One Day God Will Shut the Door

Good to see you all, family. Thank you for praying for Olu and me as we were in Atlanta last weekend. The Lord really was with us and we saw the Lord moving for a work to come.

Praise the Lord for that. So I really more and more see the importance of prayer for everything we do and like we've heard already this morning, pray for the conference. The worst thing for us would be that everything goes smoothly, practically.

We get some good messages but we're not in tune to the presence of the Lord and the fire of the Lord is not burning here. So pray. I've been to conferences where everything went smoothly but the effect of that conference was not felt, didn't carry over beyond that weekend.

We're not here just to have a good time together and for a bunch of hungry men, some of them coming with their wives and children to just be here and enjoy some good food and some good company and good conversation. I hope that's not what we're looking for. We're asking the Lord to move and it must start with us as we sing in that song, send a revival, start the work in me.

We're going to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a revival this weekend which I'm praying for. It must start in us today as the hosts. I think it is our responsibility to ensure that we're preparing the way for the Holy Spirit to move.

That there's something we who are privileged to be in this church have done to bring down every lofty thing. Any pride in our lives, any lofty thing is laid low and any valley, any discouragement, any laziness and half-heartedness that you've been living in is up, you're wholehearted. No more lukewarmness.

So send a revival Lord, start the work in me. There's any lofty thing in me, bring it down. If there's any depression in me, bring it up Lord.

Lift me up. Make a straight path that your word will go forth in clarity and anointing. So let's be in a spirit of prayer for that.

I believe God will answer. Let's turn to 1st Timothy chapter 1. As you know I crossed another year, calendar year in my life recently. And some of the things that the Lord reminded me of around the time of my birthday was his tremendous patience towards me.

And with each year that I, each day really, but especially when I reach another year in my life, I am more aware of his patience with towards me, more conscious of it. And you read here in 1st Timothy 1, an episode that I believe Paul wrote towards the end of his life, in which he says 1st Timothy 1 verse 12, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful, putting me into service. Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.

Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And I think Paul was talking about the time when before he came to know Jesus, because he was acting ignorantly and in unbelief. But for me it was a little bit different.

Even though it was ignorance from pride and unbelief, I had the privilege that Paul didn't have to hear the truth about Jesus Christ and the new covenant pretty much from the time I was born and have grown up hearing it all my life. And yet, so in some sense, I feel like God had to be even more patient with me than he had was with Paul. Verse 14, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom I am foremost of all. Now when Paul was writing this, he wasn't quoting 1 Timothy 1 verse 15. There was nothing for him to quote.

And many people say it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom I am foremost. You can just say it like a recitation. You just recite the verse.

Paul wasn't reciting anything when he said this. He hadn't memorized some words that he was then saying to look pious. I don't know if he had any idea.

I don't think he had any idea that 2,000 years later we would be reading what he wrote in some personal letter to Timothy. But God bore witness to Paul because Paul absolutely meant it. When Paul said, I am the worst of sinners, he absolutely meant it.

And this was after he had been converted and walked with Jesus. God had used him to reveal tremendous things to him. I believe he wrote this after he had been taken up to the third heaven and seen the very presence of God.

And by now he'd already planted many churches. He wrote words that to this day we read as the inspired word of God. There are very, very few clearly inspired words of God.

That's in this book. And Paul's are a good majority of that in the New Testament. And yet this man who had got such tremendous revelation, who had been used by God to speak his truths and to reveal them and explain them in such a way, could say, I am the worst.

And he really meant it. And I'll tell you honestly, I feel a little bit like that. I am very careful to say these words.

I am the worst of sinners because it better not be a lie. If in some way I actually think that there is even one sinner worse than me, then I'm lying when I say I'm the worst of sinners. So before we just glibly, casually say, oh yeah, I'm the worst of sinners.

And I'm not saying it to you. I'm saying before I felt that way in my heart around the time of my birthday, the Lord asked me, Santos, do you really see it? Is that really the truth? If not, don't say it. Say, I'm the second worst or the hundredth worst or maybe the thousandth worst, something like that.

Don't say you're the worst unless you've actually seen it. And I believe God wants to bring all of us to the place where we see I am the worst of sinners. It can go tremendously well with us.

And I want to be careful even in saying that. But the way I looked at it like this for many years, probably there are people in this world who have done things that the world would consider as worse sin than what I've done. You can read the newspaper about all these criminals and read history about dictators and evil people that have done horrible things to mass number of people.

