THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH I. TEXTUAL THOUGHTS 1. 2 Timothy 3:11-12- All who
follow Jesus will suffer persecution. 2. Daniel 2:44- The kingdom
will endure forever. 3. Matthew 16:18- Satan cannot
prevail in his battle against the church. 4. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20- The
church must continue its ministry. 5. Ephesians 3:9-21- The
church will continue to glorify God by Jesus Christ. II. MAIN THEME- The church will stand forever, but we must expect to face suffering
and persecution. Our victory is
insured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must trust His strength
to overcome our struggles in this life. The hope of the resurrection gives us
the needed encouragement in times of trouble. 1. Struggles and suffering are
certain. a. For those
who live godly lives, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:1-4. b. For those
who follow the example of Jesus, John 12:23-26. c. For those
who wish to glorify God, 1 Peter 4:12-17. 2. But the church will be
victorious. a. As prophesied,
Psalms 2:1-6, Daniel 2:44, Matthew 16:18. b. As
demonstrated, Acts 2:23-24, 8:1-4. c. By the
power of the resurrection, Phil 3:8-11, 2 Cor 5:1-8, 1 Cor 15:49-58. 3. The church will continue to
fulfill her mission. a. To bring
the riches of Christ and the manifold wisdom of God to the lost, Ephesians 3:8-11, Matthew 28:18-20. b. To carry
out the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Cor 5:18-20, Romans 1:16. c. To be a
light to the world, Matthew 5:13-16, Titus 2:11-15, Ephesians 2:10. 4. Christ will continue to
fulfill His mission. a. As our High
Priest, Hebrews 10. b. To perfect
the believer, Philippians 1:6, 2:13, Romans 7:20-8:11. 5. Christ will return for His
bride, the church. a. So that we
can be with Him forever, 1 Thes 4:13-18, Rev 19:7-10. b. To give us
our reward, 2 Peter 3:13-14, Revelation 21:1-7. III. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS 1. We should expect to face
struggles in this life, Acts 14:22, 2 Timothy 3:12. 2. We must remember to trust
God's strength, not our own, 2 Cor 1:8-10, 12:8-10. 3. We must let our hope of the
resurrection be our strength, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58. 4. We need to let our hope
show in our lives, 2 Cor 4:14-18, 1 Thes 4:13-18. 5. We should look forward to
the appearing of Jesus, 2 Tim 4:7-8, 2 Cor 5:6-8. IV. MEMORY VERSES- 2 TIMOTHY 4:7-8. |