Signs of the Time

Greetings, once again, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and welcome to the lifestream Wednesday night service from the auditorium of beacon Baptist Church on Kirkpatrick Rd. in Burlington, NC is such a joy to be able to meet this way. Rather, of course, be beating in the normal way but because there are problems with that at this time. What a joy it is to be able to have this means of communicating gathering of uniting our hearts together hearing the prayer needs in joining our hearts together in prayer and to just maintain the fellowship within the body of believers maintain the ministry of God's word, which was so vitally vitally important to our spiritual health. This coming Sunday morning at 930 we will be gathering here once again of the auditorium been doing that now for a couple of months and it has gone well. We are being careful.

We ask you to wear a mask if you are able to do that, knowing that some people have asthma or other problems and cannot do that and if you can wear a mask.

We ask you to wear one and we do request that if you are unable to wear a mask refrain from singing, but what a delight to be able to sing once again which we couldn't do for quite a while now. We are and were also trying to maintain proper social distancing. We have only every other pew available proceeding which does of course cut into our our seating capacity quite a bit so far we've been able to accommodate everyone who has been coming and we been enjoying some very, very wonderful meetings. People present meetings, fellowship meetings, worship, corporate worship times together on Sunday morning at 930 but still no Sunday school classes and no Sunday night. People present meeting lifestream from the empty auditorium at 6 o'clock on Sunday night and again on Wednesday at 7 o'clock we long to see this come to an end, we thought it would come to an end before now. I'm sure I certainly had no idea when all this began back in March that would still be dealing with it in August and dealing with it as were looking forward to the future. Some things are returning to a degree of normalcy. But I would have to say that in a real sense, nothing is quite normal. We are glad for the businesses that continue to operate reflector the schools are going to be able to function in the in the fall and some of them are getting started very very soon.

But as you know, that's not not normal school, not normal schedule. Not normal situation. We are still having to be very very careful not everybody understands why we are doing this or doing it out of an abundance of caution on the one hand, but on the other hand, in respect to the government that God has placed over us his word tells us to be obedient to the governing powers that have been appointed by God and to do so until or unless they require us to do something which is a clear violation of God's word so we don't disobey them just because we don't like what they say they are there a lot of things that I don't particularly like I there a lot of places I don't like the speed limit that has been set. I'd like to have a higher and there are other things of that nature took me quite a little while back many years ago to get accustomed to wearing a seatbelt. I didn't particularly like at the beginning but now I'd rather have it on I feel it's not on so you get adjusted to these things. But the reason for doing that was because we are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are under the authority of Almighty God, we obey his word and he has told us to do this is not in the first place you not not our primary relationship to human authorities, but it is our ultimate relationship to God Almighty, who has instructed us to be obedient to human authorities to the extent that we conscientiously can. As Christians that's part of our Christian testimony to be rebellious, unwilling to obey what government says when it is not a violation of God's word is actually rebellion against God himself is not a good testimony to those around us so we know we are still in phase 2. In North Carolina that's been extended several times. Keep pushing the deadline further out and were mindful of that cooperating with that very grateful that as far as we know, nobody has has been a been infected with covert by attending church here grateful for that and we want to keep it that way. That would really be a bad testimony in the community. If there were an outbreak of covert that could be traced to our congregation because we were being careless and not doing what we had been instructed to do so grateful that that is not the case.

We are endeavoring to be obedient to God, to be obedient to human authorities. As unto the Lord and committing all of this into his care.

So thank you cooperating with us and will look forward to seeing you here this coming Sunday morning 930 I will mention that the pastors and in the deacons resumed our regular monthly meetings.

A couple months ago we started that in June and we have a June meeting July meeting in our August meeting is coming up Tuesday and were looking forward to that time together, and there are other things that we are doing to keep our our church life moving forward and if you're a member of the church you are aware of that because we are communicating with you and asking you to cooperate in various ways to keep church life and church business moving forward in a timely way. And so thank you for your cooperation. That all the text at the top of our prayer sheet tonight is from Psalm one verses one into blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, or stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night to him that I chose to bring to the pulpit tonight is one that we sing from time to time with our congregation entitled whatever my God ordains is right.