And in the world's eyes, they see that sinner as worse than me. But in God's eyes, his ways are not our ways and his ways of looking at things are so different from our way of looking at things. And I believe that the closer we get to God, how is it that Paul could say, I mean, there are some people, Nero was around in the Paul's time.

You can ask Paul, Paul, are you really saying that you're worse than Nero? He would say yes. Otherwise he's lying. And God could never record his words in scripture.

Paul, you mean you're worse than Nero? Do you know what all he's done? He said, I'm worse than him. Why, Paul? He doesn't give an explanation, but he just got that revelation. I believe he had come so close to Christ that he saw the seriousness of sin.

In my case, I've seen it this way, that others in the world, even the worst person, the worst terrorist or the worst dictator, they were never given the privileges that I was given to know Christ from a young age and to know his truth and to be taught and to be grow up in a loving home with loving parents, to grow up in a loving church where the truth and the grace of God were manifest as purely as they could. I was tremendously blessed and many of the others who have done horrible things, they didn't have that privilege. And for me, in that environment to have fallen the way I fell is worse than somebody else who didn't have that same privilege to fall into things that I think are despicable and even the rest of the world thinks is despicable.

That's how I see it. Now, you don't have to see it the same way because your circumstances are different, but what I'm after and what I want to encourage you with your church family is this real attitude that Paul had that he was the worst of the sinners. Now, Paul wasn't living in constant sin.

He wasn't out there committing adultery, living a hypocritical life, loving money, cheating on his income taxes. It's tax week this week, by the way, or anything like that. Loving the honor of people.

He was really seeking to follow Jesus, but the closer he got to Jesus, the more his eyes, the spiritual eyes were open to see sin the way God sees it. And that caused such a, like a hatred for it. And some small little sin, a small attitude, a small little thing like the way he answered back to a high priest became so horrible that he said that's worse than if I'm a serial rapist or a serial killer because God has shown me so much.

God hasn't shown that murderer on death row what he's shown us, family. So let's not compare ourselves to other people when we see the standard of the world and where things are descending in the world in terms of what's becoming acceptable in society. That's not what we compare them to because God has shown us so much.

And so more and more we start to see, Lord, I am actually worse than I thought I was. But then we can sing, I'm a sinner who's been saved. Today I'm accepted by God, but let me never forget that I've been forgiven and the pit that God pulled me up from.

Let's turn to 2 Peter chapter 3. That's why as I shared with you, the church family, I oh sorry before we go there I want to finish reading that next verse which was where I wanted to get to verse 16. Yet for this reason, 1st Timothy 1 verse 16, I found mercy so that in me as the worst, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life. Paraphrase, that God had to show how perfect his patience is that he had to pick somebody as stubborn and self-willed and self-centered as Santosh.

As if to say I can do if I could do it for Santosh, I could do it for you. My patience is so long. That's really how I feel that God has been so tremendously patient with me.

His patience was much longer than I realized because I am so self-centered and self-willed and he's been tremendously patient. May we continue on and press on into this journey of discovering the patience of God towards us as an example for others who would believe. So 2nd Peter 3, he also talks about patience.

2nd Peter 3 verse 8, but we do not let this one fact escape your notice. Have you ever read such a verse in scripture? Don't miss out this one fact. If you could pick one fact, I mean I don't know if there's a verse like this where it says, don't not let it escape, let this one fact escape your notice.

Beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. What the Holy Spirit is telling us through Paul here is that God is restraining himself when it seems like he's delaying, when it seems like he's taking a long time to come.

He's not slow. He's not forgotten about his church that's here on this earth. He's not like, I guess I'll come back sometime.

I'm not in a hurry to come back. So I'll just wait. Is that the sense you get that God is just sort of sitting around in heaven like, yeah one of these days I'll come back.

Don't let this one fact escape your notice that the Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness. In other words, some will say, oh God is slow, slow to answer my prayer. God doesn't care.

I'm suffering through this and the suffering doesn't seem to end. He's so slow to answer me. God is not slow even though you think he's slow but is patient.

There's a difference between slowness and patience. What he's saying is God is restraining himself. Oh he wants to come and redeem his church and take us up to heaven.

He wants to put an end to all the suffering here on this earth but he's holding himself back. Jesus Christ is waiting to come and take his bride. I mean as excited as a couple that's engaged that really is in love with each other can't wait for the wedding day to come.

Jesus even more to be united with his bride but he's holding himself back because he's patient. Because Santosh is still so stiff-necked, still so loving of himself, still have such an attitude in this area and that area, still can't get along with that brother, still can't get along with that sister, still so full of pride and he's holding himself back because once he comes it's over. Once he comes there's no more time for repentance and he's holding himself back.

