Eschatology Pt. 1

That was so good. I can hardly wait what I have to say tonight to hear it. It should be good. You may be seated. Uh such a delight to be here at APC and uh talking to Bishop before service. This is a legacy church. Uh people all over the country really and over the world have been blessed by this church in so many different ways. I thank you for your faithfulness and for the faithfulness of this ministry staff and of your pastor and all have been so u instrumental.

Uh, good to see a new Papa in the back. He's sneaking in here, Brother Peter. Bless you. I didn't think I'd see you, but I'm I'm glad to see you. My wife has a special friend that she'd like you to meet tonight. Oh, you want me to tell everyone? Oh. Oh, first I I forgot my first line. Okay. Yeah. Okay. I'm supposed to say this first. Um. Oh, you don't talk. Oh, you whisper. Okay. Okay. That's what I was supposed to say first. Now, you want me to tell everyone?

Okay. Snuggles wants to remind you that Jesus loves you. Yes. Oh, yes, he does. Yes. Oh, yes. Jesus loves you so much. Yes, he does. We forget. Sometimes we forget. But Jesus loves us. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, we should love one another. Yeah, they do that at ABC. Yeah. Oh. Oh, you do that. You give snuggles. May I have one? Oh, thank you. Oh, you There's somebody here that needs a snuggle tonight. Okay, I see her. She's right here. Yes, he said you did.

Oh, he does. Okay. Yeah, he said you did. Oh, she does. Okay. Yeah, I see her. Yep, she's right over here. I'm going. Yep, there she is. Yes. >> Oh, he does. He said you did. Your birthday's today. Wow. >> He gets two. Oh, 40. You're doing good. February is a good month to be born in. Yeah. Oh, he does. Okay. Okay. She does. I'm going. She's right here. Yes. Oh, yes, she does. Oh. Oh, you want to do the whole room, honey? We don't have time for that.

They asked Brother Norris to come. Oh, over here. We We have We have a situation. Okay. I see him. Yeah. Suggles, I think you better go back in the bag. Okay, you you don't want to go. Okay, if you'll turn to your neighbor, give your neighbor a hug and a squeeze, then Snuggles can say byebye. Oh, look at that. Yes. Beautiful. I got um if you could put up the title slide. I actually have um notes that go with these slides and I've prepared these slides.

I just have to warn you that I sometimes go on all kind of rabbit trails. We may only get to two slides. Who knows before the night is over. Uh I I read something uh recently and it's about Gen Z. I don't know if you know all the Gen ABCs and all them, but Gen Z. Uh okay. So, how many here, let's say you're under 24. Raise your hand. Look at there. One person. Oh, no. More. Under 24. Under 25. Under 26. Okay. All right. So, let me see over here.

What we got? Under 24. 25. 26. What have we got in the crowd here? All right. They're back there and over here hiding on the side. Oh, excellent. Excellent. Okay, now I know who I'm talking to. So the Gen Z, they want a Bible study, but you know what they want it on? They want to know about angels and demons and the Antichrist and the end of the world. You say, "Well, good for them." But you know uh when Jesus met the woman at the well, what she wanted was water.

So what did he start talking to her about? Water. So we don't necessarily have to have all the answers about angels and demons into the world. But if we start the conversation there, then it can lead into things that will actually bring them to their real need, not just a felt need, uh Jesus Christ. Now, you say, "Well, what? Great, great idea, but I don't know anything about demons in the end of the world." Well, that's what we're doing here. In the next four weeks, we're going to cover things.

Now, um there's no way I can cover this entire book, so I want him to try. Uh and it's life, death, and the end of the world, but it's really not the end of the world. It's the end of the world to start a new world, but it is kind of a terrible judgment that's going to come on the world. And it's it's real. And then sometimes uh we live in such a state that people don't uh it's so hard to think about the world ending uh that we kind of have shut that off.

