By Amir Tsarfati
The title of the message this morning is: Seek Those Things Which Are Above. This is, of course, the first couple of verses from Colossians Chapter 3. So, it says, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
Let's pray, Father, we thank you for your Word. We ask now that you will allow, by the power of your Holy Spirit. You'll allow our eyes to be open, our ears to hear what the Spirit has to say this morning through your Word. We ask that whatever we share this morning, here, will be from you as a way of communication to your children. We thank you and we bless you in Jesus's name. Amen.
So, first of all, we clearly see that the chapter begins with a question, with a condition. It's not like, "Seek the things which are above." No, don't. Unless you are a true believer. So, he starts with, "...If then you were raised with Christ, then seek those things which are above ..."
Paul is writing to the Colossians and he is saying, "Look, There's a lot of people in the congregation. I'm not talking to all of you. Some of you, maybe. Surveys say that more than 70% of churchgoers are not even born again. So, I'm talking now to those who follow the condition at the beginning of this verse. So, not for all of you, just for some of you. I wish it was for all of you.
But in order to understand what he meant when he said, "If then you were raised with Christ"? You have to go back to Chapter 2, a few verses from verse 12. The Bible says I'll start with verse 11, "In Him you are also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands." Don't worry. No, no, no. Listen.
The reason I'm saying that is because some people right, then, in the 1st Century. Followed Paul and talked about the circumcision of the flesh. That all the Gentiles must go through if they want to believe in Jesus. So, Paul is very clearly saying, "No, no, no, no, not the one by hand. I'm talking about a spiritual circumcision."
And then he says, "By putting off the body of the things of the flesh by the circumcision." The Bible says, "Of Christ..." And then, he says, "Buried with him in baptism." He's talking about those who were baptized. And then, he says, "In which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead."
So, he's the one who died physically and was raised from the dead. By being baptized, you were identifying with him in that death and resurrection. And then he says, "And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."
In other words, he says, "The death that every person that sits in this room has to do with your sinful nature." ... There's no person on planet Earth that was ever born, born again. Do you understand that? We are born in sin already. In other words, "Oh look, he's so innocent. He's done nothing wrong." Show me one baby that has done nothing wrong. We always correct them. Because they're very, very rebellious, not that I accuse them of anything. They were born... We're born...
But David said in Psalm 51, he says, "In sin, my mother had conceived me." Sin entered the world and now it goes through from generation... The Bible talks about it... since the first Adam, sin came to the world. It's a problem. You cannot be born sinless. You cannot live a sinless life.
As long as you're in this flesh, you have a problem. And that sin brought death and that death is being manifested in your flesh. Because if I show you, your picture from 20 years ago, you're dying. Put it next to you. Hello? Now, you can inject in yourself whatever you want to stop that process. But you'll die. You can have billions of dollars.
Listen! Death is the wages of sin. It's not like, you have done something that deserves death when it comes to, "I killed someone, therefore, there is death penalty." But sin. Any sin. Sin brought death and that death could have been avoided if Adam and Eve would not have listened. In Chapter 3, to that which the serpent told them.
But I want you to understand that there is good news here. While you're still in this lowly body, and the Bible calls your body, "lowly body". While you're still in this body, still a body that is going to decay. You can be already raised from that death by just faith in Christ. You see, he's the one who had to physically die and resurrect. You only have to be baptized as a confession of your faith.
Baptism by itself is not going to save you. This is just an outer confession of that which was done inside. But he says, "Look, all of you who truly believe. And have been born again and are Spirit-filled, you're now alive. Back from that death, you're alive. That's why he starts chapter 3 with, "If then you were raised with Christ." You are born again if you are Spirit-filled. If you have forsaken all that old life.
Now, let's talk about business. Now, let me tell you how the life of the believer should be. Now he's, in a very interesting way, pointing up and saying, "Hey, look up." Where Jesus is. Jesus is not here. His Spirit is here. It's everywhere. But physically, he's sitting right now at the right hand of the Father. That's what the Bible says.
Stephen saw him standing right there. When the heavens opened, he looked up and he saw Jesus right there. It's interesting because looking up is very, very biblical. Philippians 3:14, "I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Psalm 121 says, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help?" Not from the hills, but from the Lord.
But in order to cry to the Lord, you go up. Isaiah 40, "Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things. Who brings out their host by number? He calls them all by name by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power. Not one is missing."
