Wait, Watch And Work

HoHum:

The famous reformer Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew for certain the world was going to end tomorrow. Without hesitation he replied, “I would plant an apple tree this afternoon.” What? Luther was not given to speculation about the ending of the world. He focused rather on the end of the world, that is, the purpose of the world which God intends for this present time. Luther would plant an apple tree today, even though the world will be ending tomorrow, because he believed that what may happen in the future does not excuse us from what God requires of us here and now.

WBTU:

Asked to do some lessons on Signs of the Times, really we are talking about Signs of the End of the Age, the Latter Days. We see many earthquakes and volcanoes in our day. Hard to know if there is more seismic activity today than in earlier times but the Bible does say that there will be earthquakes in the last days. Luke 21:11 says, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”

We see many wars and rumors of wars. Mark 13:7-8 says, “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” Now is Jesus talking about the destruction of Jerusalem or about the end of the age? We are never sure. We see the war between Russian and Ukraine in recent days. We see the rise of Hamas and the invasion of Israel into Gaza as a reaction. Israel is using this as an excuse to eliminate the Palestinian Arabs. To be against Israel is to be against God some say. Might talk about this more. Even so, the prophet Isaiah says in 2:2, “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.”

I was talking with Dr. Jody Owens (teaches OT Bible classes and spiritual formation) and he said this, “The Bible is not a revelation of the signs that will help us identify the time of Christ's return. It is instead a revelation of how those who follow Jesus should live in their days and the days leading up to his return. If we focus on trying to decipher the ‘when’ we absolve ourselves of the responsibility to change how we live in light of Jesus' return. Thus this sermon before…

Amos 4:12 says, “prepare to meet your God.” The Old “serpent” has been successful in persuading people either that “Jesus coming back” is nothing more than a fairy tale or that it is far, far off in the distant future so there is no need to think about it right now. He told Adam and Eve “you will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4) and they believed it. He’s tells an unbelieving world, “He will not surely come again,” and they believe it. Jesus says something else entirely. Matthew 24:36f says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Then vs. 44 says, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Peter wrote about the coming of the Lord is 2 Peter 3:10- But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Thesis: Since Lord’s return is imminent, what should we do?