Eschatology

The title of today's sermon is Eschatology. Sound impressive? Eschatology slash Is Jesus Coming? There is a famous bumper sticker out there on people's cars that says Jesus is coming. Everybody looked busy. And that's what this day pictures. The Feast of Trumpets will be sounded, and Jesus Christ will appear in the clouds. And it will be the start of incredible events. I covered that last year at the Feast of Trumpets. I covered the Seven Trumpets, the trumpet plagues. A year before that, I actually covered the Christ's return. So today, I wanted to cover something a little different. For some of you people who are new and wanted to hear all about Revelation and so forth, you can go back to last year's sermon. I actually gave four or five on that. But today, I want to look at something different.

To put the focus on this day, this is the Feast of Trumpets.

Contrary to what CNN and Fox News, this is not the Feast of Trump. It's the Feast of Trumpets.

As there seemed to be when I was in a hotel lobby that's waiting for my plane. It's the morning. The whole thing was like nothing else happening in the world but Trump. So today, we want to celebrate Trumpets. Because this Feast of Trumpets is right smack dab in the middle of God's seven annual holy days that he lays out his seven high Sabbaths. Today, that pictures the seventh trumpet being blown. So I'll cover a little bit later with some scripture. A time that the good book says the dead in Christ will rise. Then we who are alive, hopefully alive, will be caught up in the air with him. That's the words. It looks to a future, a great day ahead when that trumpet will be sounded. A time I will look forward to because the dead in Christ will rise first. Many of you have known people who died in Christ. Chris, I look forward to seeing Eleanor that day. I look forward to seeing my father.

I look forward to seeing Mary's mother I never met and various people that you know, miss. You know you want to see your mother, the Williams family. See your mother. All of you have someone that died in the faith that will be resurrected that time and changed. A moment in a twinkling of an eye. It's a great day to picture for the faithful. You know, it's interesting.

There are trumpets for war that sounded in the Bible as given instruction. When war was come, there was a trumpet that would sound. Chris has some trumpet sounds over there now, all right? You want to play one for us? It is an amazing sound. As this is laid out in God's word, there were trumpets for the Sabbath. The trumpet was sounded for people to come to assemble together, to come to worship Him.

There were trumpets for celebration as this trump was sounded. There were metal trumpets. There were shofars as we were hearing here, as a ram's horn. And each one meant different things and how they blew them and how many times they blew them. It's how Moses was able actually to lead all the people that two and a half million people would hear when it was time to pack up things, when it was time to go, when it was time to settle. They didn't have any bow system then, but people knew what it meant.

It's interesting, as I will read here from the Smith Bible dictionary, I didn't write it. I wish I had. It's very interesting as it covers a lot of details about the Scripture. It actually says here, page 714, under the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of the New Moon, which fell on the first of Tishri. It differed from all the ordinary festivals of the New Moon in several important particulars. It was one of the seven days of holy convocation. Instead of the mere blowing of the trumpet of the temple at the time of the offering of the sacrifice, it was a day.

It was a day of blowing of trumpets. In addition to the daily sacrifice and the eleven victims offered on the first of every month, it was actually done, there were offered a young bullock, a ram, and seven lambs the first year with the accustomed meat offering.

This was quite different. As a matter of fact, it was actually by most theologians. If you will turn to me, there was actually a psalm written about this day, for this day, by, I know Steve's name, so he knows, by Asaph. I gave a message on Asaph, this incredible writer, this incredible musician, but I'd like to go there, if you will.

I'd like you to go to Psalm 81. Psalm 81. Psalm 81. Verse 1, I'll be reading from the New King James Version. It says, Sing aloud to God our strength. Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. We've had a lot of music here today. That's part of the Feast of Trumpets. The trumpets was music. Go back and study Solomon. Go back and see the dedication of the temple. Did I get that? It's been a couple years since I had that, but wasn't there like 500 trumpets?

Something like that brought in at that time. There's an incredible amount of trumpets wanting to be blown at that time. All the singers and so forth that came in, and God's presence was there. On this Feast of Trumpets thousands of years ago, it meant something to God. It still does. That's why we're here. That's why we're here, because it should mean something to us. It was during this time of the year, in the fall of the year, that Jesus Christ was actually born. We don't know what day it doesn't tell us, but it was in the fall of the year. Some have even speculated it was in our near trumpets at that time.