I don't know when that happened, but we shut that off because it's just to since the end of World War II when the arms race took place um we have had the capability of annihilating the everyone in the whole world many times over that exists that's a real thing when I was eight years old uh there was a thing which only you older folks will know about, was called the Cuban Missile Crisis. Uh maybe you don't even know about it. It's just came and it went.

It it it was a crisis that didn't turn into a crisis. So, it was one of those weird things, but we almost uh blew everyone up in the world uh several times over a couple months, just to let you know. Okay. You say, so there was a a Soviet submarine back then that was all different. They they had limited capability of communicating when they were underwater and this Soviet submarine at about the same time was near our shores and we have our own submarines that were tracking them and we they discovered them and so they started using depth charges to get the submarine to surface.

Well, the um the officer of the submarine um I don't this is not correctly pronounced but Vaseli and Alexandrich Arupov something like that. Um he was sure that the world war had started and and that the United States had launched submarines. So he gave the code to uh launch uh nuclear missile. They had nuclear missile capability, but they they had a deal where there was it took all three top officers to launch and they wouldn't launch until they had that agreement. So he turned to the first guy and says, "Will you launch?" And he goes, "Absolutely.

We're not going to get blown up without them getting blown up." But the third guy, he said, "Will you you agree that we launch?" And he goes, "No, what if this is just them trying to get us to surface?" And they tried to beat him up verbally and he didn't give. And um they surfaced and you're alive still. Isn't that good? That's amazing thing. uh when I was writing this book and around 10 years ago, I uh read hundreds of books and journal articles about the the coming of the Lord and the end of the world and all of that, but I didn't want to just get it from I didn't just want to get it from books.

So, I memorized um the book of Revelation and I memorized all of everything that Paul said about the coming of the Lord and uh Daniel stuff, chapters in Daniel and all this and I would quote it and they did this for months and so on and uh so I you can memorize something but then it goes way. So about since I knew I was coming here, I went back to the book of Revelation and for the last month and a half, I've been sort of working on it.

And so while I was on the treadmill today, I was quoting through Revelation and I came to um Revelation chapter 8, which is the seven trumpets. Uh this is verse six. So So the seven trumpets uh the seven angel had the seven trumps prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded and hail and fire fall follow followed from heaven, thrown into the earth. The second angel sounded and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and the third of the sea became blood.

And I thought that sounds to me like a nuclear weapon. Something like a great mountain thrown into the sea and the third of the sea was made blood. So, I think I think the world will see a nuclear war. All right. So, two things. Um, I'm trying to lay the foundation tonight. Um, I tend to give too much details and too many charts and too much history. So, I determined tonight I was not going to do that. Um, half the epistles are teaching and half the epistles are application.

So, I determined I'm going to at least give go for a shot at like half of what I'm saying like this is what this means to you. So, that's that's what we're going for right now. Um, should you be concerned about the coming Lord? Yes, you should be concerned about the coming Lord. But there's something else you should know. Um and that is when the Bible speaks about the coming of the Lord though sometimes it gives a warning most of the time it says this comfort one another with these words comfort one another that's uh 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:1 18 in between all the the the the uh signs of the coming of the Lord and the Lord himself descending from the heaven the shout and then the beginning of the tribulation and In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 is oh and comfort one another with these words.

Paul wrote he said where sin abounds the grace of God much more abounds. Did you know that sitting in the shadow of cosmic desolation we are living in the greatest revival since the beginning of the Christian church. Hundreds and hundreds of millions of people are being filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is this is an incredible thing. I mean, it's easy to let that go by, but in the middle of the worst of times is is the best of times. And Jesus said, "When you see these things begin to come to pass, you should look up because Luke records, your redemption draws near." All right.

Now, I need to talk to you about the big rapture scarish thing. I'm going to say something that you won't normally hear uh well, you might normally hear. I don't know. You could hear it a lot. I don't know. But I I never have uh much. People don't speak in this way. Usually when evangelist comes in and he finds 66 all over cans and uh in in this and that, you're just he's he's scaring people to the altar and they're coming and praise God, we're glad for the revival.

