Things to Do Before the End of the World

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Let's all grab our Bibles and turn to Luke chapter 12 in the title of my messages, things to do before the end of the world. By the way, this is part four of a four-part series that I'm doing on the in time so turn to those verses. If you would, let's all pray together. Father, we ask your blessing. Those we open your word. We believe were living in the last days, we believe you could come back at any moment and we want to be ready.

So speak to us from Scripture. We pray in Jesus name we ask it, amen. Again, the message title things to do before the end of the world know for the sake of an illustration, let's just say it was revealed to me by God that Jesus Christ was coming back tomorrow at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Now we know that could never happen because Jesus said, no man knows the day of the hour when the Son of Man comes, but for the sake of this illustration, let's say we knew you knew we all knew Christ was coming back tomorrow at 3:00 PM. I am sure that we would all look like saints at 245. We have our Sunday smile and that come quickly.

Jesus attitude, but here's my point to you. Should we not live every day with that very attitude we should live every day as though it were the day when Christ will come. Someone once went up to the great evangelist DL Moody and said Mooney if you knew the Lord would return tonight. How would you spend the rest of the day Moody, without hesitation, replied quote I wouldn't do anything different than I do every day."

That's how we all ought to be living. I think as we talked about the end times together we been trying to emphasize the fact that if we really believe this and I do and I know many of you do as well.

It will impact us in the way that we live let me turn that around.

If it's not impacting you in the way that you live. Do you really believe it. I think sometimes we can study Bible prophecy and completely missed the point much of a story of an old man. I was walking along and he was down by a little late getting suddenly heard a voice say hey you come over here and kiss me and I'll turn into a beautiful princess physically said that he looks around didn't see anyone thought he was hearing things again he hears a voice say hey you come over here and kiss me now turn into a beautiful princess till he is looking good said that finally the third time he looks and it was a frog who said hey you kiss me and I'll turn into a beautiful princess. The old man reached down and carefully picked that frog up and put it in his shirt pocket and started to walk away and the frog said didn't you hear what I said I said kiss me well turn into a beautiful princess. The old dude said my age, I'd rather have a talking frock you know and that's how can we think about missing the point. And we can all miss the whole point of Bible prophecy.

Okay, so let's read some scriptures together, turning your Bible to Luke chapter 12 here now Jesus is telling us how we ought to be living and what we ought to be doing as we anticipate the imminent return of Christ, a Luke 12 verse 36 Jesus says, be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you're waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in. The moment he arrives in the disturbance who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth that he himself will seat them and put on an apron and serve them and sit and eat, you may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready, but understand this, Jesus adds this warning now if the homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. So you must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected that we read these verses and maybe they don't make complete sense to us were dealing with first century culture and were trying to figure it out in the 21st century. This is a description of a classic first century Jewish wedding.

When I got married many years ago I it was basically your hippie wedding. This is what I look like on my wedding day. I look like my goodness, someone from Duck Dynasty and what I don't know what I was thinking with this role cultured by the way I chose. I thought it was cool. Clearly, it wasn't my wife looks beautiful. She still pretty much looks the same but this my wedding cost about $12.

All right.

But hey, we've been married for 46 years and God is blessing us.

So what were good with all of that, of course, back in the old days in the really old days in Bible times I wedding could go on for days and even a week. And here's the kind of fun element of it. You didn't know when the groom was coming so everyone would be ready. Everyone would be dressed and there might be an announcement in the morning and the afternoon or even the evening which would be, behold, the bridegroom is coming snooze you lose if you don't wake up you miss the wedding so Jesus is taking this familiar picture that the people would know about and applying it to how we should be waiting for the Lord's return.

So let's explore some things we should do before the end of the world.

If you're taking notes.

Here's point number one we should be shining lights in a dark place. We should be shining lights in the dark place. Look at verse 35. He says the trust for service and keep your lamps burning the new King James version translates it as follows. Let your waist be girded and your lamps be burning what is that even mean well have your waist girded with while they were these long flowing ropes right so when they wanted to move they would pull the rope up above their knee and cinch in the belt to give them freedom of movement so will we read the phrase that you should have your waist girded it would mainly be safe, tighten your belt, be ready to go. They have your lamps burning would mean you would have sufficient oil and no check this out. Here are two antiquities from Israel about the minute antiquities store in Jerusalem. This is a first century oil lamp and this is the first century flask of oil. So basically the way it works is you would carry this around you. Whatever oil in it you would get the oil from your flask which would carry on your belt, you poured into this little lamp and you would walk around and light your way. Basically this is a first century flashlight.