It's a him that we all need to learn to sing gladly with enthusiasm with consent with surrender to God Almighty will read the words of the moment. But let me say that just today I received an email from a Christian lady in London, England, who has been accessing messages from the beacon pulpit on the Internet and she explained some of the crises that she's been going through and she's been going through some pretty severe trials and how difficult it was how upsetting it was. How how challenging it was for her to be able to relate all these things to her relationship with God until she started listening to the messages through the book of James and the opening verses of the book of James deal with the matter trials and how God brings them for his purposes of or are good and she said when she received that instruction from the word of God changed everything and she's submitted and surrendered and happy and she though she doesn't understand all the details.

She is confident that God is using these things in her life for her good for the good of others. The glory of Christ that something that all of us need to learn whatever my God ordains his right. His holy will abide.

I will be still. What airy death and follow where he guided he is my God dark my road. He holds me that I shall not wherefore to him I leave it all. I pause before going to stanza to to say this hymn was written by Samuel Rod aghast in 1675 been around a while and evidently was written originally in German, translated into English by Catherine wink worth and then altered according to the version that I have in 1961, nine move on to stanza two. Whatever. My God ordains his right. He never will deceive me.

He leads me by the proper path. I know he will not leave me.

I take content what he had sent his hand can his hand can turn my griefs away and patiently I wait his day, whatever my God ordains his right though.

Now this cup been drinking may better seem to my faint heart, I take it all on shrinking my God is true. Each morning a new sweet comfort, yet shall fill my heart in pain and sorrow shall depart, whatever my God ordains his right, there shall my stand to be taken those sorrow need or death. The mind yet am I not forsaken my father's care is around to be there. He holds me that I shall not fall so to him little wonderful truth, wonderful testimony. One weekend add our ascent are glad ascent to these words and we can we can say these things not because we understand exactly what God is doing. Why is not necessary that we know those things though sometimes he does reveal them to us, but it's not necessary that he do so we can say these things because we know who God we know his character. We know his holiness. We know his grace we know his love. We know his wisdom. We know that he does not sin. He cannot sin, he never makes a mistake he cannot make a mistake. We know the character of God and therefore we can say with confidence what air my God ordained right. Let's pray father how glad we are to be able to say from a heart of gladness, a heart of faith. The heart of surrender that we know that whatever you do is write this Kona coded a covert or Heather virus that is plaguing us. You have Sen. wise and gracious purposes is right. The terrible unrest we are experiencing our nation at a level that I I certainly haven't seen in my lifetime. I wonder if there is has ever been a time in American history when it is been so divisive though it's possible, but father you have brought these things because you have wise and gracious purposes and therefore whatever you ordained is right, but father that does not mean we cannot pray that you will bring healing to our land that you will in the division in our land does not mean that we cannot pray that you will bring this covert to an end, oh Lord, we would long for that to be so.

Yet, not until your perfect purposes have been so father teaches your way, show us your plan leaders. So Lord in the paths of righteousness for your namesake. Teach us to trust you to know you and to have firm reliance upon you confidence in your work. We ask these things in Jesus name.

Glad to report that Josh Lance Lynch rather is improving from the moped accident he had some weeks ago is doing well. Our government official of the week. This week is elements County Sheriff Terry Johnson certainly has important and challenging job.

Let's uphold him in prayer under members. Please continue to pray for Sarah Cardwell.

She still on crutches slowly recovering from her knee surgery. Pray for Rob Conrad who is home recovering from his rather extended stay in the hospital to three weeks ago. Still taking antibiotics at home and scheduled for kidney stone surgery next Wednesday, August 19. We would ask you to pray for our Pope, who has COPD and is waiting on test results is going for doctors appointment in just a few days. We are praying for Iva Booker Sue Elliott's aunt recovering from surgery. Praying for Evelyn Butler was under hospice care but is much improved. This is the mother of Gail Ellis.