Don't know. Can't prove that, but we do know he was born in the fall of the year because his ministry was three and a half years, and he died at what? Passover. So we knew how old he was when he started his ministry, which made it 33 and a half years when he died, which put it back to in the fall of the year. But it says, raise a song and strike the timber, a pleasant harp with the loot. And then verse 3, it says, blow the trumpet at the time of the new moon. In case you didn't know it, there's a new moon.

Know why you don't know that? Because you can't see it. Blow the trumpet at the time of the new moon, at the solemn, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

That is this day. For this is a statute for Israel and a law of God of Jacob. And he says, this he established in Joseph for a testimony. He went out to read you. Now, I found it interesting in my studies that there was actually a rabbi at that time, and a way back fellow, it's probably been a thousand years ago. Okay. This rabbi actually, we have some of his writings, actually Rabbi Yahshua or Rashi, different ones. But he wrote in, as he studied these words in Hebrew, he wrote that, and it's believed by many, I guess you would say it's tradition, I'm not saying it's gospel, that actually Joseph, because it's mentioned here that Joseph was actually released from his captivity under, and it was brought forth on this day that he was brought before the king and could then reveal what everything was as he was then raised to the position of second in command.

I don't know that, but I found it to be very interesting. It puts more, even more emphasis on this day. So as we can see, the trumpet was blown for many things. And one thing about the trumpet was blown for the best of times and the worst of times, because if an army was coming and they were going to be invaded, the trumpet was to sound, to warn the people.

But when it was also time to worship, you would also to assemble before God. This trumpet was blown. So it meant something to people. And this feast of trumpets should mean something to us, because God created it. This isn't something that was just pulled out of nowhere. God created it. And he wanted to make sure, and he even tied it to his what? To his moon, the new moon. He tied it. And this is actually in the civil year of the Jews, actually, recognize this.

They call it Rosh Hashanah. Actually, this is the first of the year. And his calendar is actually set up. The Holy Day calendar is set up off of this day. So it's pretty important as the new year is set forth, as we worship God and why we worship and how we worship and where we do this. But I ask you today, what are the reasons that Christ needs to return? Can you think of quite a few? I mean, the Scripture tells us what Christ even told us. Pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in where?

heaven. And that we know he is returning to earth. He is setting up his kingdom on earth. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit heaven. No, it doesn't say that, does it? For they shall inherit the earth. So I ask you today, when you pray, do you pray thy kingdom come? Why? What do I do you want him to come?

Anybody? Raise your hand. Change this corrupt government of the world. Okay, well that's a good one. Yes, in the back there. Save us from destroying ourselves. Okay, David? Human suffering. Are we talking about Annie? She's had a living with you? No. Right? Put his house in order to bring salvation. Peace and prosperity, as we will actually picture keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, right? Yes, content. Peace. Bringing peace to this earth. Do I?

Destroy those who destroy the earth. You're talking about... Yes. Anybody else? David, one last one. To remove sin. Okay.

Well, there's a lot of violence in this world. Out here today, I picked up a copy of USA Today.

You read the stories, and there are some here. In fact, natural disasters. We aren't prepared, we aren't prepared, is what the title says. And as you can read the various stories in here, I won't pull those out. There's just suffering. There's death, pain, and suffering all over the world, isn't there? And one of the things that I brought this home to me, and actually the reason I wrote this sermon, is my visit to Haiti, and realized the extreme poverty, the mind-boggling way that people try to survive, how people live.

I, the first thing that flashed through my mind when I was there, is when we had the night to be much observed here. You remember we had it in this room, and we had such a nice meal, and everything was laid out, and it was just like, I mean, it was a beautiful feast. It was, the ladies here and everybody here just did a tremendous job in the food and everything, but it so caught my eye because we bought throwaway plasticware, if you remember, if you were there that night. And as we were ready to throw everything in garbage bags and throw it away, Joseph Jean asked if he could have all those, because he was going to clean them and take them over to Haiti. We are so rich here, and there's, I mean, I looked at what I looked back when I actually got to see these, the way in which people live and the poverty there, and I thought, wow, that would be like nicest China people had ever seen. And he took it back, and he saves it for them for special occasions.

Our throwaways, special occasions. It is, it is humbling.