Here's my phone. I've got my flashlight on so I like my way in the dark with my flashlight in the same way I like my way in the dark with this lamp. So when we read about having oil in your lamps.

The wick would float around so if you oil was gone. The lamp would not give light so you had to keep oil in the lamp so you had to be ready. That is a real idea that's being communicated here and you have to be shining brightly this world is a very dark place and it seems to be getting darker and Jesus said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven. You know when I let my light shine. I have effectively earned the way to share the gospel. In other words, when I do a good deed in the name of Christ.

I get an opportunity then to talk about Jesus and I think it's a big mistake when we do a good deed and we don't follow-up. I was out having lunch with a couple of friends the other day and this is just as restaurants are starting to open up post coronavirus.

We are very happy to be sitting at a table having a meal and my friend who treated us are given very generous tip to the waitress and she thanked him and I said why don't you tell her why you gave for that tip you gave it to her because of your love for Jesus Christ and he said that's right.

And that opened up an evangelistic conversation.

So go to good things in the name of the Lord and let your light shine in this dark place. Be ready. Jesus is saying. Number two, we should be watching for him. We should be watching for him. Verse 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching all around us right now are signs of the times I believe the coronavirus pandemic is a sign of the times I believe the violence in the streets of our nation and world are assigned of the times we get to see continued unrest in the Middle East.

It's only a matter of time before conflict breaks out there again. You get to see another terrorist attack.

It's only a matter of time till something like that will happen.

These are all signs of the times and so we ought to be reading the newspaper in one hand and holding the Bible in the other.

Again, what does Jesus say when you see these things begin to happen. Look up for your redemption is drawing near point number three. We need to be ready to go ready to go ready to go be with the Lord, you know, when I go on a trip.

I always thought the night before and I tend to over pack.

I'll admit that, but I have everything on wheels now so I figure I can just drag it behind me, but it's always good to have what you need for a trip.

So what were told in Scripture to gird our loins and have our lamps burn bright that just the King James way of saying have your bags packed in your comfortable shoes on member. We went to the White House at Christmas. My wife and I and of course he picked out a beautiful dress to wear in some very uncomfortable high heels that she had never worn before and as we walked in. She she walked about would seem to me about this fast is sort of like a kid. Kathy, let's go work and she's like this instance, it was so slow and she said great big feet hurt but hate Sheila because that's what matters right girls but on this trip in our readiness for the return of the Lord. Let's have our running shoes on, let's be ready to go at a moments notice. Let's say Jesus was going to come back today or as I said earlier 3 o'clock in the evening tomorrow. Would you be ready do you have your walking shoes on.

Let me put it another way, are you doing anything you would be ashamed to be doing. If Christ were to return I received the letter a while ago from a young lady who was working at a Planned Parenthood clinic in North Carolina. Her name is Crystal and she was involved in abortions being performed affect her job after the doctor had done the abortion procedure which is the murder of an unborn child as she would reassemble the parts and put them together. Somehow she could do this and not think it was the worst thing ever, but she had a moment where she was listening to me on the radio or on the radio there North Carolina and she heard me make this statement. If Christ were to come back tonight are you doing anything you would be ashamed to be doing to be doing when he came in immediately. She thought of what she did for a living putting together the little body parts.

After the doctor had aborted the child so she quit her job and now she's involved in pro-life works and were thankful for that. But are you doing something you'd be ashamed to be doing. If Christ were to come back if so, you need to change that behavior, you need to be ready to go because we don't know when Jesus will come. Let me take it another direction, you don't know when death will come. Look, I know I'm to get they have one way or the other, either through death or the rapture. Both are fine with me. It's like Megan to get there by tax or or a taxi or maneuver. Who cares, to get there, but the point is, always be ready live every day as though it were your last day because one day it will be so periodically ask yourself the question this place. I'm about to go this thing that I'm ready to do what I be ashamed or embarrassed if I were doing this route this place. When Christ came back.

If the answer to that question. Of those questions is yes top doing those things we need to be ready over in second Peter were told why Christ is not come back yet. It's a second Peter 39 the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Listen, Christ will come back on schedule.