Um but but there's another aspect to that is that we sometimes are fearful like what if I what if I don't um make it. I remember when I was 16 years old. My grandfather was a preacher and uh he was at an age where he should have retired, you know, or where well whether he should have retired is a different question, but uh where most people retire, let's say that. and he had a place in Florida and he went there and uh he uh had to go down there for an emergency and he said um would you like to go with me to Florida?

Now I don't know what kind of grandpas you have. You may have a cuddly feely grandpa that uh says nice things to you, whatever. My grandpa's like God, okay? So it wasn't that wasn't that wasn't our relationship, you know? He he was the pastor. He said stuff and he was just and he could laugh. I never I I've seen pictures of him laughing and all of that, but there wasn't my relationship with my my grandfather. My grandfather was someone to be obeyed and someone there was Moses and then there was my grandfather.

So, we went down to uh Florida and we were at his house and uh I was we just came in the door. You know, I'm from Minnesota. I never seen palm trees. I'd never flown in a plane before. This was like all big stuff for me. So, everything was new. So, I go in the house and I'm I put my suitcase in the room and I come out and my grandfather's gone. I mean, gone. Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa, grandpa. No, grandpa. And then I knew the rapture had taken place and I was left behind for the great tribulation.

And I I I thought I'm like I I don't feel evil or anything. I love Jesus. And I, you know, I've been praying pretty regular and I've been memorizing scripture for Bible quizzing and uh I can't figure why this will happen. So I didn't have like uh anxiety, but I wasn't happy about what was going on. So I kept grandpaing and grandpaing and grandpaing for about 10 15 minutes and I go like and no cell phones back in the day. I didn't know like who to contact if Jesus came and I had no idea what to do next.

So then uh my grandfather walks in the door. He had been at the neighbor talking to them. I never said anything. Oh, good. You're back. I made it. So great, I might make the rapture after all. This is what I want to talk to you about the rapture. I'll try to use an analogy. Uh you know when you take communion where it says don't take it unworthily. Okay? So that's why we pray Lord let my cleanse my heart I'll be ready and so on and so forth.

Um and uh so nobody's actually worthy to take communion. If you just say worthy, well then if you're not if nobody's worthy to take communion, how does anyone get to take communion? Well, quick answer. Jesus, his blood covers us and gives us grace. And he gives us grace when we come and we repent of our sins. And he gives us grace when we are baptized in Jesus name. But you know what? I wish to say I was perfect after that point, but I haven't. But this is what I've come to find out that Jesus also gives grace after you're saved.

And we sometimes switch over to a performance mentality where we think now in order to please God, I've got to do these 14 things or else I'm out the door or else when the rapture comes, I'm done. I'm fried. Okay, this this is what I want to tell you. Um, if you love the Lord and you want to please him and your heart is open to you to him, you can rest. You can rest in his grace. You do. He does not want to you to live in fear.

Fear of the coming of the Lord. He wants that to be a joy for you. I remember uh I've taught at four or five different Bible colleges. I was teaching at IBC, flying back and forth from Philadelphia where I was doing a doctoral work and this student, freshman students often know everything as you suggested. So I was trying to teach on grace and he raised his hand. He says, "Well, brother Norris, I just want to tell you say something." Okay. He said, "I want you I want you to know you're wrong." Oh, okay.

Oh, what what do you mean I'm I'm wrong? He said, "Well, you said that we can rest in God's grace and we don't have to worry about it and and uh we can live in peace." He said, "But you know, I want to tell you, it says in Ephesians, he's looking for a bride without spot or wrinkle. without a spot or wrinkle. What you said is just like, you know, something else, charismatic, whatever. I don't know. I said, "Well, that's true. Um, let me ask you a question.

