Urgency

Make no mistake, we have an “urgency emergency”!

I wish I could stand here this morning and say, “Everything is alright”. You can just coast through this life and enjoy it as you live to a ripe old age and be gently laid to rest among family and friends as angels carry you off to be with Jesus!

I wish I could say to our young people to enjoy life, science and human nature will figure all of the world’s problems out and you will see world peace in your lifetime!

Unfortunately that is not reality

The time has come for us open our eyes and see the urgency around us

Romans 13:11-12 (TNIV)

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1) Urgency of the Time!

Paul declared centuries ago, "Time is running out." Looking back over history, there are some startling signs that point to the acceleration towards the end of this age. Here are some things to think about!

• From the sailboat to the steamboat-5,000 years

• From the steamboat to the airplane-100 years

• From the airplane to the satellite-52 years

• From the satellite to missile defense and guided bombs-25 years

• Today Science Fiction is becoming reality with lasers and rail guns on ships

• Who knows what classified abilities we have?

• Also for the first time in history every eye will actually be able to see Jesus return as scripture declares! (just from our technology)

Could this thing called time be on the verge of the end times? I say the evidence says YES!

I believe the time is fast approaching! We had better sound the warning and heed it ourselves!

There are some things that are happening now that give us urgency that time is running out

• There is a divide between good and evil like never before. Evil has become good and good evil!

• Things are paraded out in the open and applauded that would make the people of Israel that sit on that side of time and we judged because of their rejection of God, point back at us in horror of the things we now allow to be openly displayed!

• Look at how our nation is now treating Israel? Would we come to their defense? For the first time in my life I doubt it!

• All of this while those that have only one goal to destroy Israel and Christians are very carefully treated and not called what they are!

• The stage is set for the rapture! "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout" (1 Thessalonians 4:16), (That bus is warming up)

• God’s wrath being poured out during the tribulation seems more justified than ever

• Armageddon doesn't seem so far off (Revelation 16:16)

• Jesus setting foot once again on the mount of Olives, coming to the rescue at that final moment and the mount of Olives splitting in two (Zechariah 14:4).

So what do you think God would say to us today? For this time?

“And do this, understanding the present time.”

What is “this” that Paul refers to? “Love for the day is near”

What does this love look like?

• Patting people on the back and being so afraid of their feelings that you say or do nothing alerting them to their true situation!

• Or sounding the alarm of their pending doom not out of hate but love

It is time to take a closer look at the end times…

Revelation 1:3 (TNIV)

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

• Make no mistake, that is a message to us!

• Those judgments are coming and many people we know and love will face them if we do not get a sense of the urgency of the time!

• We can’t afford any longer to be sleepy Christians. It’s time to wake up to the urgency!

2) Wake up to the Urgency!

“The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber”

Don’t confuse the urgent with the important!

• For too long we have put off the urgent to take care of the important! (examples)

• Important things, you set your alarm clock for and schedule a time to get it done

• Urgent things, you wake up and deal with no matter the hour, whether you think you have time or not!