At the appointed moment, but he is waiting for people to believe. I'm so thankful since we been doing Harbison home that we have seen 60,000 people believe in. This is amazing to think that there could be someone walking around on this planet is the last person Christ is waiting for the believe before he calls the church home. The rapture can you imagine if you knew who that person was to be kind attempted to apply a little pressure on them right. Like when you get saved so we can go to heaven but we don't know who that person is. But the Lord does is not late. But then Peter goes on to say this but the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the heavens will disappear. The elements will be destroyed by fire. So what kind of people ought you to be you want to live holy and godly lives be looking forward to this, making every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with him.

Make every effort to be spotless and blameless and be at peace with God.

Are you a peace of God. By that I mean are you just sure that Christ is living in you. You have the confidence that you will go to heaven when you die if you don't want to tell you how to get it.

Just a few moments point number four. We should not only be ready, but we should be anxiously awaiting his return again.

Don't just be ready be anxiously awaiting his return. Look at verse 36. Here in Luke being like people who wait for their master who when he returned from the wedding and knocks they will open the him immediately. I used of a dog and he leaned against the door of my bedroom and slept there every night. In fact he was so close to the door that he would sometimes scratch and be like a summons knocking on my door. It was my dog and when I would get up and open the door the morning because he was leaning against the view would literally roll in to my room and then he was a running run of the circle so excited beauties over here again because he's going to go on a walk right and so that's how we are to be beheaded, be anxiously awaiting the Lord's return. We can learn a lot from dogs.

I heard this I saw a bumper sticker that said, Lord, make me the person my dog thinks I have the true dogs are so nonjudgmental they just love they judge all the time they judge and condemn you not talk so and so there's things we can learn with that anticipation that excitement that love for their master, but that's how we are to be living wanting the Lord's return, wanting not dreading it. Wanting let's say that you would a loved one who you'd not seen. Maybe it was a child and you have not seen them for months and they were finally coming home and they texted you. We just landed were getting our luggage or in the car were coming home were in the neighborhood were three minutes out your anxiously awaiting the return. You can even wait till they knock on the door you run out to greet them. That's how we as Christians are to be as we wait for the return of Jesus Christ. Looking forward to it. Jesus says behold I come quickly in the answer of the true Christian will always be along with the apostle John. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Anything that would stop you from saying that should be removed from your life. Point number five.

We should not only be anxiously waiting.

We should also be working working. Look at verse 43 Blessed is that servant, whom the master will find so doing when he comes doing busy or about our father's business. The Bible says faith without works is dead, watching for the Lord's return will help us prepare our own lives, but working will ensure we bring others with us and noticed that it says Blessed is the person who does this. The word Blessed is interchangeable with the word happy. So what is really saying is if you live this way.

If you live in constant anticipation of the imminent return of Christ.

You will be a happy person. Listen to this. It's not a miserable repressive confining way to live. As we look for Christ's return. It's happy it's joyful and it's purposeful. It is the way to live. Remember we discovered together that there is a special blessing, promise to the person who reads cures and keeps the words written in the book of Revelation.

In particular, but I think for sure it applies to all of the Scripture. But there's a special blessing promised of the person who reads tears and keeps the words of Revelation, which to a large degree deals with end times events so it's a good thing. It's a happy thing it say encouraging thing to look at these things together known contrast to the believer who was watching and working. We have the unprepared servant look at Luke chapter 12 verse 45 we read these words. But if that servant says in his heart. My master is delaying this coming it begins to beat the male and female servants in the evening drink and be drunk. The master of the servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him.

We can serve now.

To me this is probably a description of a person who thinks they are a believer, but they are not a believer because of the way that they are living. It can also be perhaps a disobedient believer, but this is a person that is not right with God. Isn't it interesting that it basically is saying this person is getting drunk and they don't think the Lord's going to return. I think it's a very dangerous thing when you come to have a theology that tells you Christ is not coming. You know, no matter how you come to prophetic events and there's different views on this topic, but if your theology. So-called says see you. Christ is not coming at any moment. Something's wrong with your theology, because that my friend is a theology for the teaching of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is coming back again. There are so many verses that deal with it. But this wicked servant, Jesus speaks of. Says all you know my master is not coming he is delaying his coming, and then he begins to do wicked things, which includes drinking.

Why do people drink. Well, there's a lot of reasons for it. Some do it to escape.

Some do it to fit in, or be social. Some do it to help them so-called deal with problems that they're facing.

But in reality it won't help you deal with your problems. It will actually create new problems and I read an interesting article about how drinking heavily can actually change your DNA.

