End Days-1c

End Times-1 The Last Days Are Here!

March 15, 2023

The Leader’s Guide says:

Purpose: To explore the lifestyle challenge of living in the age inaugurated by the ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit.

Personal Reflection: How would a deeper awareness of the times in which we live and the soon coming of Jesus possibly affect those with whom we associate?

The Lost?

Our family? Friends?

I listened to a portion of a video of Dr. Michael Brown:

Some of you are familiar with him.

He has been around a long time. He was associated with the Brownsville Revival for a while — heading their Revival School.

Recently he wrote a book: WHY SO MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE LEFT THE FAITH

In it he talks about how people are leaving the faith because these may very well be the final moments before Jesus comes.

Read last week, but remeber: Matthew 24:3–13 (LSB) Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 “And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many. 12 “And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:7–12 (LSB) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 And then that lawless one will be revealed—whom the Lord Jesus WILL SLAY WITH THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming— 9 whose coming is in accord with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of unrighteousness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 And for this reason God sends upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

Couple these 2 scriptures together and think about what Dr. Brown points out about this time in which we live:

Sin is much more available to the youngest children due to technology

Arguments against Christ and the Bible are more prevalent and available

But the answers to EVERY ARGUMENT are NOT well known or available (it’s all new and unassailable!)

Just yesterday I was reading about an argument declaring:

Most of us have heard some scientist, journalist, teacher, or entertainer claim that “human beings and chimpanzees share 98-99% of our DNA.”

According to [geneologist Casey] Luskin, humans and chimps have about 35 million single base-pair genetic differences and five million insertion-deletion differences. Humans also have 689 unique genes not found in chimps. And while there are different ways of quantifying the differences, almost none of these ways yield the famous “98-99%” number.

Colson WV Center says:[This statistic — what are we talking about?] … is used to imply things about human beings: that we are the sum of our DNA; that we are, by that measure, almost 100% animal; and that therefore everything theologians once meant by “the image of God” is a self-flattering illusion. We’re not exceptional. We’re basically gussied-up monkeys.

But is that true? Well, the fact that humans share roughly 60% of our DNA with bananas should clue us in that there is much more behind what makes us us than just genes. As Luskin rightly notes, “There’s a vast cognitive and behavioral gulf” between humans and apes:

c. Another thing we struggle with today is: the number of scandals (sexual, financial, etc.) in the church and in Christian leadership (I can’t trust the church)

d. Questions about the validity of the Bible (a bronze age book written about a bronze age God)

e. The politicization of the Gospel - known more about our allegiance to a certain party or candidate than our allegiance to Jesus

f. Christians don’t look any different than nonChristians in their social media entries

g. The sexually deceived have changed the dynamics of relationships:

It’s “cool” to be homo or trans or non-binary or whatever

Anyone who advocates Biblical sexual identity and activity is NOT just uncool — they are a haters

as Dr. Brown says: “I've talked to so many people about Jesus who say … I can't believe in your God because He hates gays.” (NOT TRUE!)

h. The “American gospel” preached in the last few decades, a “me” centered, “human” centered philosophy, has created a generation of “Consumer Christians” who have not been told they needed to count the cost and therefore will not stick when things get tough.

How do we deal with these things?

Last week we started looking at an article written by what ...

Dr. David R. Reagan says:

The Bible clearly teaches that society will degenerate in the end times, becoming as evil as it was in the days of Noah ( Matthew 24:37-39 ).

We looked at other … passages from the Olivet Discourse that describes “The Last Days” as described by Jesus:

Matthew 24:32–41 (LSB) “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 “For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 “Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 “Two women will be grinding grain at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Matthew 24:42–51 (LSB) “Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 45 “Who then is the faithful and prudent slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Apostle Paul, speaking as a prophet, says that society will descend into a black pit of immorality, violence, and paganism (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (LSB) But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these.

He asserts that men will be “lovers of self, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure.” People will be “boastful, arrogant, and unholy,” and children will be “disobedient to parents.”

Sounds like the evening news, doesn’t it? In short, we have arrived. (A long time ago!)

