Sermon on End of the World

By Brian Pepper

You hear a lot about the end of the world. I have quite a collection of statements by scientists, newspaper editors, journalists and others all warning that if mankind is not more careful, the world will come to an end in one way or other. I have spoken with a lot of folk who are firmly convinced that we are living in the last days. The Bible speaks quite freely of this matter. Way back in Jesus’ day, the disciples were anxious to know about the end of the world. So it says that they came to Jesus and called Him aside privately and asked Him this question. Matthew 24:3: "...Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Some people think that you are trying to be sensational when you talk about the end of the world. But the term 'the end of the world' is taken right from the Bible, right from the lips of Jesus Himself. That is what makes it so solemn. Notice this statement in Matthew 13:38: "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one." Verse 39 says: "The enemy that sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels." While we are in the book of Matthew we have this further reference.  Matthew 24:14 says: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Scoffers in the last days I’ll tell you that is a solemn thought: the end of the world. It is a strange fact that so many people scoff about it today. Yes many individuals mock at the very suggestion that our world might come to an end. But even that itself is a sign of the end for the Bible says in 2 Peter 3:3,4: "Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Strangely enough there are many folk who call themselves Christians, who scoff at the idea that the world is coming to an end. It is true that there are some solemn hearted people who think seriously and who realise that the prophecies of the Bible are focusing upon our day and that the end of all things is really getting close. But the vast majority of people today pay no attention at all to the end of the world and the coming of Jesus Christ. I talked to a minister of a very well known church who said: "Oh it might come a thousand years from now." To most folk it is something so far in the future that it is nothing to be worried about. But the bible says that the evil servant will say: "My Lord hath delayed his coming."   Worldly theories about the end of the world People have talked about the end of the world but mainly as something quite contrary to what the Bible suggests. There was a theory that this world would become colder and colder until all life was gone and our world become a great ball of ice whirling through space. That was one idea of the end of the world. We were also told that the earth would become hotter and hotter until all life would be scorched off this world. Yes, scientists have made some very strange predictions from time to time. Others have predicted that this world would collide with some other planet or crash into the sun. But the important thing is, what does the Bible say when it speaks of the end of the world. The Bible ties the end of the world with one great event and that is the coming of Jesus Christ.  Matthew 24:3 says: "What is the sign of thy coming and the end of the world."   We must give the alarm or message 1 Peter 4:7 says: "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer." It is time someone began to sound out the alarm as the end of all things draweth nigh.  There was a fire one night; yes a house was going up in flames. Inside that house there were some children sleeping. If you were close by, what would you do? would you do nothing! Why, if you were anything of a man or woman you would rush down to the house and climb in the window, or bang on the door and shout "Wake up." We must give the alarm. But the devil does not want us to do anything.  He says: "Keep quiet, do not alarm people, after all people do not want to be disturbed. They do not want anything that will frighten them. What they want is a smooth message, a low-key message, well toned down so no one will be alarmed. Preach about lilies, the flowers, the birds, the world is tired of shocking news. Men are longing for a message of peace." Yes, that is exactly what the Bible says: "Peace, peace where there is no peace." But God tells us that this world is headed for destruction so people should know all about it. It is not an easy message, it certainly is not a popular message but it is time that somebody began sounding the alarm. The Bible says, if you will give the message, you have delivered your soul.  Ezekiel 33:9 says: "Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." We must give the message and then we have done what we could. I know that people can hear about the end of the world and even believe in it and yet do nothing about it. That is a sad fact. Some people might even say that we are crazy, there is always the possibility of that. The people in Noah’s day said that he was crazy but that did not stop the flood from coming and today people might say that we are crazy but at least we have done our part. Satan is doing everything in his power to keep peoples' minds occupied so they will not hear the alarming messages that God has given in His Word for this very hour in which we live. There are some people that say, "Those prophecies are just spiritual; we do not need to fear that they are to be fulfilled literally." The end of world: a literal prophecy Go back to the Old Testament times and there you will find those prophecies about the first Advent of Christ. You will find prophecies as to when He would be born, where He would be born, the setting of his birth, and the very intimate details of His death and crucifixion as found in Isaiah 53rd chapter. And every one of those Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled right down to the finest and minutest letter, every one of them. All I can say, if all of those prophecies of the First Advent were fulfilled literally, then there is no question but likewise the prophecies of His Second Advent will be fulfilled also. Now this is a very strong statement but I do not think that an individual has the right to claim to be a Christian if he or she does not believe in the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world.  Why?  Because St Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:26: "Don’t you know that every time you eat of the bread and drink of the wine, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come?" The eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine points back to the cross. Yes, it points back to the sacrificial gift of Jesus. But it does more then that, it points forward to His coming again to when He comes in majesty and glory. The last time He came, He was only recognised by a few. There are some who say: "If this gospel is true, how is it that all the world, the kings and the great men do not see it." They never did. You never find the majority of the people ever pay much attention to God’s message. Paul says that the wisdom of God is foolishness to men (1 Corinthians 3:19). That is why when Jesus came He was despised by the world, even the preachers of his day turned against Him and finally crucified Him. They did everything to try and quench His message to mankind to keep the people from hearing that message. That was the first time He came. The next time He is not coming as a babe in a manger, neither as the Saviour of mankind. But He is coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And yet people cannot see it, many do not believe it. There are some who say: "I am not so much interested in the coming of Jesus, what I really care about is to have Him in the heart."    