The End of All Things is Near

Amen.

Brother Donaldson went old school on us tonight.

Rose of Sharon, aren't you glad the rose of Sharon continues

to bloom?

Amen.

And appreciate that song tonight.

And I, many years ago, many, many years ago, had the opportunity,

or was opportunity to be in a.

Anyway, I was singing a couple of songs in order that I might be

a part of a college singing group.

Been a long time ago.

And not that song, but that's one of the songs I had a choice of.

You had to sing a. I don't know how you.

Brother Donaldson, if he was there, I'd ask him.

But a classic song.

And anyway, that's all in my head.

So turn, if you would, in your first Peter, chapter four.

I told you, my brain is everywhere tonight.

So y' all pray for me.

First Peter, chapter four, verse seven.

The very first part of this particular chapter.

Peter is saying.

And he's.

And I'll just kind of give you the summary of it.

He's saying, you got saved.

You accepted Christ as your Savior.

And those whom you used to run with are making fun of you.

They are, you know, they're being mean to you.

And so forth.

He said, and you used to be.

And run with and the Gentiles, and you used to do these sinful things,

lasciviousness and the lust of flesh and all these things.

He says, but listen, he said, understand that we are to live for

the Lord, that we ought to live for the Lord, that he will judge

the quick and the dead for this cause.

Verse 6 was the gospel preached also to them that are dead,

talking about spiritually dead, and that they might be judged

according to men and.

But living according to God in the Spirit, look at verse seven.

But the end of all things is at hand.

So in light of what you used to be, what you are now, and what

the world and how the world is treating you, I'm going to skip forward.

We're not going to cover this verse, but look at verse 13.

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering,

that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with

exceeding joy.

So again, he's talking about.

Okay, if you're being attacked for being a Christian and you are

going through adversity because you are a Christian, then

you ought to be glad again to suffer for Christ's sake.

Again, back to verse seven.

But the end of all things is at hand.

The end is here.

The end is here.

Be ye therefore sober, serious, and watch into prayer.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves,

for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Use hospitality one to another without grudging, as every man hath

received the gift even so minister the same one to another

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

And we could spend all night talking about verse 10 that the gifts

that God has given you.

That we ought to use those gifts in order to be a minister to

those around us and be a good steward of those things.

Verse 11.

And if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.

If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God

giveth.

That God in all things might be glorified through Jesus Christ,

to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.

Amen.

And again he goes.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which

is to try you as though some strange thing happen happen unto

you.

Listen, Jesus said, if the world hate you, they hate you because

they hate me.

And so understanding that we believe tonight and the Bible teaches

the imminent return of Jesus Christ, the end of all things is

at hand.

I believe we're living in the last of the last days.

The disciples talked about the Bible speaks about even in the disciples

day.

They were talking about living in the last days.

Yes, that we've been living in the last days ever since Jesus Christ

rose from the dead.

But we're living in the last of the last days.

The end is at hand.

And understand that our lives are even a vapor that here for a

little while and vanisheth away.

We ought to live in light of eternity.

So tonight's a reminder of the return of Christ, but also a challenge

that we as Christians understand that we are to live in

light of that Jesus may return tonight.

Seven signs of Christ's soon return and you could actually come

up with eight or nine of them, maybe even 10.

But number one is the re emergence of Israel.

Israel's back in the land.

Think about it now.

They had not had a nation and not been a Nation since 586 B.C.

and in 1948 they became a nation again.

That's amazing.

It had been prophesied that they would become a nation again.

And that prophecy was fulfilled in some of your lifetimes,

especially Clovis.

We also see the ancient nations return to prominence.

Ancient nations returning to prominence.

I don't have time to preach and I'm going to go back and preach

Psalm 83.

But there's many other references to this as well.

Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 50 and 51, Ezekiel 38, 39 speaking about as

we get to the end times that many of these nations of old, ancient

nations have come to the forefront again.

Just like, just like the Jewish nation has come to the forefront,

so will these other nations.

And we see that happening today all over Iran and all those.

Iraq, all those nations coming to the forefront again.

Number three.

And Daniel speaks about this as well.

In Daniel, chapter 12, verse 4 speaks about knowledge increasing

Daniel 12:4

knowledge, increasing you knowledge.

The knowledge that mankind has doubles every three or four years.

Isn't that amazing?

It's amazing.

Technology explosion again.

Technology is not bad in and of itself, but it is ushering in

the ability to have many of the things that we see in the Bible,

like the mark of the beast.

And so many things that now would be very easy, very easy to

do, to have no currency, no, no tangible currency that you can

touch and feel.