We are praying for Janice Craig, mother of Duane Craig who is in declining health planning rather rather precipitously. Please pray for her and for him were praying for Sheila Eck who will be having surgery tomorrow UNC hospital, a very extensive surgery to repair a number of things were damaged by the radiation which she had for cancer over the years.

They expect this the operation. The last I think seven hours is pray for Sheila and Robert and their family.

Please pray for Sarah Gilmore and antics mother who lives in New York State and fell and broke her pelvis. She's quite elderly and has gone up there to be with her mother and because of the New York covert restrictions.

She is under Coren team for 14 days before she will be allowed to return to North Carolina she stuck until she can prove she does not have a please pray for Mary Hicks and another aunt of Sue Elliott who had a heart attack.

Continue to pray for member and Rich said quite a battle with covert the was doing much better now, but there is a continuation of quarantined their printer missionaries Trevor Johnson in the states for health reasons and family reason, reasons, and Paul Snyder also in the states. Both of these missionaries to Papua Micronesia and then for Stewart law. Who needs a liver transplant is waiting on one but is right now in very weakened condition. Laverne tells us that in his present state.

He would be able to have liver transplant surgery.

He must get stronger for that to take place so please pray the Lord will strengthen him and then when he strong enough will provide a suitable liver donor and that the Lord may be pleased to extend his life and ministry.

We express our sympathy to the family of Stephanie Stratton cousin of Carol and Bart lived in Texas and passed away recently and distrusting was trusting the Lord believe is now in the presence of the Lord of three names under cancer that will highlight tonight Nancy Bingham has pancreatic cancer. Friend of Denise Marley, Eva Davis is Joe Davis's sister-in-law and and goad Sue Elliott's cousin has stage IV bone cancer now.

I have a number of communications I'd like to read all read as many as time allows. Before we open the word of God first one is from one of our local government officials Amy Scott Gailey County Commissioner who was recently a government official the week for whom we pray to treat writes a nice note to us dear Pastor Barkman to church. Thank you for praying for me that God will give me strength and wisdom. I believe in the power prayer means so much to know to know that I am in your churches prayers please pass along my thanks to your church, Christ Gailey's well I have lots of missionary letters.

I hardly know where to in guilt begin with a shorter one C+ advisor Compass in Brazil dear friends in Christ. The highlight of this month was our 40th wedding anniversary.

Gratitude we celebrated four decades of love, friendship, sorrows and joys more joys and sorrows. Today we understand all the blessings and joys that God has given us are but small signs pointing to something infinitely bigger and better our heavenly father himself to him all the glory forever and ever. Our plan was to commemorate with our daughters sons-in-law and 11 grandchildren. But because of the covert lockdown we were unable to do that so we celebrated with our church during an online service through FaceTime our daughters were able to participate in the special prayer led by our associate pastor. During these difficult days.

I see Lawson preaching about prayer.

We have been reminded of the same Jesus that ordains us to pray gives us the example teaches us how and gives us a wonderful invitation. He then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that ask him folks. Thank you for your prayers. Love and faithful in another short update from my green family. Jesse and Hannah last time I read their I Country failed till I slipped and set it in the last last sentence of their letter but because of the country they're going to. I will not mention it tonight. Assuming that if you remember the church you know that because we supporting them now for couple of years. We do have to be careful about what goes out of the Internet is one of the things will have to weigh when we get back to regular services people present services. This weather will continue live streaming the midweek service the one hand, we know it's a great blessing to people to be able to tune in.

Not everybody is able to attend with us personally on Wednesday nights. But there's also the fact that we are dealing with missionaries and issues that are sometimes very politically dangerous.

