Is This The End of the World?

Transcription

1 Sermon Notes Is This The End of e World? March 13, 2011 FBCam During e past mons, we have witnessed massive earquakes in Chile and New Zealand. Now, we are grieving wi e people of Japan over e news of one of e strongest earquakes in recorded history. We have been watching continuous news of is tragedy. Wiout attempting to add commentary to e news reporting, let me just highlight e overwhelming nature of is disaster by noting at e earquake moved e LAND MASS of Japan by 8 feet, and changed e ear s axis by 4 inches! (CNN, March 12, 2011) &fb=y&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.cnn.com%2f2011%2fworld%2fasiapcf%2f03%2f12%2fjapan.earquake.tsunami.ear%2findex.html%3fhpt%3dt1 These events have captured everyone s attention. In light of movies like 2012, some are wondering if is is e end of e world? Added to people s fear is e prediction of Harold Camping at e world will end on May 21, I m sure at his followers will point to is week s earquake in Japan as proof at Camping s prediction will come true. Last week, I was reminded of e significance of Camping s false teaching when an article appeared on e Drudge Report. This is one of e most accessed news websites receiving 35 million uses per day. The original article appeared in e UK Mail titled, Awesome, it s e end of e world. It showed a picture of some of e messengers of e coming doom standing in front of eir decal covered vehicles which read, Have you heard e awesome news? The end of e world is almost here! I guess it would be good news, if you believe like Camping at for e past 23 years we have been in e Tribulation period. You see, since his last prediction of e rapture of e church did not come true in 1988, he now teaches at e Tribulation began en (sorry for e mix-up). Hurrah, e 23 year long tribulation period is almost over! Camping uses Numerology, leaps in logic, and takes

2 scripture out of context. His rumblings are bizarre and more in line wi e likes of Charlie Sheen an a sound minded eologian. I don t know of anyone who has left eir church recently to follow Harold Camping. But his teaching is popular in Sou Jersey. We see billboards, bumper stickers and yard signs periodically. But more an at, our friends know of his false teaching and often come to us wi eier accusations or seeking answers. I planned to preach on Christ s return on May 22, e day after his rapture prediction. However, in light of e events of is weekend, I would like to address is message now so at we can be better prepared to share e good news wi ose who are confused and worried about e condition of e world today. My eme today is at we should Be Aware of e Times, but LOOK for JESUS. Many Christians have is reversed. They are LOOKING for e TIMES and Aware of Jesus. The Biblical name for e event at we are looking for is called e Rapture. That is e Latin name given for e Greek word in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Harpadzo. I prefer using e Greek term. The Bible Never tells us to look for signs of e Harpadzo. There are NO signs for e Harpadzo. There are CONDITIONS at will be in place during e 70 Week of Daniel, e event at immediately follows e Harpadzo. But ere is no requirement at ese conditions remain as ey are. So, let s study e Characteristics of e 70 Week Daniel 9:25-26 reveals at God has reserved a period of seven years in which He will accomplish his remaining plans for e nation of Israel. That seven year period is called Daniel s 70 week. It is spoken of in Matew 24. In e context of is chapter, e Jewish nation is clearly in view. Jesus ended Matew 23 by weeping over Jerusalem because of her rejection of e Messiah. The opening verses of Matew 24 find e disciples admiring e Temple and asking Jesus about e future of Israel. Finally, e setting of Jesus lesson in Matew 24 and 25 is while sitting on e Mount of Olives, looking directly at e city of Jerusalem and e shining, beautiful gold adorned Temple. This chapter is all about Israel. Jesus tells e disciples (and us) what is in store for e nation and e characteristics of e 70 Week.

3 1. False Christs. Matew 24:5 2. Wars and rumors of wars. 24:6 3. Nation against nation. (MODERN DAY: Day of Rage ) 4. Persecution. 24:9 5. Apostasy. 24:10 many will turn away 6. Abomination of Desolation. 24:15 7. Great tribulation. 24:21 We learn more about is coming tribulation in e book of Revelation. There, we read of a series of earquakes, each more violent an e one before: Revelation 6:12 (Seal) "I looked when He broke e six seal, and ere was a great earquake; and e sun became black as sackclo made of hair, and e whole moon became like blood; " Revelation 8:5 (Trumpet) "Then e angel took e censer and filled it wi e fire of e altar, and rew it to e ear; and ere followed peals of under and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earquake. " Revelation 11:13 (Witnesses resurrected) "And in at hour ere was a great earquake, and a ten of e city fell; seven ousand people were killed in e earquake, and e rest were terrified and gave glory to e God of heaven. " Revelation 11:19 "And e temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and e ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and ere were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of under and an earquake and a great hailstorm. " Revelation 16:18 (7 Bowl) "And ere were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of under; and ere was a great earquake, such as ere had not been since man came to be upon e ear, so great an earquake was it, and so mighty." EARTHQUAKES are not a sign of e Harpadzo. They are noted in prophecy as taking place during e tribulation, but contrary to Camping s view, we are not currently in e tribulation. In e 70 week of Daniel, e earquakes will be FAR STRONGER and MORE FREQUENT an ey are now!. What will e world look like during e Tribulation? 1. There will be a One World government. a. Revelation 13:3 "I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And e whole ear was amazed and followed after e beast; " b. Rev. 18 speaks of commercial Babylon, a name given to e one world system of business and commerce at will have complete control of e governments during e tribulation.