Daniel 4:34, Daniel, as he was praying, the Bible says, "And at the end of the time, I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes..." That king, that horrible king, that God taught him a lesson. Eventually, look, "I lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me. And I blessed the Most High and praised and honored him, who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation." The king, of the biggest empire on planet Earth, had to live with wild beasts in order to finally, lift up his head and acknowledge God.
You see, the life of the believer should never be: Always on what's going on around. Who's doing what? To who? Where? How? Look at this; He did that. He said that about you, what are you going to say? What about this? What about that? This is all those little things... That's not the life of the believer. That's the life of a non-believer, maybe a churchgoer. But a non-believer.
The Bible says, even in John 11, Jesus himself, when he prayed. The Bible says, then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." Amazing.
Acts 1:10, When Jesus is done, "While they looked steadfastly towards heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel..." Look, all the disciples were there with Jesus and he said, "Look, I must go." And they're like, Okay? And they're looking. And their eyes go all the way. They've never seen anything like that in their life. Have you? Well, wouldn't you be gazing into this and say, "What in the world is going on?
Do you know so many Christians? They say there's no rapture. Why? Nobody can be taken up there. Really? Then you have to dismiss so many other parts of the Bible. Elijah, Enoch, and even Jesus, himself. They were so amazed. They were like that.
And there were 2 angels that were like, mmm. And they're looking around, "Men of Galilee, what are you looking at? This same Jesus is going to come back. Same way." Wow. But they looked up.
There are so many people in the church today, scoffers and mockers. They dismiss the idea that we should be taken up. They dismiss the idea that maybe even Jesus went up. 2 Peter 3:3-4, "Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts. And saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, [In other words, died] all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
Their eyes are not looking upwards. Their eyes are looking all around, "Oh, things continue the same." That's what Paul is trying to change. Jude 1:17-19, "But you beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. How they..."
By the way, that's why one of the requirements of an apostle is to: Be someone who was alive at the time of Jesus, who had seen Jesus. There was no apostle that has ever been appointed in the Bible. That was not someone either lived in the time of Jesus to see him. Or saw Jesus, just like Paul, in such a revelation that Jesus tutored him for 3 years. That's it.
So, if some of you say, "Oh, I am a new apostle". You are not. The Bible says, "These apostles of our Lord Jesus, how they told you that there would be mockers in the last days [the last times] who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. You see, when you don't look up, you think, "This is it. That's all that life offers."
Then You don't even live holy lives. Because there's nothing to expect. There's nothing to look forward to. There's nothing that will require holiness. You're not expecting anything. You're not looking for anything.
These are central persons who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. What did I tell you? They're among us, but they don't have the Spirit. They are non-believers but they go to church. They give the money. They say, "Hallelujah" and then they go back home. They don't even think about the things which are above.
You see, we have to be reminded we have different citizenship. A lot of people try to break into the borders of America to get American citizenship. Quite frankly, I don't understand them as the direction of this country, those who run away from communism and socialism will get it here, soon.
Listen, my point is all of us, even Israelis, Africans, Europeans, Russians, whatever. We all have to remember if you are born again, Spirit-filled. The day you became a believer, you submitted your passport. You received a new one and it's your heavenly citizenship.
When someone has heavenly citizenship: Then all he cares about; And all he thinks about; And all he is longing for is the things of heaven. "For our citizenship, [in Philippians 3:20] is in heaven from which we also, [What?] Eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." So many believers have it good here in this world. They're not eagerly waiting.
When I was in Singapore, one of the elders of a big church picked me up in a beautiful Mercedes Benz. I'm sitting in the back and, wow, look at all of these buttons... Then he said, "Amir, God has blessed me so much. I made so much money this year. I'm building right now the most amazing condominium. Honestly, it is so great that I don't mind if Jesus is not coming back soon. I'm like, "What! You compare Singapore to what God, for the last 2000 years, is preparing for you in heaven?
1 Peter 1:4, "To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you." That's what you should be longing for.! That what belongs to you!
Now we have to remember the resurrection. Well, first of all, there are several things that we need to seek when we seek those things which are above. What are the things? The first thing is the resurrection while we're still alive. First of all, we have to understand, in order to even think and be able to be heavenly-minded people.
We have to have the resurrection while we're still alive. You have to be born again, Spirit-Filled. If you're not, you will never be heavenly-minded people. That's the first thing.
Colossians 3:1-2 as I said, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek then those things which are above, where Christ is. We need to long to be with Christ. We need to long to be like Christ. We need to wait for his coming to take us to be with him. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth. Colossians 2, as we already talked about it.