We have to be careful because of that home run. The Internet fact even the presentation we had from missionary Steve Bixby to France just a couple weeks ago on a Sunday night which will live streamed. He emailed us and asked us to remove a portion of that from the Internet because it was not conducive to their situation and that's the country would normally consider to be dangerous in that regard. So please understand when I have to veil the country but the greens right.

We are thankful the start rescheduling the meetings that were previously canceled when all of this code started. Please pray for God's grace, that we would be able to quickly raise the small amount we have left for our monthly support when our field will open up enough to allow us to come in is still up in the air. There are many differing answers to this question. And so it leads me to conclude that no one really knows when this will be resolved.

Sounds like their situation pretty much like ours. Nobody knows so hard you can hardly plan anything two or three weeks in advance because you just don't know how things are going to be at that time because of this we are working to decide next steps we will not be in limbo forever. We have three goals for ministry as we shared with you when we presented that your church.

First of all to learn the language, much of our planning lot right now revolves around this goal, so that even if we are not able to be in the country of our destination at this time we can least be working to learn the language. Last night we had a meeting with most of our friends that are working within this country. This was a great ton of encouragement and one that was very informative what was said at this meeting will help us tremendously toward the wises future decisions. Finally, I would like to ask all of you to pray for missionaries throughout the world, and especially those who are working within our country. I have a friend who is a very complicated visa situation and is seemingly not able to leave that country right now due to the virus causing all his flights to be canceled. Please pray for their family in Christ Jesse green. I made it through that slipping promise to do that every time but I promise to try where it is appropriate.

Well, what to read next get so many here that I want to read we have another pastor young pastor and training in Brazil. We've been adopted.

Several of them to the doctor, pastor, project in connection with missionary C+ compost that I read your letter regarding a moment ago and also the field ministry and that country and this the letter I just I just felt like I needed to read such a blessing to beacon Baptist Church, by the way these letters are written in Portuguese and eccentric translator in the United States who translates them them unto us.

We usually get both versions with the Portuguese version of the English version of anybody speaks Portuguese. You want me to save the Portuguese letters, I'll be happy to save them, pass them on to you, but otherwise I'm pretty dependent upon the English hello church, my wife and I Lucas and Dena Mora thank you for your kind attitude and embracing us, giving me the opportunity of strengthening more my relationship with our gracious God and serving him better by means of expanding studies and lessons will come to me through this ministry serving God better and closer to him. Her thoughts that have been part of my short journey in this creation we call earth. I had a childhood that was a little challenging living with relatives diverse in matters of faith, structure, and more. My father was absent. We had no place to call home, but God through the said trials worked in my character he raised up people like my grandmother who helped me draw closer to him, he himself cared for me like a loving father. In many ways my physical father was absent, the eternal father never abandoned me in my adolescence I tried to run away from this father F meaning God. However, he brought me back closer to himself in a way that awakened me to the ministry. Before I get I don't know for sure.

My conversion happened in childhood with my grandmother, presenting the gospel or in adolescence when God broke me and brought me by Christ love into a continuing fidelity. The last till today. What is important is that Jesus died and rose again giving me all who believe reconciliation with God. In my youth I was deceived in my search for a wife, and my misery. I prayed for the gift of Paul that I could dedicate myself to get more to the ministry of the Lord brought me a woman of whom I am not worthy was blessed. Soon after moved to another city to continue my studies in that situation, the separation we were challenged here during that time God was doing the work of a word that I don't understand.

I don't know what is so sharply that our anticipation of marriage was becoming increasingly remote. However, God's sovereign grace broke our pride granted us the wonderful privilege of getting married in January 5, 2019.

From that time on. I've had a place here on earth that I can call home.

The seminary experience.

I so much desire was granted to me as an experiment in 2018, but only in the following year, did I start full-time brilliant Baptist seminary in the tall Rio Grande Norte. That was a time of much edification and many changes, longing to intensify even more my service in communion.

