Sermons

The End (Part 2) Sudden but Sure!

Posted by Alex on
Sermon on March 1 by Pastor Roland Eskinazi

Scripture: Mark 13:24-37

Remember – Jesus is not giving us a chronological timing of when history will end. So how will it all end?
If Jesus is on track to come:

1. WILL HE FIND YOU SECURE – OR SHAKEN?

  • Before He comes: many signs both earth-shattering and cosmic (v24, 25)
    Old Testament prophecy foresaw the Day of Lord as disrupting all things stable.

‘The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light….This is the plan determined for the whole world, this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out and who can turn it back?
(Isaiah 13:10; 14:26,27)

When Jesus comes it will be plain to the entire universe – only faith in Jesus will not be disrupted.

  • When He comes: a single event, both heart-revealing and public (v26,27)
    If there is a secret rapture it will be the worst best-kept secret in all of history.

‘For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air’
(1 Thess. 4:16)

The gospel is spreading and must spread far quicker than any Coronavirus.
You can look to the calendar and despair, or you can get on with the job at hand.

2. WILL HE FIND YOU SERVING – OR SLACKING?

  • Are you full of faith or wasting time? (v28 – 31)
    The generation alive during the time of the signs previously mentioned, will most likely not be alive when Jesus comes.
    None of those who served Jesus amid distress lived as if it made no difference how they were living

‘If Jesus returns tomorrow I’ll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it is finished.’
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

In the last days, a true Christian is known by his peace, not being sucked into destructive worry, but always praying, and not losing heart (1 Pet. 4:7)

  • Are your eyes on Jesus or the times? (v32-37)
    A faithful steward doesn’t have to know when his master is coming back. All he knows is that he wants to make him proud when he does.
    When Jesus comes suddenly, He will trip an alarm that will wake the entire neighborhood.

Two applications:
Are you not yet a believer, or are you skeptical? You can take the ‘risk’ or you can be ready for Jesus? He IS coming.
Are you a believer and serving Jesus? When Jesus comes, will you be awake or sleepy, urgent or lazy? He IS coming.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

  1. How does the false doctrine, that Jesus will never physically return, harm the church? If you believe there is only one coming and not two (a secret rapture and a public one), how would you reason this from the New Testament references to the second coming?
  2. Why should we anticipate, yet not be overly concerned about the upheaval in the earth and heavens before Jesus returns? (Romans 8:18-21)
  3. Why is it important to say that Jesus voluntarily laid omniscience aside, when He took on mortal flesh?
  4. What is the work we a Christians are assigned to do between now and the second coming? What is the attitude we should be in while we wait?

 

Photo credit FreeImages.com/  Christopher Bruno