![\"Evil](\"http:\/\/www.all-creatures.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/lambleft.jpg\")
<\/a>A Sermon Delivered to
\nThe Compassion Internet Church<\/p>\n
14 June 2015<\/p>\n
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor<\/p>\n
Scripture References:<\/p>\n
Psalm 92:1-15
\nMark 4:26-34
\n2 Corinthians 5:6-19<\/p>\n
Evil destroyed forever \u2013 repentant people live forever describes the choice that each and every one of us faces.<\/p>\n
A day is coming in the not too distant future when we will find evil destroyed forever, and those who hold onto their evil worldly ways will find themselves swept away with the evil they cling to.<\/p>\n
But, by the saving grace of God, all who truly repent of their evil worldly ways will be saved and live forever.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at Psalm 92:1-15, for it addresses this issue in part.<\/p>\n
1. It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
\nAnd to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;<\/p>\n
2. To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning,
\nAnd Thy faithfulness by night,<\/p>\n
3. With the ten-stringed lute, and with the harp;
\nWith resounding music upon the lyre.<\/p>\n
The Lord God\u2019s lovingkindness exists only in His heavenly will, and to receive the full benefit of His lovingkindness we need to live in His heavenly will, which includes striving to end all human caused forms of pain, suffering, bloodshed, and death; most of which is inflicted upon defenseless animals.<\/p>\n
4. For Thou, O LORD, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done,
\nI will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands.<\/p>\n
5. How great are Thy works, O LORD!
\nThy thoughts are very deep.<\/p>\n
We may not always understand everything about the mind of God, but the Bible is very clear about the way God wants us to live here an earth, which should also be a reflection of His heavenly will, as we are told to pray for in the Lord\u2019s Prayer (Matthew 6:10).<\/p>\n
And then the psalmist goes on to present the way of people who live in the corrupt and evil ways of the devil and this world.<\/p>\n
6. A senseless man has no knowledge;
\nNor does a stupid man understand this:<\/p>\n
7. That when the wicked sprouted up like grass,
\nAnd all who did iniquity flourished,
\nIt was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.<\/p>\n
This is what we are talking about: evil destroyed forever, but for all the people who truly reject the evil ways of this world and repent of their participation in it, they will be saved and live forever with the Lord in heaven.<\/p>\n
8. But Thou, O LORD, art on high forever.<\/p>\n
9. For, behold, Thine enemies, O LORD,
\nFor, behold, Thine enemies will perish;
\nAll who do iniquity will be scattered.<\/p>\n
The devil and the people who follow his lying and evil ways here on earth are the enemies of the Lord.<\/p>\n
We need to choose who we will be.<\/p>\n
10. But Thou hast exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
\nI have been anointed with fresh oil.<\/p>\n
This is the state of the people who truly repent.<\/p>\n
11. And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes,
\nMy ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.<\/p>\n
And unfortunately, many who have rejected the evil ways of this world and repented begin to find that the worldly people have turned against them.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/p>\n
We believe that it\u2019s because the wicked people really know the truth and are intimidated by the changed lifestyle of the children of God, and fight against them, just as the devil and his demons do.<\/p>\n
We just need to remember to stand firm against these attacks, because\u2026<\/p>\n
12. The righteous man [or woman] will flourish like the palm tree,
\nHe [or she] will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
13. Planted in the house of the LORD,
\nThey will flourish in the courts of our God.<\/p>\n
14. They will still yield fruit in old age;
\nThey shall be full of sap and very green,<\/p>\n
15. To declare that the LORD is upright;
\nHe is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
Evil destroyed forever, but repentant people live forever.<\/p>\n
With these things in mind, let\u2019s take a look at Mark 4:26-34\u2026<\/p>\n
26. And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;<\/p>\n
27. and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows\u00a0 \u2014 how, he himself does not know.<\/p>\n
This was very true in the days when this passage was written, but today we know the science and the DNA that causes plant seeds to develop in the way that they do; however, there are many other mysteries of God that we don\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
We also need to understand that like the seed, we only grow and mature if we live in the heavenly will, and not in the corrupt ways of this world.<\/p>\n
28. “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.<\/p>\n
29. “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”<\/p>\n
The grain that is harvested is mature in the heavenly will of God and also represents the salvation of all repentant people, for what is left is not of God\u2026it is the evil destroyed forever.<\/p>\n
The wickedness of this world that promotes the torture, suffering, and killing of billions of animals every year is the evil destroyed forever in the not too distant future.<\/p>\n
So Jesus goes on and gives us another example about the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n
30. And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?<\/p>\n
31. “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,<\/p>\n
32. yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.”<\/p>\n
We can choose to be like the mustard seed that matures in the heavenly will of God, and whose stature is like a guidepost leading people away from the wicked ways of this world into the kingdom of heaven.<\/p>\n
Or, we can choose to remain of the world with all its wicked ways which become a part of most of the people who will find themselves swept away with the evil destroyed forever.<\/p>\n
33. And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it;<\/p>\n
34. and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
And I am trying to explain these things to all who have ears to hear, and hearts and souls to understand.<\/p>\n
As we look at 2 Corinthians 5:6-19, which also has us doing some introspection, let\u2019s keep in mind the choices that are before us: are we among the truly repentant who live forever, or are we part of the evil destroyed forever?<\/p>\n
6. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord \u2014<\/p>\n
7. for we walk by faith, not by sight \u2014<\/p>\n
8. we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.<\/p>\n
In other words, Paul, and all other true children of God, would rather leave this corrupt world (die) and be with the Lord in heaven forever, for the corruption of this world is part of the evil destroyed forever and they want no part in it.<\/p>\n
9. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.<\/p>\n
This is a state of being, a way of life of the children of God, which is part of the heavenly will of God, whether in heaven or on earth, for we are to bring the heavenly will of God to earth as it is in heaven.<\/p>\n
10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.<\/p>\n
This is why it is so important for all of us to truly desire to live in the heavenly will of God here on earth.<\/p>\n
11. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.<\/p>\n
This is our ministry.<\/p>\n
This is why we continually try to tell people to have no part in the corrupt ways of this world, most evident in the suffering and killing of animals and in the eating and wearing of animal products.<\/p>\n
We are not to desire any of the corrupt ways of this world, and thus have no part in the evil destroyed forever.<\/p>\n
We are to desire at all times to be the loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God who live in His heavenly will.<\/p>\n
12. We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart.<\/p>\n
13. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.<\/p>\n
Actual pride is part of the evil destroyed forever, but we can unselfishly be proud of all peacemaking children of God.<\/p>\n
14. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;<\/p>\n
15. and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.<\/p>\n
This must be the controlling force in our lives.<\/p>\n
This is the basis of our faith.<\/p>\n
This is what makes us repent of our former worldly ways and become true children of God.<\/p>\n
16. Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.<\/p>\n
17. Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.<\/p>\n
This is being born again according to God\u2019s grace and heavenly will, because we have truly repented and no longer want to have anything to do with the evil destroyed forever.<\/p>\n
18. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,<\/p>\n
19. namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
This is all true.<\/p>\n
Is this the desire of our heart and soul?<\/p>\n
We pray so, for if not, we are left out of the kingdom of God and left as part of the evil destroyed forever.<\/p>\n
We can all be the repentant children of God who live forever.<\/p>\n
We can, if we truly want to.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
See our Sermons Archive: http:\/\/all-creatures.org\/sermons.html<\/a><\/p>\n
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