And the excuse is going to be, of course, that, you know, there'll

be no more theft, no more people might be chopping people's

hands off, I don't know.

But you know, you can just scan somebody's wrist, scan somebody's

forehead, whatever, shoot them in the head with that little laser

gun.

It's amazing, isn't it?

We're seeing it come to fruition.

I mean, we see it, we know it's absolutely.

It's doable, easily doable.

And we now see that people can be swayed so easily, they become

sheep so easily.

Again, it's really again about technology.

Because of technology, the small leadership can swathe the huge

majority of people.

Fake news, right?

May we never forget.

Never forget Covid.

Never forget it, right?

I mean, I'm not a conspiracy guy, but I think once it got started,

it was ability for the those in power to see whether or not people

would give in.

Technology explosion number four, moral relativism.

Now, I know this has been around somewhat forever, but we see

again the resurgence of this, that society without moral restraint.

Without moral restraint, in other words, why?

Who are you to tell me what I can or cannot do?

Or who are you to tell me what's right and what's wrong?

And that's so widespread now.

And I would say the majority of people believe in moral relativism.

This is a way in which again, the masses are manipulated, but also

in the medical area.

Amazing what they can do.

Cloning and all the other things that go on.

Boy, it's amazing how far they've come.

Number five, and this is an easy one.

Globalism.

Globalism.

Isn't it amazing the technology today?

I mean, we used to, I can remember preachers preaching against

American Airlines.

What is their slogan?

One world.

That's their slogan.

One world, right?

One world.

And I remember just everybody, preachers in the early on crying

out one world, one world.

This is where it's coming.

And then listen, that's where it is going.

We know that the Bible makes it very clear that there is going

to be a one world economy, there's going to be a one world government,

there's going to be a one world religion.

And that's where we're headed.

And we can see no doubt how that could come about.

No doubt.

Isn't it amazing the technology when it comes to languages?

We talk about Google Translate.

In fact now when we go to these, when we go to the foreign

countries, they will ask me this last time, especially in Cape

Verde, they were asking me Google Translate.

They would say google Translate.

And they would want me to pull my phone out and Google Translate.

They knew exactly what it was.

It's amazing what technology can do.

I can communicate with anybody, just give me a phone.

As long as I got cell reception.

Cape Verde, we didn't.

It was touch and go with the cell reception.

But it's amazing, isn't it?

Number six again, sexual disorientation.

And this is very, very, very, very obvious.

Traditional roles of both genders have been blurred and blended.

Unnatural same sex affection being increasingly promoted and accepted.

And this is all part of the end times.

We know that, we know that.

Romans chapter 1, 1 Corinthians 6, 2 Timothy 3.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

Speaking of this.

It's coming.

Immorality, it's coming.

Number seven, New Ageism.

I can remember when we thought, well, the Catholic Church

is going to be the one world religion.

And then Pentecostalism became very popular and all of a sudden

it's going to be some kind of Pentecostalism or.

And then, you know, Islam is still the fastest growing religion

in the world.

You know, is it going to be Islam or some combination of that?

Or atheism?

Atheism may be the second fastest growing religion in the world

or maybe it's a combo of it.

It's amazing how when you talk to missionaries and you hear of in

these other countries where religion is really not fixed, it's

really a combined, combined religion.

It's like taking many religions and meshing them together.

Maybe that's kind of how things will be, especially in South

America, many of those places where Catholicism is very prominent,

but it's really not Catholicism, pure Catholicism.

It's Catholicism plus whatever else they worship.

And do.

We know Christ's return is soon we can see it.

It's very obvious.

It's obvious because of the prophecies that have been taking

place, the prophecies that are and have come about.

Why the Rapture?

First Thessalonians, chapter four.

And I had marked it, but I'm just going to read part of it.

Most of you know that he says, I would not have you to be ignorant,

brethren, concerning those which are asleep.

And he goes on to say, and it says there in verse 17, we which

are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the

clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And this verse, 1 Corinthians 4, verse 17, along with 1st Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:17

15, where it says, we'll be changed in a moment, in the twinkling

of the eye at the last trump, we understand the trumpet will sound

one day.

We will be caught up.

The word rapture means caught up with the Lord, to be with the

Lord in the clouds, in the air, he doesn't touch the ground.

The first time he comes, he comes.

He comes for his saints, not with his saints.

It's very, very clear to me, and I know there's a lot now because

of social media and so many different, again, preachers you can

listen to and popular preachers, and all of a sudden you

begin to take in what they're saying without being very.

Without parsing what they're trying to say, whether or not it's

true or not.

And so we have various ideas now, various theories as to when

Christ is returning.

