?> Whitesburg Baptist Church

Whitesburg

Address

6806 Whitesburg Drive South
Huntsville, AL 35802

More Info

Service Times

Sunday 9:30 AM

Sunday 11:00 AM

Set As Home Campus

Contact

(256) 881-0952

July 20 Hard Questions Notes

Hard Questions 2022 | by Darryl Craft

July 20 Hard Questions Notes

    Are these the end times?

    Matthew 24-25

    Using your computer, mobile device, or tablet, you can simply open a browser, type in the words “end times” or “last days” and the list of available videos and articles will be abundant. However, the most important resource we have for understanding the “end times” is God’s Word. The Lord has provided clear information and instruction for us to live daily in anticipation of His return.

    1. Are we living in the end times? (2 Peter 3)

      The word “age” is often used to reference a historical period of time or an era. In Biblical history, we typically think of the Old Testament (Age of the Law), and the New Testament (the church age and/or the age of grace. The church age began with Pentecost (Acts 2). This is the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27).

      The church age will continue until the rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

      The church age will end when God’s people are “raptured” out of the world and taken to be with the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:51-57).

      “Last days” (end times) – the final epoch of history which is marked by the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God’s kingdom. In the NT it is portrayed as the period between Jesus Christ’s first coming and the consummation of all things at his return and is marked by godlessness and the persecution of God’s people.”

      Eschatology. Branch of systematic theology concerned with the study of the last things, whether in relation to the individual or the world.1

      Eschatology (from Gk. éschatos, “last”) concerns expectations of an end time, whether the close of history, the world itself, or the present age. 2

    2. What are the signs of the end times?

      • natural signs
      • spiritual signs
      • sociological signs
      • political signs

      Luke 21:11 (NASB95)  and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

      Matthew 24:8 (NASB95) “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

      2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NASB95)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

      2 Timothy 3:13 (NASB95) But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

      2 Timothy 3:1–5 (NASB95) But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

      Matthew 24:6–12 (NASB95)  “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.  “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

      Mark 13:10 (NASB95)  “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

    3. What is the sequence of events that will occur in the end?

    4. How should we live?


      “There is no event in history needing to occur before Jesus will return.”

      Adrian Rogers said the next great event in human history is the return of Christ. It is mentioned 1200 times in the Old Testament and 300 times in the New Testament.

      Luke 21:36 (NASB95) “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

      2 Peter 3:11-17 (NASB95) Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

      Colossians 3:1-3 (NASB95) Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

      Matthew 24:36–44 (NASB95) “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will

      It is significant that all 3 of the synoptic gospels record this Olivet prophecy. There are two types of people living in the last days. Those who are lost and those who are saved. It is essential that the world be able to tell us apart!

      In the days of Noah: people were driven by…

      • passion
      • pleasure
      • present – today, now, there is no hereafter

    In these last days, we are to be living…

    Alert – expresses not mere wakefulness, but an intent focus upon a certain thing, “to chase away sleep”

    1. In anticipation of the hour
    2. In preparation for the hour
      - Affections
      - Attention
      - Agenda

    Foot Notes

    1. Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Eschatology. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 716). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

    2. Carroll, J. T. (2000). Eschatology. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A. B. Beck (Eds.), Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 420). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.