We should be deeply concerned over these developments, not only because we are witnessing the destruction of our beloved America, but because both Jesus and Paul prophesied that when these things occur, the Church will come under attack and individual Christians will be persecuted.

Matthew 24:3–14 (LSB) Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one deceives you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 “And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many. 12 “And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

We looked for 2 weeks at General Superintendent Dug Clay’s article: RAPTURE ANXIETY OR BLESSED HOPE?

THIS (tribulation and persecution spoken of in the Olivet discourse) is what causes people anxiety!

So, what do we do? How do we live?

What then are those of us who love Jesus to do as we face a rising wave of ridicule, harassment, and persecution for our faith? How shall we live for Christ in the end times? Let me suggest a few guidelines. Living the last days now is not really any different than it was for the first-generation Christians. We stay ready the same way they were to stay ready:

1) Order Your Priorities

The starting point is to review your priorities and make certain that God is first in your life. Be honest with yourself. Don’t play games. Don’t kid yourself.

Most Christians have allowed their priorities to get very mixed up. Usually, job or career is number one, family is second, and God is third or even fourth behind an obsession with sports or something similar.

Ask yourself this question: If God were to give you the opportunity to make one request, what would it be? Would you ask for money? Power? Fame? Success?

Solomon asked for wisdom, but David asked for something ten thousand times more profound — he asked for intimacy with God (Psalm 27:4).

And, because he put God first, he states in Psalm 27 that he did not fear life (verse 1) or death (verse 13). It is also the reason that he is remembered as “the man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).

Psalm 27:4–5 (NLT) The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

We travel light.

We are exiles and sojourners here. We must not encumber ourselves with unnecessary baggage and treasures here because our real homeland and our real Treasure is up ahead (Matthew 6:19–20). And that’s where we want our hearts to be (Matthew 6:21).

Matthew 6:19–21 (LSB) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Colossians 3:1–2 (LSB) Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind [and heart?] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

John 6:27 (LSB) “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, set His seal.”

Four thousand years ago, our ancestors in the faith began to live like “strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). That was two thousand years before Jesus came and launched the last days. And we who live two thousand years after he came are no less strangers and exiles, because we too “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). And we’re going to be there soon — sooner than we expect.

Hebrews 11:13–16 (LSB) All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been remembering that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now, they aspire to a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.

2) Stand on the Word

We watch the signs because we KNOW the signs of His coming.

We already read about this:

Matthew 24:32–33 (LSB) “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.

— The Bible says that the end times will be an age of deception (Matthew 24:24, 1 Timothy 4:1, and 2 Timothy 4: 3-4). In fulfillment of that prophecy, we are today being bombarded with false but alluring religious systems offered by the Christian cults, Eastern religions, and the New Age Movement.

1 Timothy 4:1–3 (LSB) But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience, 3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God created to be shared in with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 (LSB) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Look on your handout:

Most professing Christians are sitting ducks for spiritual deception because the average Christian is not certain what he believes. And even when he is able to articulate a belief, he usually does not know why he believes it. The result is that a Jehovah’s Witness can turn the average Christian into a theological pretzel in two minutes flat.

Anyone can be deceived. If you are to guard yourself against deception, you must get into the Word and stay in it on a daily basis. Also, you must test everything by the Word (1 John 4:1).

1 John 4:1–3 (LSB) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

For Catholics this means discarding doctrines like purgatory that have no basis in the Word whatsoever. For Protestants it means being alert to the twisting of scriptures or the manipulation of verses out of context. On every doctrine, the Bible needs to be searched from Genesis to Revelation to see what is said about the particular topic.

3) Believe in the Power of God

— I am convinced that most professing Christians are deists.

A deist is a person who believes in an impersonal god who never intervenes in human affairs. According to Deism, we are supposed to cope [by using] our god-given reason, our talents, and the wisdom of the Scriptures. As far as the deist is concerned, at the end of the First Century, God retired, the supernatural ceased, and the age of miracles came to an end.

But the Hebrew Scriptures teach that God never changes (Malachi 3:6).