Dear brother, dear sister, if God seems slow he's not. He's patient. He's holding himself back.

He's restraining himself. Let's go back to verse one. This is now beloved the second letter I'm writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

Know this first of all that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking following after their own lusts. You think mocking. They will come to churches.

He's warning disciples. He's not talking about the people in the world who in the movies and in their conversations mock God. He's talking about people who will come in the church and mock God.

How? He goes on to say verse four. They will mock God by saying where is the promise of his coming? Oh he's not coming back. Yeah you know you've got a lot of time.

Do you know that if we take sin lightly and if we have the attitude that I can continue to live in this self-centered sinful selfish way because Jesus Christ is not coming back soon. I'm mocking God and there will be people sitting in churches who will have that attitude. That's what we're told here.

Where is the promise of his coming? Forever since the fathers fell asleep all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. Look today just seems like yesterday and that seems like last week and last month. Where is the promise of his coming? Ah he's not coming anytime soon.

Go back and live your double-minded life. See that's the thing. Let me finish reading here.

Sorry. For when they maintain this verse five it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water through which the world at that time was destroyed. They forget that God was patient and he saw sin.

He saw horrible sin. He saw men eating and drinking and giving in marriage and being married and the every intent of man's heart was for evil. You read in Genesis 6 and he was patient and patient and Noah preached and Noah preached and Noah preached and Noah preached but one day the flood came.

It escapes their notice that through which the world at that time was destroyed. Verse six. Being flooded with water but by his word the present heavens and earth are being restrained, are being reserved, are waiting for fire kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

So don't let this fact escape you that with the day with the with the Lord a day is like a thousand years. You think it's been a thousand years and Jesus Christ still hasn't come? He said I'm coming back soon two thousand years ago. It's just been two days.

That's what he's saying. You think the Lord is slow? It's only been two days for him. He's like you think I've been waiting 2,000 years? It's only been two days for me.

Verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up. This is the truth.

This is just going to happen and it I don't know how many of us I wonder I'm speaking to my own self brothers and sisters and children. This is a reminder the Lord laid on my heart as I crossed another years another year. Santosh don't let this fact escape you that everything you see around you is going to be burned up with fire and intense heat.

That thing you think is so attractive, that job that you're so attached to, that other thing that you're waiting for, that dream that you're hoping to it's going to burn up in intense heat. It is. But Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5 we are not of the darkness that this day should not come upon us like a thief.

It will be like a thief. I believe that for many Christians it will be but it will be because they were sleeping because they didn't take heed the word that was given the warnings that were given in God's word and they went to sleep and most importantly they were double-minded. See I think the people in Noah's day in Noah's day were double-minded.

Let's turn to Genesis chapter 6. This is the deception. This is how why we're given the warning. This is why for many people it will come like a thief in the night is because they're double-minded and the devil will allow them to think that you can live a double-minded life on this earth and get away with it.

See in Noah's day it was the people in Noah's day we just read about Noah right the flood Enoch lived for over 300 years along with Adam. If you do the math and I looked it up and I think I'm correct in saying that but correct me later on if you're wrong if you do the math and I come up with a different number. It says that Enoch lives Enoch was the great-grandfather for Noah.

You know that right Enoch, Medusa, Lamech, Noah. So here was Noah's great-grandfather setting the stage for this destruction where the whole earth was completely destroyed by water. Enoch as a descendant of Adam walked with God but before that he lived it says 65 years.

It's Genesis 5 verse 21. He lived for 65 years and then he walked to God for 300 years and after 365 years he was taken up with God. He walked with God so intimately in the midst of a people who didn't walk with God.

In the midst of the same people who a few years later would be destroyed by flood. You think it kind of happened overnight? From the time of Adam there was a slow regression, a slow descending more and more into such evil that God said I regret that I have even created man on this earth. It didn't just go from light to darkness like that.

It was a slow progression. The light of God growing a little bit more dim, a little bit more dim. I think it started with Adam even though when he was kicked out of the Garden of Eden maybe he was discouraged over the fact that he lost out on the Garden of Eden and then it came did all that evil to Abel and then there was Seth sure but there was a gradual progression downwards, a gradual spiral downwards but then in the middle of that comes a man named Enoch who walked with God first for 65 years.

