God's Mandate: A 3-Part Message to the Church

00:01 - Speaker 1Do you understand? The creator of the universe lives in you and you in him. God tells in John 14, you were in me and I am in you because you're the ones who love me. This is incredible. As a Christian, you have an inheritance the world can't even comprehend. This is holy God speaking to you, who knows everything about you, including your thoughts. 00:27 - Speaker 2Welcome to the Ignite with Barry Meguiar podcast, where Barry's book and passion for spreading God's love are guaranteed to ignite your life. Now listen in and prepare to have your life ignited. 00:42 - Speaker 1So here's a side note the entire text of this podcast, which is quite long, is available in Ignite Updates on IgniteAmericacom. And really to set the scene for those of us who are Christians, when the trumpet sounds, you know, the only thing that will matter is how many people will be in heaven because of our influence. God only has one agenda how many people will be in heaven because of our influence. God only has one agenda. But it's not a game for the clergy, for the rest of us to watch and applaud and support. That's what's going on today. All of us are in the game, but 99% of us don't even know we're on the team because we've never been told our position or how to play it or enjoy it or be rewarded for it. That's why we're losing the game. You might want to take a break and get a cup of coffee before I share with you this very serious three-part message to the church, which includes God's clearing call to the church what he's called us to do. Secondly, our inheritance what God has given us it's incredible. And lastly, our response. How are we to respond to what God has given us? It's incredible. And lastly, our response. How are we to respond to what he's given us and share it with the world. If you want. Now's the time to hit the pause button To start. 02:02Let's talk about God's clarion call to the church. America is a post-Christian nation. It is, face it, and we're working to destroy a societally Christian government that was created for a moral and religious people. John Adams, george Washington, many of them said that it's true. But you go back to the Mayflower Compact. It describes the pilgrim's mission, having undertaken the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith. Did you hear that? It's undeniable. The pilgrims took their treacherous trip across the light to fulfill God's clearing call to the church, share the good news. Then our founding fathers risked everything they had when they created our Declaration of Independence in 1776 and our Constitution in 1788, both based on scripture and declaring our freedom to worship God as we choose. 02:59It was because Americans have responded to God's clarion call to seek and save the lost that God made America the most prosperous and generous nation in the world. I mean, there's been nothing like America. Criticize all they want. There's nothing like America. Ever Over the last 250 years, america has evangelized the world more than all the other countries in the world combined. I mean like by five times over. This explains why God's grace has continued to bless America, in spite of our turning our backs on God inside America for the last 60 years. God's clearing call to the church and to America has not changed. God is the same today, tomorrow and forever. Hebrews 13.8. 03:47The tragedy is that while evangelizing the world, the church in America has grown silent. America's problems are the result of Christians ignoring God's call to reach the lost inside America, who are now the majority of America. So this brings us to the question who's your God? Jesus told us in John 13, 35, they would know you're my disciple by your love, meaning God's salvation-y love flowing through you to everyone around you. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, revelations 2.4, God speaks to Christians who have replaced him as their first love and are no longer doing the first work of telling people about him. The degree to which you tell people about God is the degree to which you love God. God's stunning warning comes in Revelations 2.15,. Remember from where you have fallen, repent or remove your candlestick. Your testimony. That's the state of the church today. American Christians have lost their testimony by ignoring God's call to tell people about Him. None of us are exempt. Because the majority of Americans stopped attending church and Christians stopped telling them Jesus loves them, we have chaos. This explains America's godlessness. 05:07Believing yourself to be a Christian by devoting your time and resource to Christian causes can actually be a trap. The slippery slope comes when you allow anything to capture your heart and fill your prayers. That's not leading people to Jesus. Hear me on this. Prayers, that's not leading people to Jesus. Hear me on this. Evangelists calling for repentance and revival means across America has been replaced with God and country rallies, capturing the emotions and devotion of Christians while having nothing to do with winning the loss. Help us. 05:40The gap between those who are proud of what they're doing for the Lord and those who are humbled by how the Lord is using them is the great divide. Make no mistake. God's call to the church is to reach the lost. Love your neighbor as yourself. Be as concerned for their salvation as you are for your own. Think about this. Nothing you do today or any day will have eternal consequences, except leading people to Jesus. Jesus explained in Matthew 20 that all he requires of you is to love him and love your neighbor as yourself. Everything works together for good Romans 8, 28, for those who love him and live for his purposes, seek and save the lost. You see, God blesses people, ministries, businesses and nations whose focus is on leading people to Jesus. Otherwise you're really on your own folks. 