Is it premillennial?

Is it pre trib?

Is it post millennial?

Is it pre wrath, post trib?

I mean, there's mid trib.

I mean, there's just everything now.

But I can tell you, without a doubt, 100%, very dogmatically, that

God has not appointed his children unto wrath.

First Corinthians tells us, chapter 4, verse 7.

I will give you that verse here in a minute.

It's down here somewhere in first Corinthians that God has not

appointed us into wrath.

I misplaced it.

It's in my notes somewhere.

That's terrible, isn't it?

1st Thessalonians 5, 9.

God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation.

Just like the children of Israel that God rescued them.

God brought them out of Egypt.

He did so with a mighty hand.

He sent 10 plagues.

The children of Israel didn't have to go through the ten plagues

the people of Egypt did.

God hath not appointed his children into wrath.

God is not trying to get Christians attention during the tribulation,

he's trying to get the Jews attention.

He's pouring out his wrath upon a world that's become immoral

and decadent and like the days of Noah.

And then of course, to get the Jews attention, to get their heart

and for them to see him for who he is.

We are to be caught up in the clouds.

So many passages depicting the catching away of the saints.

By the way, many of those passages are shown to precede the

second coming of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.

You see, you see it R1, R2L and then you see the rapture.

But we again see in the Bible the imminent return of Christ.

In John 14 he says, I will come again and receive you unto myself.

Then he says, while they were beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud

received him out of their sight.

And this same Jesus which is taken up from you to heaven shall

so come in what like manner.

Acts chapter 1, 1st Corinthians 15 says, in a moment

Acts 1 · chapter mention

twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, the dead shall be raised.

Remember this verse.

Incorruptible.

I'm going to receive a new body.

Hallelujah.

Wish I had it now.

Philippians says, our conversation is in heaven, from whence

also we look for the Savior, who shall change our vile body, that

it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.

When we see him, we should be like him.

By the way, that body, that glorified body, can go through walls,

but yet could still be touched.

That body can eat.

I'm thankful for that.

The body, the glorified body doesn't get sick.

The glorified body doesn't have a sin nature.

It's going to be amazing.

Pretty sure you really believe that 100%.

Not even a doubt.

Colossians says in chapter three, When Christ shall appear,

then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

First Thessalonians, chapter one, says, to wait for his Son from

heaven.

To wait for his Son from heaven.

He's coming again.

First Timothy, chapter six, says, keep this commandment until

the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us watch and be sober.

And I could go on and on.

Titus says, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord

draweth nigh, looking for the glorious appearing of Christ.

Second Peter speaks about the promise of his coming.

Revelation 3.

3 says, Thou shalt not know what hour I will come.

By the way, if you don't know the hour, you don't know the day.

It'd Be kind of hard to be.

It'd be hard to be post Trib.

Post Trib makes no biblical sense because the minute the Antichrist

performs the blasphemy in the temple and offers up a sacrifice

in the temple basically to himself and breaks the treaty with

Israel, then you would know the day that Christ is going to return

because you could just count it down three and a half years.

So being post Trib is hard.

Mid Trib is also hard because again, the same thing once I got

there.

I mean again, once I saw the temple being ritzed out anyway, it's

just hard to make the other ones fit.

You have to manipulate scripture to make other.

Beliefs fit Everybody good.

You say?

Well, you mean that guy that I listen to in the podcast and that

guy that I listen to on social media, man who preaches like crazy,

who's just an amazing preacher, he has to twist scripture?

Yes, he has to twist scripture to make the other theories work.

Heritage Baptist Church we believe in, we are pre tribulation.

Christ is going to return.

His return is imminent and therefore because of that, we live

in light of that.

The new year is about to start.

Christ could return at any time.

We could be caught up.

All the saved would be caught up in a moment twinkling of an eye.

The church age would end, the times of the Gentiles would end.

And Israel who had been set aside for a moment in time, would

be put back on track and would become the focus once again.

There'll be a seven year tribulation here on earth while we

enjoy the marriage supper of the lamb.

Of course we have to go through the judgment seat of Christ

first, but marriage supper of the lamb, it's going to be awesome.

Going to eat fruit.

Hope we'll eat some chicken fried steak or something.

The second coming of Christ is when he returns with his saints.

He returns with us and he defeats the armies of the Antichrist

and all the armies of the world at the battle of Armageddon.

Then there's a thousand year reign of Christ when the Old Testament

church age and martyr tribulation saints are in heaven

in Jerusalem, while Gentiles and Jews that were saved during the

tribulation and survive it enter into a thousand year kingdom

age on the earth.