We moved to the Baptist seminary of career ready in 2020, the benefits and experiences. There were way beyond our expectations. I cannot forget the churches of my past. Each one is a part of me in my heart holds fond memories as well is homesickness for them from adolescence to young adult I served in the regular Baptist Church of Macau. After that we had good good relationship with Maren at the Baptist Church and was sorry.

Finally, I had the pleasure becoming a member of nova part in the mirror and Baptist Church which I'm still a member today we have the pleasure of serving the regular Baptist congregation of Marie to you in the city of Croteau and even in the short time we have loving bonds with our brother and their there we participate in children's ministry music, Christian education, Sunday school, work with young people and more like preaching soon as the pandemic passes I want to initiate evangelistic ministry in the neighborhood follow up with the class of discipleship taking advantage of this letter. I pray that you pray for these projects for the congregation that is destitute of unity and a good attitude, but I believe with the ministry of discipleship.

We shall see good fruit.

I also ask you to pray for us because we are not able to return to our sending church to your friends and relatives of work. Assume that's because covert Brazil is pretty severe lockdown. Pray also that they actually there covert. I understand your series and hours measured per capita per thousand people. They have more cases we do in America. Pray also for some plans that we have for teaching young men got milk willing and distance learning, our desires to enter ministry. The other is a good servant here in the congregation. We are praying that God will enable us to serve better by Internet souls may be reached and lives edified. Pray for my thesis. I hope to take advantage of the holidays to work on it.

Having tardy already. Finally, finally, I thank you for your gracious initiative be praying for all of you be wonderful to see what eternity we can enjoy the indescribable presence of the eternal God, my God bless you and lead you every day into more maturity for his glory.

So you to when you do all the things which recommended you say we are unworthily, slay, we have done, only that which we ought to have done 1710, signed Lucas Moeller lien graciously with that I will have to stop reading and open my Bible. Matthew chapter 24 invite you to join me in this text. The text that I chosen for tonight is verse 14 of Matthew 24 and I chosen it because it is a evangelism text. The worldwide evangelism text nicely with the missionary emphasis of our Wednesday night services. We read these communications from missionaries around. I read the verse that I'm going to back up and read some of the verses leading up to it. To put it in context and will then will try to break it down, but the verse says, and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. What is this all about list text is found in the Olivet discourse find the Olivet discourse. In Matthew, you find another account of it in Mark. It's a very challenging portion of God's word. It is to me has been all my life and continues to be. I have read and number of commentaries on these chapters I have I have read in one case a whole book on this Olivet discourse and I have learned much from those who have insight and have studied deeply into the words of this text and yet even with all of this, I must confess that it is not all entirely clear to me.

It is prophetic in nature and how to discern what parts have perhaps already been fulfilled and what parts yet remain to be fulfilled. For me, at least, has not been easy to figure out. Obviously, everything was future to Christ when he spoke it. But there are some who believe that at least a great portion of the Olivet discourse was fulfilled in the next three or four decades following the time the Christ spoke these words may be only a few of the things that he said pertain what, where, and on the other hand there are those who believe that basically the whole lot of the discourse yet awaits future filament. I'm not going to get into that as I deal with this text that I just say that by way of background, but in reading the verses leading up to it.

You will recognize some of this somewhat. I just explained, and I am going to make some comments on some of these verses because I think they certainly apply to the day in which we live now. Certainly there are parallels there are similarities that are clear to us between what we see in this text of what we see in the world around us today whether Jesus was speaking of our day, when he said these things. The weather was speaking of a close a day closer to the time that he spoke.

I cannot say, but I cannot overlook the similarities that I find here now. I read and I'm going to read these verses up to verse 14 and some on some of the verses make no comment but some stuff to make some, that by the way is what in Spurgeon's church, the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England back in the 1800s.

That was what they called Bible reading in Spurgeon read a portion of Scripture. He never just read the Scripture reading verse comment briefly read a verse comment briefly read a verse comment briefly is Bible reading was a condensed exposition itself before he got to the sermon.

