Standing in the Present Evil Age
Text: Luke 21:34-36, Titus 2:11-13
If you remember, the last time we were in John’s Gospel, we just got into chapter 14… But today we’re going to be turning to Luke’s Gospel, as well as a few other passages, because we really need to hear and understand, and put into practice the Word of God in this day that we live in. Also… in these last few Sundays that I have with you, I really wanted to share with you something that’s going to strengthen you in your faith, and grow you in your faith, and help you navigate this present evil age we’re living in.
And make no mistake about it… we ARE living in a present evil age!
In just the last few days we’ve seen a full blown Marxist Revolution begin to take place right here in the United States of America. We’ve seen a group of left-wing, radical, extremists known as Antifa take over about 6 city blocks in Seattle Washington, erect barricades around the perimeter of that area, and place armed guards on those barricades. The dividing lines in America have never been more clear, and more important… and it’s not about race, or ethnicity, or skin color. That’s what they want you to believe. But the truth is, it’s about ideologies, and world-views, and belief systems. And ultimately – They believe – IT’S ABOUT POWER! And the re-distribution of it. On the one hand you’ve got some who have aligned themselves with the ideologies of Communist Marxism, and Socialism, and Globalism. They are anti-Christian, anti-Liberty, and anti-America. And on the other hand you have some who have taken the stand for Freedom, and Free Market Economies, and for God and Christ, and the Word of God, and for TRUTH. And in the middle, there’s the majority of folks who have no idea what’s going on at all. Most people are just trying to live their lives, make a living, pay their bills, and be at peace with everyone. Unfortunately; those militant radicals don’t want that for you… they want to “fundamentally transform the United States of America”. They want to tear it down, and then remake it in their own image.
Thankfully here at Sharon, we talked about this six years ago… when we asked the question – “Why do the Nations Rage?”, we talked about it five years ago, when I preached on the “Rise and Fall of Nations”, we looked at it two years ago when we looked at the warnings from God’s Word found in Matthew 24, and we saw what the Lord had to say about it. Last year we looked at it again from another perspective, when we went through Habakkuk. So we as people who believe in God’s Word, and trust in the God who gave us His Word, we are not taken by surprise by these things. Sure, they are troubling to us, and it hurts our heart when we see lawlessness abound… when we see lives taken in an unjust way, by either side of the spectrum… but at the same time, we know that lawlessness abounds because the love of many has grown cold.
And so the question that many of us as Christians are now asking is – “Are we in the last of the Last Days”? And I always say this, because it’s what Scripture says, “No man knows the day or the hour.” So we cannot say with absolute certainty that the Lord will return on a specific date. But we are told to discern the times. We are told to be watchful, to be alert and diligent, and to not be sleeping.
Turn with me to Luke 21:34-36 and listen to what Jesus says (READ Luke 21:34-36).
Are we in the last of the Last Days? I believe we are. For thousands of years’ humanity has experienced what Jesus referred to as “Birth Pains” … Wars, Rumors of War, Earthquakes, Famine, Pestilence, Disease, False Prophets, and False Teaching. But now it’s ramped up. We now are seeing entire denominations… not sliding toward apostasy, but running towards it. State governors are destroying their entire state economies and people’s livelihood, and now we have the evil actions of a sadist police officer being used as an excuse for left-wing authoritarian led riots in our streets. We have outright sedition, and treason taking place at all levels of government. And the frequency and intensity of those things are only increasing. They get worse, they get closer together, and now it seems like there’s some who want us to accept that “New Normal” is perpetual crisis.
First of all – let me just say this – it’s NOT normal… nor do I accept it as normal. It’s abnormal. It’s abhorrent. It’s wicked. And my GOD says that He is going to someday set all things right!
So what do we do Church? What do we do as we watch all of this unfold before our eyes?
What do we do, if we truly are in the last of the Last Days? What do we do UNTIL that day that Jesus returns and sets all things in order?