This article said quote this is a study that was done. Alcohol can actually prompt dangerous and long-lasting genetic changes according to cutting edge research from Rutgers University and these changes actually worsen a drinkers relationship with booze where they will crave it even more and it disrupts the natural effectiveness of two specific genes one that governs the body's biological clock and the other that regulates stress so it just turns everything upside down and this contributes to the vicious cycle of alcoholism. Drinking contributes to 3 million deaths a year. I'm not speaking from a vacuum here. I was raised in the home of an alcoholic. My mother was a raging drinker. Every night she would get so drunk she would pass out and then I watch the effect on her life. I she was a beautiful woman and otherwise how would I be so handsome right but she was a beautiful woman and I saw the effect of the drinking and the smoking in the party lifestyle and what it did to her physically and tragically when she was 70. She looked like she was 90 or even older and it shorten her life and it ruined her life and in thankfully she turned of the Lord in the final months of her life, but all I wish you had done that sooner. Listen friend that don't come under the power of alcohol.

I don't want to DB under the power of anything or anyone but Jesus Christ, the Bible says don't be drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be filled with the Holy Spirit. You don't want to be under the influence of the spirits. Instead, be filled and empowered by the holy spirit. So let's review and bring this to a close. Jesus is coming, we need to be ready number one we should be shining lights in a dark place. Number two, we should be watching for him. Number three. We need to be ready to go.

Fourthly, we should not only be ready but anxiously awaiting his return number five.

We should just be waiting. We should be working now number six we should be praying for revival before Christ returns. Praying for revival how America needs a spiritual awakening. Things are scary in our nation right now. You can't help but notice that there's a there's a parallel between the late 60s. Maybe specifically 1968 and the year were living in right now. 2020. Interesting. Back in those days where the space program is shooting rockets in this space and we just did that together did week.

We had riots in the streets and we have that as well.

We have social unrest, then we haven't now. We had incredible racial tension. Then we have that now is well.

It was a difficult time. Some thought that the country was going to completely unravel.

But guess what happened. God sent a spiritual awakening we call it the Jesus movement or the Jesus revolution it was on the cover of Time magazine and only months before they had an ominous cover that was black with four burst out red letters that said is God dead and then a few months later, a cover with a psychedelic image of Christ.

As I was a style of the date Jesus revolution. It was a move of God. Some experts say.

Not only was it the last great American revival that they think it may have been the greatest revival in all of human history.

Well, whatever it was, I can tell you this much. That's when I came to Christ at the age of 17 and if you want to see a spiritual awakening. You need to be praying for any need to be praying with great passion God says in the last days I will pour my spirit out on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will profit prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. We need to be praying for this to help. I've quoted second Chronicles 714. So many times, but it certainly applies, God makes a promise to Israel, I believe, in principle, it applies to any nation anywhere in the world. I know many of you are watching this outside of the United States you're watching from Australia you're watching from Russia you're watching from Germany you're watching from Sweden we received comments from all of you. This applies to your nation. It also applies to America goddesses of my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways goddesses out here from heaven will forgive their sin and heal their land would like to see a healing in our land would wait while it starts with God's people getting right with him and praying for this to happen if my people, the Lord says will pray and seek my face. Let's be praying for this to happen. Praying with passion like that woman was praying for her child to be delivered from the power of Satan and she said to Jesus, have mercy on me. Oh Lord, my daughter is possessed by a demon and the disciples said go away you're making to its noise or your bothering Jesus, but she would not stop. She kept pressing on and praying and finally Jesus stopped and said your request is granted every year that expression. The squeaky wheel gets the oil may be a squeaky wheel call on the Lord and by the way when you're praying for spiritual awakening your praying for something that God wants to send the seeker to answered prayer is getting your request in the line into an alignment with God's will and when I'm free for God to send a revival or an awakening. I'm praying for what he wants to do so.

This is a very important thing for us all to be praying for right now you know Elijah is just an ordinary guy we think of him as a great prophet, and he was used by God mightily. He also was a great prophet that had bouts with depression got really down in the dumps of one point he didn't want even live another day with this man you want to pray. James chapter 5 says the fervent prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are yet when he prayed fervently that no rain would fall, none fell for 3 1/2 years, and he prayed again in the skies sent down ring pray with passion. Pray with fervency don't just offer up a ho-hum generic prayer like Lord save the world. Whatever.

No light. Pray for your nation pray for your state.

Pray for the city you live in pray for your government officials pray for your family. Pray for your friends pray in your area and your sphere of influence.

Influence. Pray that God will send this great spiritual awakening.

