[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word.
[0:14] All right, take your Bibles if you would and turn with me to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24, I am excited to share with you what this Word of God says. We've been working our way through Matthew.
[0:24] We're now in a passage of Scripture. Jesus will be crucified in just a few days, a few hours from the passage of Scripture we're in. He's in this Olivet Discourse.
[0:35] He's on the Mount of Olives. He's talking to the guys. And he says in Matthew chapter 24, verse 3, this is what the Bible says. As he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?
[0:49] And what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world? These questions are about his coming and the end of the world. This refers to future events.
[1:00] The world hasn't ended yet. We're still here. Amen? So it's not about what's already happened. And it hinges around the Jews and Israel. One of the major lessons we looked at last week was that you ought not be deceived with all the things that are going on.
[1:15] You should be able to trust the Word of God, study, and so you'll know what's going on. There are terms that we're going to use when you study the Bible. If you ever study future events, there are several terms.
[1:26] You can write these down if you can write fast enough. And I've got to go through them quickly. But there's the term premillennialism. There's a belief, I believe, that the Lord Jesus will come back and set up a thousand-year reign on the earth.
[1:39] I believe that he will return before that. He will come down in the clouds, be seen, and set up a kingdom where he will rule for a thousand years. That's called premillennialism.
[1:49] There's another called postmillennialism, which means that after the world gets better and better, and we go into this thousand years of very special, peaceful time, where the Old Testament says a kid can play with a snake and a lion and a lamb will be friends, and all that happens, they say the world needs to get better and better, and then Jesus will come back and set up his kingdom.
[2:11] There's another called amillennialism, which means no millennial reign. All that's figurative. Everything the Bible says about future events is figurative, and so there won't be that. And Israel and the church aren't really distinguished, and so whatever the promises were in Israel, they are to the church, and that's your Calvinistic crowd, your Reformed crowd.
[2:29] That's pretty much what they teach. Then there's the word, preterism. Preterism. That's a view that all these verses that appear to talk about future events are really talking about past events.
[2:40] There's nothing remaining but the end and the final judgment. That's another one of the Calvinist and Reformed ways of looking at things. There's a tribulation period, which I believe in, which will happen before the millennial kingdom, where God will come and he will bring judgment on the earth, and there will be a time of great tribulation.
[3:00] Not tribulation like it's going on right now. There's tribulation everywhere. If I were to take you around the world of the places I visit, I could show you people that have been arrested for their faith. I could show you people that are going hungry.
[3:10] I could show you people that are being mistreated. I could show you a lot of bad stuff. I could show you earthquakes. I was talking to Paul Talby this week. He is in Nepal. And I said, are the earthquakes over?
[3:22] And he said, yeah, I kind of think they are. And his wife said, we had three yesterday. And they just got so used to riding them out now, he doesn't even count them anymore. And Chile just had another major one. The Bible is going to talk about those in our passage.
[3:34] So tribulation is a part of what goes on now. We call it pre-tribulation rapture. Jesus will take us out before the tribulation. There's mid-tribulation. I ain't going to talk about all this today.
[3:45] Pre-wrath, post-tribulation, rapture. Second coming, here's the only word I'll mention right now, imminent. We believe that Jesus could come in the rapture at any moment.
[3:56] He could snatch us out, take us to heaven at any moment. So remember that we take the Bible as literal as the text allows us to. We think he means what he says as written unless he gives us other reasons to understand it differently.
[4:10] That could be a genre or type of literature he uses. Then we can use figurative terms. So go with me to verse 8. Verse 8. Now hold your Bible open. Mark everything. Study it.
[4:21] Look up verses. And ask questions. We'll have Q&A in another month. Tonight would have been Q&A. It'll be another month from now because Philip will preach. But I want you to look at verse 8. This chapter is referring to future things.
[4:34] Once you understand, we're talking about something still out there. I don't know when. Verse 8 says, All these are the beginning of sorrows. What I'm talking about, he says, in this passage of Scripture, are the beginning of sorrows.
[4:46] The false Christ, the wars, the famines, and the earthquakes are just the beginning of the sorrow. So what you see going on right now are just the beginning of sorrows.
[4:57] Verse 8, underline sorrows. Beginning. So like when you look around, you see all this junk, Captain, you might be saying, Wow, things are really getting bad. There's going to be a blood moon tonight. The Pope just spoke or just worshiped God with the Muslims.
