well today? Oh, they're coming in. But is this a
place that's safe?

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/6RB1OlZG5GE.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thaddeus-barnum/discern-the-church/
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