Malachi 3:6 (LSB) “For I, Yahweh, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

And the New Testament specifically states that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, yes and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Hebrews 13:8 (LSB) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

There is no way we can cope with the evil of end time society in our own strength. Anyone who tries to do so will be defeated. Our only hope is to turn to a God who is alive and well, who is still on the throne, who hears prayer and answers prayer, and who still performs miracles.

We must realize that the Bible teaches that we can limit God by our unbelief. This a great paradox. Think about it — although God is all-powerful (Luke 1: 37), we who are powerless in comparison can nonetheless limit His power by our unbelief (Mark 6:1-6).

Mark 6:1–6 (LSB) And Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to this man, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 “Is this man not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they were taking offense at Him. 4 And Jesus was saying to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He was marveling at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.

That’s because God is a gentleman. He does not force Himself upon us. If we want to try to cope on our own, He will let us. He responds when we reach out to Him in faith (James 1:6).

James 1:5–8 (LSB) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

4) Persist in Prayer

Will there be faith to pray in the last days?

Luke 18:1–8 (LSB) Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’ 4 “And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 “Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”

— One of the greatest blessings God has given believers is supernatural communication. God cares for us personally (1 Peter 5:7), and He desires to communicate with us (James 4:8). Because He loves us, He earnestly desires our fellowship (John 4:23).

1 Peter 5:5–7 (LSB) You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 CASTING ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM, because He cares for you.

James 4:8a (LSB) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. …

2 Chronicles 15:1–2 (LSB)

Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Yahweh is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will be found; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

The tragedy is that most professing Christians seem to be inclined to turn to prayer as a last resort — only when all else has failed and the situation has become desperate. Some of this reluctance to seek God in prayer is due to pride, and thus the Scriptures continually exhort us to humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6).

(Read above)

Others fail to depend on prayer because of unbelief. They either think God doesn’t care, or else they think He is no longer active in history.

But the Bible says “we do not have because we do not ask” (James 4:2).

How many blessings of God have you left on the table because you tried to handle your problems yourself?

The Bible also says that “the prayers of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16). Do you interpret this to mean that the power of your prayers depends on your righteousness? That is not what it means. If you are truly born again, then you are a righteous person because you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus (Isaiah 61:10).

5) Rely on the Holy Spirit

— Most professing Christians seem to be afraid of the Holy Spirit. This is usually due to a lack of knowledge concerning the Spirit. For example, there is a tendency to write off the Holy Spirit as some sort of impersonal force — like “The Force” in Star Wars.

We need to understand that the Holy Spirit is a Person.

He is the supernatural presence of God in the world today.

He performs a dual role.

For the unbeliever, He is God’s Evangelist. He is the one who works on human hearts to draw them to the Cross in repentance. No one is saved apart from the testimony of the Spirit (John 6:44 & 65).

With regard to the believer, the Holy Spirit is God’s indwelling presence to provide us with power and guidance. He is our Enabler. He is also God’s Potter, for one of His basic responsibilities is to daily shape believers more fully into the image of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (LSB) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

One of the ironies of the Christian life is that we cannot serve God in our own power.

Rather, the only way we can effectively serve the Lord is by relying on the power of His Holy Spirit who resides within us. It is possible to quench and grieve the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Ephesians 4:30).

The Word calls on us to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). This can happen only if we are willing to release the Spirit to become the Lord of our lives. Most of us are content to let the Spirit be resident in our lives. He does not want to be simply a resident; He desires to be president.

Is that the case in your life?

Is the Holy Spirit on the throne of your life?

Or is He being treated as an unwelcome guest?

There is no way you will be able to withstand the pressures of end time society without relying daily on the power of God’s Spirit.

6) Practice Tough Faith

— Faith comes easy when everything is going smoothly. When there is good health and prosperity, it is easy to praise the Lord. The test of faith comes when all the circumstances of life turn sour.

God has not promised believers a rose garden. We live in a fallen world. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. The wicked prosper. Justice seldom prevails.

It is easy for the righteous to grow discouraged. This calls for the practice of tough faith — the kind of faith that is not dependent on circumstances. It’s the kind of faith that hangs in there when the going gets tough because of a confident belief that “all things work together for good for those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28).

