"IF SO WHAT THEN?"
I. "BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME."
A. Despite the scoffers (vs. 4).
B. Despite the seeming delay.
1. The reason for the delay.
a. vs. 9.
b. vs. 15.
2. God reckons time in a different manner.
II. THE EVENTS OF THE DAY.
A. "Heavens pass away, great noise."
B. "Elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat."
C. "Earth and works burned up."
1. What are you dedicating your life to?
a. Some to homes.
b. Some to cars.
2. Look about at material realm.
a. Vast buildings.
b. Beautiful homes.
c. Expensive freeways.
d. Fancy cars.
3. Now realize, "these too shall pass away."
III. OUR PROPER ATTITUDE IN VIEW OF THIS.
A. What manner of persons (literal. "of what country" ought ye to be?").
1. The rapidly passing earth or the eternal city.
2. "For our citizenship is in heaven."
B. "Looking for and hastening the coming day of God."
C. Look for new heavens and a new earth.
1. Lay up treasure in heaven.
2. We look at things that are not seen.
D. Diligence.
1. Found of Him in peace.
2. Without spot and blameless.
The world is still wobbling under the impact of 1975 and one seriously wonders with Daniel, how long oh Lord till the end?
I. THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE STILL IS TROUBLED.
A. Indonesia has renewed her invasion of Timor.
B. Angola, Argentina, Lebanon and N. Ireland are caught up in civil wars.
C. The African continent is in a state of unrest.
D. There hardly exists a stable government in all of free Europe.
E. Terrorist activities continue to shock the sane thinking people.
F. Radical groups proliferating like flies.
G. One wonders if this not the end time that Jesus spoke about declaring distress of nations with perplexities (no answers).
II. IN THE MEANTIME HUNGER STILL PLAGUES MUCH OF THE WORLD.
A. One of the stark statistics of 1975, the hundreds of thousands who starved.
B. Lawlessness abounds both within and without of government.
1. Our city, state and national govts. have been following unsound fiscal policies and New York City is first of many to experience disastrous consequences.
C. The tidal wave of crime continues to build, threatening to engulf us.
II Timothy 3:1-4.
III. RUSSIA HAS BEGUN TO USE HER NEW SST.
A. Daniel's prophecy in last days:
B. Syria has almost completed the dam across the Euphrates lake, now 40 miles long has been formed. Possible now to dry up River Euphrates to prepare way for kings of East.
C. Computerized money is coming of age, our present currency soon outdated.
D. What to look for in 1976: No solutions forthcoming for crime, civil strife, corruption, economy, famine.
E. Attention must be focused on Middle East, this will be action center. Israel - Egypt Accord very tenous. Sooner or later Russia will get involved in an actual invasion of Israel.
RAPTURE & SECOND COMING
I. DANGER OF SPIRITUALIZING.
A. Jews unable to rationalize prophecies of Christ's coming.
1. "As a King to establish reign of righteousness."
a. "Lo your King cometh, He is lowly."
b. "A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son."
c. He was bruised for our transgressions.
B. The accepted prophecies of Kingdom and power and spiritualized all others.
1. As result they missed the Messiah.
2. Old Testament prophets were speaking of two entirely different events.
II. CONFLICTS IN PROPHECIES OF SECOND COMING.
A.
B.
1.
Mat 24:36 "Coming as a thief, taking one and leaving another."
2.
Mat 24 "Coming with Glory and Power every eye beholding."
C.
1.
Mat 24 "Mourning accompanying His coming."
2.
Jhn 3:2 "We shall be like Him" (no mourning here).
III. ORDER OF EVENTS.
1. Meet Him in the air.
2. Ever to be with Him, wherever He is. l Cor. 15:51-53.
b. Bodies fashioned like His glorious image.
B. Second Coming.
1.
1Th 2:1-12, to follow revelation of man of sin. a.
Matt. 24:29, vs. 31 (elect sealed remnant) to follow Great Tribulation.
b. Its place in Revelation.
2. His saints to be with Him.
Time of Rapture.
Key word to church is watch, be, ready.
"Our Lord delayeth His coming."
Do not be guilty of placing any event before.
WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?
I. WE HAVE COME TO CRITICAL PERIOD OF HISTORY.
A. Knowledge has been increased.
1. During 1950's man's knowledge doubled.
2. During 1960's it will double again.
B. From the knowledge, weapons have been created capable of destroying man from the earth. "Except those days be shortened." (can now understand).
C. From the knowledge, methods of transportation invented to carry man faster and father than ever dreamed possible. "Men shall be running to and fro." When new transports are put into service, possible to take off from New York at 12:00 noon and arrive in Los Angeles at 11:00 or fly on to Hawaii and get there at 10:00.
D. Paradox: With all our knowledge of how to explore outer space and to live on other planets.
1. We have not learned yet how to live here.
a. Last week over 100,000 peace marchers in S.F. led by hippies and accompanied by love-in.
1. Waved Viet Cong flags.
2. Burned American flag and tossed draft cards into fire. "What is this world coming to?"
b. The crime rate is rising steadily in this nation.
1. Even whole communities rioting, plundering, destroying, stealing.
2. Crimes of violence increasing most. "What is this world coming to?"
c. The church and clergy doing strange things.
1. 11 Episcopal priests serve communion to mass of hippie protesters.
2. Another minister advocates free sex.
3. Another dons tights and dances to the doxology.
4. A church presents a play so lewd the audience must be limited to adults. "What is this world coming to?"
2. Problems that we are facing.
a. Economic.
1. Continual drain on gold resources.
2. National debt 330 billion. "What is this world coming to?"
b. Food shortages.
1. Two-year grain surplus.
2. 1-1/2 month surplus supply.
3. Present drought threatening to destroy winter wheat, some agriculturists foresee problems this summer here. India, China, Russia -2/3 of world underfed.
c. Diseases.
1. Development of wonder drugs.
2. Many old diseases returning in mutated forms that defy the drugs. 10,000 cases of Malaria among our boys in Vietnam.
3. China is being ravaged by disease.
4. Venereal disease on sharp rise in Orange County.
5. Viruses. "What is this world coming to?"
What we are coming to is told by Christ in
Matt. 24. Then by Paul in 2Th and in
Rev 6-19.
Also another event is foretold in
1Th 4:16.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
