Things to Do Before the End of the World - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org that's harvest.org we should be shiny lines of the Darden way were living in a world lost his way. Today Pastor Greg Laurie points out, we have been held in home – really mean this world is a very dark place and it seems to be getting darker. Jesus said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your father.

We should be shiny lights in the dark place and you have to be shiny Breitling member glider joining with pastor Greg Laurie Pastor Greg will begin today's message just a moment, the movie glory was five people you owe me. Greg Laurie was like why am I here what is the meaning of my life and what happened after I God wife has the answer with glory and affect online event coming to a screen where you tell that harvest.org so tell a friend.

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Labor Day weekend, so was oh ever been angry that hunger that affect your mood you're hungry and angry at the same time, the world is angry.

They hunger for relationship with God and are angry because they can't figure out how to satisfy their hunger today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie shows us how we have what they're looking for and the closer we get to the return of Christ, the more urgent it becomes to share the love of God with people in our circle of influence. Let's learn more. Everybody let's all grab our Bibles and turn to Luke chapter 12 in the time 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 though as we open your word. We believe were living in the last days, we believe you could come back at any moment that 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 that with the sacred 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 never happened 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 that come quickly. Jesus outed to. 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 all we all ought to be living I because 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 that 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 who 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 turned 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 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 and then you will be ready to open the door and let him in. The moment he arrives and knocks. The servants were ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded and I tell you the truth, says Jesus. He himself will see them and put on an apron and serve them and said and eat. He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn, but whatever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready, but understand this, Jesus adds this warning now if the homeowner knew exactly what a burglar was coming, he would not permit itself 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. By the way their wedding for a lot different than our wedding. You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars on weddings today.

In fact, I think a lot of people spend a lot more money and put too much attention on the wedding and they don't think enough about the marriage for those spent all this money on a house and they don't think about the home now. When I got married many years ago. It was basically your hippie wedding. I look like my goodness, someone from Duck Dynasty. My wife looks beautiful. She still pretty much looks the same but this my wedding cost about $12. All right. But hey, we been married for 46 years and God's blessing, though, so what were good with all of that, of course, but back in the old days in the really old days in Bible times, a 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 be dressed 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 way skirted with while they were these long flowing robes 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.

Someone we read the phrase that you should have your way skirted it would mainly be safe, tighten your belt, be ready to go.

They have your lamps burning would mean you would have sufficient oil in them. 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 liquid flowed around Sophie 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 what 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 my friend who treated us give a very generous tip to the waitress and she thanked him and I said why don't you tell her what you gave for that tip you gave it to her because of your love for Jesus Christ and he said that's right then 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 same 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 all fine 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're going to see another terrorist attack. It's only a matter of time till something like double happened. 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 your great glory will have the second half of his message in just a moment we send these daily studies out via radio, satellite and online. We don't always know how these messages are touching lives when we hear the stories of our listeners is really encouraging to us over work heard me on to you and harvest Christian Fellowship and was driving in my car listening to your a new beginning radio repeater prayer work toward broadcast and it took Christ as my Lord and Savior and friend) my car after the prayer moment was so emotional and powerful. I actually had to stop driving all into a parking lot now for the first time in my life.

I'm a member of the church going to group my church family and I start every day with the Lord to pray and worship him complete each day before going to bed with his word in Scripture.

My life is done in meeting 360 and is full of God's blessing so many ways never missed a day listening to new beginning radio devotional. I just want to thank you and bless you Pastor Craig prayer life of evangelism and for your hard-working committed team at harvest.

Thank you were so thrilled that these daily studies are touching and changing lives. And if your life is been touched. Would you tell us your story. Call us at 866-871-1144. That's 866-871-1144. Will Pastor Greg is offering some important insights for last days believers today. In a study called things to do before the end of the world must continue. Point number three.

We need to be ready to go ready to go ready to go be with the Lord, you know what I go to trip. I always thought the night before and I tend to overpack. I'll admit that, but I have everything on wheels now so I figure I get is Dragon 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's just a 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 next week walked in she's like that, just as it was so slow and she said Greg feet hurt. But hey, she looked good. That's what matters are girls, but on this trip in our readiness for the return of the Lord. Let's have our running shoes on leadfree ready to go at a moments notice.

So let me ask you this question.

Are you ready to go meet the Lord.

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 letter a while ago from a young lady that 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 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 and 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 going 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 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 or out 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 in.