The Bible says there will be a rule and reign with Jesus and then

eternity with a new heaven and a new earth again.

In light of this and in light of his imminent return, we as Christians,

we as believers should live as if Christ would return today looking

for his appearing, ready for his appearing.

In that we might be be busy about the father's business.

That we might occupy till he comes.

That we might share the light with others.

That we might again be about the father's business.

I'll never forget.

I've told this story before.

My brother and I one summer worked for my pawpaw up on the farm

in Oklahoma.

And it was for, I don't remember, a week or two or three.

He paid my brother 100 bucks.

I think he paid me 50.

I think I worked harder than my brother, but I was four years

younger, so it didn't count.

But one time we were told to cut a bunch of trees down this little

area between the two ponds and a bunch of willow trees that he wanted

to cut down.

And so we were down there cutting and we went back to the house

for a break.

And we may have taken a little longer break than we should have.

And we were just hanging out.

And my papa at that time had retired, so he was at work and he

came home.

We heard the truck drive in the driveway.

My brother and I took off out the back door.

Sliding glass doors.

And here we go, jumping off the back porch, running towards the

cow lot.

We didn't take time to open the gate.

We jumped the fence.

We're now in the cow lot.

We're on our way through the cow lot to the other side.

Go to jump that.

We don't have our shoes on.

I mean, we're trying to get our shoes on as we're running.

And we go to jump that fence.

And you could hear my pawpaw a mile away, boys.

I mean, just as clear as day.

I mean, he.

And we got caught and got in trouble as grandkids.

Though not as much trouble as it had been.

If it had been my dad, Paw Paul, just, you know.

But no, no, no, we.

We weren't expecting his return.

And we thought we had plenty of time.

And we were just hanging out.

We'd already cut a few trees down and we just hanging out.

But once we saw the return man, we.

We had to get back to business.

I'm just telling you, when Christ returns, there will be no

getting back to business.

We'll be changed.

The moment between an eye.

We'll be raptured out.

Just as quick as you can blink an eye, we're gone.

And we ought to be ready.

We ought to be busy.

And that's what Peter's speaking of here.

He says as we approach this end, the end of all things is at

hand.

He says, be serious.

Show some self control.

Think Verse seven.

He also says, watch and pray.

Watch and pray.

We ought to be watching for the Lord's return.

Praying, anticipating.

And then verse 8.

To love.

By the way, charity is more than just love.

Charity is love in action.

The King James translators got that right.

The new translations get it wrong.

They just put love there.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

The Greek is more than just love.

It's love in action.

Love in action.

He says, above all things, love have charity.

By the way, fervent charity.

That means full strength, stretched out.

Not just loving with our lips, but loving by what we do, loving

those around us, showing our love to them.

Verse 8 also talks about, again, love hides a multitude of

sins.

Look at that one real quick.

It says, charity covereth the multitude of sins.

That is a quote from Proverbs 10, verse 12.

Proverbs 10:12

Love covereth all sins.

It is amazing how if you love someone, that it does cover.

You.

Love them as you love yourself.

You think about your kids when they do something wrong.

It doesn't affect your love for them.

Amen.

Aren't you glad God loves us that way?

It tells us we ought to love each other that way.

Think about Calvary's love and the sacrifice Christ made on Calvary.

What love, what grace he showed to us.

And verse nine speaks about hospitality to be hospitable without

grudging.

In other words, not do it because you have to, do it because

you want to.

Just being friendly to everyone, being kind.

Christians ought to be the happiest people on earth.

That'll be.

Just be able to tell that you.

There's something different about you.

Well, he's just too nice.

Or she's just too.

No, no, no, no.

Just being a good Christian, just being kind and gracious with

others, looking out for others needs.

And then verse 10, to serve, minister one to another.

And I already mentioned this again, it speaks about Romans 12

and First Corinthians 12, that every believer has been given gifts

by God.

When you got saved, you received a gift.

And we're told to use that gift to be a good steward of that

gift, to minister the same one to another, to be a good steward

of the manifold grace of God.

Showed you grace.

God gave you what you did not deserve.

God gave me what I did not deserve.

And we need to show that grace to others, minister to them whether

they deserve it or not, be kind to them whether they deserve

it or not, and not do so in a grudging way.

I just.

I think it's important we be reminded that God loves us so much.

That he gave his only begotten son and that when he gave his son

he didn't just give his son and then sit up there in heaven go.

I gave my son because it's the right thing to do.

But I don't like it.

That's not the way God doesn't.

Aren't you glad God doesn't hold a grudge?

Amen.