[5:12] But it's a lot of junk going on. Well, let me give you a hint. This is the beginning of sorrows. And when was that? All the way back when Jesus was talking. We've been in that for a long time. Look at verse 13.
[5:23] In verse 13, the Bible says, He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This is future because the apostle didn't endure. The end didn't come. It's not over.
[5:34] The age didn't end. Things didn't change. So that's not what it's talking about. It's really talking about when they're in the tribulation period and all the bad stuff and Jesus is going to set up his kingdom. If you can live through that, you'll get there.
[5:45] So let me show you a verse. Go with me to 1 Thessalonians 4, 17. Take your Bible. Mark it. Write notes in the margin of your Bible. Write notes somewhere. You are free to question, free to ask, free to think for yourself and learn what the Bible says.
[5:59] But let's look at it. 1 Thessalonians 4, 17. Then we which are alive and remain. Now the Thessalonians were looking for Jesus to come back and there was a lot of confusion. Some of them thought maybe he'd already come back and they'd been left behind.
[6:12] And they were like, we don't want to get left behind. What's going on? When's he coming? What's happening? And he said in 4, 17, then we which are alive and remain. Those of us who are still here, whenever his day comes to come get us, those that are alive and still living here, we will be caught up together.
[6:30] Underline in verse 17, caught up together, snatched out of here, with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[6:40] In the passage of Scripture, there were people that were dying and he hadn't come back. They were really expecting Jesus to come get them before they died. And some people were dying, it was like they didn't get to see him come back.
[6:52] And that's so sad. He said, no, we don't sorrow. Like others, we have no sorrow because we understand something. We're going to get, we're going to get, what's the word say, caught up together with them.
[7:04] They may be already dead. Their body may be in the ground. Their spirit's with the Lord. He'll come back with Jesus and we'll all meet together in the sky. Those that hang on to the end of the tribulation will be saved.
[7:15] Go to verse 14 if you would. Verse 14. Before he comes back, and what is the second coming? Before he comes back, the gospel will be proclaimed to the entire world.
[7:26] 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. So the end's not coming to the gospels preached everywhere.
[7:38] You get in the book of Revelation, you're going to find out there's these two witnesses that God sends out here. They're like crazy, powerful men of God. They can be killed and come back to life. There's 144,000 Jews and the gospel's going to go everywhere.
[7:50] The abomination of desolation hasn't taken place yet. Look at Matthew 24, 15. We're talking about something out in the future. When ye there... By the way, the future could start this week, but I'm just saying it's not right now.
[8:03] Look at verse 15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation. Underline that. Spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.
[8:14] Whoso readeth let him understand. You see, there was this teaching that something horrific is going to happen in the temple. So the temple's going to get rebuilt.
[8:25] It's going to be desolate again. And some bad stuff is going to happen. And so look, if you would, at Daniel chapter 9 and verse 27. That's what Jesus is quoting. Daniel 9, 27.
[8:36] The Bible says, And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and ablation to cease. He's going to stop worship in the temple.
[8:47] He's going to say, All right, you got a temple built? You're worshiping me? Stop it. It stops now. And the overspreading of abominations. Underline abominations. He shall make it desolate even unto the consummation.
[8:59] And that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. And we don't really know what that means. We don't really know. In history, there was a time when some wicked rulers came in and actually sacrificed a pig on the altar.
[9:12] And that's kind of like a picture, maybe, of what would happen because pork was definitely not accepted among Jewish people. But whatever, the temple's going to be rebuilt. Something horrible's going to happen.
[9:24] And that hadn't happened yet. Chapter 24, verse 21. Jesus speaks of great tribulation. Are you in Matthew 24 with me? Verse 21. For then shall be great tribulation.
[9:35] Underline that. Great tribulation. Such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor shall ever be. So has there been tribulation in the past?
[9:46] Oh yeah. Has there been genocide in different parts of the world where one group of people killed another group? Where the Jews were killed? Where African tribes killed another African tribe? Where even Americans killed American Indians?
[9:57] I mean, you can name it. There's been a lot of tribulation in the world. He said, there's a coming of time that ain't nobody ever seen nothing like it. There's coming a time that'll be great tribulation like no one has ever seen.
[10:09] Future events. Tribulation now. Great tribulation. It should come in chapter 20 verse 4 and verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation. So at the end of this tribulation, this great tribulation, something's gonna happen.
[10:24] The sun will be darkened. The moon will not give her light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[10:44] It's gonna be this great tribulation period. This temple stuff is gonna be horrible. In the middle of that tribulation period, the sacrifice is gonna cease and then there's gonna be the sun will darken, the moon, and the stars will fall out of heaven and then people will see Jesus coming back in power to set up his kingdom.