He was part of that gradual decline for 65 years and Adam was still alive at that time but something happened. God told Enoch I'm going to destroy the earth with flood. When your son, I'm giving you a son Enoch his name is going to be Methuselah and when he dies the judgment's going to come and that woke Enoch up in the same way that second Peter 3 ought to wake us up that the judgment's coming intense heat the burning is coming that back then it was water it's going to be fire and that's going to be a permanent destruction with fire.

It woke up Enoch he says I gotta walk with God. Sure I've got to earn a living. Sure I've got to provide for my children.

Enoch had children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren we know that but in the midst of that everyday life in the midst of that in the midst of a world that was declining and declining and declining he says I gotta walk with God even if I'm the only one. We don't know about his wife. We don't know about his child children even.

I don't know if Methuselah walked with God. When he died the flood came but we don't know he wasn't saved. I mean he died before the flood sure but did he walk with God? We're not told.

Enoch walked with God and even if nobody else followed him he walked with God. He walked with God and then and you know he lived for about 300 years together with Adam and then sometime after that Adam died and Enoch continued to walk with God and he goes up and then he's taken up and Noah if you do the math was born about 70 years after Enoch was taken up. So Noah never got to see his great-grandfather Enoch but I'm sure he heard stories about his great-grandfather.

Man there was this great your great-granddad I imagine that Lamech and Methuselah told Noah stories. Methuselah says my dad yeah he I would see him he would just be praying all the time and there was something different about my dad and he never got attached to the things of this world. He was living for a different kingdom even though he was the only one and one day he just didn't show up anymore.

We don't know where he is he's gone and Noah something worked in Noah's heart. He's like really then my great-grandfather walked with God even though he was the only one and something worked in Noah's heart at some point he says I want to walk with God and Noah walked with God but in the midst of that Noah were his relatives descendants of the same godly man named Enoch for whom the decline continued. Enoch preached I believe as a preacher of righteousness we're told and he preached and he he also tried to get people to walk with God finally God said nobody's listening to you I'm just going to take you up I'm going to be patient a little bit longer.

