🔥Persevering in the End Times - Series Introduction

🔥Persevering in the End Times - Series Introduction

• A new sermon series titled "Persevering in the End Times" is being launched to prepare the congregation for understanding prophetic events.
• The key goal of the introductory session is to warm up the congregation to the subject of what happens before the rapture takes place.
• God is described as returning for a church that is holy, separated, without spots, wrinkles, or blemishes.

Compromise and Moral Decline in Contemporary Church Culture

• Several examples of inappropriate practices observed during Easter services are cited, including a water slide baptism, a worship leader publicly proposing to his same-sex partner, and a church offering free tattoos to new converts.
• These examples are presented as evidence of widespread compromise within modern church culture.
• Pastors committed to biblical standards are described as having significant work to do in countering the influence of these compromising practices.
• A spirit of slumber is identified as having entered many churches as a direct result of ministerial compromise.
• Entertainment-driven worship, hype, and prophecy-for-comfort are identified as replacing genuine spiritual growth, leading to a predicted great falling away.

Overview of Prophetic End-Times Timeline

• Five sequential prophetic events are outlined, beginning with the current church age, followed by the rapture, the rise of the Antichrist, seven years of tribulation, the second coming of Christ to judge the world, and finally the new millennium reigning into eternity.
• The current period is described as the grace period, during which the gospel of Jesus Christ is being actively preached.
• Focus for the series is placed on the church age rather than overwhelming the congregation with all prophetic details at once.
• Jesus is noted as having made clear to his disciples 2,000 years ago that he would be leaving to prepare mansions, with their mission being to preach the gospel.
• The year 2030 is highlighted as approximately 2,000 years since the ascension of Jesus Christ, underscoring the urgency of the current moment.

America's Covenant with God and National Decline

• The founding of America is traced not to 1776 but to 1620, when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and established a covenant with God.
• The book "The American Covenant - The Untold Story" by Marshall Foster is recommended as a resource detailing the covenants made by the Pilgrims before the nation was formally founded.
• A biblical principle is cited whereby God visits the iniquities of a nation after 400 years, with the 2020 pandemic identified as the consequence of 400 years elapsed since 1620.
• The book "The Last Days of America" by Shane Warren, written in 2012, is referenced as containing prophetic visions about September 11th, the 2008 housing market collapse, and the future of the American dollar.
• A personal belief is expressed that America is a nation in decline and will not turn around, supported by biblical texts stating that nations turning from God are given over to other gods.

Sexual Immorality as a Sign of the End Times

• Sexual immorality is identified as one of the primary signs of the end times, with an observable acceleration of perversion in contemporary American society.
• Historical empires such as Rome and Pompeii are cited as examples of civilizations that fell due to rampant sexual immorality and perversion.
• Romans chapter 1, verses 26 through 27 is read aloud, with the passage used to demonstrate that the Bible explicitly foretold a generation in which men would be lovers of men and women of women.
• The LGBTQ+ movement is described as a rebellion against God, with God having given such individuals over to perverse spirits as a consequence of their rejection of his commands.
• Believers are instructed that their bodies belong to Christ and, within marriage, to their spouses, and are therefore called to dress and conduct themselves with modesty and discipline.
• Men are noted as being particularly prone to temptation, and personal practices of maintaining clear boundaries with members of the opposite sex in the workplace are shared as a practical example.
• Perversion is described as functioning like a plague in society, worsening over time and spreading into government, schools, and legislation.
• Specific legislative efforts are cited, including attempts to introduce gender identity curricula to kindergarten-aged children and laws that could allow children to be removed from homes where parents resist such teachings.
• The normalization of relationships between adults and minors is identified as a current legislative push, particularly in California, presented as a further sign of societal moral collapse.

The Rapture - Biblical Basis and Practical Implications

• John chapter 14, verses 1 through 7 is read as the foundational scripture, with Jesus promising to prepare a place for his followers and to return for them.
• Matthew chapter 24, verse 37 is referenced, with Jesus drawing a parallel between the days of Noah and the coming of the Son of Man, interpreted as referring to the rapture event.
• First Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16 through 17 is read aloud, with the Apostle Paul describing the dead in Christ rising first, followed by those still alive being caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.
• The word "rapture" is explained as not appearing literally in the Bible but as a term describing an instantaneous event, referencing the biblical description of two in a bed or field with one being taken.
• Following the rapture, chaos is expected globally, with theories about UFOs and mass disappearances anticipated to emerge among those left behind.
• The Antichrist is described as rising to power as a one-world leader after the rapture, accompanied by a false prophet who will make his deception believable.
• Once the rapture occurs, the mercy and grace of God, along with the Holy Spirit, are described as being removed, leaving those behind with no option but to take the mark of the beast or face persecution and death.
• Believers are urged that the time to get right with God is now, as the rapture can occur at any moment without warning.

Self-Love, Social Media, and the Prophecy of 2 Timothy 3

• Second Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 through 4 is read aloud, with the Apostle Paul's warning about the characteristics of people in the last days presented as directly applicable to contemporary society.
• The list of end-times behaviors includes being lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
• Social media influencers are used as a primary illustration of the "lovers of self" characteristic, with the culture of self-promotion and trivial content identified as prophetically significant.
• Believers are instructed, based on the biblical text, to turn away from individuals who exhibit these characteristics rather than following or engaging with them.
• Having a form of godliness while denying its transforming power is identified as a particular danger, describing people who post religious content while living contrary to what they profess.

The Importance of Spiritual Alertness and Living Righteously

• Prophecy is stated to be intended not to frighten believers but to prepare them for what is coming.
• Believers are called to live righteously before God and before men at all times, recognizing that the rapture can occur at any moment.
• Balance in the Christian life is emphasized, with the acknowledgment that believers can enjoy normal activities such as movies and concerts while remaining discerning about content and context.
• The parable of the ten virgins is referenced, with five being asleep and five awake with oil, as a symbolic warning that believers must remain spiritually alert and not be lulled into complacency by worldly distractions.
• Current geopolitical events, including tensions involving Iran and Israel, are cited as indicators that the world is drawing closer to the fulfillment of end-times prophecy.
• The Bible is noted as containing over 2,510 prophecies, of which approximately 2,000 have already been fulfilled, with the remaining 500 yet to be fulfilled within the timeline of the church age through the rapture and beyond.
• The urgency of the current moment is underscored by the assertion that the grace period is running out and that believers cannot afford to delay living righteously.