“Not Forsaking! Not Forsaking! Not Forsaking!”

Introduction

This is a very important message: a message that may mean, for you, the difference between freedom and slavery. This message is, in fact, a warning against a sin that is subtly committed and, like a snake traveling up a tall tree, is also deceitfully attractive. What is the intent of this sin? To leave you, like our Mother Eve, trapped, holding a fruit that you were warned not to touch – with little pieces of it still stuck in between your teeth.

Oh, blessed brother or sister, are you free, right now? Are you free in Jesus: safe, and secure, and resting in him? Are you so full, so filled with the love of God that it naturally combines with all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength as your heart draws back up into his heart, until you are in the midst of supernatural love, endless love, God’s love; overflowing, overpowering: Heaven is yours and yours is peace on Earth? Rivers of living water pouring constantly back down into you and out into the world – love of God, love for you, and love to love your neighbor “as yourself”, and love that will never end! That is… love that will never end unless… you or something finds a way to stop those waters, damn those flood, and cease your flow: that holy flow of divine love through you.

O’ Christian! O’ [as the name means] little Christ! O’ little savior of the world! – Run. Run! Flee back deep into the Word of God. Stand here no more in the open field. Flee back deeper and deeper into the Word of God until your warrior skills have been made even more complete! Why?  Because… they… are… coming for you: the adulterers and the adulteresses of the great whore, of the church falsely so-called: that meeting place manufactured by the “traditions of men”, by their “form of godliness [that denies] the power thereof”, their iglesia. They are indeed the assembled called out ones. Called out. Called out from faithfulness to take up their cross daily, and follow our Lord! Assembled. Assembled to stand in defiance of the straight and narrow oh so joyful way of increasing surrender in Christ: in Christ, our wonderful Savior and Lord! 

Yea, they stand upon the road like the man named “Obstinate” in “Pilgrim Progress” crying out to you, “Christian”; crying out, “Come back, Christian! Come back! Come back!” And yet, not exactly with those words. No, having given themselves over to the fantasies of what Bunyan called “Vanity Fair” – having submitted to the mind, the mentality of “Worldly Wiseman”, they dare take one sweet phrase of Scripture from one great page of the Word of God, and use it to achieve a goal that they themselves, poor wretchedly deceived souls, have been duped by the Devil into crying out to you. “Not forsaking! Not forsaking! Not forsaking!! “Come back”, they cry out, “o’ awakened Christian, and assemble here like us – with us – us who have been watered down, tamed, and made acceptable to the God of this World!”

Ah, as it is written of young David when he fled from religious wicked King Saul…

“And David said unto Ahimelech, ‘And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.’ And the priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here.’ And David said, ‘There is none like that; give it me.” (1 Samuel 21:8-9)

Come then, brothers and sisters so weary from the run: take the sword that they have used against our brethren for too long! Come then and let us take back the sword of Hebrews 10:25; lift up the spear of Hebrews 10:24; and dare take back (yes, snatched out of the hand of those poor deceived wretches)… take those further glorious words of Hebrews 10:26-27; Ah, yes, hallelujah, even more – and even all – the true God-anointed Spirit-filled full counsels of our King.

First, then – let us consider that we should…

I. Not forsake considering one another!

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” (Hebrews 10:24)

Now listen to this story:

“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, ‘Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’

“And Jesus said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.’

“And he answered and said unto him, ‘Master, all these have I observed from my youth.’

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, ‘One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.’

“And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, ‘How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:17-23)

     A. Why do we not consider one another?

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

Have you ever had someone you had missed seeing for a long time, or knew that this might be the last time you saw them? You listened. You let them speak. You stared at them and did your best to memorize their appearance and every word that they spoke. That’s what this means. That’s how our Saviour looks at you, at us; and that’s how we shall, we must consider one another.

• “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.” (Luke 19:41)
• “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, ‘Where have ye laid him?’ They said unto him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.” (John 11:33-35)
• “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, ‘Woman, behold thy son!’ Then saith he to the disciple, ‘Behold thy mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” (John 19:25-27)

     B. Why do we not provoke one another unto love?

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

     C. Why do we not provoke one another unto good works?

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

Second, then – let us consider that we should…

II. Not forsake assembling with one another!

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

• “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)
• “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7)
• “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” (Luke 10:1)
• “Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.” (Matthew 8:18)

     A. Why are true Christians “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is?”

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)

     B. Why are true Christians not “exhorting [encouraging] one another?”

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)

     C. Why are true Christians not “exhorting [encouraging] one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching?”

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)

Third and last, let us consider that we should…

III. Not forsake surrendering to Christ with one another!

“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Now, please listen to this story…

“And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 

“And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. 

“Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.” (Acts 21:17-24)

• “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matthew 28:19)
• “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
• “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8b)
• “As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Luke 21:6)

     A. Why are we sinning “wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth?”

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” (1 Corinthians 5:11)

     B. Why are we sinning willfully while knowing that “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins?”

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” (1 Corinthians 5:11)

     C. Why are we sinning willfully while so clearly facing the impending “certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” (1 Corinthians 5:11)

Conclusion:

Don’t “go to church.” Be the church! Don’t even just go to huddle with the “called out ones”: huddling together to do little – instead of 

• surrendering to being called out 
• surrendering to be sent out, 
• surrendering to go out and 
• surrendering to do all that you can and all that you are supposed to do for the Saviour 
  • who saved you, and 
  • who sends you into the fields to labor for him, and
  • who  calls you to be like him: 
    • dying upon your cross while helping him to save as many souls as possible from sin.

Yes, dear Christian… wake up!

Are you newly converted to Christ? Then now – now at the outset of your journey in Christ, during what the Bible calls your “first love” – wake up and never give up seeking to really and cleanly and fully follow our Lord who stood up in righteousness and cleansed the established church of his day: throwing over the tables of the money changers, revealing the coldness of the fake phoney false church people of his day; who dared to confront their ministers with finger-pointing truth-telling declarations against their “traditions of men”, their “whited sepulchres”, and of who they themselves were: “Scribes pharisees, hypocrites!”

Dear brother or sister, are you, rather than at the beginning, waking up later to a longing for what must still be real with God, later in your walk with Christ: enlightened after years of attempted spiritual battle for our Lord. Well, whether late or early – In either case – be not deceived; no, not by that great deceiver, the Devil, Satan himself, nor by those whom he has deceived. In fact, if at all possible, take as many of them as you can with you – if they will come. But if not… then run! Run!!

And for those of you who find yourselves so very entangled (still) by habit, and more powerfully entrapped by social connections and seemingly friendly ties – We are in sympathy with you. We understand that you need a plan; a pattern to follow to help you escape from “out of her” and into the bright freedom of your true inheritance in our Saviour’s love and joy, then search the Scriptures; and if you need a place to start, then why not begin where we end this message: with these following words of life from the Word of God.

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” (Philippians 3:12-15)

OUTLINE:

“Not Forsaking! Not Forsaking! Not Forsaking!”

Not forsaking considering one another!

Not forsaking assembling with one another!

Not forsaking surrendering to Christ with one another!

“But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Luke 11:42)

WORSHIP:

God Be with You Till We Meet Again (586)

Opening:

I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go (352)

O to Be Like Thee! (470)

Middle:

The Love of God (276)

O How He Loves You and Me (277)

Message:

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (441)

Closing hymn:

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (441)