The Last Things

Good morning everyone…I hope you are all having a great morning so far. I know that I am having a great morning because I get to be here with all of you. There is no better way to start the week than to worship with family, Amen? So first of all we get to send our kids back to their teachers so that they can learn about Scriptures in a way that makes sense to them. We also get to welcome those of you that are on vacation of home sick this morning, or joining us online for some other reason today. Thank you for your commitment to being a part of our extended spiritual family. Then those of you that are new to family, thank you for taking the time to join us today, and those of you that are here for the first time, or first time in a while, we truly are blessed to have you with us today...

Now, what is going on all around us these days? I have to tell you a story real quick...when I was a kid I remember having a Bible teacher, I went to a Christian school for a while. I remember having a Bible teacher in elementary, maybe 4th or 5th grade, who told us all the Mark of the Best was in the barcodes that must be scanned at scores. See that was in the 80’s and the barcode was becoming more and more prevalent to put on items that you will purchase. He showed us how the various bars in a barcode actually spelled out 666. Now I don’t remember what kind of math magic he had to do in order to see that, but boy did he have a class of little kids convinced. You see, in

Revelation 13:16–18 (ESV)

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

See that is important information right here. Of course later I met Beth and she tells me that her uncle is actually the guy who led the team making the barcode as functional and widely used as it is, and I figured…man that teacher was right…and I married into the family, uh oh....I’m kidding of course…Beth’s family is not the Anti-Christ…Beth’s family is actually wonderful…so there ya go.

Then, later in life in the early 90’s I can remember a guy showing up to my house and handing my dad a VHS tape, for those of you under 30 a VHS tape is what came before DVD’s…for those of you under 20, a DVD is what came before Netflix…So, anyway, he handed my dad a video and as my dad watched it, it was very informative about some political folks , but it also made the claim the Bill Clinton was the actual Anti-Christ that is read about in Revelation.Now, I don’t know your political persuasion, but I can tell you for a fact that Bill Clinton was not, and is not the Anti-Christ. However, there are really good folks that were convinced of this fact. Why is that?

Well, that is what we are going to talk about today, but before we do that, I want to remind us all about why we are here and what we are doing in this series. We are in a series called I Believe and in this series we are taking the various sections of our Statement of Faith and breaking them down just a little bit so that we can know what we believe and why we believe it. Now, some one might ask, what is a Statement of faith? Well, a Statement of Faith is the document that lists the doctrine of LRBC as a church. These are the guiding principles for us as a church that informs the other things that we do as a church. So…what is Doctrine? Well I gave us a definition of doctrine so that we can all be on the same page as we move through this series together. Doctrine is a set of guiding principles (stop and allow church to finish) that helps us navigate the twists and turns of life. That means that as stuff happens in life, doctrine is the truth that guides us out of the dark corners that we sometimes find ourselves in, right? I mean, sometimes those twists and turns leave us in a dark spot where we are unsure how to get out of, and if we know what we believe and why we believe it then we will know where to go to get back out of that corner and back into the light that the Word of God offers to us. Our doctrine can also help us actually stop from going into that dark corner as we remember what is true about God and what is true about the situation that we are facing at that moment. However, that can only happen when we know what we believe…and why we believe it. There is also a key verse we have been looking at every week throughout this series, and Im hoping you may have memorized that verse by now just because we have looked at it so often. Here it is...

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, (wait for people to respond) always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...

Thats right and from this verse we can see that we should know good theology, we should be able to articulate that theology, and we should do so in a way that is encouraging and not mean or hateful...

So…what does theology have to do with all of this conversation about the Mark of the Beast and the Anti-Christ…well…that is actually what we are going to talk about today...

The Doctrine of The Last Things

In other words, the doctrine of Eschatology…Eschatology is a word that literally means the study of the last things. So the question is…as a church…what do we believe the Bible says about the last things…or the End Times. That is what we are going to look at today, and again…I cannot stress this enough…we do not have time to really look at this in depth so we will be looking at this in a brief overview and I hope this will spark your interest in this topic so that you will read and study yourself. Later this afternoon I will post a link to another sermon I taught about 8 years ago, and I hope it will further answer some of your questions, or maybe even spark some new ones...

With that said…let’s take a look at what is in the LRBC Statement of Faith

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked. —LRBC

This is likely the shortest statement that we have because there really are so many unknowns that revolve around the end times. I mean, it doesn’t matter how many times you read Revelation and Daniel, you will ALWAYS see something new and deeper than you saw before. This is truly a topic that no one can be an expert of other than God the Father who has set out all of the details that will happen and has set the schedule that they will happen. However, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t read and at least attempt to have a basic grasp of what is going on here. I mean, if it is in Scripture…then we are called to read and study so that we can be ready when that time comes.

Here’s the deal though…we all want to understand the future don’t we? Now, unbeliever, meaning non-Christians, can make reasonable predictions about future events based on the patterns of past events, but based on human experience it’s clear that we cannot know the future. Therefore unbelievers can have no certainty of any future event. But Christians who believe the Bible are in a different situation. Although we cannot know everything about the future, God knows everything about the future and he has, in Scripture, told us about the major events yet to come in the story of the universe. These are events that we can have absolute confidence in because God is never wrong and never lies. You see, the Bible talks about certain major events that will affect the entire universe. Specifically, it tells us about the second coming of Christ, the millennium, the final judgment, eternal punishment for unbelievers and eternal reward for believers, and life with God in the new heaven and new earth.

