Paul says in Romans 13:11-12, the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. We live in a world of limited time, the clock is ticking, but this is not a prediction of the end of the world, but rather a reminder that Christ Jesus will come again.
No one can predict the end of the world as Jesus says of the end times in Matthew 14:4-8, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” True, these things have been going on for thousands of years, but we have forgotten how to suffer. Life as a Christian, at least in United States, has been easy, the persecution man has undergone has been through subtle false teaching. Although today, it is not so subtle though it is masked under the disguise as “Christian”. Its effect on the church is noticeable today, the seduction to sin without compunction is boldly flaunted before you by the world. Do not be led astray!
Jesus continues, verses 9-14, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Now is the time to endure. Now is the time to speak out. Now is the time to be bold. The world is growing cold and selfish, too many have sought out “churches” that will scratch their itching ears. It is time to realize that Christianity is not about being part of a club, but it is militant, we are under attack. Not in the way in which Russia attacks Ukraine, but this is spiritual warfare. We have grown soft in our comfortable, country club Christianity, and it shows. We have become complacent in understanding doctrine and given ground to the “woke dysphoria that the Rev. Dr. Gregory Schulz has been warning us of and has resulted in his suspension by Concordia Wisconsin. (See here for his article.)
Let me be clear: this is not a prediction
of the end of the world and you should mark and avoid anyone who says they know
the end of the world as Jesus himself even said during his ministry he doesn’t
not know the hour. This disorder and
chaos that has set upon the world does give the Christian at least one
advantage though, we are reminded that Christ is coming again. He promises it will be soon. And he warns us to not fall asleep, that is,
do not become negligent in this faith. It is time to be awake and walk in the light while it is still day.
Dear child of God, we are in the midst of the season of Lent. During these days we slow down to be reminded why Christ comes. This is an advantage to you that you have this church year and this season because you also see the color, the purple, and you are reminded that Christ came to die for your sin. We love Christmas because we get to think about cute baby Jesus, our Savior, being born. Yet he was born for a purpose: to die for you. Indeed, each season of the Church year reminds us in a different way of the impetus to confess the faith. Let us be reminded that now is the time to confess, so that your neighbors and friends will have no excuse on the Day of Judgement as Ezekiel 2 and 3 says.
And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.
“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
Dear saints,
our task is monumental, but the Lord is with you. Christ Jesus has come and died for your sins!
But more than that, Jesus is Risen! Jesus is risen indeed! On the last day, he will come to judge me and
all the dead. We have the privilege to
confess this reality. It is not up to
you if your neighbor believes the Words that come forth from your mouth. The Word of God that you have received is
sweet to you because it is the good news of salvation and you and I pray that
it will be sweet to them too. Just as
Ezekiel went out to his own brothers in Israel with this news so also are you
sent out. We are called to be prepared,
for that final day will come like the flood.
One will be taken the other left.
Let us be the left. We do not
want to be swept away into judgment but instead inherit the new heavens and the
new earth. Will there be those who refuse to hear? Certainly. But we are not called to decided who will and will not believe. We are called to get the message right and get the message out.
It is true that the Lord will not flood this earth as he did in the days of Noah. Nor will you likely have 120 years to preach the Word of God. But we pray two things, deliver us from evil and let your kingdom come. It is ok to pray that the second coming of Jesus Christ comes soon, and even more so with each day we pray that we be kept steadfast in this faith. That we look forward to our dying in the faith for on that day there will be no sin or Satan.
In the meantime as you remember the flood,
things are not as bad as they were during the days of the flood. Yes, there are mighty men of renown, and
people are looking to them rather than to the pure simple word of God. The world trusts in power and might, but that
is the kingdom of glory and it brings no hope.
It is not as dire though, there are millions who still believe. Let us continue to look to Christ-Crucified. Let us hold fast to the Word and Sacrament. Let us repent and turn from our sins and embrace forgiveness, life, and salvation through Christ alone.
Let us not fear disease or death, riots or war, or any other such disorder but rather grow in the fear and love of the Lord. Jesus has come to create order and hope in the midst of it all. Let us rejoice in the good news of salvation. You right now have found favor in the eyes of the Lord. You have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. And his desire is to always give you his most precious gifts. Let us come together to our churches and hear this holy and blessed word. Let us be strengthened by our fellowship and in our mutual reception of Christ’s gifts. And as you are restored and receive these holy gifts we can then go forth, our voices emboldened with the Word of God so that others may hear and know and believe: Christ Jesus is who they need.
