Endings, Beginnings

These Last Days

            An end of the Age of Grace

            A Beginning of judgment in the Tribulation

            Jesus said about the tribulation period, “…there will be great distress, unequaled from    the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will          be shortened.”

The Greatest Ending and Beginning

            Life Here will come to an end

            Life with Jesus will begin for all who place their trust in Him

            “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for   those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9) 

  A Lesson from History

            An end of defeat

            A Beginning of Victory

   One Man’s Story

            Saul of Tarsus’ Story

            “For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted     the church of God and tried to destroy it.  I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews      of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Galatians   1:13-15)

  A Religious Zealot

      “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:             circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew          of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for       legalistic righteousness, faultless.” (Philippians 3:4-6)

  An Encounter with Jesus

            Jesus said, ”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.  "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.” (Acts 9:4-6) 

            By persecuting His Church, Saul is actually persecuting Jesus Himself. 

After the Encounter

            “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more,            I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ        Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may   gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from    God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the       fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow,    to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

  A New Perspective

            Not perfect, but moving forward

            “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the     goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us            who are mature should take such a view of things.”  (Philippians 3:13-15)            

The Real Contrast

            Paul understood that he deserved nothing from the Lord, that he had earned nothing      from the Lord, and that he owed everything to the Lord Jesus! 

            Paul’s conversion was the end of practicing dead religion and the beginning of     experiencing a living relationship with God

  A Lesson from the Early Church

            They were staying in Jerusalem as Jesus had instructed them and they were waiting for             an important arrival that He had told them was coming.  “

            “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard            me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized     with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:4-5) 

  Their Mission

            “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my          witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."   (Acts 1:8)

            Their power came from the gift of the Holy Spirit

  Their Power

            Peter preached

            The crowd responded, “What shall we do?”  “Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized,     every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will           receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who       are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38-39)

  A Radical Ending and Beginning

            “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  (Acts 2:42-47)

  A New Life  (may need to be multiple slides)

            They were teachable

            They were devoted to each other

            They were committed to observing the Lord’s Supper together

            They were devoted to Prayer

            They were filled with reverential Awe

            They experienced miraculous signs and wonders

            They shared as others had need

            They met daily at the Temple

            They were people of hospitality

            They were the real deal and they were grateful to God

            They were attractive to non-believers

            They hugely impacted others around them for Jesus

Two Questions to Ask of the Lord

            What needs to end in my life?

            What needs to begin or grow in my life?