Let's say uh you you prayed this morning and all was well, but you went down the hall and you had a lustful thought uh because you see this pretty girl and it just happened." And then the rapture song, would you go? You go. Absolutely not. Bad attitude. No, nothing. If you did one, no, nothing. I do you pray a lot? Yes, I do pray a lot. I said, well, let me tell you something. If that's really true, it's going to be a small group when Jesus comes.

I know brother Mooney will be there and after that I don't know I I want to assure you today that this is not about scaring the socks off you here because of what's going to happen or trying to scare you to live right. Um, Jesus has already drawn you with his love and he wants you to live in peace. I'm going to pause. I want you to bow your heads with me and pray for you. Some of you have been living anxiety for a number of different reasons and you don't have to.

Some of you have thought that you're not good enough because you didn't accomplish this or that or you made this or that mistake and you you're not really sure what God thinks of you. I'll tell you what God thinks of you. You are his child. You're his son and his daughter. And you do not have to do anything to make him loves you. He loves you just like you are right now. I want you to receive that and lift your hands in praise to the Lord right now.

Just thank him. We thank you, Lord. We thank you, Lord. We thank you, Lord. Lord, you care for me. You love me and you have made a way for me. Lord, I praise you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Amen. Uh let's flip to another slide so I can get further into this Bible study. See what it happens. So, two things can be true at once. We can be on the cusp of a nuclear war and we can live in peace. I'm going to say that again.

We can be on the cusp of a nuclear war and we can live in peace. But I'm going to go a little further tonight. I told you I'd be heavy in application. God doesn't just want you to live in peace. He wants you to live in purpose. Let me say that again. God does not just want you to live in peace. He wants you to live in purpose. At our church, Brother Scott is there, Daniel Scott, and he's 90 three or four, something like that right now.

and um just he says, "I just" He's not done. I know some people who are done at age 18. He's the missionary that was there that causes great revival in Ecuador. He started Spanish ministries across the country. He's started a couple of churches. This is in his spare time, you know, and all of this stuff. He's written a number of books. All all of this thing. He said, "I've just not done." He said, "I think I got another church in me." His wife has passed away.

And he can actually kneel down and pray for people and then get up. Now, some of you don't really appreciate that. But let me tell you, when you get older, that's a big deal. You can get down. Praise God for that. It's the getting up at sometimes. So, long story short, um, in a way that only brother Scott could do, he, uh, called another man in the church to be a pastor, and he was bishop, whatever, but he's still him. And so, he's going to be there.

And that Spanish church is ah, they keep baptizing people and all that stuff, and it's all good. Praise God for that. So, if you could wave a magic wand and do or be anything, do or be anything in 5 to 10 years, what would you do or be? He said, I thought that was about the coming of the Lord. I thought we just had to listen to Jesus and he would tell us stuff that we didn't want to do and then we would do it. Don't you think he could use your gifts?

How many actually know somebody that's about your age that's a sinner? Would you raise your hand? Anyone? Okay. What would happen if you told them this? You know, we're having this series about angels and demons and the end of the world stuff. It's really cool. Do you would you mind if we just shared some of that in a Bible study? I could try to give you answers. You say, "How could I do that?" Well, you could buy the book. You could come to the next several Bible studies.

And also, Brother Peter Wright is an expert on Revelation. So, when I leave, just ask him and he will tell you. You say, "Well, that's quite a risk. Okay, don't do anything then. But what would happen if you tried? You know, I talk to people all the time, freshmen, they go, "Well, I I don't know the will of God in my life." And I ask them, "What would you like to do?" and they whatever they write in their eyes on I would like to go I that's it.

That's what I want you to do because they need affirmation. You say, "What if isn't what God wants to do?" This is what I know about God. He's pretty good at steering us once we're in motion. But he can't steer a parked car. All right, think of that sinner friend. You know, close your eyes. No one else will see it. Every eye closed, every head bowed. How many of you would just give it a shot and try this week just to ask anybody? I got one.

