The End

The End!

August 9, 2009

Introduction

What comes to your mind when you see the words, “The End”? That depends on the situation doesn’t it? If it’s the end of road construction, we are normally very glad to be able to resume normal driving. If it is the end of a school year, we are probably happy; that is, if we are a student, or a teacher, or one working for the school system. If you are a parent, it could be a different story. Some hate to see the end of school because now they are more confined by having to be responsible for their children all day.

I was very young when it happened, but I remember the end of World War II. I remember the relief that it was over. I remember the excitement that finally the war was over, and my brother would be coming home.

This morning, we are not talking about the end of school; the end of road construction, or the end of a war, but we are talking about another end which Paul calls “The end.” “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. {25} For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. {26} The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. {27} For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. {28} Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15:24-28 NKJV)

What does “The End” mean? "The end" that Paul was talking about is basically the end of the world as we know it. Even in this sense, there has been more than one “end.”

Body

I. The “ends” described in the Bible.

A. The beginning of the end. – The end of the Garden of Eden.

(Gen 3:22-24 NKJV) Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"; {23} therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. {24} So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

B. The end of the world!

(Gen 6:13 NKJV) And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

1. Christ made reference to the flood of Noah’s day.

(Luke 17:26-27 NKJV) "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: {27} "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

a. What is Jesus emphasizing about their conduct? -- It was normal.

b. The problem is that they paid no attention the warnings of Noah.

(Mat 24:38-39 NKJV) "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, {39} "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

2. He also made reference to the destruction of Sodom.

(Luke 17:28-30 NKJV) "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; {29} "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. {30} "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

a. Someone was pleading for Sodom.

(Gen 18:24-25 NKJV) "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? {25} "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

b. Lot was given special deliverance.

(Gen 19:15-16 NKJV) When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." {16} And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

c. But remember Lot’s wife.

(Luke 17:32 NKJV) "Remember Lot's wife.

II. But what about “The End” that is yet to be?

A. There is an end coming where our righteousness will not save another person.

(Ezek 14:13-16 NKJV) "Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. {14} "Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD. {15} "If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, {16} "even though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.

B. We are told to be ready for His coming.

(2 Pet 3:10-18 NKJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. {11} Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, {12} looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? {13} Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. {14} Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; {15} and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, {16} as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. {17} You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; {18} but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

C. He’s coming back in flaming fire

(2 Th 1:6-12 NKJV) since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, {7} and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, {8} in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, {10} when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. {11} Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, {12} that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

I. No one can save us but the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. Have you obeyed the Gospel?

III. Are you ready for His return?

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