4 c. Daniel 7:15-27 speaks furer about e government of e anti-christ 2. There will be a One World economy. Revelation 13:7 "It was also given to him to make war wi e saints and to overcome em, and auority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. " 3. Finally, ere will be a One World religion. a. Rev 17. Here, religious Babylon is a reference to e unified religious system of worship in place during is period. b. Revelation 13:8 "All who dwell on e ear will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from e foundation of e world in e book of life of e Lamb who has been slain. " While it is intriguing to ink about e ings at might be an indicator of e Lord s return, ere is someing more important for us to consider. Are You LOOKING for SIGNS or LOOKING for JESUS? God e Faer wants us to be watching for e return of His Son! 1 Thessalonians 5:6 "so en let us not sleep as oers do, but let us be alert and sober. Titus 2:13 "looking for e blessed hope and e appearing of e glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, " Prophesy expert, Dr. Dwight Pentecost reminds us, Such passages as 1 Thess 5:6; Titus 2:13 and Rev 3:3 all warn e believer to be watching for e Lord Himself, not for signs at would precede his coming. (Pentecost, Things to Come, 203). Imminency means at NOTHING must happen before Jesus Returns. John 14:2 3 " In My Faer s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. " " If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, at where I am, ere you may be also. " Acts 1:11 "They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into e sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just e same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. " 1 Corinians 15:51 52 "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, " "in a moment, in e twinkling of an eye, at e last trumpet; for e trumpet will sound, and e dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. " James 5:8 "You too be patient; strengen your hearts, for e coming of e Lord is near. " How Should I Live in light of His IMMINENT RETURN? Are you prepared to give an answer to ose who are frightened?

5 The LOST are concerned wi e END of e WORLD And e WORLD WILL END! All of us will be SWEPT AWAY, just like e hundreds or ousands at were swept away in e tsunami. NO WARNING LIFE CAME TO AN END 1. Understand e Times. a. Ephesians 5:16 "making e most of your time, because e days are evil. " b. 1 Chronicles 12:32 "Of e sons of Issachar, men who understood e times, wi knowledge of what Israel should do, eir chiefs were two hundred; and all eir kinsmen were at eir command. " 2. Prepare for Eternity! a. John 9:4 " We must work e works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. " b. Matew 6:20 " But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neier mo nor rust destroys, and where ieves do not break in or steal; " c. Illus - we SAVE for retirement. We should STORE UP for heaven. 3. Spread e GOSPEL. The only ing at we can do to advance e Lord s return is to proclaim e gospel. 2 Peter 3: Look for Jesus! a. 2 Timoy 4:8 "in e future ere is laid up for me e crown of righteousness, which e Lord, e righteous Judge, will award to me on at day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. " b. 2 Corinians 5:11 "Therefore, knowing e fear of e Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope at we are made manifest also in your consciences. " As APOSTASY grows worse, JESUS is NEAR. (2 Tim 3:13) As SIN increases... JESUS IS NEAR (2 Tim 3:1-9) As Many are DECEIVED... JESUS is NEAR (2 Tim 3:13) As e CHURCH is ASLEEP... JESUS is NEAR 2 Peter 3:10 "But e day of e Lord will come like a ief, in which e heavens will pass away wi a roar and e elements will be destroyed wi intense heat, and e ear and its works will be burned up. " BLESSED HOPE.. 1 John 3:1 3 "See how great a love e Faer has bestowed on us, at we would be called children of God; and such we are. For is reason e world does not know us, because it did not know Him. " "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it

6 has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know at when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. " "And everyone who has is hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. " Knowing at Christ is coming gives us hope! In 1914, Ernest Shackleton made e FIRST attempt at to reach e SOUTH POLE. His ship, e Endurance, became trapped in e ice of e Weddell Sea and eventually crushed. All of e men abandoned e ship wi ree life boats and lived on e ice until it broke up. They sailed to Elephant Island and established a camp on a low spit of land. Since ere was no hope of rescue, Shackleton and five oers in e James Caird, one of e life boats, and made an epic 800 mile journey across some of e roughest ocean in e world to e tiny dot, Sou Georgia Island. Because of adverse winds, ey were only able to land on e uninhabited side of e island. He and two oers made an unprecedented crossing of e mountains and glaciers to reach e whaling station at Stromness. Those remaining on e oer side were immediately picked up. However, it took him four mons to be able to reach e oers on Elephant Island. All of e men survived! They endured ose mons of fear and starvation because ey had hope at Shackleton would return! And he did. The hope of Jesus return keeps us looking up and living for God in e midst of our troubles and difficulties.