I got two. There thousands, millions are raising their hands. This is incredible. Thank you very much. My work here is done. Back to the Bible study. I need to get my time out here. I am going for to teach for the next 14 minutes whether you like it or not. All right. So give me another slide and I'll try to say something edifying. Um some people I'm not teaching that Bible study because they'll think I'm crazy. Well, they might, but they might already think you're crazy.

Click to the next slide. Uh, you know, wacko people have signs out and they do crazy things and I don't want to be that person. Go to the next slide. As you can tell, I'm skipping a bunch of stuff on this script. All right. Here's a Lutheran guy. He doesn't believe, at least in practice, in the coming of the Lord. Um, but if you asked him if it's what the Bible taught, he would say yes. And the reason he would say yes is because in the epistles, there's probably 12, 15 scriptures on baptism.

There's probably a passage of eight. If you Corinthians 11 is is communion, you got like maybe three or four other references to communion, more indirect, but one in every 10 verses is about the coming of the Lord. One in every 10 verses is about the coming of the Lord. And this is what he says. uh the folk who drive around with bumper stickers about the rapture are closer to biblical faith than are most mainland Christians with our embarrassment about such things. Now, he's not about to put a a bumper stick on his car.

He's just saying if you want to know what the Bible says, that's it. So, if you want to be like everybody else and not say anything, well, that's fine. But um it's probably not what the Lord wants. He probably wants you prompting you to do something. People say, "I know, you probably heard this one." I've known people so heavenly minded they were no earthly good. Just And I realize sometimes people study prophecy like they do stamp collecting. They know what every verse means and this is what it can't be and this is what it can be and only I know this is secret information all that stuff.

Um, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the clear teaching of the biblical text. You know, I couldn't tell you for sure what that mountain in the fire burning with fire in the sea is, but Revelation invites us to say, could it be? Could it be? Flip to the next slide. I like this from CS Lewis. You probably can't read it. Maybe you can. Yes, you can. He said, "It is since Christianity had largely ceased to think of the other world that they become so ineffective in this.

If you read history, you find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. If I do what I want to do correctly, after four weeks of our study here, um you'll be more prone to live with heaven in view. To live with heaven in view. Um recently I had to make a decision that I didn't like, but I asked I had to ask the question, which of these things that I choose would have more impact for eternity?

This one I like. But this one over here actually has it. Teach those. It will teach others. Okay. I can do this. Yes, Lord. Flip the side. All right. So, let me tell you why we should think about the coming of the Lord. Remember when I told you there's all these verses about the coming of the Lord? Here's one. It says uh when Christ who is our life shall appear will also appear with him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth.

Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Let me give you another one. Um, the Bible tells us in Titus, can you flip me to the Titus slide? For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodly and worldly lust, we should live wisely, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Jesus, the Savior Jesus Christ.

It's not that I'm living in fear. It's that I'm living in hope. It's living with eternity in view. And I'm going to lay some things aside. Um things that I probably shouldn't be looking at. Um maybe there's even an addiction. Uh God can help with all that. uh things that are waste of time, things that are not helpful. Let's go to the next slide. Look at uh first John chapter 3:es 2 and three. Beloved, now we are the children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know King James says that when he appears, it's this um the the language of revelation, apocalypsis language when he appears uh we shall be uh and >> >> um kings is like him for we shall see him as he is.

Now look at verse three. Says, "Everyone who has this hope purifies himself just as he is pure. Not because I'm going to barely make it in, but because I'm living with the Lord's coming in view that I'm going to I want to be pure. I I I want to be holy." Um, did you know you How many of you ever have sung out of song books here in in this church? Okay. Uh, I don't know what that was. Third. Those those himnels I counted them. It was between a fourth and a third were about the coming of the Lord in heaven.

