End of the World

Picture of the Bay Area Skies 11 Am

Coronavirus, Riots, and now these fires so the question starts to come is the end of the world, is the what the Bible talks about.

A friend began a preaching series stating

If it’s the End of the World why are you so scared?

It’s a worthwhile question

I’m always surprised by those who think some unique catastrophe or thing happening in space, or war is the sign of the end of the world. Even that horrible, this obsession like the Bible is describing some secret puzzle so you can figure it out.

It doesn’t.

Matthew 24:36 CSB

36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone.

Clear. NO ONE.

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a stupid movie where he stopped the end of the world by defeating the devil in a church.

We can’t stop it, we can’t start it, but when it happens it will be glorious

It is possible that the reason we are afraid is that we are too comfortable with what we have in the hear and the now.

Is it that we are too comfortable and too focused on the current here and now?

Jesus told a story of servants not being ready for their master to return to the house

Luke 12:40 CSB

40 You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

You see we aren’t supposed to be seeking our easiest life. Jesus never said seek the happiest life for yourself.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is very clear:

Matthew 4:17 CSB

17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

A kingdom was wherever the authority of the King extended too. Usually through His armies

Jesus was saying MY KINGDOM, GOD is HERE now is the time to repent and follow.

He stated it is this is so important it’s worth selling everything for

Matthew 13:45–46 CSB

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

In comparison to what you would do for the Kingdom everything else is hatred

Luke 14:25–27 The Message

25 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, 26 “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. 27 Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.

Luke 14:25–27 CSB

25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

But in this time of unknowable extremism, fear, and political fervor don’t see what’s been described as important is not that imortant and what we have decided to fight about goes away at the end of time.

The same God who called on you to tell you to cast your cares on him for his burden is light, this is the same saying seek the Kingdom of God.

See today there are many fighting for a future that of either not losing what they have or gaining what they do not have.

People selling books, getting your views, and your votes, but right in your house is people to love as Christ loves the church

But Right next door to you is someone who has no one to pray to or with

Right in your heart is an opportunity to trust God with your pain and anger and forgive those who hurt you

Right at your work is a person to show God’s kindness and joy to,

Right in your family is someone who needs you to have self-control.

Don’t fear what’s going to be destroyed anyway

Upcoming pain is real, fearful

Our friend Chaplain Roger, at this point, has been told by one doctor that his cancer is inoperable. Simply he will die from this cancer.

The pain of death, and change is something Roger and I have talked a lot about over the years. We have worked together to help others go through it.

I’m hurting for him, for Belinda, for Megan, for all of us who love him.

It always hurts and in that I understand why people would be afraid of the end of the world.

See because it might be the end of the world or just the end of you.

When Jesus was facing his death, knowing that Judas had betrayed him

Garden of Gethsamene

Matthew 26:39 CSB

39 Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Not I what I want to happen but what you want God.

This is what it means to seek the Kingdom of God.

With real legitimate fears, with real anxiety, to respond with faith backed up by action. Not what I want God but whatever you want.

To know that even in the process of dying or ending, God is still at work and his plan

Romans 8:28 CSB

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Some of you know what I wrote about the anniversary we all experienced this week of September 11, 2001

Holding CHarlotte

One who was pregnant wondering like me how she could bring a child into this kind of world

I was touched by one mom who was giving birth to children between the towers falling

one who learned she was pregnant, boarded a plane

Thousands died over the years in wars and battles. We should mourn those and pay even more attention to the suffering that occurs in the world before it affects us personally

Yet as we see the world today,

we don’t need soldiers in airports or on our bridges as we acted like we did on that day

we have not lost all of our freedoms or been taken over by Islam

If anything we have only let our fear of loss take us away from our real goal of not seeking the Kingdom of God

You know what else September 11 was an anniversary of?

It has been six months since the World Health Organization delared the world was in a pandemic. (sept . 19 will be six months since Ca stay at home order)

For many of you lost a lot of income

In 8 more days it will be six months since we worshipped inside together.

This is not the new normal

Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Linton Wells. Here’s how it begins:

If you had been a security policy-maker in the world's greatest power in 1900, you would have been a Brit, looking warily at your age-old enemy, France. 

By 1910, you would be allied with France and your enemy would be Germany. 

By 1920, World War I would have been fought and won, and you'd be engaged in a naval arms race with your erstwhile allies, the U.S. and Japan.

By 1930, naval arms limitation treaties were in effect, the Great Depression was underway, and the defense planning standard said "no war for ten years." 

Nine years later World War II had begun. 

We don’t know what the future holds and so what does that mean for right now

Consider please asking yourself at this time

what are you really seeking? What are you scared of losing? Are you going to lose it inevitably?

No one is an expert at pandemic faith living

But there are three things you can always do

Love God - do not turn your back on what you know God would have you do

Love others - bring encouragement, generosity, responsibility, kindness, to others

Increase your faith - Seek the Kingdom of God

Romans 5:3–6 CSB

3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.

Christ died for you, there is no pandemic, no terrorist attack, no cancerous death that can ever defeat the Kingdom of God and the blessings Christ is bringing into your life and our world.