[11:02] And in chapter 24, verse 32, there's a parable of the fig tree which is saying you can see these signs happening. You can see these signs happening so you should be able to get an idea of when all this is gonna happen.
[11:14] So I want you to know it's future. You might say, why you wanna say that? Well, you watch Facebook a whole lot, you're liable to figure out it's gonna happen tonight with a blood moon. And if you watch enough politics, you're liable to figure out that the Pope went with an imam and they worshiped together and Muslims and Catholics got together and Jesus walked in and talked to the Congress and didn't that great and all this stuff's happening and you might be wondering what's gonna happen.
[11:36] Can I just go ahead and say to you, there's a lot of stuff yet to happen. There's a lot of stuff yet to happen. So what are we gonna do as we live in light of his coming? Go to verse 6.
[11:48] Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna not worry. Okay, calm down. You're all torn up, you're all worried because man, all this stuff is happening and it's on the news and the Mormons actually put this on the news this morning.
[12:02] The Mormons had to actually warn their people to calm down because the apocalypse was happening and there's 15 million of them in the United States of America and this week they said just because the moon's turning to blood tonight, y'all can calm down and everything's gonna be okay.
[12:15] So I mean, people seem to be a little agitated. A very good time to read this chapter. Look what he said in verse 6. Get your ink pen ready. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.
[12:25] See that you be not troubled. Underline that. Don't be troubled. See that you be not troubled. By the way, before I keep reading and talking, do you know we know the guy's in charge?
[12:38] Did y'all know we know the guy's in charge? I am very secure. I am the body of Christ. We are the body of Christ and our head's already in heaven and if you keep the head safe, the rest of us will be okay.
[12:50] Amen. We're all right. So I just want you to know, be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass. Everything I'm about to say is gonna happen. It's gonna get wild, but the end is not yet.
[13:00] You got your Bible open? Underline to verse 6. The end is not yet. Verse 7. Nation shall rise against nation. Kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines and pestilence and earthquakes.
[13:12] Man, California, four-year drought. Forests just catching on fire. Isn't that wild? Well, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes in Chile, earthquakes in Nepal, people going hungry.
[13:26] Verse 8. This is all the beginning of sorrows. That's all it is. War is pretty much a constant. So don't think that means he's coming now. I mean, all my life has been war going on.
[13:39] Every time you turn around, we have to talk about a strong military. Wars and the talk of war will increase more and more. There will be famines and pestilence and earthquake and all sorts of places.
[13:50] Natural disasters taking place as the world falls apart. But these are warning signs, but the end is not yet. They have been happening for a long time and will continue to happen until the end.
[14:06] Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 2. Look what the Bible says. That you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[14:22] So he said, hey, listen to me guys. He said, I don't want y'all to be worried. Christians ought not live worried. Amen. I've got no amens there, but it's the truth. You ought not live worried.
[14:33] The Holy Spirit lives in you. He's the comforter. Say amen. Hey, you know what the Bible says. You know that God's in charge. You know that we're going to be okay. You know that the worst thing that could happen to me is I would die and if I die, I go to heaven.
[14:45] That's not a bad deal. Say amen. Hey, did you know when our families die, we're not to be all torn up like they are. We can be torn up. We can be grieving over that, but we know some things they don't know.
[14:58] My aunt died this week. My aunt died this week. She was a Christian. She went to heaven. The family's like, man, we're going to miss her. We love her. She was 90-something years old or 90 years old.
[15:09] We're going to miss her, but we're pretty confident in things because we know the Bible. Can you say amen? So Christians aren't to be scared and worried. You say, Austin, what do you think about the blood moon? I want to see it.
[15:21] I think that'd be cool. Amen. If I don't get a good view because of the clouds, I'll look at some pictures. I just think that'd be neat. Are you scared today? No. I don't get scared on airplanes. I just don't get scared.
[15:32] I'm pretty well sure I know who's taking care of me. Say amen. Be not troubled. Be not shaken in mind. The end discussed here is the end of the world or the age as we know it.
[15:42] The power of Satan ruling over this world that's in rebellion to God. There's a time coming when Satan won't be the prince of the air and the power anymore. These are like birth pains, contractions, that grow stronger and stronger until he gets here.
[15:56] Go with me to Revelation 6 and verse 1. Look it up so you can underline some stuff. Revelation chapter 6 and verse 1. I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals and I heard as it were the noise of thunder and one of the four beasts saying, come and see.