Now, there have been many debates—often heated ones—in the history of the church over questions regarding the future. This morning we will begin with aspects of Christ’s second coming something that all evangelicals agree on, and then will briefly discuss the question of the millennium, a topic that has long been a source of disagreement among Christians. And maybe we will sprinkle in a small conversation on the timing of things…First though, lets look at

The Return of Christ

Yeah, this is a real thing that is going to happen. Jesus Christ will literally and physically return to Earth in order to defeat the enemy, namely Satan and the Anti-Christ. You see, Jesus often spoke about his return. “You also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44). He said, “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). Immediately after Jesus had ascended into heaven, two angels said to the disciples, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Paul taught, “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God” (1 Thess. 4:16). The author of Hebrews wrote that Christ “will appear a second time not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb. 9:28). James wrote, “the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8). Peter said, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:10). John wrote, “when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). And the book of Revelation has frequent references to Christ’s return, ending with Jesus’ promise, “Surely I am coming soon,” and John’s response, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

Now, I know that the culture we are living in has frequently led to conversations where we discuss our desire to see the Lord come soon so that we do not have to see this level of sin and debauchery continue to grow all around us. I know that I have spoken to many of you where we will discuss our desire to see the Lord return soon and then we discuss what is our calling at this time…How do we prepare for the Lord’s return when we don’t know when the Lord is going to return. What do we do to prepare for the Lords return, and when even is the Lord’s return? These are all questions that we have, and unfortunately we don’t get answers to all of those questions, do we…However, we do get answers to some of them. This is a topic that among Evangelical Christians there is no debate. There is agreement that Jesus will return and that his return will lead to the defeat of Satan as well as the judgement of everyone. ...Let’s take a look at a passage together to help us gather our thoughts on the reality of Christs return.

Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV)

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…Oh what a sight that will be! What a great and beautiful sight that will be. I long to see that day to be honest, but I know it is not up to me whether I will see that day or not. I also know that in order for me to see that day, I will live through increasingly difficult times including the criminality of Christianity and what is called the Great Tribulation. That is 7 horrible years where Satan has control of the Earth and evil reigns like nothing that has ever been seen before. However, there is great debate over when that tribulation will occur and if Christians will endure that time or not.

But…either way, no matter when that tribulation will occur, here is what we do know. We have been commanded to be ready. Yeah, we need to be ready for Christ return, and you ask…Pastor Billy, how can I be ready for something when I don’t even know when it is going to happen? Well…Im glad you asked that question, because it shows you are interested in being ready…The way to be ready is to obey the commands of Jesus. In other words,

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Are you going therefore? Or better yet…as you are going, are you making disciples? Are you telling others about your relationship with Jesus…Are you at least telling others about Jesus…not just the pretty picture that the progressive false teachers want to talk about, but the real Jesus that demands repentance of sin? Are you living your life as if Jesus is actually coming back, or are you going to panic at the last minute? That is something you must come to terms with on a personal level...

There is another thing that our Statement of Faith discusses, that is...

Christ’s Final Judgement

You know, in the US legal system, if you are judged and found guilty then you can file an appeal. Then, depending on the outcome and other factors, you may be able to continue to appeal your judgement. However, there always comes a time when there are no more opportunities…there is a final judgement. The same is true with Christ. You see, we have already been judged and found guilty. We see that in

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

You and I have been found guilty, and we have been sentenced. We see that in

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We see there is a penalty that we must pay, but there is also a way out. There is a pardon that has been offered to you and I. Some of us have accepted that pardon and some have ignored that pardon. However, just like we see on Law and Order there is a time limit to the offer of a pardon. That time limit is Christ’s final judgement. You see, Christ final judgement means that there is coming a time when there is no longer an opportunity to change your mind. There are no more appeals…no more opportunities and you are either exonerated or convicted and sentenced…

At this judgement, Jesus will be the judge. This has been given to him by the Father

John 5:26–27 (ESV)

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

Now if Jesus will be the judge then the next thing we will want to know, is who is being judged. Look at this passage with me about this event in

Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

From this passage we see that

At this judgement, Jesus will judge everyone. Believers and nonbelievers alike will have to face the Lord and give an account for what we have, or have not done with our lives. Both the living and the dead will be brought before the Lord to be judged by their actions. This is the reality of what will happen on that day.

But there is hope…There is one more appeal you can make to that judge before the day of judgement. You see, your goal is to have your name written in the Book of LIfe…that is because those written in the Book of Life have Jesus as their defense attorney as well as the judge. Look at this passage...

Romans 10:9–13 (ESV)

...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

I love how our confession is actually important to God. Confession here is that physical action of proclaiming Christ publically. Confession is most easily done through the baptism of a new believer. However, it is equally important to continue confessing the Lord at work or on Social Media or anywhere else in your life because, well…there will be a day when you will need to give an account for what you did with the gift of salvation that God has given you.

This morning as we close out I want to encourage two groups of people here. First of all I want to encourage those of you that are beleivers to continue confessing that Jesus is Lord to everyone you see and talk to. I want to encourage you that as you are going and living your life, continue to make disciples. So, let me make this easy for you because it can be hard to think about doing this. Every single believer here this morning, or joining us online…Choose 1 person that you know and pray for them and begin having conversations with them about the Lord…it really is that easy.

Next I want to encourage those of you that are not currently believers to continue searching. Listen, I know that people come to church and listen to church for all sorts of different reasons…keep searching for the truth of Scripture. If you are here or joining us online and you are ready to take that step to trust in the Lord and follow Jesus in baptism, then I want to encourage you to reach out to me. Reach out and let’s have a conversation about your spiritual life. Listen, there are three easy steps to trusting in the Lord. 1. Admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior. 2. Believe that Jesus actually was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for your sins, and rose three days later.3. Confess that Jesus in your Lord…It really is that easy...

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