Do we form a militia, take up arms, and go re-take those 6 city blocks in Seattle? You know… to do that would be to de-legitimize Law Enforcement agencies… now I know some folks are saying that they de-legitimized themselves by standing down… and maybe they did, but that’s a different matter than what I want us to focus on today. Because that sort of thing, it may have its place at certain times, it may restore a sense of law and order, but it’s only temporary… in the end it’s not going to change the heart of man. So in issues like that, Romans 13 lays it out pretty clearly that it’s the states job to handle that situation, and others like it. The President and AG Barr were exactly right to tell the politicians in Seattle and Washington State to get control of their city, or the federal government will.
But what about you and me? If Jesus is coming soon. What do we need to do?
Well… when you get right down to it… two things – We need to be ready, and we need to give everyone we know the opportunity get be ready as well.
What I mean by that is that we need to know for certain that we are saved and right with God, and we need to share the Gospel with others, so that they can be saved, and be right with God. Because when we get right down to it… our only hope is Jesus Christ! Jesus says in Luke, “Watch YOURSELVES…” Not only are we to discern the times, but we need to take account of ourselves. He goes on and says, “Lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness, and the cares of this life…”. That word “dissipation” it means living in wasteful excess… it means to squander away wealth. There can be a temptation that comes upon us, when we see the world going to hell in a handbasket, and we’re tempted to say, “To heck with it. I’m going to get mine! I’m going to party like a rock star, and enjoy all the pleasures of the world while they last.” Don’t squander what the Lord gives you. Don’t spend your kid’s inheritance. Don’t waste your life partying like it’s 1999. Because Jesus warns – if you’re living it up, living for the world, then THAT DAY – the Day of Lord, will come upon you like a trap. In other words, consider eternity! Consider that it might be today! Or at the very least, that it is soon coming. In verse 36 He says, “Stay awake! And pray for strength to stand.”
Keep your place there in Luke, but turn with me over to Titus 2:11-13 which says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”.
Now do you see what Paul says here? He says that the grace of God, that brings salvation, also trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions… it trains us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present evil age… as we wait. And what are we waiting for? OUR BLESSED HOPE! And what is our blessed hope? The appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!
So John 14 tells us that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He has promised to come again. And in His Word, He tells us what the signs are that are pointing to His soon return, and what we’re to be looking for, and we see those things. We see them… and so what do we do? We watch our own lives. We stay awake and pray for strength to stand. We renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. In other words; those things that set themselves up against God, and against God’s Word, and against God’s will as revealed to us in His Word.
Another word that the Bible uses to describe this is – REPENTANCE!
As believers the Bible never says that we’re going to live lives free from sin… but it does tell us that we’ll be living lives of repentance. In other words, when God reveals to you and me that a particular thing in our lives is sinful, we fight against that. We pray that God will give us the desire to repent of that. We pray that God will give us a holy hatred of that thing. We turn from loving that sin, to hating it, and replacing our love for that sin with a love for God and Christ. And you notice that Paul says it “TRAINS” us… that tells us that this is something that is an ongoing lifestyle thing. That’s why consistently gathering with God’s people, hearing God’s Word is something that God commands. It’s like going to the gym for our souls. It renews our minds, it transforms us to the image of Christ, it sanctifies us, and sets us apart. It equips us, and strengthens us in His might and power.
The Reformers called it a “means of grace”. It’s God’s grace that does it all. God’s grace alone saves us, but it’s through the hearing of His Word, that He gives us that grace.
Remember Romans 10:14?
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
So that’s the first thing… have I been saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone? Am I being transformed by His grace, day by day. Am I being empowered by His grace to repent of sin, and renounce ungodliness and worldly passions?
And secondly: Am I being a conduit of God’s Grace – through the sharing, and proclaiming of the Gospel? Am I sharing God’s Word? We start in the home. Have I told my family about the wrath of God that is coming upon sinners? Have I told them that God has made a way of escape, and that way of escape is to trust in Jesus Christ and in Him alone? Have I told them to believe on the Lord Jesus? To believe in His finished work? And then it goes out from there. We tell our family, our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, our team-mates, and peers.
Jesus Christ is the only hope for you and me. He is the only hope for this nation. He is the only hope for racial reconciliation. Because it’s not about the color of your skin… it’s that we’re all born in sin. And being reconciled together as one in Christ is the only thing that’s going to fix that problem.
CLOSING
