Are We In The End Times? Series

Are We In The End Times?

CCCAG 10-15-23

Scripture- Romans 1:18-32, 2 Tim 3:1-5, Matt 24:4-14

I want to begin this morning by recognizing that things have changed since the last time we were together.

This war in Israel has changed the dynamic in how we as Christians view our current reality.

I also want to recognize that we as believers are living in increasingly difficult and frightening times, and it’s not my goal on Sunday mornings to add to that. However, I wouldn’t be doing what God has called me to do if I just talk about sunshine, puppy dogs, rainbows.

I’m going address some of what we are seeing in the news, and what it means to you and I this morning.

So, a warning- this will be a difficult message for many of us to take in. I’m going to go through a lot of scripture today, and show how we got to where we are today, and what the bible says is still in store for us.

So I want to start us off today in prayer.

Prayer

It’s been a difficult week for the world. Israel, that has spent a time in relative peace has suddenly been thrown into chaos by Hamas attacking from Gaza and Hezbollah now attacking from Lebanon.

It needs to be noted by everyone here- Both Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organizations are funded by Iran, and through back channels, funded by Russia.

The United States has responded by sending the Gerald Ford carrier group into the Easter Med, and special forces into Gaza to rescue hostages.

We also have to face a hard truth- American is fighting Russia in proxy wars in two theaters- Israel and Ukraine.

One of the things that has amazed me this week is the sudden interest from everyone about what our faith says about the end times.

Even people who have no interest in “organized religion” are looking around and thinking, “What is going on in the world?”

So, as Christians there is an obvious question- Are we in the end times?

The answer is- yes.

But, we really have been since the church was born. The prophetic clock started ticking at Jesus’ resurrection and the birth of the church and keeps ticking us closer to the rapture, the events described in Revelation, and the return of Christ to reign and rule on the earth.

It is definitely something we should long for, but in this longing for Jesus to return and set everything right, we shouldn’t lose sight on what these events mean to you and I today.

Instead of wondering if this is the end, perhaps a better question for us to ask is “How did we get here?”

The world, and the culture we lived in has changed a great deal even in my lifetime.

I’m 53 years old. In my lifetime, we have gone from a largely church going society- one that had a fairly common culture, ethos, and morality to one where everything goes, and now we can’t even define the difference between the male and female genders.

So, how did we get here? What started us on this road that seems to be speeding toward the events described in biblical prophecy?

It was through a series of compromises our world in general and our society in particular decided to make, and the church (meaning the entire realm of those who claim to be Christian) was largely silent about.

This started in the middle of the 19th century. In 1854, Charles Darwin published his book, the short title was “On the Origins of the Species” which introduced the scientific idea of macroevolution- that all life on this planet naturally evolved from simple cells to the organisms we see today.

The consequence of that book was the idea that we didn’t need a creator.

That was the start of the fall.

How do I know this? The bible says so.

Turn to Romans Chapter 1. Let me show you something interesting.

In the first chapter of Romans, The Apostle Paul begins with exalting Christ, explaining his ministry to the Gentiles, and then moves into some very deep teaching. At the beginning of this teaching, Paul describes what happens when a people begin to drift away from faith in God.

Do you know what the first thing he lists on this downward slide is?

Removing God as creator.

Romans 1:18-32

Vs 18- Suppress the truth about God- Darwinism

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.