God could have destroyed the earth when Enoch was taken up saying you guys have listened to Enoch but you haven't paid attention destroy the earth no let's give him one more day one more day and then Noah comes along and he walks with God and his wife walks with God along with him and his children and their wives walk with his sons and their wives walk with God and here's this family of eight a picture of the church that's walking with God going to work every day having to provide for their for each other for them for their livelihood but in the midst of that their devotion was to God and his kingdom and the ark my dear brothers and sisters is a picture of the church not this church but the church the only thing that will survive is the church and I hope that you are committed to building the church above everything else that if God was to look down into the secret areas of your heart he would be able to say this son this daughter of mine is a hundred percent committed to the one thing that will remain when the fire comes and that is the church and our passion dear brothers dear sisters dear children and this that every one of us who considers RLCF their home will be a part of that ark will be a part of that church will be preserved through the fire that's our only ambition and if this is the place where because we're not the only church you've heard us say that before but if God wants you to be somewhere else go where you will be a committed to the church the pure body of Christ not just some gathering of Christian people who take the name of Jesus and have meetings and conferences and bible studies and listen to sermons and all that but the pure bride of Christ that God is preserving when the fire is going to come so in the midst of all these double-minded people see the people of I believe that in Noah's day there were people who loved God too because they're like yeah you know he was a good man and they maybe they had a stone his grave site because his body wasn't there was taken up at some commemoration they referred back to Enoch as a godly man but they were double-minded they wanted God plus the world one day Genesis 7 you read God told Noah it's time the time's coming and God was patient Noah preached for over 100 years 120 years something like that he built the ark people watched him build the ark people are watching us build a church people are watching you when they say you say you're a part of a church okay and there's a lot of people in the world that say they're Christians and go to church it's time to be a part of the church not go to church you say are you part of building the one thing that will remain the church of Jesus Christ are you a part of building that work are you committed a wholeheartedly committed to it wherever the Lord plants you that's why we say if the Lord takes you from here and plants you somewhere else that's fine we're not trying to build an allegiance to this place because this building will burn up these chairs will burn up our clothes we're wearing will burn up all of that will burn up but the church of Jesus Christ is the only thing that will remain and be preserved through the fire be a part of that and if the Lord calls you to be planted in this church then commit yourself wholeheartedly brother sister no more double-mindedness no more love of the world because after some time God's patience I wouldn't say it ran out because his patience endures forever and even in the midst of that patience his patience meant closing the door one day God in his patience will shut the door and children you've been hearing a lot but what it means to be born again and living your life to Jesus and I know the devil still playing with your mind saying now you have a little bit more time take it easy for some of you young people it might be like that for some of us adults it might be like that yeah Santo she's a little bit radical little extreme it's not that serious you don't have to be really only committed to this yep that's what the devil wants you to believe but God in his patience will one day shut the door Genesis 7 you read in verse 16 after all the animals had entered after all the preaching that Noah had done after all the building of the ark and sealing it up it says verse 16 those that entered male and female of all flesh entered as God had commanded him and the Lord closed the door behind him no one didn't close the door because Noah said Lord one more day maybe one more day yeah no one was willing to preach for a hundred plus years and God said yeah you think God was less patient than Noah he was more patient God is infinitely patient he's perfectly patient we read in second Peter in first Timothy one and out of that perfect patience out of that perfect patience God one day closed the door it is a perfectly patient God dear family listen to this this is serious this is life and death it is a perfectly patient God who is one day going to shut the door and that half-heartedness that lazy attitude towards sin that unwillingness to let him deal radically with the way you speak to your wife or your husband or your children or the way you treat others that bitterness that um unforgiveness that hang up you have in your heart there will be no more time because the patient God will have shut the door and they will that double-mindedness will be exposed and what do you think it was like when the door shut sometime after that a few raindrops started to come it hadn't rained yet on the earth and all of a sudden these people who had waffled they're like yeah do I have to is it yet can I can I have a little bit more of the world for one more day and God didn't tell them when he would shut the door but he did one day and then the door shut and then the rain started to fall and a few drops and then it became more and more and they thought well is it just a shower what is this thing coming from the sky rain no one promised us no one warned us but then it started to get and then it started to build up the water started to rise and they realized no one was right and this double-mindedness Lord can I be single-minded now but the door was shut and I imagine people I remember seeing a cartoon drawing of it once which people climbing onto the ark standing on the roof thinking the roof maybe will save me or something like that they weren't inside the ark let me be attached to the church somehow but it was too late the door was shut and anybody that wasn't inside the ark perished forever anybody that was not inside the ark and this drawing I remember it had a deep impression on my heart when I saw it as a kid people hanging on to the ark banging on the door saying no please I should have listened to you but I'm here I'm ready to come in I'll do anything I beg you let me in open the door but God had shut the door no one couldn't open it and one day dear friends God is going to shut a door that no man can open it will be too late and it could be somebody I love dearly it could be somebody I love dearly and with everything would be I say Lord can you open it just a crack let them slip and he says they've had time and the perfectly patient God will shut the door it's coming dear friends there's no more time for double-mindedness