I
have been praying about the next series and how to start off 2016. I feel it is
important for us to take a look at the End Times which originally had me
praying about preaching through Revelations. Talking to a friend of mine who
teaches weekly on end times prophecy at his church in Ohio, has led me to a
different source and a different path. Our dominant scriptures for the coming
weeks will be Matthew chapters 24 and 25. Words spoken by Jesus that are vital
to understanding the times we live in, where our focus should be, and what is
to come.
During
this series I will not be trying to pinpoint a day or hour, as that is
impossible. I will not be trying to convince anyone that pre, mid, or post tribulation
is the most biblical point of view. Theologians who spend more hours than I
could ever spend studying this one thing in scripture do not agree, so who am I
to try to convince you one way or the other. From what study I have done so
far, I am not sure it is as black and white as most people think. Anyways the
timing of the tribulation, etc… has no impact on your salvation and spiritual
growth which are ultimately my main concerns. The real focus will be for us to
understand the signs of the end times and what we need to be doing about it.
One
of the main references I will be using is a book by Douglass Shearer titled
‘Facing The Storm’. While I may not agree with every word he writes I do agree
with the overall direction he takes.
One
thing we need to understand as we begin this series is that in 2016 the church
is going to continue to face hostility. The church in America used to enjoy
that most people in this country agreed with Biblical values and ethics even if
they did not consider themselves a Christian. Since the end of the last
revival, the Jesus Movement of the 70’s, we have seen that agreement with
Biblical values fade.
Values
in society today are defined by Moral Relativism. Meaning that values held by
people or a society are for a specific time or situation. According to Moral
Relativism, values change over time and no one set of values are better than
another. In other words, the old American values that many of us hold dear and
for the most part follow Biblical teaching are no better than the values we are
seeing in the world today. Moral Relativism would say the values supporting
materialistic greed, abortion, and homosexual marriage are just as valid as the
Biblical values of sacrifice, love, and living a Godly life style. Moral
Relativism will tell us that what is sin changes or even that there is no sin,
and hence the need for a savior is lessened.
Society
has embraced Moral Relativism and it is taking over. We see it in the laws that
are passed making things legal that would have been unheard of 50 years ago. We
see it as the 10 Commandments are being yanked out of government buildings and
with nativity scenes being pulled out of town squares. Monuments are being
taken down that have been in place for many years, just because they have a
cross or fish on them. Christianity is under attack and moral relativism is
winning.
The
question is what are we supposed to do about it?
“In
short, the church’s task is not to save the ship, but to get her passengers
safely off the ship and onto the life boat; and that life boat is of course
Jesus Christ!” Douglass Shearer
The
world, the ship, is going downhill and no matter what we do it is going to
continue. I am not saying that we should not vote and I am not saying we that
we should not be political. What I am saying is that our main focus needs to be
on reaching the lost not being a political machine. Vote along Biblical lines,
support the right candidates, and make your voices heard. But more importantly
remember that it is not our job to save the world or even this country from
morale decay. We are to guide the people who inhabit this country and the world,
we are to guide them to the lifeboats. We are to guide them to Jesus Christ.
The
Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 tells us:
Matthew
6:10
“Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
God’s
kingdom is going to come no matter what we do. So while we need to stand up for
our values, that is not to be our priority. At most, all we can hope to do is
make things a little better for a time. In reality if God’s kingdom is coming
any resources dedicated to the political realm trying to stop the moral decay
are wasted.
There
are churches who go out of their way to not alienate anyone. They really want
to make sure people with political influence or with deep pockets are happy and
feel accepted. They accept those who fight to support the murder of innocent
babies and for immoral sexual relations to be the norm. Making sure they accept
everything and offend no one. These churches are trying to win favor with the
government and are compromising the Gospel message.
We
need to battle this, but not in the way most people do. Many Christians are
focused on turning things around, or trying to save the ship. I want a revival
as much as the next guy, but not in hopes that it will change society but in
hopes that it will change people. Battling to save the ship can seem
overwhelming. Trying to save the ship instead of the people will result in
frustration and burnout. God’s Kingdom is coming and we need to make sure our
priorities are right. Don’t waste your resources on trying to save the ship and
never compromise the Gospel message. We need a savior, everyone needs a savior,
and it is our job to man the lifeboats and convince people to get in.