06:35So scriptural naivety, apathy, love for the things of this world and misguided good intentions are responsible for turning America into a post-Christian nation. By replacing God with another God, anything other than God himself, christians have lost their God focus and their ability to lead people to him. You know, if as much effort was spent on reaching the losses we spent on fighting for candidates or issues, america would be a Christian nation. The scales would be taken off the eyes, evil would be seen as evil, people would vote for right causes and issues and candidates and America would be a Christian nation again. It's not that we're not exerting enough effort. It's that we've made other things our God. 07:24For those of us who are Christians, when you breathe your last breath, where you live, what you accomplish, how much you've been honored, will be meaningless. God made us for heaven and the only thing that matters is how many of you will be in heaven because of your influence. In Matthew 7, 22, Jesus states On Judgment Day, many will say to the Lord. Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And in your name, drive out demons and in your name, perform many miracles. Listen to this. You know what he says. Then I will tell them plainly. I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. You've ignored my clarion call. This is serious, Paul. You've ignored my clarion call. This is serious. Paul explained in 1 Thessalonians 2.19 that our crowns and rewards have nothing to do with our earthly goodness or status or kindness to others. Our rewards in heaven would be those we lead to the Lord. Wherever God has placed you, he'll bless the work of your hands. Where the work of your hands is leading people to Jesus, get it. 08:30We're enjoying huge political success, pushing back the darkness, but no amount of political successes will save America. We're actually witnessing the secularization of Christianity in America, having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof. That's 2 Timothy 3.5. When a demon is forced to depart and then, finding the place still empty of God, returns with seven more demons, more evil than himself, the last will be far worse than the former. It's in Matthew 12.43. Read it. I have to, Matthew 12, 43. Read it. I have to tell you, without revival, this is the fate that awaits America. There is but one clearing call to seek and save the lost. Our only hope is igniting Christians and igniting American revival, one person at a time. So now we're at part two your inheritance from. 09:33God. This is huge. Are you enjoying your inheritance? Do you understand? The creator of the universe lives in you and you in him. God tells in John 14, you are in me and I am in you because you are the ones who love me. This is incredible. 09:54As a Christian, you have an inheritance the world can't even comprehend. This is holy God speaking to you, who knows everything about you, including your thoughts, even your words, before you say them. Psalms 139,. And he still loves you. It's unthinkable and overwhelmingly humbling. 10:19How can you comprehend or explain your inheritance for God? No eye has seen or ear has heard, and when no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him? 1 Corinthians 2.9. That alone should keep you running full speed with him, no matter what the world throws at you. I mean, come on, we have God for us. If God is for us, who can be against us? 10:50You know you're not the first to feel underqualified to represent God. You can rightfully say with the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3, 7, 19,. Listen to this. By God's special favor and mighty power, I, you have been given this wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading the good news. Do you understand what I'm saying what Paul is saying. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3, 7, and 18,. I did nothing to deserve it, and though I'm the least deserving of all Christians, I, you, were chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the creator of all things, has kept secret, and then you would be filled with the fullness of the life and power that comes from God. Wow, that's your inheritance. This is what being a Christian is all about. Everything else in your life pales in comparison to this. Nothing else matters. This is what we're made for, and yet we rarely have ever even think about it. Freedom is your inheritance. When you know you're exactly where God wants you, doing what he wants you to do, allowing him to speak through you, and knowing nothing can happen to you unless God allows it or makes it happen. To lead people to Jesus. Drive this snake into the ground. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8, 32. 12:16Everything in life is about leading people to Jesus. Here's how it works when you're in sync with God, he loves people through you, then they will tell you their needs. The Holy Spirit gives you the words to say. Lives are transformed, your faith explodes and your relationship with God becomes intimate. This is how you live and breathe and share your inheritance every day and night, in the good times and the bad. This is living out your inheritance out loud for God's purpose. 