There's extreme hunger all over the world. There's a strife to survive, brethren. You realize in Africa, three-quarters of the people make around $2,000 or less a year. The average monthly salary there is $170 for three-quarters of Africa. But when you actually include all of Africa, the 1.2 billion people, which William's been there, right, lived it, the 1.2 billion people, most make $760 a year. What many of us make in a week, what they make in a year. Tough, tough. Is Christ coming?

If He isn't, it's going to be scary, isn't. Do we have a reason to pray, thy kingdom come? I think so. I think so. You realize that in India, India, which supposedly is better off than Africa, they average $1,670 a year. Making may have a little more prosperity, but when you go around and you spend time with the people outside of some of the major cities, the average median income is $616 a year.

That's why they don't live in houses. They live in just, what would you call them? Just huts, just lingo. I saw, as a matter of fact, I took a picture of a house. Some of our members over there live in Haiti, and it's a block building. It's only about 12 by 12, well, five people live in it. There is no kitchen, there is no bathroom, or dirt floor, but it's block, and it's got some metal on the roof, and so it's a little better. We would think it was an outhouse if we were to look at it, but it's a house. And so when I went back to meet some of the people who lived uphill, and not on one of the main streets or gravel roads, it was just whatever wood they could find. It was just scabbed together, tied together. It was very sad.

Do we realize that in today's world with just over 7 billion people, that according to the statistics, 1 billion people today suffer from hunger. 1 billion people, 1 out of every 7 people suffer from hunger. And to define that is to define not one meal a day, because that's about what they have in Haiti.

But they define that for 1 out of every 2 or 3 days a meal, which William's seen, which is just enough to keep you alive. Just enough to keep you alive.

That's a lot of people. 1 out of 7. Look through here. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Not eating. Do we need Christ to return? I think so. I really do. And you know, I saw, as we saw, Rifka, now that she's feeling better, and little Joseph up here in Okoye. I mean, look at Okoye. She's one of the most beautiful little girls I've ever seen in my life.

You know? And she's just... Don't tell her I said so.

Oh, got her from her mama.

I hope she doesn't get her mother's humility, either.

But it is when you see these little children, and we have so many in the church in Haiti. And I was surprised how many young children we have preteens over in our church in Kingston. I think I brought a list back, and we've got like 15 or 16 little kids that big. So the church's future is growing. You would have a... Like ours here. We have those classes. But I bring that out because the little children like Okoye, a child dies in this world of hunger every 10 seconds.

Rather than every 10 seconds, a little Okoye is gone. Every 10 seconds. So since I started this sermon, 100 to 150 little children have starved to death.

Christ needs to return, doesn't He? I need to pray, thy kingdom come.

People need it. People need it. You know, I didn't eat last night.

You know why? Not married didn't fix anything. It didn't offer.

I wasn't hungry. So I didn't even eat. I wasn't hungry because I was full.

And there's one man serving over there actually said, there's people who have never known what it was to be full.

Never, ever, never known what it's like to be full. How many times have you been full?

The United Nations said this year that 100 million people are just starving to death in 2018. 100 million people are just starving to death.

I bring this up not to make us feel bad on this holy day. It is a feast day. We've got some, as usual, incredible foods and an abundance of it. We hope we'll eat afterwards. We have nobody coming behind us today so we can take our time. Fellowship, share this wonderful day.

So you read the Olivet prophecies in Matthew 24 and you see what's going to happen in the very last days and how it's going to be worse than it's ever been. This country is so blessed in America that we haven't had a dust bowl since the 1920s. All we've had fires over here and we've had drought over here but not that many people went without drinking water for three or four days. Went without food for more than a day.

Brethren in the United States, if I can use this analogy, it's like planet Earth is the ocean liner, the Titanic.

It's headed for doom.

And we're on it. The only difference between us and everyone else is we in the United States.

We are in the first class cabins. And we should be thankful we are. And who put us there?

I hope you know why you're where you are and that we are truly blessed in this country. And it doesn't take long to go somewhere else. And you know, we don't have...

It's interesting because Haiti borders. There's only one country and that's the Dominican Republic. And so I went to the actual border while I was there.

And do you know there are all kinds of guards on the Dominican Republic side. There's not a guard on the Haitian side. Do you know why? Nobody wants to go there. It's so poor. And it's that way in many parts of the world.

Why do we need guards on the border here? Because people want to come.

