WARNING SIGNS

God has been gracious enough to us to give us a multitude of warning signs, they are all around us.

We have alerts for everything

CHARLIE KIRK had a sense that bad things could happen with his ministry. He had multiple warning signs. Like daily death threats, text messages and emails and of course phone calls.

We desire to know in advance the likely occurrence of an important event which will impact your life? Especially if they’re life or death issues. A sign!

I DO. God at times gives us subtle and not so subtle warnings.

I was in the emergency room on three separate occasions between 2012 and 2018. I had severe pain they said it was Pancreases. These signs made me make adjustments, like cut out potato chips and greasier foods. I didn’t challenge the doctors findings or research the signs. The third time was very difficult. I had severe pain for 3 days. I was in Sacramento flat on my back and couldn’t move, it hurst so much. I i was allowed to take was Tylenol. i found out in 2019 when i actually had a heart attack that the time in Sacramento was also a heart attack and I could have died.

IN YOUR LIFE, HAS GOD GIVEN YOU SOME WARNING SIGNS OF SOMETHING TO FOLLOW?

Think about it - Did you recognize or listen to them

God gives us signs and He explains them so there is no chance you being caught unaware.

We must pay attention to the signs and make the adjustments in our life.

One of our challenges is we ignore the warning signs.

We wait to the last minute. How many of you have seen the gas light come on in your car. It should not of had to come on. In the olden days we relayed on this little gauge that started with an F for Full and went down to E for empty. When it got to E you ran out of gas. Now we go to the E and we see how far we can go before the low gas light comes on.

I bought a bus once to take to a YWAM base in Belize Central America, I bought it offf of a rock band it was blue with all the windows blacked out. In Belize we called it the Blue banana. The oil pressure gauge was always really low. It stressed me out so much I put black electrical tape over the gauge so I couldn’t see it. Eventually we put a new engine in it.

How many of you see a sign on the highway that says 65. Many people are not sure what that means. It is like Jn 3:16 some think it means jn316. It means don’t go over 65 you will get a ticket. I have never gotten a ticket doing 66 miles an hour. It isn’t until you hit 80 that you get really nervous. So we ignore the signs, we have taught ourselves they don’t mean anything, or have little to no consequences. We can live in denial of the signs

Scripture gives us some warning signs

1 Thessalonians 5:1–8 ESV

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Labor pains for are signs a baby is coming into the world.

God is telling us not to ignore the warning signs.

He tells us He will return suddenly. We should never be caught unaware

People will be talking about peace and safety - I would say these are the top topics of the day. In America, In Ukraine, In Israel, etc. Fancied Security and imaginary peace. The UN is moving toward this with a Palestinian state. Even the Russian invasion of Ukraine will come to sort sort of resolve ( but will it, the answer is no not at all) Evildoes not take a vacation. It schemes and slithers itself into society, WHY because we are in a spiritual battle. We have evil leaders who are possessed by evil and they don’t even know it. They are pawns of Satan himself. More will come.

( the stage is set the question is are you ready?)

Solution : be Alert and Sober - Put on Faith, Hope and Love

Luke 21:7–12 NASB95

They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.

Luke 21:28 NLT

So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

Scripture says when these things not if these things.

The

Matthew 24:4–7 NASB95

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

Matthew 24:42-50 (NIV) 42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Some warnings are called signs

Signs  — A phenomenon that is perceived to indicate something else, but especially something about future events.

Dreams and Visions - They are throughout scripture . There are over 21 dreams and 100 visions.

God is constantly trying to inform you. AMEN

Apostacy ( terrifying sign of the end times)

1 Timothy 4:1–2 NASB95

1But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

One commentary say they will speak of perverse things. Teachings that are outside the teachings of Jesus.

Some will teach evil as good and good as evil. ( Don’t shake hands with the devil)

Scripture says they will arise from inside the church. (Acts 20:30)

We are given a stern warning.

If you don’t pay close attention to your faith, the truth of the Word, the direction of the Holy Spirit. - You have a very good chance you could fall away

CONCLUSION

How do you not fall away?

OT descriptions of spiritual rebellion include departure from the Law, forsaking temple worship, and willful disobedience toward God himself

Jeremiah 2:19 ““Your own wickedness will correct you, And your apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter For you to forsake the Lord your God, And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts.”

Be aware of the warning signs

Don’t pay attention to deceit. Understand what a doctrine of a demon is. ( remember demons are speaking through people, so it is what a person is saying that is demonically inspired. Can you tell the difference if it is from Satan the father of lies or the Holy Spirit.

If it is not Holy then what spirit is it. Pray about it. Stay Alert

Don’t ignore the warning signs - adjust your course

What we believe inevitably pulls our behavior with it. A. W. Tozer says, “It would be impossible to overemphasize the importance of sound doctrine in the life of the Christian. Right thinking about all spiritual matters is imperative if we would have right living. As men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles, so sound character does not grow out of unsound teaching.”

Doctrinal departure from the truth eventually makes its way into the lives of people. A person becomes what he or she believes. Wandering away from the truth of the gospel leads inevitably to moral apostasy as night follows day. From the other side, what we believe is displayed in how we behave.

Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley, The Coming Apostasy: Exposing the Sabotage of Christianity from within (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2017), 105.