Philippians 3:20, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus to come back." It's Jesus, himself, ladies and gentlemen. John 15:19 said, "If you were of the world, then the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world." Therefore, the world hates you."
Any Christian believer that thinks that when he shares his gospel, the world is going to accept him? And adore him? Receive him and love him for his faith? Uh-uh.
Unless you come to the world with a "watered-down" message where Jesus is not the only way, truth, and life. Where sin is not even mentioned. When the wages of sin, death, and hell, ... are not even part of your message. Then, ok, now we love you.
Now, you can be our pastor. Now we can build a big church like in a stadium and now you can "talk" like that having a spinning globe behind you. And you can be a beautiful soup, I mean, amazing international ministry. The people that come to your church won't even have to have a bible with them because you're not preaching the Bible.
Motivational speaker? Yes! All things are good! You can make the most out of this life! Jesus, not even in a single verse in the Bible, says, This life is what you need to hold on to and make the most out of! Mmm... Romans 8:34, "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Acts 7:55, "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. And saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Seek the things which are above. He, Jesus, is above. That's what Stephen saw when heaven opened.
Acts 1:9-11, we... already read it. "Men of Galilee, [they said] why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him going to heaven."
So the first thing is, of course, we have to remember: To be Christ- minded people while we're still here. Okay? Jesus is up there. We need to long to be with him while we live in this terrible world.
The 2nd thing we have to look forward to: Is the rapture of the church. We have to wait eagerly for him to come and take us to be with him. Why? Because he promised. Well, I don't see it in the Bible. When was the last time you read the Bible?
First of all, 1 Corinthians 15 talks about the fact that your body... Touch your body. I want everybody to take your fingers and pinch. Okay? You're pinching right now: Dying body. It's dying. Okay? No, take medication, it's fine! Go and do some laser treatments, some plastic surgery, it's fine! But you're dying.
Now, I want to tell you... No, you can go, work out and look good. Don't worry, but you'll die. You'll die healthy, but you'll die. But I want to tell you something, listen. I do want to tell you something. This dying body cannot make it to heaven because you have still the ramification of sin. You cannot make it to heaven. Physically, you cannot make it to heaven. This body, because of its sin, is subjected to the things of the earth. It is attracted to earth because of gravity. You cannot make it to heaven with this body.
Therefore, if you want to make it to heaven guess what has to happen first? This body, hallelujah, has to change. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians, Behold, I tell you a mystery..." Mystery is not a secret. It's been there but we have never understood it until now. "I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep." In other words, not all of us are going to die but we shall all be changed. Whether you're alive or dead, when Jesus calls you up, you have to change.
Now what happens to someone who dies today? A believer? His soul goes to heaven to be with Jesus. To die, remember, is to? To live is ... and to die is ... And what did Jesus say to that man, "Today, you're going to be with me." So, when you die, you're with him. Your spirit goes to be with him and your body stays right down here. ... and 11 months later there is nothing left, just bones.
But what happens is, if you are indeed going to come and reunite with that dead body in order to be with him in heaven. Even the body of the dead people has to somehow change... Think about it, he says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep. But we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Remember that trumpet.
"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed." It's not going to be the same body. Wait a minute, I worked out every day.... Sorry, you can enjoy it now if you want but in heaven? A new body. "That this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put immortality.
1 Thessalonians 4, the same trumpet. Remember, the same dead that "do it" (rise) first. "For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. in Christ] will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be [What does the Bible say?] caught up..." Well, that sounds imaginary.
Well, that's the Bible. "We will be caught up!" the Bible says. What? "Together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." Not on the ground - who are not going to see Jesus! If you are a true believer, you are not going to wait for Jesus to come back on earth.
The only nation on planet Earth that expects him to come back to earth is Israel. Because his return, physically with his feet on Mount of Olives means that they are going to be saved, as Zechariah says.
But I want you to know., "Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words."
So, believers must have that hope. Believers must have that expectation. That longing not to stay here and wait for Jesus to come back. But to be what? Changed! And caught up! To meet the Lord in the air and to be with him while the tribulation goes on right down there.
2 Corinthians 5:8-10, "We're confident, yes, well pleased. Rather to be absent from the body and [What?] to be present with the Lord. See? Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent..." Whether you're alive or you're already absent from your body. In other words, "dead or alive". We make it [What?] our aim to be well pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, [which is in heaven] and that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone build on this foundation... Okay, we'll talk about it later.
Listen, when we go up to be with Jesus, there’s going to be something that is going to happen. In John 14:1-3, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
Jesus said, "Look, I'm leaving you. You're staying down here, down on earth. I'm going up to my Father's house. I am preparing a place for you up there and then I'm coming back to take you." Oh, I thought he's going to come back here? No.