That God gave his son willingly, that Jesus Christ gave

his life willingly because he loves us.

He loves us.

We ought to use the gifts that God has given us, the talents God

has given us to minister to others.

And then verse 11 to speak of the oracles of God we ought to speak

the Word.

The bi B L E. Yes, that's the book for me.

I stand alone on the word of God.

It's the B I B L E Amen.

B I B L E that guides my life.

It's a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path.

It is the greatest book on earth.

Christ is soon to return and I want to challenge you as we do every

year, man, tomorrow, first day of the year.

We need to read our Bibles daily, practice the Bible, apply

the Bible, share the Bible.

I think too many times we get caught up in so many other things.

Whether it's social media or other books or other.

Read the Bible yourself.

Someone had mentioned to me the other day and I had mentioned

this from the pulpit many times.

Sometimes you get to the Old Testament parts of the scripture

that are a little rough, kind of hard especially to get to the

names.

Every time I get to those names for some reason I hear brother

Stewart say if your name was in the Bible you would want it to

be read.

And so when I get to those names or long lists of things, I

have my phone, read it to me.

There's a way to do that and still cover that portion of scripture

and maybe do so in a way that would be more effective because again

seeing it and, and hearing it, you're better off to understand and

to learn.

Take that time.

Read the Bible, we need it.

There's some devotionals back there.

I know Brother Rands and Ms. Rands have gathered some devotionals

for the New year and maybe you haven't ever used a devotional.

Maybe that's a way in which you can really help yourself in your

daily life of getting a little, little tidbit every morning

concerning the Scripture.

Read your Bible and a little devotional time.

God will bless that.

Verse 11 Depend upon the Lord, not just again speaking the Word,

depend upon him.

Because without him, we could do nothing.

I mean, they leaned on him, depend upon him in all things, and

then that God may be glorified.

We want God glorified in our lives.

We want God to be glorified in our lives that others may see that

and glorify our Father, which is in heaven.

They see the good works in us.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works

and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16.

Matthew 5:16

The return of Christ is imminent.

It could be today.

The end of all things is here.

Every time I think about that wording, I think about a guy on the

side of the road with a big sign, the end of all things is near.

But that is in the Bible.

I'm not saying the guy on the side of the road doing that is helping

anything, but the Bible makes it very clear.

The end of all things is near.

It's here.

The signs of the times are everywhere.

Bible prophecy is being fulfilled every.

Every day.

You look in the newspaper, look at Israel, look at all the things

going on in the Middle East.

It's amazing how I can remember 30 years ago, preachers

saying that, and then now we're 30 years later and they're

still saying it.

Look at Israel, look at what's going on.

It's unbelievable that this little bitty, tiny nation is such

the focus of the world.

Why, how else do you explain it other than other than the Lord

and the Bible and the prophecies and Jesus is returning,

all going to culminate there in that tiny, tiny, tiny country.

It's amazing, isn't it?

So let us be serious, let us be sober.

Let us be serious.

Let's be praying, let's love, let's be kind, let's serve one another,

let's speak the words of God and give the gospel and teach our

children the word of God, depend and trust on the Lord and

live and serve in a way that God would be glorified.

What does that mean, by the way?

Means that God would get the credit.

I've told this story a hundred times, but when I was a kid in the

church, we grew up in Nocona, small church, right about 30, 35.

And this is the church we just replanted.

By the way, they're doing a great job up there.

Brother Zach's doing a good job.

But there was a lady who used to sit on about the second row.

And when the offering came, the offering would come.

And then, you know, the men would pray up front in front of the

pulpit, a little different than what we do.

And then they would start out from the.

And then they would go back and they would start taking the offering

up and, well, it would get past her, but maybe two rows back

or so she would raise her offering every.

Almost every time she'd raise her.

She wanted everybody to know what she was given.

She wanted everybody to know that she was given.

God's not glorified.

It's not about us.

It's about him, man.

That we would serve and be serious and kind and loving and do

so in order that God would get the credit.

Live in light of eternity we as Christians ought to live in light

of his return.

Let's all stand have a verse invitation tonight Only trust him.

Hymn 163 After We Pray Heavenly Father, we come to you realizing

that we can.

As Christians, we start over every day and I'm thankful for that.

But Lord, tomorrow the New year.

Pray, Lord, that we are challenged in the New Year to live

for you, to live in light of eternity.

To be kind and gracious and loving and patient.

To live and walk in the footsteps of Jesus that you might

be glorified.

Lord, we know we can't do that, that we only can do that through

you.

Lord, help us to be dependent upon you.

Lord, give us grace that we need.

In Jesus name, Amen.