June 30, 2024 – Week 5 – The End to Come

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: I remember watching the very first back to the future in 1985 at my buddy Malachi’s house for a sleep over.  At the end of the movie we were all hopped up like little kids get when they watch the coolest movie ever.  We were all hoping around and I remember what we all were saying, that now as an adult watching it was the most obvious statement in the world, we were all like, “they are totally going to make another one of those…”  we all just knew that Marty was going to be back… Through this series the Story of God, I’ve hinted around at the most monumental moment in history, I’ve described it occasionally.   The most monumental moment in history was when God chose to die to rescue us out of the story.   ILLUSTRATION: You don’t get how big this is because you’ve grown up an culture that accepts this idea, but I have talked with people who grew up differently and what they tell me is “I just can’t believe that God would die” What seems impossible to some feels like the only, and most elegant, solution to the Story of God - the only rescue was going to be if God Himself restored us. b He would come in human form, become a servant, take on our nature, and He would do it perfectly.   b He would then offer Himself as the sacrifice and go through death to redeem us out from under the law of good and evil - to break the authority of the evil one. b By us putting our allegiance with Him and His sacrifice, we find salvation from our sins and enter into the new “God” life. Probably most of you know the rest of the story. Jesus dies to redeem us from the story b and then He will rise from the dead 3 days later to prove He has complete and utter victory over death b This is the crux of the entire story of God! Then, Jesus leaves, He ascends to Heaven.  He’s gone… Do you know what all the early Christians were saying after this? b “He’s totally going to come back!” They were like me and my pre-pubesant friends sitting there watching the end of back to the future and were like, “oh no he didn’t!!!   The next ones gonna be even better!” There’s a lot in the New Testament about this, but I wanted to give you three things to think about: Jesus said no one will know the time or day: We’re not be on the planning committee, but the welcoming party committee. Jesus was such a killer preacher - sometimes you don’t hear it because you’re so familiar with His stories…   Matthew 24:42-44 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. ILLUSTRATION: When I was in college I house sat for some friends, right before they left they were like, “oh, by the way, 2 times our house has been broken into at night while we were sleeping and someone came into our room and stole stuff…”  lol, nothing to make you feel comfortable about staying alone as a young 20 something… Jesus said when He comes back, He will sneak up on you like cat burglar breaking into a house… Some people spend all their time trying to predict exactly what it will look like.   You’r job isn’t to be on the planning committee for Jesus’ return, it’s to be on the welcoming party.. You’re job is to be ready… I pray pray pretty regularly, “Jesus, I hope it’s today!” Here’s the question for you, are you ready?   Are you prepared for His arrival?  If He came today would you want the life He’s going to offer, or are you still holding onto things that don’t matter? Jesus isn’t late, He’s patient - He’s giving people time to come to repentance…  Tell someone about Him! The early Christians thought Jesus would return during their time period, even then when He hadn’t come back right away there were people asking the question, “what’s taking so long? Peter addressed this in 2 Peter 3 when he said this: 2 Peter 3:8-9 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ILLUSTRATION: My kids have a different understanding of time than I do.  Jenni or I will say something like, “we’ll go to the store to look at toys today…”  If we say that too early in the day, do you know what question we will be dealing with all day long?  “When are we going to go?  Why aren’t we going yet?   What’s taking you so long?”  What our kids don’t think about is we’ve got to get the lawn mowed, then we’ve got to clean up around the house and maybe run some errands…   There’s a difference between slow, and purposeful b God is purposeful…  He is patiently enduring this world and all the pain and suffering it throws at humanity because He wants to save as many as possible… b ILLUSTRATION: Imagine if there had been a rescue boat for the titanic, can you picture a captain of that boat trying to pull people out of the freezing water.  He’s watching as some of those he’s pulled out are shivering and their fingers getting frostbite, but he keeps going back for one more to rescue them.  He can’t leave till his boat is full.. This is a little bit what it’s like with God, He is wanting to rescue as many as will come… b This is why it matters that we share with others and we grab a life preserver and throw it into the water to rescue more people - it’s God’s heart to save the world… CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: John in his vision of Jesus in Revelation 5 sees this scroll that no one in heaven can open, John literally weeps due to this and then he told not to worry, the lion of Judah has triumphed…  This is David’s tribe - this is a reference to the messiah…  But what’s crazy is what John hears about is a lion, but what he sees is a lamb… It looks as thought it’s been slain, but it’s alive.  This lamb will take the scroll and start to open the 7 seals on it, then 7 trumpets will blast - literally, the rest of revelation is the lamb opening the scroll.  We never see a scroll unrolled though, we only get a description of what it looks like, listen… Revelation 21:1-8 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Don’t give up, don’t give up.  Jesus is coming, one day He will restore all things, until that time, your job is to hold on… And to those of you who have never taken hold, now is the time!