God never promises that believers will be immune to suffering. What He does promise is that He will be there to walk through the trials with us. He promises to be beside us when we “pass through the waters” and “walk through the fire” (Isaiah 43:2).

Isaiah 43:1–2 (LSB) But now, thus says Yahweh, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

And He states that He will be there when we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).

What is the quality of your faith? When life turns sour, do you turn to God, or do you question Him or even curse Him? One of the keys to hanging tough is to learn the promises of God’s Word (like Philippians 4:6-7, 11-13, and 19) and start claiming them in prayer when confronted with the challenges of life.

We encourage one another with our hope of resurrection and the Lord’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 (LSB) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Kelvin Cochran - read from sermon notes

7) Keep an Eternal Perspective

We pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest (Luke 10:2) — and say with Isaiah, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8) — and pray for the Lord to return (Revelation 22:20).

— We are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:11 & 16). That’s a difficult principle to follow. It constitutes a daily struggle.

It is so easy to get our eyes off the Lord and focus instead upon the world in which we live. The daily demands are so pressing. And one of the greatest of those demands is that we conform to the world — to the world’s language, dress, entertainment, and values.

That’s why we are constantly exhorted in Scripture to consider ourselves as “aliens, exiles, and strangers” who are just passing through this world (Hebrews 11:13 and 1 Peter 2:11). We are told to “set our minds on things above, not on the things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). And we are warned to never fall in love with the world or grow comfortable with it (Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2:15-16). In fact, Jesus said we are to “hate our life in this world” (John 12:25), and His brother, James, said “friendship with the world is hostility toward God” (James 4:4).

What does it mean to hate the world? It means we are to hate the evil world system that prevails in society. We are to hate a system that glorifies violence and immorality and which depreciates the value of life.

As C. S. Lewis once put it,

“We are to live like commandos behind the enemy lines, preparing the way for the coming of the Commander-in-Chief.”

In other words, we are to live yearning for the day when Jesus will burst from the heavens to bring peace, righteousness, and justice to the earth.

8) Look for Jesus

— This brings us to the final guideline I would like to emphasize regarding how to live for Jesus in the end times. The Bible tells us point blank that we are to live “looking for Jesus” (Titus 2: 13).

Titus 2:11–14 (LSB) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.

Most Christians are so caught up in the world that they live thinking about anything but the return of Jesus. This is a sad state of affairs because Jesus’ return is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). And His return is imminent.

Another problem is that most Christians know so little about Bible prophecy that they cannot get excited about the Lord’s return. How can you get excited about an event you know nothing about? Ignorance produces apathy.

And apathy about the Lord’s return has tragic consequences. It robs us of an eternal perspective, and it destroys any sense of urgency about reaching lost souls. It also undermines a powerful motivator for holy living.

You see, when a person comes to truly believe that Jesus is returning and may return any moment, that person will be motivated to holiness and evangelism. Regarding holiness, the Apostle John put it this way: “We know that when He appears [the Rapture], we shall be like Him [glorified]… And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Regarding evangelism, Peter writes that the only reason Jesus has not yet returned is because “God does not wish that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

It is hard to keep a balanced perspective on this.

This study shows that in one sense we have “arrived,” but in another sense we are still waiting.

To keep the balance we must learn how to live “to the hilt” in these days of fulfillment while waiting hopefully for the last of the last days.

RAPTURE ANXIETY OR BLESSED HOPE?

by  DOUG CLAY on February 17, 2023

Will Jesus return in 2023? That question stirs hope in some and anxiety in others.

Read Acts 2:1–41

2. The Feast of Pentecost (fifty days after the Passover) was one of the three great festivals of Israel. Why do you think Luke, the author, is careful to note the countries of origin represented by the visitors to Jerusalem for this great feast (vv. 9–11)?

Question 2. In contrast to the breakdown of communication at Babel (Gen 11:1–9), the Spirit empowers the disciples to experience community of speech.

The three great festivals of Israel at the time of Jesus were:

Passover (remembering deliverance from Egypt),

Tabernacles (recalling the wilderness wanderings) and

Pentecost (a harvest festival coming seven weeks after Passover, during which the first fruits were offered to God—Ex 23:16; Lev 23:15–21).