[16:13] Come look at this. Let me show you something in verse 1. In verse 3, he says, come and see when they open another seal. In verse 4, he said that the horse was red and power was given him to take peace from the earth.
[16:29] There's a day coming when there'll be no peace. Can I just stop here? Let's look at this for you for a second. You live in a relatively peaceful country. I know they're shooting some police now and I know there's some people getting robbed and I know there's some bad stuff happening but man, we are blessed but we weren't promised that.
[16:45] I'm going to show you that in the Bible today. We weren't promised that. Verse 4, and they should kill one another. Verse 5, come and see. Verse 6, the food's going to be affected and so that poverty will reign.
[17:00] Verse 7, come and see. Verse 8, a fourth part of the earth will be killed with a sword, with hunger, with death, with a beast of the earth. We've never seen anything like that. I'm talking about where 25%.
[17:12] I'm talking about two and a half million people in Georgia dying in that one verse. Fourth. Ten million, about that, in the state of Georgia.
[17:23] Two and a half million dying. We've not seen anything like that. But we're not troubled. We know it's the beginning of sorrows. We know our Lord and Savior's coming back and we trust Him and we're not worried.
[17:36] That was weak. That means you are. So just keep listening to the Bible. Number three, suffering is coming. You need to understand. Verse 9, then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and you shall be hated of all nations for my sake.
[17:55] Then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. We're really talking about the Jews in the tribulation period. This is really a future reference which I've already tried to show you that. But notice what's going to happen to them and it's already happening to God's people.
[18:08] God's people are going to be afflicted and killed and hated. Did you know that you should just be expecting persecution here in America? You're like worried about what's going to happen in the election.
[18:20] You're worried about what's going to happen about this and you're worried about what's going to happen about that. You can worry about all this junk down here you want to but as long as you know Jesus you don't have to be worried you can trust him. Amen. But did you know that godly people are going to suffer persecution and because none of us have ever dealt with any persecution none of us have ever lived in a time where you got picked on for being a Christian.
[18:39] The worst thing we ever get picked on is they make fun of us because we don't get drunk with them they make fun of us because we don't do adulterous stuff with them. That's all. We don't really know what trouble is in America. But look what the Bible said in 2 Timothy 3.12 Yea and all that live godly shall godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
[19:03] Shall suffer persecution. So I just want you to know before I talk to you about future events that you should get prepared to suffer now. And if you have your faith in your bank account it's in the wrong place.
[19:19] And if you have your faith in your education and in your health and all those things it's in the wrong place. You should know this no matter what comes no matter how many tragedies happen no matter what the government does to us or what other people do to us we know that those that love Jesus will suffer persecution and we're just going to go ahead and be ready to suffer it.
[19:36] Amen. I was told by a guy in China in 1999 a guy in China told me I said we're praying that y'all will get peace and you won't be persecuted and the guy in China said oh please don't pray we'd have peace like America.
[19:51] He said because then none of us would believe God we'd get like y'all. I was like whoa that was pretty nice that wasn't very nice amen but it's kind of true isn't it? Yea all that live godly will suffer persecution.
