A Sense Of Urgency A Sense Of Urgency - PowerPoint Presentation

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A Sense Of UrgencySlide2

A Sense Of Urgency

There a many situations in life that can cause us to feel a “sense of urgency”

Things that cannot be put off any longer they need to be handled immediately.

We may be diagnosed with a serious medical condition and the doctor tells us that treatment must begin now.

We may have a very important but short deadline at work.

We may have a very important test at school soon that we don’t yet feel prepared for.Slide3

A Sense Of Urgency

When we are faced with situations like these and others then we feel this “sense of urgency”

The pressure to get things done before it is too late.

Webster’s defines urgency as: “the quality or state of requiring immediate action or attention”

When we feel a sense of urgency about a situation then we try to focus our attention on doing what needs to be done.Slide4

A Sense Of Urgency

We rightfully feel this urgency in many physical matters but do we ever feel this same sense of urgency when it comes to obeying God?

Do we ever feel the pressure to obey God before it’s too late?

Do we feel obeying God requires immediate action or attention?

If we don’t then we should. Then time is coming when it will be too late to obey Him.Slide5

A Sense Of Urgency

Let’s look at a few examples of how some people obeyed God with a sense of urgency.

Abraham is a wonderful example of obeying God now and not putting it off.

Do we remember the story of God telling Abraham to offer his son Isaac as sacrifice to God?

Ge 22:1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."Slide6

A Sense Of Urgency

Ge 22:2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

3 ¶ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.Slide7

A Sense Of Urgency

It would have been so easy for Abraham to have justified to himself putting this off.

He could have said:

I am just to busy right now

It’s sheep shearing time

It’s harvest time

I have too many things going on right now. I will do it later.

My friends and family will think I’m crazy if I do this.Slide8

A Sense Of Urgency

Abraham offered none of these excuses. Instead he obeyed God with a sense of urgency!

King Abimelech is another example of obeying God with a sense of urgency.

Abimelech had taken Abraham’s wife Sarah to be his wife.

He didn’t know she was Abraham’s wife. He though Sarah was Abraham’s sister.

God appears to Abimelech in a dream and tells him to restore Sarah to her husband.Slide9

A Sense Of Urgency

Ge 20:3 ¶ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."

4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also?

5 "Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."Slide10

A Sense Of Urgency

Ge 20:6 And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."Slide11

A Sense Of Urgency

Ge 20:8 ¶ So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid.

9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.“

…14 ¶ Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him.Slide12

A Sense Of Urgency

King Abimelech did not hesitate to restore Sarah to Abraham.

He felt a sense of urgency because of the consequences of not obeying God!

God told him obey me or die!

The Philippian Jailer is another good example of someone with a sense of urgency about obeying God.

Paul and Silas came to the city of Philippi and began preaching the Gospel Slide13

A Sense Of Urgency

After being there several days a young woman who was a slave and who was possessed by a demon began to follow them.

This young woman began to cry out as she followed them "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.“

Ac 16:18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour.Slide14

A Sense Of Urgency

Since she was possessed, her masters had convinced people that she was a fortune teller and were making a lot of money off of her.

Now that Paul has cast the demon out of her their money making scheme was over.

Ac 16:19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.Slide15

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;

21 "and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe."

22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.Slide16

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.

24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 ¶ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.Slide17

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here."Slide18

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.Slide19

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Here is the main point we want to make in this story.

The jailer felt a sense of urgency about obeying God.

So much so that he called all of his family together in the middle of the night to hear what they needed to do in order to be saved!Slide20

A Sense Of Urgency

This is such an interesting story we will go ahead and finish reading it.

Ac 16:34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

35 ¶ And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, "Let those men go."Slide21

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace."

37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us openly,

uncondemned

Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out."Slide22

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 16:38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.

39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.

40 So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed…Slide23

A Sense Of Urgency

The people on the day of Pentecost felt a sense of urgency about obeying God.

Peter and the other Apostles preached the first gospel sermon on this day to a crowd of people in Jerusalem.

It had only been just over 50 days since the Jews had turned on Jesus and crucified Him.

The sermon preached on this day convicted them of this terrible sin.Slide24

A Sense Of Urgency

We see the results of this sermon beginning in Acts 2:37

Ac 2:37 ¶ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.Slide25

A Sense Of Urgency

Ac 2:39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.Slide26

A Sense Of Urgency

There was such a sense of urgency that 3000 of them were baptized that day!

They did not wait! They didn’t do it next week or next month.

They obeyed as soon as they learned what they were supposed to do!

As a matter of fact in most and maybe all of the conversions we read about in the New Testament the people obeyed God after hearing only 1 gospel sermon!Slide27

A Sense Of Urgency

Why do we think all of these people had such a sense of urgency about obeying God?

I think the answer to that question has 3 major parts

They realized not obeying God was sin

They realized the terrible consequences of sin

They realized they were not guaranteed another day on this earth

This are things that we desperately need to understand ourselves.Slide28

A Sense Of Urgency

When we don’t obey God by not doing what he has told us or by doing things He has told us not to do then we are breaking His law.