By the way, that is pretty much what his church services consisted of prayer him singing without accompaniment you have for 5000 people present is still a very Lotta support for your singing, but singing three or four selected hymns out of their own hymnal Spurgeon put together their church, Bible reading in the fashion that I just described, and they sermon his sermons always lasted about 45 minutes so altogether. His his services probably lasted missing. Well over an hour, maybe close to an hour and 1/2 and they were packed. He couldn't see all the people that wanted to come in fact, if that church. I think I'm correct in saying it was one Sunday night a month. I may have the interval slightly wrong but I think it was one Sunday night a month that they asked all the members to stay home so that visitors could come in from the pews because there were so many people who want to come good and get inside.

And so that's what they said. Even though the members wanted the job were evil to eager to come Sunday morning and Sunday night and eagerness seems to be very lacking in our day. But though they wanted to come for the sake of others. For the love of others, for the love of reaching others with the gospel. They said now this Sunday night, first for that in the water was on the night of every month. Members stay home. Please pray for the service stay home and let others come and feel your seats, which they did and they filled it up again right now reading Matthew 24, one then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came up to show him the building of the temple of Jesus and his disciples have departed the temple going across the brook Kedron which is a ravine sometimes is water flowing in the brook. Sometimes it's virtually dried but they had crossed the brook Kedron started up the other side to the Mount of olives. Another on the slope opposite the temple and looking back to the temple magnificent magnificent building temple wasn't just one building.

It was a complex temple complex of buildings of courtyards. That's what they're looking at. It was magnificent. The great built it primarily as a monument to himself and to his greatness, but because he was not a believer in God, but it was a magnificent building and the Jews took great pride in it so I disciples came up to show him the building of the temple. He pointed them out to him in the distance and Jesus said, do you not see all these things assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down, that prophecy is very difficult to understand and to date Jesus is prophesied, the destruction of the temple that took place in A.D. 7070 A.D. which of what you're supposed to say that's one that took place in all Jerusalem's level of the temple's level. Jesus predicted that the opening words of the Olivet discourse verse three now as he sat on the mount of the disciples came to him privately, saying, tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age. Another question is kind of telescope is loaded with several different aspects. What are they asking. First of all, when will these things be what things will he just said that I tell you the time is coming when not one stone shall be left upon another, shall not be thrown down. That's what they're asking about when will that happen when will these things be, but they asked more. What will be the sign of your coming though the Christ had promised to come again if I go I will come again and receive you unto myself so what will be the sign of your coming will the destruction of the Temple be the sign of your coming or is there something else that will signal that your coming and they asked of the end of the eight again, the question is are these three things all the same destruction of the temple, the coming of Christ the end of the age of those three things at all come together or are they spread out the course now we can see very clearly that the first one the destruction of the temple was not related to the end of the age and presumably not related to the second coming of Christ. Though there is a particular school of interpretation actually says otherwise by certain when I get into that. That's what they were asking Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet known beginning to see some things that I think we can relate to in our day warrants. Rumors of wars, they seem to be that there wars going on somewhere in the world all the time. I don't think there's ever been a time in recent history them talking about the last several hundred years when there hasn't been war going on somewhere in the on this globe.

Some nation war against another nation's going on all over the earth at this time.

And so that's going on but he says that's not the sign that the, the end is his coming uses that hat must happen, but the end is not yet for verse seven. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and now he names a number of other things, there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places famines know anything about what's going on in the world today. You know that there are numbers of places in the world where there is famine. Countries where people are under severe famine, severe deprived Asian food.

One of those nations is very dear to us as a congregation nation of Zimbabwe in Africa.

Severe famine is going on now I can report to you just today I received word that a large gift large monetary gift have been made available to Wallace Stewart and Laverne's Johannesburg, South Africa, waiting stewards liver transplant and their pastors.