If you're a true believer, the meeting point... You didn't get the memo? The meeting point is not down here. It's in the clouds. Well, how do I get there? Well, you need to be changed first. How do I get changed? You need to be a believer, first. A born again, Spirit-filled and you'll be changed. Well, I don't believe that. Well, that's why you're not going to be changed.
The Bible said, ... "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. And what? He didn't say, "I will come again and stay with you and wait until you're ready." No, He said, "I will come and I will receive you to myself. That where I am..." Where is he? At the right hand of the Father. "You will also be."
Who's changing addresses here? We do. He didn't say, "Where you are, I will also be." He says, "Where I am, you will also be." Well, I don't believe in the rapture. Then you don't believe in the Bible. It's there! Well, I have a problem with your teaching. Well, there are plenty of other churches. Listen, either you teach the Word or you don't. But you cannot say, "I teach the Word and ignore those Words. It's there!
Now, you have to understand, the church is not mentioned in the entire Book of Revelation, speaking of the tribulation on planet Earth. The church is only mentioned in Chapter 19, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come." We're in heaven! "And his wife has made herself ready." We're the bride! "And to her, it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Revelation 3:10 tells you why we're not to be here during the tribulation. He says, "Because you have kept my command to persevere. I will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." I'm not going to make you go through the hour of trial. I'm going to keep you out of it from that hour that is about to come, he said.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, "For God did not appoint us to wrath." The wrath of God, indignation. The Book of Daniel speaks of the entire 7 years. One week, the last week, the 70th week of Daniel in chapter 9 is reserved for Israel. Israel will go through the tribulation in order to find their salvation. It rhymes... "Therefore comfort each other..."
He says, "Look, you're not appointed to the wrath of God." Well, I believe in post-tribulation rapture. Really? What's the point of being raptured after the tribulation? After the tribulation, he comes back here!
Well... Listen, it's all about how you want to make it to heaven. Rare, medium, or well done. Okay? I don't want to make it up to heaven "well done". Well, you're an escapist. Of course, I am. Wouldn't you want to escape the tribulation? And thankfully, he is letting us out of it.
And the Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed for men to die once. But after comes the judgment." "For God did not send his Son into the world, [in John 3] to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned."
But he does not believe is condemned already. Remember, we were born in sin. We're already condemned. The only thing that takes you out of this "condemned already"? Is when you believe. That's when you're not condemned. So, anyone who is not a believer is condemned already!
Well, nobody told me about Jesus. Well, you don't have any excuse, read Romans 1. The creation speaks of God. Another thing that you have to look for is, of course:
What happens when you get to the Bema Seat of Christ? "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the Bema, the judgment seat of Christ." When we get there, we are going to stand there.
But what is the difference between the judgment of the believer and the judgment of the non-believer? The non-believer is going to have a judgment with punishment at the end. The believer goes up to heaven to be judged according to what he did as a believer.
The only thing is you will be rewarded crowns, awards. And if some of the things you did as a believer we're not with true, good heart? Then those things will burn.
You will be saved, but as from fire, the Bible says. You'll stand there and you will be ashamed, in the midst of all the believers. You see them, all one by one, receiving crowns and awards. And most likely, just as the 24 elders did when they put the crowns of the feet of Jesus. You have nothing to put at his feet!
The believer is not, "Oh, am going to go to hell? You are going to go to heaven but what you do now in your life? Will determine what you will receive when you get there. This is why a true believer must be a heavenly-minded person. He must seek the things which are above. When you know what you're going to go through; When you know where you're going to stand; Who you're going to stand with, or right in front of.
Then your whole life as a believer, now, will be completely different. 2 Corinthians 5:10. "For we must all..." Say, “all”. "All appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Oh, I thought as a believer you're not doing bad things. Are you kidding me? I don't want to count hands. I will ask you, "Have you never done any bad thing as a believer? I'm not counting hands. Because if somebody's not going to raise his hand? He's a liar. Then that means he's done bad things.
The 4th thing we need to look forward to is the second coming of Jesus. Not for us, but with us! Wait a minute. I thought he is coming back to earth. Yes, he is. But pastors wrongfully teach their churches, to wait here, for the second coming. That's wrong! You don't want to be here in the second coming.
The Bible says, "He came first...” To what? Save you. The second coming is not for salvation, it is for judgment. What is going to come out of his mouth? A sword, fire, to what? Consume! I always tell people: When Jesus comes back the 2nd time, you don't want to see his face; you want to see his back. You want to ride behind him on the horse. You don't want to be the one that sees him.