2
Thessalonians 2:7
“For
the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one restraining will do
so until he is out of the way.”
While
the Holy Spirit is restraining Satan, we need to remember that he is still
active today. Satan does not have the power and control that he will during the
tribulation but he does have enough to cause plenty of trouble.
Look
at the world today, things are pretty bad and getting worse. We are seeing more
and more Christians being persecuted. Believers are letting apathy sink in,
they no longer care about the things God cares about. Immorality is the social
norm. With the riots in Ferguson and Baltimore we have seen the complete lack
of respect for laws and those charged with enforcing them.
Even
the recent student activism seen at universities around the country point to a
breakdown of people wanting to work with others from different ethnicities or
social levels. Just looking at things that have happened in the United Sates
recently points toward Satan being at work and if we are observant they will
point out that we are getting closer to the second coming of Jesus.
If
we are drawing nearer to Jesus’ second coming, we need to remember what we are
supposed to do. If we are to be manning the lifeboats we need to remember that
time for some people is running out.
Matthew
28:19
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
All
believers are called to spread the gospel message. We do not know how much time
anyone has left and we need to make this a priority every day. Every person you
meet is someone who may need to hear the good news of Jesus.
Luke
14:33
“In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say
good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple.”
We
have to let go of the things of this world to truly serve Jesus. I am not
saying we have to sell all that we have, that is a command given for those who
hold onto things to tightly, the rest of us need to make sure that our
commitment to Jesus is greater than our wanting of things.
Philippians
3:8
“More than that, I also consider everything
to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because
of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that
I may gain Christ”
According
to Paul all the things he had before Jesus are filth. His position of
authority, his reputation, the wealth he most likely had, everything… are
worthless when compared to the Lordship of Jesus over his life. We need to make
sure that we are looking at things correctly, Jesus is to be on the throne of
your life and nothing is to come before Him.
2
Corinthians 5:10
“For
we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid
for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.”
All
of us are going to be judged, believer and unbeliever alike. We are accountably
to Jesus for all of our actions and we will either be rewarded for doing what
He created us to do or we will suffer for not doing it.
The
stakes are high. How are you going to respond?
We
need to get back into God’s Word every day. Not to just read it casually. We
need to dig deep into, understand it, and apply it to our lives. We need to take
what it teaches us seriously. That includes the end times, to help us
understand the urgency that is needed.
All
of us are to be witnesses, all believers are to share their faith.
Those
verses that talk about the coming judgement for those who do not know Jesus,
they are real. Eternal damnation is real.
The
things the Bible tells us to do. They are not requests, God is demanding we
listen to Him and follow Him.
We
need to be totally committed to Jesus. Not Sunday Christians, not people who
only want to do what they are comfortable with. Jesus was fully committed when
He climbed on the cross, we need to be fully committed as we carry out the
Father’s will.
We
need to be prepared to face hardship and persecution. Satan is alive and well
in the world and things are going to get bad before the Tribulation even
starts. We need to be prepared to endure the troubles when they hit.
Our
faith needs to be in every aspect of our lives. It is not limited to Sunday
morning or your personal quiet time. You are either a Christ follower or you
are not.
2
Timothy 3:16-17
“16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for
rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every
good work.”
We
need to know God’s Word so that we may be equipped to do what God created us to
do.
Knowledge
leads to belief, belief leads to conviction, and conviction leads to action.
We
must change the way we think of the end times. My prayer is that as we go
through this series on the end times our knowledge and belief will grow. Not
only will we know and believe more, but that our knowledge and belief will grow
into a conviction that leads us to act. We need to go from a book knowledge to
a conviction that alters the way we think and the way we act.
Psalm
119:105
“Your
word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”
We
do not know what the future holds but we do know it will not be a bed of roses.
As we try to see in the darkness ahead of us, we need to use the one light that
can help us see. God’s Word is the only light that will break through the
darkness before us. It is the only light that will help you find your way.
I
want to encourage you to read Matthew 24 and 25 in preparation of this series
and it would probably be a good idea to read them several times as we go
through this series.
If
you truly believe what the Bible teaches and believe that we are getting closer
and closer to the end times, you need to take action. Make sure you are doing
what you were created to do. Share the Gospel and help man the lifeboats.
I pray you follow along each week as we go through this series. My hope is that you will see what is coming and that it will have a significant impact on your life.
Blessings,
Robert
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