Sometimes over a million people jammed into Jerusalem for these festivals, arriving from all over the Mediterranean (from modern Italy to Egypt). Many of the visitors were Jews in dispersion. Some were proselytes (Gentiles who had become Jews by baptism and circumcision). Some were God-fearers (non-Jews who were earnestly seeking God—see Zech 8:23).

It was an auspicious occasion for the missionary vocation of the church to be sealed, and for the first harvests of Christ’s resurrection and ascension to be made. Significantly, the apostle Paul later chose the feast of Pentecost to bring the love-gift from the Gentile churches to the Jewish believers in Palestine (Acts 20:16) in the true spirit of the international, interracial community born that day, anticipating as Paul said “the full measure of the blessing of Christ” (Rom 15:29).

Speaking to Jews and proselytes, Peter declares the finality of Jesus by quoting psalms that envisioned a triumph over death by God’s anointed messenger and the ascension by the Messiah to rule over everything at God’s right hand. It is not surprising that at least some of Peter’s audience were “cut to the heart” by this revelation as they realized they had unwittingly participated in the murder of God’s anointed One, even though they may have believed at the time they were doing God’s will in eliminating who they believed was an imposter and a blasphemer. What is surprising and troubling is the apathetic response of people today to the same message. Noteworthy and helpful to us in our mission is the way Peter addresses the need of the people to believe by appealing to Scripture, to the facts of the crucifixion and the empty tomb, and to the supernatural phenomenon of Pentecost, evidences that carry weight even today.

3. When, if ever, have you experienced deep fellowship with people from other races and cultures whom you would normally have difficulty communicating with?

Even if I know a smidgeon of the language, culture and circumstance keep me from fully fellowshipping.

It has been an honor to be in another country (Panama) and worship and to have people from other countries worship where I pastored (in Shreveport — I’ve mainly pastored in small rural communities with little to no international presence) India, Belize, even American blacks.

I was thrilled to be able to fellowship with them.

4. With what arguments does Peter counter the charge that he and his friends were intoxicated (v. 13)?

He connects their speech with prophecy in Joel

Question 4. John Stott takes this passage and carefully outlines what the events of Pentecost were not: (1) not the result of intoxication, (2) not a miracle in hearing, in contrast to speaking, (3) not a case of incoherent speech.

Rather, “the glossolalia on the Day of Pentecost was a supernatural ability to speak in recognizable languages.”

Stott carefully shows the multifaceted reality of Pentecost as (1) a final unrepeatable act in the saving ministry of Jesus; (2) the empowerment of the apostles for their unique role; (3) the inauguration of the new era of the Spirit—so that Pentecost gets extended through history; and (4) the first revival in the church. He wisely concludes, “The wind and fire were abnormal, and probably the languages too; the new life and joy, fellowship and worship, freedom, boldness and power were not” (The Spirit, the Church and the World [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990], pp. 60–61, 65–66).

5. Peter explains the strange events of this feast day in terms of the Old Testament prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:28–31).

Joel 2:28–31 (LSB) “And it will be afterwards That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; Your old men will dream dreams; Your young men will see visions. 29 “Even on the male slaves and female slaves I will in those days pour out My Spirit. 30 “And I will put wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke. 31 “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes.

What evidence does Peter give that he is correct in claiming the “day of the Lord” (v. 20, the last days) has arrived? (Note that he quotes Psalm 16:8–11 and Psalm 110:1, which are generally regarded as pointing to the Messiah.)

Questions 5–6. Two things are noteworthy in the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. First, Old Testament prophets were more concerned with holiness in time than holiness in space: the day of the Lord was more important than the house of the Lord.

But the day is not to be calculated on a clock or a calendar. It is God’s own time—a season extending, as we now know, through centuries. Second, two dimensions of the day (grace and judgment) locked together in Joel’s prophecy are separated at least temporarily in Christian fulfillment. The day now is a day of opportunity to experience new life, forgiveness and the full endowment of the Spirit. But it will eventually mean final irrevocable judgment for the obstinate and unbelieving. Our detailed study of Joel will show this.