Isn't it amazing to think that there could be someone walking around on this planet is the last person Christ is waiting for to 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 deer the Lord will come like a thief in the heavens will disappear and the elements will be destroyed by fire. So what kind of people ought you to be you want to live holy and godly lives to be looking forward to this, making every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with him. 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 in the morning because he was leaning against it. He would literally roll in to my room and then he would start running around in a circle so excited.

The days are here again because is going to go on a walk right and so that's how we are to be built to be anxiously awaiting the Lord's return. We can learn a lot from dogfight saw a bumper sticker and had kind of a funny statement. It said, Lord, make me the person my dog thinks I am the true dogs are so nonjudgmental they just love cats. They judge all the time 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 ought to be living wanting the Lord's return wanting it, not dreading it. Wanting let's say that you would a loved one who you would not seem 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 where 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 notice that it says Blessed is the person who does this. The word Blessed is interchangeable with the word happy. So what it's 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 the good thing it's a happy thing did say encouraging thing to look at these things together. Greg Lord important encouragement today on having the right perspective on the soon return of the Lord and there's more to come in this message here on a new beginning. A study called things to do before the end of the world did you hear every word of today's presentation. If not, you can catch up by going online to harvest.org just look for the message called things to do before the end of the world. If you'd like to request a copy on CD.

Call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and then we want to make available a riveting book about a momentous act of heroism that took place during World War II, the author, John Irwin writes about his own grandfather, so the morning was April 12, 1945 my grandfather radio operator onboard B-29 super fortress disorient was trying to understand what had phosphorus spewing everywhere on the planet. As I was only around the plane just in front of an that he may defining moment of his life and be a moment that would define my life as well.

As his grandson gripping story captured in the book called beyond valor, John's grandfather Henry read Irwin would be awarded the Congressional medal of honor our nation's highest military honor and were happy to have John with us today. John is the director of such films as I can only imagine Woodlawn, I still believe in many others, and Jon, I know you been working on this book for some 15 years with all the research you've done.

What surprises turned up. Well, first, that makes me feel old now.

It's going of approaching 40, but I did start this very early in about 2005. Sort of going around and interviewing people as a very young filmmaker the time and and just getting that the story documented and then over the years just pursued it. I remember just before my grandfather died and before we had it. He had a stroke and so I would stay up late with him and that's when he "Scripture writer at the end time and my grandmother coming in and they just caught each other's eye and I was blown away by how much these two people obviously love each other and for a moment. It was sort of like they were teenagers and young or or you know and and it was this beautiful thing and my grandmother had the stack of love letters she kept everything. In fact, I remember going over to her house after she'd moved out for home and I told the whole family just can nobody know but touching me, and I went over and found boxes of stuff and she was rules were packrat and so in her closet underneath like receipts for the 1960s were all these manila envelopes and open them up and I was my dad and I am in sleep like that is what I think it is and it was the my grandfather's original citation for the medal of honor signed by Harry Truman was his original crew photograph. It was the original photograph of him receiving the medal of honor, which was the cover of the setting Poston and the and it was always original things. There was this thing that Mike, my grandmother kept that she wouldn't let us read until after she died and it was a love letters that he wrote her she kept them all and are just beautiful and after she died in a she'd given to us to finally read and it was just to see the way they love each other and how much they love each other. It was just beautiful just to see daily what he was going through and just how much he loved her and it was character, yet in and is beautiful thing and so it would we put a lot of them in the book and to hold those was truly extraordinary and I think those are some of the surprising thing is that the family well. It's a story you love to get to know this true American hero.

Read Irwin and to experience that seminal moment in the cockpit of the B-29. When one man's epic. Heroism is the only thing that kept everyone alive. The book is called beyond valor and we hope you request a copy from us right away. Today is our last opportunity to mention it and thanks so much for your investment in this important work of teaching believers and sharing Christ with those who don't yet know him so sent a generous donation today and be sure to ask for the brand-new book beyond valor and as I mentioned today is our last opportunity to mention it. So do get in touch right away. You can write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org. Our life is like and where the star evangelist Greg Lord we have questions about this movie were in. This is a love story is this movie is the meaning of my life and online advantage can change your life. We can all you Russian level online cinematic harvest. Your favorite social media platform Labor Day weekend September 4 through September 7.

Invite a friend to the message of hope evangelist glory and exclusive performances by Jeremy and near you. Labor Day week details of harvest.org Pastor Greg comes back with the finale to his series called and times living like Jesus will return at any moment join us next time you beginning possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org