Dregs or Precious Remnant: Part Three

Every child of God faces seasons where they may feel they are alone in their dedication to the Lord. It is important that we realize that such a siege against our faith, or even against our church, is not unique. In fact, not only did such situations arise in physical warfare in the Old Testament but those who attempted to minister in the Church Age of the New Testament also faced such hardship.

I am reminded of Paul’s visit to Achaia. He preached there for a year and a half at the command of the Lord.

In Acts 18:9-10, we find the Lord’s command: “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.”

When Paul reached Achaia, however, he did not find a strong Christian city but rather a remnant that was being overrun by zealous Jews who refused to accept Jesus’ name!

Paul was finally forced to leave the city after being physically beaten and left for dead. How he must have felt! Indeed, he might have felt a failure based on the lack of success of this pastorate!

We would quickly surmise that since the city had rejected God’s man, it was left without a prophet…but in the very next city, Paul’s friends found a “remnant” of another city whose name was Apollos.

Acts 18:24-28… “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”

When the people of God in Achaia would not stand up for truth, God sent a remnant whose testimony convinced the Jews and saved a city! Be assured, if you don’t want to live for God, there is a remnant that will gladly take your place!

Many of you here feel like that remnant—that outnumbered few—and you don’t feel it just out in the world; you can feel it even in God’s house.

You can wonder, does anyone live for God any more or am I really old-fashioned, outdated, behind the times, a freak?

Scripture states that in the church, there is wheat and there is chaff. Wheat are the true children of God.

Chaff are the tares sewn by Satan who are only in the church to hinder and will never submit to Godly authority. Unfortunately, both grow together.

Matthew 13:24-30 tells us, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

So, we cannot uproot those that deny truth lest someone who is living for God be offended and lost. It’s hard because we expect all those under the banner of Christianity to be true children of God but we cannot see the chaff sent away until the last day. And…indeed, at times we may mistake chaff for wheat or vice versa. Only God knows the heart!

So, when Satan talks to your heart about there being hypocrites in the church, be assured that…yes, there are! But remember, there is also a remnant!

The modern church is similar to our nation, it was founded on godly principles and ideas; it began with godly morals and a basis in truth; and began with women looking and acting like women while men looked and acted like men.

But today, we see the wasting of godly truths in our nation. It’s called ‘being progressive’ although it is more likely being ‘transgressive!’ Our media makes saints out to be the dregs of the 50’s or the dregs of an overzealous spiritual revolution. But, their viewpoint is only surface level for in God’s eyes, we are NOT dregs—we are REMNANTS!

But you might wonder, what good are remnants when we have such an extensive world to reach? Catch our next segment and learn how God measures!