We understand this with the laws of our country. We can violate them by omission or by commission.

Omission is when we fail to do what the law tells us to do.

Not putting on our seat belt

Not filing our income taxesSlide29

A Sense Of Urgency

Commission is when we do things the law tells us not to do.

Going hunting without a license

Robbing a liquor store

In any of these cases we have transgressed the laws of the land and can face punishment for doing so.

We need to understand this when it comes to obeying God’s law. Slide30

A Sense Of Urgency

Failing to do what God has commanded and doing things He has told us not to do are both transgressions of His law.

We may fail to attend worship services

Heb

10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.Slide31

A Sense Of Urgency

We may fail to pray on a regular basis

1Th 5:17 pray without ceasing,

We may fail to sing in the worship service

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.Slide32

A Sense Of Urgency

We may fail to love our enemies

Mt 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

Failing to do these things and others that God has commanded us is a sin.

We can also transgress God’s law by the things we do

This is just as sinful as not doing what God has commanded.Slide33

A Sense Of Urgency

We may tell a lie

Eph

4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.

We may steal something from someone else

Eph

4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.Slide34

A Sense Of Urgency

We may become drunk

Eph

5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

We may use filthy language

Col 3:8 ¶ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

All of these things and others are transgressions of God’s law.Slide35

A Sense Of Urgency

What is transgression of God’s law called? Sin!

1Jo 3:4 ¶ Whosoever

committeth

sin

transgresseth

also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

All of these people we have discussed who had a sense of urgency about obeying God realized when they broke God’s laws they were committing sin.

Do we realize we are involved in sin when we don’t obey God?Slide36

A Sense Of Urgency

Does knowing not obeying God is sin give us a sense of urgency about obeying Him?

If not then maybe having a better understanding of the consequences of sin will give us a sense of urgency.

When we sin then we separate ourselves from God.

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.Slide37

A Sense Of Urgency

If we remain separated from God because of our sins then we only have one option for our eternity.

Mt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The consequences of sin are horrible and eternal.

Those who do not know or obey the Gospel will suffer the vengeance of God on the day of judgmentSlide38

A Sense Of Urgency

2Th 1:6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,

7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,

8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.Slide39

A Sense Of Urgency

2Th 1:9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

This everlasting punishment is brought on men because of sin!

Sin can cause us to be cast into the lake of fire!

Re 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."Slide40

A Sense Of Urgency

I believe all of these people we have discussed realized the terrible consequences of sin.

Do we realize the terrible consequences of sin?

Do we really believe we can spend and eternity in the lake of fire because we transgress God’s law?

If we truly believe what the Bible says about the consequences of unforgiven sin then this should produce a sense of urgency in us about obeying God now!Slide41

A Sense Of Urgency

I also believe these people understood the uncertainty of life and this produced a sense of urgency in them about obeying God.

None of us know how much longer we will live.

We may live to be 100 years old or we may die today.

After we die it will be too late to obey God.

Heb

9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,Slide42

A Sense Of Urgency

Jesus in the parable of the rich man describes someone who did not consider the uncertainty of life.

Lu 12:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?‘

18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.Slide43

A Sense Of Urgency

Lu 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'

20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."Slide44

A Sense Of Urgency

The rich man expected to live many more years and had provided for himself all that he needed in order to do so.

Instead of living many years he died that night!

He failed to take into account the uncertainty of this life.

Since he was only concerned with the here and now he failed to make provisions for eternity.

All of his earthly goods were of no help to him when he stood before God in judgment.Slide45

A Sense Of Urgency

The scriptures refer to the shortness and uncertainty of this life several times.

Ps 89:47 Remember how short my time is; For what futility have You created all the children of men?

Job 7:7 ¶ Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good.

8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.Slide46

A Sense Of Urgency

Job 7:9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up.

10 He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore.

Job says our life is like a breath meaning it is very short.

It will disappear like a cloud and once it is gone then it is gone never to returnSlide47

A Sense Of Urgency

Job 14:1 ¶ "Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.

2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

Job says the days of our life are few

We are like the flower that blooms for a little while but then withers and dies.

The fact that our days are few should cause us to feel a sense of urgency about obeying GodSlide48

A Sense Of Urgency

The days of our life are few and uncertain. We do not know what tomorrow will bring.

Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.Slide49

A Sense Of Urgency

Jas 4:15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.“

We just don’t know how much longer we will live.

We may not have an opportunity to obey God later.

Because of this we need to feel a sense of urgency about obeying God now!

Tomorrow may be too late!Slide50

A Sense Of Urgency

We have several examples in the scriptures of men and women who obeyed God immediately after finding out what He wanted them to do.

The people on the day of Pentecost

The Philippian Jailer

The Ethiopian

Eunich

Lydia and others

All of these obeyed the gospel after hearing only 1 sermon.Slide51

conclusion

They felt a sense of urgency about obeying God.

When we understand:

Breaking God’s law is sin.

The eternal consequences of sin

We may not have another opportunity to obey God

An understanding of these things should produce a sense of urgency in us when it comes to obeying God