see James chapter one tells us about double-mindedness it's double I don't think anybody here wants to live an all out sinful life I don't think anybody listening to this message wants an all-out sinful life but the devil is going to tempt us with a double-minded life where you can have a little bit of the world and some of God let me ask you an honest question do you believe that a 99 percent commitment to Christ and his church is double-mindedness let me say that again a 99 percent commitment to Christ and his kingdom is double-mindedness it is brothers sisters it is if I was a 99 percent committed brother and member of this church you'd say well that's a committed brother he's 99 percent but that's double-mindedness there's room for some other mind that's double-mindedness and those are the ones that will be banging on the door saying I can I get in the devil will use that one percent to leave you outside the ark brother sister child James 1 we read in verse 6 if you lack wisdom you must ask in faith without any doubting for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind am I here here today gone tomorrow like uh you know never know and waffle tossed back and forth do I really want to commit to the Lord and his church is this really the church that God has planted me and yeah back and forth yeah some days I feel like it some days not back and forth double-mindedness driven and tossed by the wind for that man listen the last part of verse 7 says that such a person is double-minded unstable in all his ways and you can say 99 percent of the time I'm stable one percent I'm unstable double-minded what does the Bible say about such a person will that person get 99 percent from God according to your mind you think if I give 99 percent God will give me 99 percent look at what he says let that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord God says you gave me 99 percent I'm going to give you zero why because you're double-minded let not a double-minded man expect that he will get even one percent from the Lord he will get zero this is God's math you give him 99 percent he'll give you zero and you'll find yourself outside the ark there were double-minded people in Noah's day I'm absolutely convinced of it because I see double-minded people today and God Jesus said the end times will be like the days of Noah double-minded people who will do good things they will attend church they will call themselves members of a church and they'll put their money in and they'll have the right language and they'll show up for the prayer meetings and the Bible studies but their mind is not a hundred percent for the kingdom of God let not a double-minded person think they will get even one thing from God they'll get nothing this is God's word I'm not trying to beat anybody over the head this is a warning for my own heart I'm one year older than I was a year ago I'm like Lord I'm seeing double-mindedness in me and and it hit me like a brick when I read that verse again let not a double-minded man think he will get even one thing from God you mean everything I have is not from you I've got victory over sin in so many areas now you've blessed me with this my family seems to be doing well but I'm double-minded and God will not give me anything I get zero it's a stern warning let's turn to Matthew 25 I gave you that picture of people banging on the door that God had shut in Noah's day and it's a I hope you'll never forget that picture children as well we're not here to scare you I hope you learn the fear of the Lord that I do hope I hope that in in the stern warnings that we receive in God's word that you learn the fear of the Lord I was taught that I received much stronger teaching when I was your age than any of us has given you I'll tell you that I heard much you think the preaching in this church is strong the preaching I grew up with was much much higher and I thank God for it it's taught me the fear of the Lord and I hope we can increase the fire in this church that the fear of the Lord will become ABC for us the beginning of wisdom not to scare us not to threaten us but that we learn the fear of the Lord's a holy God we serve a God who loves us absolutely but we learn the love of God that comes from knowing his fear first of all the reverence for him in Matthew 25 you read the story about 10 virgins five were wholehearted five were half-hearted five were single-minded five were double-minded and the double-minded as you know end of the story are sitting outside because it says in verse 5 Matthew 25 verse 5 why do I say they're double-minded you read the story that in these groups of 10 virgins outwardly they look the same outwardly they all had lamps that had oil in them but inwardly this is where the double-mindedness came and in their flask they didn't have oil the foolish virgins didn't have oil in the hidden area they were double-minded they in their thought life and their ambitions and their motives and their attitudes they love the world but outwardly in their language and in their attendance and in their speech and in their outward acts they look like good christians like part of the bride they look like virgins outwardly like virgins inwardly not double-minded and then there were the other five who in the flask and in the in the in the lamp and in the flask it was the same the oil was there single-minded and it says in verse 5 Matthew 25 verse 5 that while the bridegroom was delaying why does Jesus delay you say ah he's late no he's not he's patient he was giving these foolish virgins a little bit more time to become single-minded he was speaking to them saying get oil in your vessel as well get oil in your flask don't be content with what people think about you in the church get oil in secret make sure that devotion that pure simple devotion to Jesus Christ is in your heart doesn't matter what you say and what people think about you make sure that there's oil in your flask in secret and he delayed and they thought ah he's delaying let me just go to sleep no he was delaying that they would wake up they still had time to go and buy oil from the merchants but they fell asleep thinking ah he's late while the bridegroom was delaying they all got drowsy and began to sleep and at midnight there was a shout behold the bridegroom come out to meet him and then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps but the foolish realized they didn't have any more oil the time had come when their testimony wasn't going to stand up anymore what the elders thought about them in the church what the other brothers and sisters thought about them and the fact that they were sitting in rlcf didn't matter anymore the oil ran out and the door was shut and then they came back while verse 10 while they were going away to try to become single-minded now let's scramble i gotta get single-minded because Jesus is here while they were going our way to make the purchase the bridegroom came and those who already went in with him to the wedding feast and he shut the door did did the bridegroom know that there were some virgins who had gone to try to become single-minded now of course he did and do you think he could have thought and they came on the