[20:02] Go with me to Revelation chapter 7 and verse 9 the suffering that's being talked about is what's going to happen to those people getting saved during that time after we've been taken out God's going to be saving a lot of people chapter 7 verse 9 after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hand and they cried with a loud voice and salvation to our God which sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb they're going to get saved but they're going to be offended they're going to be betrayed the false priests are going to have very convincing false prophets are going to have very convincing arguments sin is going to be very attractive people will fall away they'll get saved and walk away from God the persecution will be too great hatred will happen between supposed brothers let me stop here quickly and say this all that's talking about future events it's happening right now too it's happening in other parts of the world in Morocco today where we have missionaries that we support out of our church that are serving God their friends turn them in and try to get them arrested their friends try to get them beaten up we have people in China and it's people they know that infiltrate their church and turn them in just exactly what's being promised here for the future it's already happening and God's people will suffer and die and they do even now and as Christians you should be ready for that we should be saying
[21:33] I love Jesus and I don't know what's going to happen but in the past in the past missionaries have had their heads cut off missionaries have been killed around the world and Christians have been killed so though the great tribulation will have a lot of that as a Christian today I should make up my mind I have decided to follow Jesus and if everybody else goes back I'll keep following Jesus and if nobody else loves him I'll keep following Jesus I'm not doing this because it's popular I'm not doing this because everybody else does it I love Jesus come what may Revelation 6-9 and when he had opened the fifth seal I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying Lord how long oh Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth and white robes were given unto every one of them and it was yet it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren should be killed as they were and that should be fulfilled so God already knows they're going to die
[22:41] God already knows Christians are going to die he's already telling you they're going to die and if you're loving Jesus because he prospers you you know the prosperity gospel will fail for sure if you have to die for it but the gospel gospel will live on because we'll believe Jesus in spite of it go with me to the fourth thing verse 12 sin makes hearts cold sin makes hearts cold verse 12 because iniquity shall abound and the love of many the love of many shall wax cold sin wickedness perversion will be more and more prevalent sin loving this world doing your own thing will choke the work of God in your heart you see look at verse 12 and underline it iniquity shall abound sin twisted perverted against God thoughts they will get more and more and the love of many people that claim to love Jesus the light will go out the cold will go it'll be there he said that in Matthew 13 21 even yet hath he said yet hath he not rooted himself but doeth for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word by and by he is offended he also that receives seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he become unfruitful
[24:05] God would like to say something to you you can love Jesus because you think you're getting something out of it but when something happens when money starts pushing and you got to choose between money and Jesus if your face is not real your heart will grow cold when money is more important to you than Jesus your heart will grow cold when pleasure is more important to you than Jesus your heart will grow cold when tribulation comes and it costs you to serve Jesus it costs you to serve Jesus your heart will grow cold sin makes for cold hearts now we know this is going to happen so we need to know that and be prepared I want to live for God no matter what's going to happen amen I want to live for God no matter what it costs me I want to live for God if I got to move into a log cabin have a dirt floor I want to live for God he's more important to me than money thank you for one 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 that's not right 4 1 this know also that in the last days it is 2 Timothy 3 1 thank you guys back there smarter than me they know also that in the last days underline last days perilous times shall come and men shall be lovers of their own selves
[25:22] I wonder if that describes 2015 in USA covetous man they want a bunch of stuff boasters arrogant braggadocious proud blasphemers making fun of God and all the things of God disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truth spakers false accusers incontinent that means they lose control incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good men that hate God's people traitors heady high-minded lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God and having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away here's just seven things out of that verse I just mentioned to you they love themselves they want more and more stuff they make fun of the things of God they don't even love their own families that natural affection in verse three that refers to a mama who wouldn't love her kids kids that wouldn't love their mama kids mamas that would abort their babies a dad who wouldn't take care of his children there's no natural affection it's like weird how in the world could a daddy not love his kid how in the world could a mama not love her kid it's not natural affection they don't love their own families they're out of control they're out of control incontinent no self-control they hate those that love God and they love pleasure more than anything we live in a pleasure seeking society now just let me say
[26:56] I'm not saying to you that you've got to be a bunch of prune-faced sad people and never enjoy anything that's not what it's saying here but you don't ever love pleasure more than you love Jesus you don't ever love stuff more than you love Jesus you put Jesus first seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you we we love Jesus and nothing else is as important as that go with me to verse 14 verse 14 the gospel will be preached to the entire world before the end and this gospel the kingdom shall be preached in all the world underline that preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations then shall the end come so before Jesus gets here the gospel will get to every people in every corner he's going to get the gospel out and we're in the process of trying to do that and our church takes that part seriously but we'll never get that done see God has a miraculous plan he's going to put into action which will be these two witnesses and 144,000 Jews that will go out witness that God's got a whole plan and in less than seven years the whole world will be evangelized they'll all hear the gospel and millions will be saved but the gospel will be preached where it seems to be going down, down, down now