12:50The thought of faith sharing being confrontational is actually the opposite of loving on people. People don't get mad when you tell them God loves them. This is especially true when the joy of your inheritance permeates everything you do. You're just full of joy when you continually celebrate what God has done for you and is doing for you and doing for everybody around you through you. Your joy never ends, your light never goes out and sharing your faith never stops. It's who you are. 13:25Actions don't speak louder than words. Being good doesn't get you or anyone else in heaven. Your end goal is not merely giving clothes or food or comfort to people on their way to hell or doing good. Your goal is to lead everyone to heaven. That's your goal. Actions go before your words. It's the word of God that redeems souls. 13:47When your actions match your words, your words have power. Lives are changed when your actions match the words you speak, the scriptures you quote and the love you express. When it's all packaged, you're consistent. It's what you are. Jesus told us in Mark 12, 31,. Loving him and your neighbor as yourself fulfills everything he requires of you. Think of it. Here's why, when you love your neighbors as yourself, you're as concerned for their salvation as you are your own. That's a game changer. It's knowing everything you say and do is leading people around you further away or closer to God. Indeed, you're in full-time ministry. 14:37A word to the wise God's response to those who didn't gain a return on his investment you know in that parable of the talents Matthew 25, 14, is frightening. This is how he views you. When you don't invest what he's given you into the lives of others, when you have nothing to show, no souls for the investment he's made in you, you're called to multiply yourself. How many souls have been won because of his investment in you? Think about it. It's an important question. Here's the good news God tells his servant who reaped a return on his investment. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities, more influence, more people to lead them to God Luke 19, 17. Your inheritance from God grows as you invest it in others. This is God's ultimate incentive plan After being baptized in the Holy Spirit. 15:48In the 1970s, pat Boone wrote a book it's called A New Song and he said he felt like he discovered a bank account he never knew he had, that he could write checks on these. Many years later, most Christians have this same malady having no understanding of the endless wealth of their spiritual inheritance. Praise God. This is awesome. Freedom from worry and anger and doubt and envy and strife and questioning God is your inheritance on earth when you're leading people to Jesus. Isaiah 43.10 explains it. And then there's heaven. Can you imagine the joy you experience when you meet those in heaven who are there because of your influence? Wow, far greater. Can you imagine God's voice saying to you Matthew 5, 25, 21,. Well done, well done thou, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord. 16:51Romans 8, 7, 6. As heirs of God, enjoy your heirs with Christ, hallelujah. Knowing this, how can you stay silent? And finally, part three, let's talk about your response to God's divine love. This is big. This is where we live. God didn't create love. God is love, who was and is and always will be. Revelations 1.8. 17:28I always like to use scriptures to back up what I say. His love never changes and never ends having no verbiage of shadow turning. James 1, 17. Holy, holy, holy, speak to the purity, the sepulchre, the divineness of God who loves you. Revelations 4, 11. 17:53Have you considered how God knows everything about you and never wavers in his love for you? Lord, you've examined my heart. You know everything about me. You know what I'm going to say. Before I say it, you go before me and you follow me. I can never escape your spirit, I can never get away. How precious are your thoughts about me? They outnumber the grains of sand. Psalms 139. Who can fathom this? Nothing can separate you from God's love. 18:30Romans 8.38. No matter how far you've wandered those of you who are not walking the walk because you should no matter how far we've wandered, no matter what you've done, no matter how alone you feel, God will never leave you or forsake you. Hebrews 13, 5. Incredible promise he doesn't love you to the end. God loves you forever. Romans 2.11. This is why we can't hate anybody. You know God loves the people you hate. We're not allowed to hate. It's not allowing God's love to flow through us to everyone around us, always, forever, till we see him face to face. So how do you love God back, Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments John 14, 15. Then, when asked which is the most important commandment, Jesus said in Mark 12, 30, loving your neighbor as yourself, being as concerned for their salvation as you are for your own. And that's being equal to loving him and, astoundingly, fulfills everything he requires of you for the entirety of your life. That's it. He asks nothing else of you. That's it, and most of us are ignoring it altogether. 