They are strengthening, helping, coming alongside providing help and in some cases guidance to our in Zimbabwe under starvation conditions, and it has been such that it's been impossible to get any money the country to them for a long time because of government restrictions, but a large gift is been given and the method has been found get that money to them for the time being that channel may close tomorrow. That's what often happens supplemented get shut down right now relief has gone to the pastors and we rejoice in that them but there are famines going on right now pestilences.

What is that things like covert, 19 that's a pestilence that's going on now so you got wars going on now got famines going on now got pestilences going on now. What else, and earthquakes in various places while that strikes home. We just had a pretty significant earthquake here in North Carolina on Sunday and were not accustomed to that. We don't have earthquakes in North Carolina release.

We didn't think we did have lived in North Carolina for 47 years and I don't wake up all these years certainly not one of the magnitude we had Sunday was a strong here as it was in the western part of our state.

Here I was actually in the church, typing my sermon notes when it happened around 8 o'clock in the morning and I knew something strange it happened, but I didn't know what it was. I open my back door to look out the parking lot.

See what might be going on inside to vultures perched on a parking lot light pole light one closest to the offices I've never seen vultures perched on that light pole before never seen any birds perched on that, like there they were to vultures on this space you would wonder how they could both managed to to be on that space at the same time that was unnatural. What in the world is going on that's causing them to do that but I didn't know I shrugged it off, went back to my work and I did learn like to later what it was.

It was so here we've experienced an earthquake in North Carolina that were unaccustomed to. That's one of the things that Jesus mentioned here in connection with these end time events. He says all these are the beginning of sorrow. So when these things are taking place. Wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes. That's the beginning of sorrows. There's more to come.

That's a lot worse. We think what we're experiencing now is pretty bad and is worse than anything I've known in my lifetime I've never known a pestilence in my lifetime like the one we are having now. I've never known the kind of civil unrest that we have in our country like what's going on now. I've never known that in my lifetime, we could well imagine our own nation being split into Civil War again God for bid and that's something we haven't experienced or meet obviously things are at at a condition that were not accustomed to.

What should this be be causing us to do.

It should be causing us to examine our hearts. It should be causing us to spend time on our knees before God should be causing us to make our calling and election sure it should be causing us to strengthen our faith in God should be causing us to be prepared for whatever may yet be coming. It should be causing us to reach out to those around us who don't know God and don't know his word and who are fearful, some are frightened to death by what's going on.

They have no insight into what what this may be and where it's coming from and we should be looking to all these things realizing that this very well could be the things leading up second coming of Christ. I don't know the prophet I'm not going to.

I'm not quite to make any predictions. How foolish that would be how un-biblical that would be how ungodly that, but I am reading this here.

All these are the beginnings of sorrow, then verse nine. They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my namesake Nessim. Some commentators put that back in the.

Leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem say that was for that error that's already been fulfilled. But I don't know that we can say that we see all over the today that there are places where Christians are bitterly persecuted and put to death. It's going on today in a greater measure than it has ever been known in history we need to be aware of that, that's going on now then verse 10.

Many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Have there ever been more false teachers that we see today. Abounding on television, radio, and otherwise our family was on vacation last week. I did a little clicking through the channels on the remote and listen to some some television preachers that I had never been never known before. Never been introduced to before. Listen to some of the things they were saying.

I want to tell you some of the things were pretty DB bizarre. There you wonder where they getting these things I saw a little clip on the Internet today. One that had been sent to me by someone else look at this, they said. I clicked on YouTube thing and I ungodly. Listen to it for about a minute, but the guy was.

He was equating covert masks to the mark of the beast of Revelation, and he was saying if you where basically was a if you wear a mask in these days of covert accepting the mark of the base fact, he took, he took the word basket.

He said you just take the S out replace it with the work with the R it's not mask its mark and a show pointed to a sign said everyone who enters the store must wear a mask and he said that means they must wear the mark of the beast of the swings preaching pretty bizarre. It was our I hope you don't believe that.