I like the praise songs that we sing now. They're very vertical and we we uh can enter in the presence of the Lord and I and I I appreciate all that. But we thought a lot about heaven. I remember my grandmother saying she was in a restaurant and there was music playing over the uh the loudspeaker and she was tapping her foot and then she said, "Oh." And I I didn't understand this and I had to work to understand it. She says, "I I I want to stop doing that because Jesus is coming and I don't want to be tapping my foot to worldly music." Now, what worldly music was in that time, you know, um I don't know if it was Bing Crosby or or what.

I don't not sure what worldly music was. I I it wasn't certainly the the the lyrics that are are are current in in a lot of the songs today. But so sensitive was she that she wants to meet her Lord in the air that that she wants to be looking and ready for him. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Now, next week, I'm going to give you a timeline of Revelation. Know everything about Revelation, tongue and cheek. Uh if if you're reading Revelation this week, I want you to get a card or how how we can do questions.

How can we do that? What's the best way? Send them to a pastor. And uh I will try to incorporate those in my lesson. And if I can't directly incorporate it, at some point before the four weeks are up, um I'll do my very best to answer any question you have on any verse in Revelation. I'll give you an answer. My answer may I don't know but I'll at least give you an answer of what what I think what I think those verses mean. Uh I have five minutes.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. Anybody run out of slides or did you just give up? Okay, here we go. >> >> Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husband waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for till he see the early and latter reign. Uh be also patient, establish your heart, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. And or New King James is at hand. Now look at verse N.

Verse N says, "Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge is standing before the do." You know, people can make you mad. I may be no, you know, but some people I know, they can they can make me mad. And then some people, it's not that they made me mad, but they disappointed me. Or in some cases, I even think maybe they don't think this, but I think there's a betrayal of trust going on. And there's a lot of ways to share your frustration.

You know, you can get prayer requests on Facebook. That's tongue and cheek. Okay? I not I don't advise to do that. Or you can just grumble in your heart. That's my pre preferred thing. I'm not going to say anything, but I'll tell you a thing or two. Or you can keep grudges. That's a great one. Keep grudges. That's, you know, you're going to get even and uh settle that score. Wait till I uh I wish I had someone to tell about this because if the people knew the injustice in my life, let me tell you, they would know I have been taken advantage of.

Of course, I'm I'm being just a little facicious here. Compared to the coming of the Lord, what does that matter? If somebody's hurt you uh at some point, you say, "You don't know my story." I don't know your story. But compared to eternity, our light affliction, which has been for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding eternal glory. Uh um so the things which are seen are just temporary, but the things which are not seen, Paul says in in 2 Corinthians 4, are eternal.

I think I think in eternity, you know, we say, "I'm gonna ask the Lord about this or that." I think when in eternity when we see him face to face, we're gonna just so like, "Yeah, was I silly? That was stupid, wasn't it?" Uh, I want you to close your eyes again. I want you to think of an offense. Somebody hurt you. Maybe nobody's hurt you. Or have you released it yet to the Lord? Have you have you given that back and say Lord I I it's in compared to what you have for me it's so unimportant.

I want my life to demonstrate peace that you only can give. I want it to be attractive to people so that they'll ask uh what is that you have or how do I get what you have? I want my life to shine in a way uh that you would have it to be. Lord, in the name of Jesus, I don't necessarily feel this now as an emotionally, but I I'm gonna take this and I'm gonna just turn my hand over and drop it. Give it to you.

I release this. I'm not my right to get even. I release that. I I release, Lord, I know I'll still hurt in some ways, but I release that to you because you're so good. And Lord, you have such a plan both for me, for the world, and for the church. Lord, I give it to you, Lord. Jesus name. Jesus name. Jesus name. Look forward to this series with you. I'll speak longer next week. Um or I don't know maybe faster something. I'll have uh slides. Uh I don't know if we should have handouts.

Does that help or not? We might even have handouts if we've got enough paper in the church. So uh we'll we'll do we'll try to do short deals at this. And I I want to uh answer your questions. Um, but I don't want to be so geeky that you leave like what was that? So, um, thanks for the invite.