19:55God, help us. That's why our ministry of Ignite, we're here to ignite you, to ignite your life, to put you together with God. Whatever you love most is what you talk about. God knows how much you love Him by how much you talk about Him and, quite frankly, lead people to Him. And time's running out. The last lap of the race is called the gun lap, where dedicated runners give their all to win that race. This is where every dedicated Christian is at this very moment Giving their all to win as race. This is where every dedicated Christian is at this very moment Giving their all to win as many people as possible before time runs out and you hear God say well done thou, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord, matthew 25. 20:50The absurdity of loving the temporary of this world versus the eternity of heaven is satanic. That's the only way it can be described. Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers, 2nd Corinthians 4, making them see evil as good and good as evil. Isaiah 5 20. There's no other explanation why anyone would love the temporary, and it's the godlessness of this world and nor God's gifts of eternal life. It just it wouldn't make sense. They're blinded. 21:20I have to tell you, the time for casual Christianity is over. Hear me, the time for casual Christianity is over. Your position in heaven, hear me, the time for casual Christianity is over. Your position in heaven and whether those you love and influence will make it to heaven are hanging in the balance right now. This is deadly serious and ecstatically exciting. Now is the time that try men's souls. Sharing your faith is the antidote against casual Christianity that embrace the same filthy language and worries and indulgences and appearances of those who hate God. You see it in churches and conferences all the time. What's going on here? That's why so many Christians have switched their allegiance to Christian causes where they never need to think about winning the loss. It's called having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. 2 Timothy 3.5. If Christians directed as much time and resources to winning the loss as we do fighting abortion and human trafficking all of which we need to do, hear me on that We'd be a Christian nation many times over. 22:41If the end goal of your ministry is not leading people to Jesus, it's of no value to God. Jesus reserved his second most luxurious promise, after John 3, 16, to making everything in your life work for good when you love your neighbors as yourself, when you seek and save the lost, when you move everyone every day closer to Jesus. This is God's only requirement for the entirety of your life. We are. You therefore are Christ's ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5.20. And so God, we're making his appeal through us, and he is. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. Do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. 23:26Ephesians 4.30. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? 2 Corinthians 6.3-7. Here what God is saying to us come up from among unbelievers and separate yourselves from them. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 2 Corinthians 6, 14-17. Do not be a stumbling block. Romans 14, 13. Obscene from all appearances of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5, 22. All things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify. 1 Corinthians 10.23. 24:00Tragically, pastors have stopped preaching this message and are robbing the earth the inheritance and eternal rewards from their people. When you live your life to seek and save the lost, souls are saved, rewards are earned, and the distraction of this world lose their people. You don't even care about it anymore. They no longer have a hold on you. This is not religious purgatory. This is where wholehearted faith Romans 8, 28, leads to joy-filled days John 15, 11. 24:32God answering your prayers James 1, 4,. Directing your steps yes. Proverbs 3, 5,. Giving you the word to say when you need them Luke 12, 12,. And experiencing intimacy with God Isaiah 43, 10, in a test of the crowns and rewards you receive because of those you've led to the Lord 1 Thessalonians 2, 9. 24:52Wow, there's nothing more exciting than God leading you into conversations, having people share their deepest needs, experiencing the Holy Spirit giving you the words to say, and watching souls being transformed in front of your eyes. This is how you experience intimacy with God. This is when God's divine love ignites your life and explodes your faith. This is what being a Christian is all about. And if that isn't enough for you, here's an epilogue that you may want to read and recite every morning. 25:37Read with me the Igniter's Creed Holy God, may your divine Holy Spirit permeate and control the unwavering truth of my life by proclaiming the steadfastness of my faith and your love through everything I say and do and perceive, in the good times and the bad, through the laughter and the tears, the most spontaneous to the most considered, the most frivolous to the most profound, in my work and play and in between, every second of every day, in my conscious and my unconscious acts. My dedication is to live the entirety of my life to seek and save the lost, but none should be lost, moving everyone every day closer to Jesus, for my weakest, most thoughtless moments are the most profound To get as many people as possible into heaven before the trumpet sounds For your purpose and your glory, amen. 26:51 - Speaker 2If you enjoyed today's episode, let us know, and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review to help us reach more listeners. Remember sharing your faith ignites your faith. See you next time on the Ignite with Barry Meguiar podcast. You.