door verse 11 it says later the other virgins also came saying lord lord open up for us he says i don't know you couldn't the patience of god lasted another 10 minutes another one hour perhaps they came they still wanted in but the door was shut and the the my imperfect patient says lord they're here is this is going to be life and death for all eternity for all eternity they're going to be away from your presence can't your patience extend 10 more minutes to let these virgins in and the perfectly patient god says no the door is shut and dear friends your children especially but perhaps this is a word some of us adults need to hear when the lord shuts the door it will never be opened again when the lord shuts the door it will never be opened again and there there's no more time and time's running out we can't be double-minded i think the word the other virgins would have thought these were my friends they sat in the same church they were part of rlcf lord just open i mean can't you hear them pleading crying don't you think noah when his cousin was banging on the door saying noah please let me in his sister-in-law his brother-in-law noah's wife's cousin you know parents perhaps i don't know who all were alive at that time noah's relatives descendants of enoch banging on the door saying noah i was your neighbor we played together we had we we shared meals together can you open and let me in and noah imperfect in patience as he was would have said lord please they want to come in now the lord would say the door is shut when the lord shuts the door he's not going to open it again that's why he's patient that's why he's tarrying let's turn to hebrews 12 the time will come when it we won't even be able to repent repentance is a gift do you know that i hope you know that dear brothers dear sisters repentance is a gift the fact that we have repented we didn't deserve anything god gave us repentance there was something in us there was a time that god allowed for repentance i'll tell you i've repented there's no conscious sin i have in my life i don't say that braggingly but simply because i've repented and the blood of jesus christ has cleansed me from all sin but even that repentance i don't take credit for it when i see somebody else that un that's unrepentant who has heard the truth when i see worldly people who are unrepentant i don't think i'm better than them in any way god granted me repentance hebrews 12 verse 16 we read about the story of esau see to it that there be no immoral or godless person like esau who sold his own birthright for a single meal here's another double-minded person you know the story about esau that he came he was really hungry and he saw this wonderful meal that jacob his brother had prepared the birthright and the blessing were esau's and then jacob deceiver that he was traded with esau and esau saw and it says that um who sold his own birthright for a single meal i think one translation says for a swallow just one swallow he was so famished so hungry that he just like i just want somebody to eat man i'm dying and then he says what good is the birthright going to be if i die so i'll just take the swallow right now this temptation this pressure is on me so much that i i it's either me die or give up my birthright so i'm just going to take give up my birthright and take the swallow of stew double-minded the stew the pleasure the craving that his body felt was greater than his value of the birthright and he gave up his birthright later on he's deceived of the blessing as well and then it says he wept verse 17 do you think esau wanted the blessing of course he did but in that moment of of temptation in that moment of pressure the fact that he was double-minded he wanted the blessing plus something else he wanted the blessing plus a good meal he wanted a blessing plus some pleasure here on this earth and in that moment of crucial decision he chose after his flesh and then the door shut and then it says in verse 17 for you know that even afterwards when he desired to inherit the blessing he wanted it he cried and said can i get it back he was rejected because the time for repentance had been taken away he found no place for repentance though he sought for it with tears and the time will come when god the time had come when god had shut the door on esau after he gave up his birthright he still had the blessing and i believe god was working on esau's life god was saying he doesn't know it's it says in another place i loved jacob and despised esau that was god's foreknowledge but esau could have repented but he found no place for it the door had shut and dear friends the warning for us it says see to it why are we reminded about the story of esau in the new testament is it relevant for us to believers do believers need to be reminded about esau yes does rlcf need to be reminded about esau yes why because i might be double-minded i might want the blessing but i also want some craving and then the time will come when god will shut the door and then even if i want all the blessing i say lord i'm ready to be single now he says no it's too late i think there are some people i know of who are unable to repent i say that carefully i don't know i don't know what that's like but some people are unable to repent and i wonder why they've heard the truth but they just are unwilling to some pride and i don't think i'm not here to say that god has shut the door on them or not but i i it scares me that i could take repentance for granted the gift of repentance for granted and i'm not here to point a judge a finger at anybody else except to take heed to myself hebrews 12 verses 16 and 17 is written for santosh and it's written in your bible for you so i'm not here to decide who has lost repentance or anything like that but i want to make sure that i never reach the point where i'm careless with sin where i'm careless in my attitude careless in my motive careless with my ambitions that the door closes on repentance and now it's too late because the time will come when it will be that's why that's what happened to esau that's the warning we're given started numbers 13 numbers chapter 13 we read the story of the israelites and they were sent out into the promised land to view god had brought them after two years of wandering in the wilderness he brought them he done so many miracles for them part of the red sea i mean the plagues that he sent on egypt the parting of the red sea and all of that miracle after miracle after miracle he finally brought them to the edge of the promised land a picture of where he's brought us look at all the things he's done for us promise after promise after promise he's fulfilled he's taken care of us everything that you thought the worst that you thought was going to happen didn't happen didn't it here we are and here we are on the edge of the promised land and it's time to go in despite all the disobedience despite all the plagues despite all the times where god was like i'm just going to destroy these people and moses was like no lord please don't god was patient god was patient god was patient god was patient then we read numbers 14 13 and his patience had not worn out he brought them despite all the