1. Faith
on the
Earth
Luke 18:1-8

2. Faith on the Earth
Luke 18:8 - I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

3. Faith on the Earth
Luke 18:8 - I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?“

4. It is not locked in
Luke 13: Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, (24) - "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Acts 14:22 - strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

5. It is not locked in
1 Corinthians 9:27 - But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

6. It is not locked in
Philippians 3: Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

7. It is not locked in
Philippians 3:16 - Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
Colossians 1:23 - if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

8. God is concerned about the future
Daniel 2:44 - And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

9. God is concerned about the future
Daniel 7:14 - Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

10. God is concerned about the future
Matthew 16: And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

11. God is concerned about the future
Hebrews 12: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. (29) For our God is a consuming fire.

12. Something must be done
From the first tthree chapters in the Revelation letter, we know that congregations can change dramatically for the worse in a very short period of time.
So what can we be doing presently to make sure that there is faith on the earth in the future?

13. The Preaching Must Be Strong
2 Timothy 4:2-4 - Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; (4) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

14. The Preaching Must Be Strong
Acts 20:32 - "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

15. The Preaching Must Be Strong
So what kind of preaching was done on that day? Acts 2
It had a constant appeal to the scriptures,
It set the record straight,
It was Christ-centered,
It reached a conclusion and definitive deduction,

16. The Preaching Must Be Strong
So what kind of preaching was done on that day? Acts 2
It convicted of sin,
It gave the plan of salvation,
It called for a change of conduct,
It resulted in membership in the Lord’s church

17. We Must Evangelize
Matthew 28: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

18. We Must Instruct the Next Generation
Judges 2:10 - When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

19. We Must Instruct the Next Generation
What this means is that:
Parents must continue to play a very active role in the spiritual instruction of their own children.
This parental instruction about spiritual things must be “diligent.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Psalms 78:1-8

20. We Must Instruct the Next Generation
What this means is that:
The instructions must include the basics or the fundamentals.
The Story of Noah: Genesis 6 – 9
Genesis 6:14-16
Genesis 6:17-19
Hebrews 11:7
1Peter 3:20

21. We Must Instruct the Next Generation
What this means is that:
There are times that we need to test our children, ask them a Bible question, sit back and see if they can “give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15)

22. The Teaching Must Be Clear and Distinctive
1 John 4:5-6 - They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. (6) We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

23. The Teaching Must Be Clear and Distinctive
We must remain salt and light:
Matthew 5:13-16

24. The Teaching Must Be Clear and Distinctive
We must refuse to compromise God’s standard of morality and personal purity:
Ephesians 5:3-6

25. The Teaching Must Be Clear and Distinctive
He gives us instruction or permission through direct statements (commands): 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
Approved examples: Acts 20:7
Precedents and necessary inferences (i.e. the first day of the week comes every week, therefore, communion is to be served every week).

26. The Teaching Must Be Clear and Distinctive
John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
John 14:23 - Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.