St Paul on the end of the world St Paul had something to say about that, you can read about it in 1 Corinthians 15:19: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."  He says that if Christ is not coming again at the end of the world then there will not be a resurrection of the dead. Verse 18 says: "Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." How terrible it would be if this were to be so but St Paul does not stop there, he goes on to speak about the great day of days when the graves will be opened and the loved ones will be united.  Verse 22 says: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  Verse 23, tells us that this takes place "…at His coming."  Now is that not a wonderful promise! There are so many professed Christians who are not waiting and longing for the Lord’s return. They are not living for their Lord’s return. They are only interested in the things of his life. Many are prospering and feel they have need of nothing.  Do you realise that one out of every twenty texts in the New Testament talks about the end of the world and the coming of Jesus Christ? There are 300 texts altogether so you can see that it is very important.   Enoch on the end of the world It is rather interesting to read in the Scriptures that Enoch, one of the earliest patriarchs of the Bible, made a prophecy regarding the Lord’s return. Jude 14 says: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints."  It must have taken courage to preach it back there in the very early stages of our world. It is not so hard to preach it now for we can see the signs being fulfilled almost every day.   Job on the end of the world Job, one of the earliest Bible characters living in the early stages of earth’s history, made this remarkable statement.  Job 19:25 says: "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." I like people who know what they believe, don’t you?  Job says, "I know what I believe."  I like a positive faith and we can be just as sure as was Job because God’s promises are certain and sure.   David on the end of the world  As I read the Psalms, I find that David also was just as positive as Job when he speaks about the Lord's return.  Psalm 50:3 says: "Our God shall come and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him." Notice he says, "Our God shall come."  You could not get anything more positive than that.  Verse 4 says: "He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people." David saw it in a vision and it was very real to him.   Joel on the end of the world Joel the prophet was just as positive as ancient Job and the psalmist King David.  Joel 3:16 says: "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel."   Isaiah on the end of the world Isaiah was one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets and it is interesting to notice what he says.  Isaiah 25:8 says: "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off the earth: for the Lord hath spoken." A lot of folk are frightened about the end of the world. I guess that is because most folk are not prepared for it.  However I have noticed that as far as it concerns God's people, that it offers only encouragement. I assure you that I will be glad when God wipes away all the tears. There is a lot of sorrow in this world, there are a lot of heartaches also. There are homes going on the rocks, there are little children being bashed and cruelly treated. There are children that suffer all sort of pain and agony in the hospitals.  I am glad that the day is coming when the Lord will take away all sorrow, will wipe away all the tears. Just recently one of our young lads was pushing a child around in a pusher and I asked him what was wrong with the child.  He told me the father had bashed the child. In Isaiah 25:9 it says, "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Wouldn't it be wonderful if He could come tonight and just take his handkerchief of love and wipe away all of your heartaches, and all of your tears and say, "I have come to take you home." That is just what Jesus has promised you.  Read about it in John 14:2-3, which says: "I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also." That certainly is a wonderful hope.  St Paul calls it 'The Blessed Hope.' (Titus 2:13) Paul speaks of "The glorious appearing of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ."   The Apostles and the end of the world When you read the very positive statements of the Bible writers you would think that Christians would be just as positive in their thinking, but unfortunately that is not always so.  I have even heard some say that they do not believe in the coming of Christ because they believe that apostles themselves were of the opinion that Christ would come in their day.  Evidently in St Paul's day there were folk with the idea that Christ would return during their lifetime, but Paul had a message for those folk.  He told them that a number of things must take place before this would take place. You can read about it in 2 Thess. 2:2-3 where he warns that there would be a falling away from the truth and great apostasy would arise in the church. John the Revelator certainly did not believe that Christ would come in his day for he was given a vision which clearly showed that the Lord could not come at least before 1,260 years. Did you know that there is no time now standing between us and eternity as far as time prophecy is concerned. There are no specific time-prophecies yet to be fulfilled. We are living as you might say on borrowed time.  Revelation 10:5-6 says: "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and things that therein are, the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:" Living on the edge of eternity We are living right on the very edge of eternity. It ought to be a solemn warning to each one of us to get ready to do something about it. Some people, especially my wife, often say to me, "Brother Pepper, you speak too loud."  I guess I do talk loud sometimes.  I have had to listen to some preachers and had to strain my ears to hear what they were saying.  So I do not want anybody coming up to me in the judgment saying, "Brother Pepper, when you spoke the word of God you spoke so softly I could not hear what you were saying." I want even deaf people in the congregation to know what I am preaching about, so in the day of judgement they will be without excuse. There is another reason why I talk loud. I think that when people go to sleep during the service it is the preacher's fault. It could be that they were up too late the night before, however it could well be that they went asleep because they could not hear what was going on. If ever there was a time when people should be awake and attentive it is now, right now.  1 Thess. 4:16 says: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." When the Lord gives that mighty shout, then will be the time for God's people to go to the place that He has prepared for them. Then there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more heartaches, no more pain, for the former things will have passed away. May we be ready and waiting.