grumbling and complaining he brought them to the edge of the promised land he says you can still have it even though you've tried and tested me and unbelieving and disobedient despite all of that here you are go in and take it you're on the edge of the promised land 13 verse 27 these 12 spies came back and 10 of them said told him and said we went into the land where you sent us and it is true it certainly is does flow with milk and honey and this is its fruit they brought back fruit you're going to see double-mindedness here yes the promised land is there god said it was milk and honey he's true yes this new covenant life is possible it's true but i want a little bit of the world but this but that nevertheless verse 28 here's the double-mindedness god said it but that's double-mindedness nevertheless the people who live in the land are strong and the cities are fortified and very large and moreover we saw the descendants of anak there amalek is living in the land of the negev and the hittites and the jebusites and the amorites got all the ites that they're complaining about and the canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of jordan so double-mindedness yeah it's not going to work out for me then caleb comes and says no we should by all means verse 30 go up and take possession of it for we will surely overcome it god has promised it to us he wouldn't bring us this far to the edge of the promised land to just allow us to be defeated here you see it he's going to give it to us but the men who had gone up with him said nope we're not able to go up against the people for they're too strong for us so they gave a bad report let's go over to verse 21 of chapter 14 number is 14 verse 21 so the lord said verse 20 i have pardoned them according to okay i've forgiven them but indeed as i live here is god about to shut the door indeed as i live all the earth will be filled with the glory of the lord surely all the men who have seen my glory and my signs which i performed in egypt and in the wilderness yet have put me to the test these 10 times and have not listened to my voice shall by no means see the land which i swore to their fathers nor shall any of those who spurned me see it but my servant caleb and joshua they'll get to go 10 times they tested god and god was patient god was patient and the perfectly patient god says you're not going to have an 11th time does god patient does god's patience run out at 10 couldn't it have been like lord 11 what's wrong with 11 give me one more chance what's wrong with an 11th test i'll pass this one lord he'd shut the door the perfectly patient god had said you'll have 10 and after that the door was shut now you'll read later on that they say okay let's go and try it on our own we'll prove that we can go in and they got completely thrashed and defeated and every one of those men who went in there god killed them first of all but all the others because they believe the bad report of the 10 unbelieving because they remain double-minded despite the warning and even though caleb and joshua had said let's be single-minded let's go in and take the land every one of those who was off age the older ones none of them entered the promised land the door had shut is god's patience only good for 10 tests for their case it was and brothers and sisters god has given us way more than 10 times he's given us way he's given me a millions i don't even see how many times he has given me a chance but one day the perfectly patient god will shut the door and then no matter how much i long for it and cry for it it'll be too late i don't know when that day is for any one of us but there are people in hell today who died double-minded for whom the door shut who sat in churches who heard the truth who tried to obey every now and then but they loved money they loved themselves they loved the things of this world they wanted christ plus something else and god shut the door let's go back to second peter i'll close chapter three let's continue reading in verse 11 since all these things are to be destroyed in this way what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of god what does it mean to hasten the coming of the day of god that means god sees okay santosh is now narrow single-minded okay that's one less person i have to be waiting on to get single-minded because he is single-minded okay rlcf that brother that sister that child that teenager that's still sort of going back and forth they've taken up the single-mindedness okay there's one more person that's ready christ can come what sort of people ought you to be looking for and hastening the coming of the day of god because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements would melt with intense heat but according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells i hope you're not looking for any heaven or earth where there's no righteousness are you looking for a kingdom here on this earth some further success in business a little bit more money a little bit more of this a little bit more pleasure where righteousness does not dwell is it single-mindedness brothers sisters a single kingdom a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells and you're single-minded verse 14 therefore beloved since you look for these things a kingdom where righteousness dwells be diligent to be found by him in peace spotless and blameless and regard the patience of our lord as salvation as an opportunity to be saved from sin completely just as also our beloved brother paul according to the wisdom given him wrote to you as also in all of his letters speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand which the untaught and unstable distort oh people will come and distort this message the devil will try to twist it in your mind as they do also the rest of the scriptures to their own destruction you therefore beloved knowing this beforehand before the door is shut i don't think the door is shut for any of us listening to this i hope not but knowing that the door is still open be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness but grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ to him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity amen heavenly father help us it's a stern warning lord you've spoken to my heart and i believe you've spoken to this church help us lord that's all i can say help us but thank you that you're on our side that you give us these warnings beforehand the times of ignorance you overlooked now you commanded men everywhere to repent today lord may we repent of all double-mindedness and seek alone the kingdom where righteousness dwells even here on this earth let your kingdom come let your will be done on earth in our lives in our marriages and in our homes and in our children and in this church as it is in heaven we believe it shall be so lord this is a message of hope thank you for warning me that i could wake up and strengthen the things that remain thank you father pour out your holy spirit upon us lord that nobody will be discouraged but every one of us will shake off laziness shake awake from that sleep lord and run after you with all of our hearts we believe you'll do that in jesus name amen amen