Is there a time when there been more confusion about what the Bible teaches and the confusion abounds number one because there are so many people preaching so many different things and that certainly creates confusion in the confusion abounds number two because so many people don't read the Bible for themselves. They really don't know what it says.

So they have nothing to compare it to when they hear things like this.

I don't know if that's what the Bible teaches or not, and many will just assume it must be true.

If a preacher says that he studies the Bible it must be true.

Jesus said that's going to happen then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many and listen to this verse 12 because lawlessness will abound love of many will grow cold. Ever seen a time of greater lawlessness in the United States of America. One of my high school buddies from many years ago many decades ago I sent out a quick couple weeks ago. He said I'm old enough to remember when breaking the law was illegal. If they want that again as it isn't breaking the law always illegal, all apparently in this day and time. It's not just which laws you break this law, that's bad. You get arrested for that. But if you break these laws. That's okay because it supports a particular political agenda. What confusion, what lawlessness, what lawlessness but don't we long for the days when breaking the law was illegal across the board, but were in were in confusing days. Today, because lawlessness will abound love of many will grow cold, but he who endures to the end shall be saved. That leads us up to our text, which were going to have to pick up and examined on a future Wednesday night, but he who endures doors to the end, the same shall be saved. Does that mean that our determination to persevere to to endure faithfully is what merit salvation that we earn salvation that way.

That's the way some people take in this text erroneously but know this is to be understood as an evidence of genuine saving faith.

People who become discouraged and they see all these things and it causes them to doubt whether really is a God with the gospel is really true with the Bible is really true, and though they been perfect professed to be Christians before there now turning their back on all that they don't believe that anymore.

The not so sure about that any what are they demonstrating that there connection to Christ was not vital union.

It was not saving faith. They were not joined to the vine the life of the vine was not flowing into them. The life of Christ was not flowing into them.

They had churchy entity not Christianity.

They have an empty profession, not a genuine profession, and consequently they fall by the wayside. But he who perseveres to the end shall be saved because he who perseveres to the end is genuine faith and keep perseveres. Because God preserves God is working. God has promised he who has begun a good work in you.

If it's a genuine work. If he began that is genuine.

He was begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And so everyone who is a true child of God will persevere to the will therefore be saved. It's a mark of salvation is an evidence of it. And that brings us then to verse 14 and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. That text, we will take up on the future Wednesday night, shall we pray father how thankful we are that we are not alarmed. We are not frightened by what is taking place because we know that you are on your throne. It's all under your sovereign control. Whatever is taking place is all according to your plan and design we read many similar things in your word therefore realize this is not spinning out of control. The certainly hasn't taken you by surprise. It sounds very much like what Jesus Christ said would happen, so why should we be surprised what it does, though. Dear Lord, it does causes to draw closer to you to lean more upon you. Father, we thank you, Josh Lynch is improving from his serious accident.

We pray for our County Sheriff Terry Johnson that you might strengthen him and give him wisdom. We pray for Rob Conrad that you might continue to strengthen him and prepare him for his surgery next Wednesday and for our focus.

He goes to the doctor pray for Iva Booker and her recovery of Evelyn Butler as she needs strength and we thank you for the strength that has been granted to her.

We pray for Janice Craig pray for her needs. Lord, you know what they are. We committed unto you. We pray for Sheila after she faces this very serious surgery. Lord, we commit or into your care into your hand, your sovereign powerful hand, pray that you will bring her safely and we pray for Sarah Gilmore and for Annie Nick and for Mary Hicks pray for missionary Stuart law which you will strengthen him and grant him a transplant.

Pray for the family of Stephanie Stratton in her recent home-going and for Nancy Bingham and Eva Davis in and go as they are battling cancer ward help them strengthen them, strengthen them in the inner man. Yes, we pray Lord that you might strengthen them in the outer man in their body and give them strength and if you're pleased. Bring them successfully through these trials of father we commit our lives into your care. For safekeeping, and to be your agents in this world. We pray these things in Jesus name