6. The “day of the Lord” (the last days) in Joel 2:1 is a day of both searing judgment on evildoers and gracious salvation and fulfillment for true servants of God (Joel 2:28–31). Interpreting this passage, Peter does not pronounce irrevocable doom on unbelievers and the executioners of Jesus, but rather stresses the grace of the day of the Lord. Why do you think he does this?

Joel 2:1 (NASB95) Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near,

7. What must people do to respond to the arrival of the last days (v. 38)?

Question 7. While some might prefer to debate the relative merits of infant and adult-believer’s baptism, it is advisable to focus on the issues raised by this first generation of new Christians in this missionary situation. There is some question as to the relationship between the baptism mentioned in this passage and two other baptisms—John’s baptism of repentance and the baptism of Gentile converts to Judaism. It is uncertain when Jewish baptism of proselytes began, so John’s baptism may or may not have been modeled after Jewish tradition. Although there could be a connection to the ritual daily cleansing prevalent in Jewish law, both the baptism after Pentecost and John’s baptism were one-time events reflecting an inner change in a person’s life, not the daily need for repurification.

Acts 2:37–41 (NASB95) Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

8. What evidence in the text suggests that the Spirit outpoured on Pentecost is now the permanent endowment of the church for its mission in the world?

Not boasting:

The Pentecostal church is the largest among Christianity seeming to indicate embracing the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring leads to people being saved around the world in fulfillment of:

Acts 1:8

What indication is there that Pentecost might be a one-time event?

Question 8. Whether Paul thought there would be a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when he presented the huge love-gift from the Gentile believers to the Jewish believers, he must have seen the significance as entering into the true meaning of Pentecost and so pressed his travel schedule to get to Jerusalem in time for the feast (Acts 20:16). See also “Now or Later.”

9. In very few places of the world today are people asking Christians, “What shall we do?” (v. 37). Why do you think this is so?

10. Read Acts 2:42–47. What clues do we have in the passage to explain the growth of the church (v. 47) then and today?

Question 10. Though the temporary experiment in what has been called “a religious communism of love” had a disastrous moment (Acts 5:1–11), and was soon transformed into almsgiving (4:1–7) and relief missions (11:27–30; Rom 15:25–28), a crucial principle is demonstrated: fellowship is more than “spiritual” sharing. During the period before the persecution and scattering of the Jerusalem Christians (Acts 8:1–3) and the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, these first believers participated in sanctuary worship with other Jews and a new form of home fellowship distinctive of the new life Jesus brought. It was said of early Christians that they shared a common table but not a common bed, thus redeeming and redefining the word for love in the ancient world and making their life together a sermon. A last-days lifestyle is neither superspiritual nor impractical. This winsome community that attracted outsiders (Acts 2:47) was authenticated by Spirit-endowed preaching, a radical life of practical love, and wonders and signs (2:43).

11. What does living “in the last days” now mean to you?

Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to fill the church with love, joy and empowered mission.

Now or Later

Years after the first Pentecost the apostle Paul was racing across the Mediterranean to present a love gift from the Gentile churches to the relatively poor Jewish believers in Palestine. He was determined to do this in the annual feast of Pentecost.

Read Acts 20:16; 21:4–14; Romans 15:23–29; 2 Corinthians 8–9.

Why do you think presenting this gift at Pentecost might be important for Paul and for the wider church?

In what ways would this ministry of giving constitute an authentic extension of the Spirit’s outpouring on Pentecost?

Community of language leads to community of property (Acts 2:42–47). Some dimensions of the community life of the first Christians reflect the emergency situation of pilgrims stranded in Jerusalem after the feast or not wanting to go home and leave this new community. What, however, are the dimensions of living in the last days that can be applied to your own life in this present age?

A Christian is a controlled drunk, purposively intoxicated with the joy of the life which is perpetually created by God himself.

Canon Evans[1]

[1]Stevens, R. P. (2004). End Times: 13 Studies for Individuals or Groups: With Notes for Leaders (pp. 11–12). IVP Connect: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.