[28:13] God's going to come in and say that's it I'm going to tell them one more time before I come back in judgment in spite of all the problems the sin and the persecution God's word will go forth before it is all over God will see to it that the gospel is preached to the entire world and many will be saved in Revelation 7 13 one of the elders answered saying unto me what are these who are arrayed in white robes and where did they come from and I said unto him sir thou knowest and he said to me these are they which came out of great tribulation same word used in Matthew 24 and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the sun light on them or nor any heat for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne he shall feed them he shall lead them under the living fountains of water
[29:14] God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes those that have never heard who are living on the earth at that time will have their opportunity and God's going to use Israel once again to get his gospel to the world now it's time to wrap it up how do I live in light of all of this how does that work in me I'm about to walk out the doors of Vision Baptist Church I'm about to go out and get me some lunch and go home to my family and we're hearing all this stuff that's going to happen in the future we're hearing all this stuff that doesn't seem to be happening in my life where I live right now so how do I live in light of that so let me give you a few lessons that you can apply to your life number one this is not the time to sit down and wait on the coming of the Lord but to work like never before if you believe the Bible if people are even interested in the things of God and all this apocalyptic talk is really getting to them it's time to share Jesus with somebody say amen it's time for you to give out a gospel track it's time for you to invite somebody to church it's time for you to tell them next week he'll be in Matthew 24 at our church come on you can hear what the Bible said we'll just read the Bible that's all we do at our church we just read the Bible so come on and bring it bring them to church so it's not a time to sit down the Thessalonican church had kind of sat down they were like waiting on him to come that's never the answer it's like the last minutes of the ball game we can do this chapter was written for Jews but it has application and motivation for us we know the truth and the future so we will not worry we will trust God okay Austin who's going to be elected president
[30:45] I don't see anybody out there I like I don't have any idea who's going to be elected president if I know Jesus will still be on the throne huh well what are we going to do about all this stuff that's going on in our country seems like seems like I don't know what's going to happen to us I'm not going to worry about that I'm going to trust the God of heaven he said in Matthew 24 man there's a whole lot of junk coming and it's going to be bad when you hear about wars and rumors of wars and famines and pestilence and earthquakes that's just the beginning boys but don't be worried about it that's what he said so you and I don't live worried we live trusting there was an old song they sang when I was a kid trust and obey that's our job amen trust and obey we know the future we know the truth so we won't worry we'll trust God however be ready to face persecution be ready to face persecution know that our government may take away our tax exempt status and you'll quit giving because you won't get it off your income tax well then you never gave it because you love Jesus hey man my wife hates it when I look over my glasses it may be that some bad stuff's going to happen it may be that somebody gets arrested for believing Jesus it may be well we were warned about that weren't we so be prepared to face persecution keep a tender heart towards God and stay away from sin and his pleasures now listen to me this is a whole different world than what I grew up in when you grew up on a farm you can sin a whole bunch but sometimes you have to work at it
[32:35] I mean you want to look at pornography when I was a boy you had to drive all the way down that's 10 miles away I certainly couldn't get a magazine delivered to my house because my parents would have killed me and so you'd have to drive down but you couldn't do it in the town I grew up in because everybody knew my mom and daddy can you imagine me walking in and saying here's a playboy I'd like to buy that clerk said oh that's okay Austin take it hey Charles thought I'd let you know Austin just bought a porn now it's on your phone now it's on your phone now it's on your computer now it's in front of you everywhere you look things sin pleasures when I first came to Georgia my high school trip senior trip was to come to Atlanta Georgia when you're from Buck Snort that's like big stuff you can laugh all you want but we brought a whole bus on the rednecks down here and we went to Six Flags and the biggest ride they had was the Scream Machine it was brand new and everybody was terrified the fastest fastest roller coaster in the world today that's a kiddie product we went and watched the Braves
[33:42] I'm sure they lost but we went and watched pleasures are now everywhere everywhere you can come up with anything you want sin is at your door you are tempted not to love Jesus you're tempted to doubt the Bible you're tempted to pleasure yourself to get money to get things you're tempted to not serve God and not come to church you need to be careful in these last days iniquity will abound and the love of many will wax cold so you and I live in a day when we got to lift our shield and stand for Jesus say amen stand for hey there ain't nothing wrong with having good time go to the beach go to the go get on your boat and zip through the lake and all that's all fine and dandy but don't you ever seek that when you seek Jesus you go kill you a deer if you won't go fly you in an airplane if you won't go play you around the golf but don't you ever put that before you put Jesus love of many will wax cold and it's time to share the gospel it's time to tell people about
[34:49] Jesus hey this is perilous times we've been in them for 2,000 years it's time to share Jesus I'm glad you're excited about carrying the gospel around the world I'm glad you're excited about sharing permission I'm glad that this year you have promised already over 119,000 in faith promise and we're going to do something to get the gospel around the world I'm glad of that I'm glad this church seems to be blessed of God and going forward but this is not a time to slow down this is a time to pick up speed and do more he just might be coming soon our window of opportunity to do what we're doing may end soon let's take advantage of it we are in a war not with other people but with the devil himself who would take as many to hell as he could and we don't want that to happen this message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred Georgia for more information log on to www.visionbaptist.com where you can find our service times location contact information and more audio and video recordings