By the way, the devil is wanted to do this. Satan does not want to spiritual awakening. His mission and his strategy is to divide and conquer. He would love is to be divided over race or over politics or divide us over some other issue and we go into our little predictable, And we argue over minutia and we missed the big picture. People are dying without Jesus and the church is debating other issues. It's time for us to wake up and remember this lesson. The gospel is more important than anything it's more important than our programs is more important in our preferences.

It's more important then our politics. It's more important than anything else and it's our message to the culture also that I want to know anything else among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. You know it's interesting you cannot find the United States of America and Bible prophecy, and I think you can make a very good case for finding Russia in Bible prophecy.

I think you can make a pretty good case for finding China in Bible prophecy, you can certainly make an airtight case for finding I ran in Bible prophecy in Israel as well.

But how is it that the reigning superpower on the planet today. United States of America does not seem to be mentioned were missing from the script where's Waldo. Well, no one knows the answer, and let's consider an option.

What if it was because the rapture happened and it took America out of its lead role print sensors over 300 million people in America, so we'll just rounded at 300 million notes a larger number and I read recently that 65% of Americans identify as Christian self. I don't know about you but I do not believe that okay because that that would be over 150 million people in this nation were followers of Christ� Super conservative. Let's say 10% of America is actually Christian, 10% of our citizens actually are believers in the followers of Jesus Christ. Okay, so now that's 30 million people now imagine it with me up for a moment.

If 30 million people suddenly left planet Earth people that worked in industry people that work in government people that worked in the military people that worked in every area of imaginable suddenly were gone. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye people to work in the White House people to work in economics and education. Don't you think that would affect our nation, we would change overnight.

Effectively, we would collapse overnight and then antichrist will be revealed after the rapture of the church so I don't know why were not mentioned, but I know this much I know Christ is coming and I know I need to pay attention. Here's what Romans 13 says understand the present time, the hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because your salvation is almost here in the night is nearly over the day is almost arrive. Yes, understand the times wake up wake up spiritually and see your need for God. Listen if you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You gonna wake up and get right with God. And if you are a believer in your living compromise life and your drinking your parting your sleeping with your boyfriend you're doing drugs you're lying you're stealing. You're doing things you know you should not be doing. You need to repent and you need to get right with God heard a story about a guy who decided to pay the church. He was hired, they realize it be thinned out the paint I it would go further and so the preacher did notes of the Spener thinned out the paint with some turpentine and he's a is finishing it up is on the very top and these on the last little part of the cross and suddenly a bolt of lightning should to begin to slip and he grabbed holding was barely hanging and he heard a voice.

It said repainted for no more jets about Chuck, but here's a point.

The Bible does say, repent, and sin no more.

That's what Jesus said to the woman was caught in the act of adultery, repent, and sin no more do you need to repent sick I don't even know what it is the pentad away.

Repent the word repent need to change your direction. It's a military term, it means an about-face will be going this way just turn around like that you been going away from God. Now you need to walk or run toward God get right with him. When we come back to that statement I made earlier from Scripture, God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. The Lord is been waiting for you to believe. What if this were your last day on earth.

What if this was the day before Christ came, or what if this were the day before you left this life and died and you were unprepared. How tragic that would be you see Jesus died on the cross for you so you could be forgiven of your sin so you would not have to face the reaper cautions and ramifications of your sin at the judgment seat of God. Jesus took the judgment of the father effectively upon himself. Christ came to pay a debt she did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay he absorbed the wrath of God in your place in a mine.

Then Jesus rose again from the dead, he stands at the door of your life in the Knox. These this if you hear his voice and open the door to comment Jesus is coming. Are you ready yeah your life is coming my life our life at some point we don't know when are you ready are you ready to meet God if you aren't whether to get ready right now is about how you pray and ask God to forgive you of your sin in US Jesus Christ to come in your life to be your Savior and Lord. Only you can pray this prayer.

Your parents can pray for you kids, your husband or wife can pray for you either.

This is a prayer you have to pray and I would like to lead you in the simple prayer and if you want Jesus to come into your life if you want to be forgiven of your sin if you want to know with confidence that you will go to heaven when you die. Pray this prayer with me right now. This is the same prayer that over 60,000 people have prayed over the past few weeks who have had their lives changed by Jesus Christ, and that can happen for you right here right now so Jen, as I pray pray this after me you can even print out loud, but you don't have to pray this prayer after me.

Pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died in the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it and I choose to follow you from this moment forward in Jesus name I pray, amen