Zachariah 14:5, "Thus the Lord, my God will come and all the saints with you. Matthew 25, "When the son of Man comes in his glory. And all the holy angels with him, and he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
Isaiah 40, "Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket and are counted as the small dust on the scales. Look, he lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its beast sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing and they're counted by him less than nothing and worthless."
Because all of them are here, they're all against him. They're nothing. Joel 3, "For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I bring back the captives of your captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all the nations, and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of my people, my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the nations. They have also divided up my land. Casting lots for my people, have given a boy as payment for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink."
Terrible things are going to be done to the people of Israel throughout the tribulation and God is going to judge the nations for it.
The other thing is the wedding feast invitees. Matthew 22.
We're not going to get into that but you want to be the bride, not the invitee. Hello? You don't want to stand and watch the wedding. You want to be the bride.
The only thing that differentiates the church from the saints of the tribulation from the saints of the Old Testament? Or from anyone who will ever come to faith throughout the Millennial Kingdom? Is that the only group that is going to be the bride is the church. The only group that is going to be married in heaven: Is the church. That's what you want to be.
Isaiah 9:7, "Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forever, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Zechariah 14 team talks about what Jesus is going to do when he comes back to this place.
Then, of course, we want to long for new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem. What do you mean, new heavens and new earth? Do you mean this is going to be gone? Oh, yeah. He's going to make all things new. What? I just did my yard! Sorry. You had better be a born again believer because God prepared a huge mansion for you. But your yard is going to pale next to it.
Restoration! God will restore all things to what originally, they used to be. Revelation 21:23, Jerusalem, the new one that is coming. It's not going to be in Missouri. It's going to be in: Somewhere because it's going to make all thing new. There was no Missouri anymore after that.
I know, somebody yesterday came to me or to one of my people and said, "The new Jerusalem is Missouri." I'm like... I don't have anything against Missouri, really. But you are not New Jerusalem. There's a place in the Philippines, on the island Mindanao, in the city of Davao. Where there's a pastor who decided that he's the "appointed son of God" He built a new Jerusalem, right there and he has one million followers.
Revelation 21:23, "The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb of God is its menorah, its light. The new Jerusalem here will be...
Look, people come to me and say, "Do you believe in flat earth?" I said, Look, the earth is not flat right now. Honestly, I know it's not. I flew from one city and I traveled around the globe and I made it back. It's not flat. However, maybe one day, when he makes all things new, it will be flat. But you need to believe in Jesus. Be saved, Spirit-filled to see if it's flat earth or not. What do you mean after? What are you, a flat Earther? Believe in Jesus and find out.
Revelation 21... We saw in Genesis 1:3, God said, "Let there be light and there was light." What does it mean? It means that there was light before the sun, the moon, and the stars were created. Verse 3, is before the sun was made. This is day 1, the sun was created on day 4. That means there was light before.
Who was the light of the world? Who said, "I am the light of the world? Jesus was there. He was the light and in the new Jerusalem, he will be the light again.
Psalm 72, I pity you sometimes for reading the Bible in English because you miss out so much. In Hebrew, it says, "His name shall endure forever. His name shall continue..." Not as long as the sun, in the Hebrew, before the sun and men shall be blessed in him. All nations shall call him blessed." Put that in your Bible, cross that word, "as long as", and put "before".
Revelation 22:3-5, "And there shall be no more curse." That scene is gone, remember. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord gives them in light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Isn't that a great promise?
Okay, so if you want, if you want to meet Jesus in the air, to receive crowns from him, to come back and reign with him. And eventually, to live in that beautiful city of the new Jerusalem, where he is the menorah. Today you need to choose.
Because as Paul said to the Colossians, "Only if you have been raised with Christ. Then seek those things which are above. If you are not a believer, you're not even able to understand those things. Your heart is not seeking those things.
Father, I pray this morning, as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed down. I pray that this message, today. Touched some hearts of people and caused them to be drawn to you this morning.
I pray, Father, as our eyes are all closed and our heads are all bowed down. If there is anyone who decided today, either to return back to the fold or to believe for the first time in his life.
If there is anyone like that? Nobody is looking at you, nobody can see you. Our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed down. If you're here, can I see your hand? I will be the only one to acknowledge it.
So, Father, I thank you so much and I bless your name this morning. I know that your word will never come back void. We thank you and bless you. In Jesus's name. Amen.