It is. We are so blessed. I realize that right now, this year, there are more people displaced than any time in the history of the world. Displaced because of war, because of starvation, because of violence and persecution. I realize there are 68.5 million people displaced today.

Today.

It means they had to leave everything they had, whatever they had, and go and leave. Either that or die. 68 million people. What if that happened in America?

Do you know what 68 million people are? 68 million people? Florida? Georgia? Tennessee? Alabama? Arkansas? Louisiana? North Carolina? South Carolina?

About 60 million people. Can you imagine all the Southeast having to just get up and leave and go somewhere else?

Either leave or die.

We don't have that, do we?

We have cars to drive.

We have grocery stores to go to.

We have police.

We have firemen.

We have so many blessings that so many people do not have. I'd like to hand out, if you'll hand out, something here. I'd like to tell you about this young gentleman. He was an incredible example.

This young man's name is Kevin Carter. Kevin Carter.

Kevin Carter grew up, or was actually born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was born to a middle-class family.

He actually served time in the military. Four or five years.

He got to traveling some.

He so enjoyed traveling around the world. Different places that he said he kind of wanted to do that for his occupation.

He really wanted to help.

He tried to help in South Africa as much as he could with apartheid. But he became a photographer, and he was very good at it.

He wanted to not just take pictures and make money and just see what he could fame, he could have claimed, but he actually wanted to take pictures and be able to send them around so that everybody could see just what the other parts of the world are like. So he went where there was a battle. He went where there were fights. He went where there were wars. He became a professional photographer.

In 1993, he went to the sedan. He went to the sedan to take pictures to show that those people, they had the worst drought that the world had ever seen. People were starving to death.

And so he took a picture. Thank you, if you'll do this. He took a picture that I want to leave with each one of you today. In fact, he took this picture, and it is a world-famous picture. He won the Pulitzer Prize for photography for this picture because he went to the sedan to take some pictures to show just how much, hopefully, the United States and various people would send money and food and water over to these people.

And as he was told, we will allow you, as the soldiers told him, we will allow you to take pictures, but you can't touch anybody. You can't get involved in them. You can't because disease is one thing, but it's another thing.

We don't want you involved because it can cause a riot. You help one, you have so many.

So here, he actually took this picture as there was a relief truck that they had followed that had a little bit of food on it. And so all the people were trying to make their way, those who had the strength, to come and get some food, which would mean lasting another day or two.

The picture is that of a little child.

I have a color picture here. A picture of a little child.

A little child who had run out of energy to make it to where the food was. But as you can see in the background, there is a vulture, a buzzard, that is waiting for its food.

And everybody in this picture was actually picked up by the New York Times. And it went all around the world and helped raise money. They thought this was a little girl, but it wasn't. It happened to be a little boy.

And that little boy, he didn't die that day.

As a matter of fact, Kevin Carter got in trouble because he went and chased off the vulture. And he took the picture. And he actually helped. And the little boy, this was 1993, the little boy actually didn't die until 2007.

He died of fever and diseases at that time.

But that showed the state of the world. Brethren, it's somewhat like that in parts of the world today. Even today, we just don't see it, do we?

I bring Kevin out because he won the Pulitzer Prize in April of 1994 for this. At most fame.

But sadly, in July of 1994, Kevin Carter took his truck. He took Johannesburg to a park where he grew up and played.

And he tied a hose to his exhaust system. And he ran it in his window and committed suicide.

And on his chest was a note. And it said, I'm really, really sorry.

The pain of my life overrides the joy to the point that joy does not exist.

I'm so depressed, I'm without a phone, money for rent, money for debts, just money. I am haunted, night and day, by the vivid memories of the killings, the corpse, the starving and the wounded children.

Kevin.

Kevin.

Very sobering. Brethren, it's sobering times. It's a sobering world.

But it's not going to be there forever. We know that. And as the religious leaders in Haiti tell them that your only hope is to die and go to heaven, we know there's a better way. We know there's a better plan.

The time that this day pictures in the future is mentioned more in one New Testament book than all the others except for Revelation. It's a letter that Paul wrote to a church that was not only one of his favorites, not the favorite, but the church had become obsessed.

Not really balanced. We've all seen that in churches before because they were so obsessed with Christ's return and end time and is it next week? Is it next month? Is it this?

He actually wrote an entire epistle there.

And I'd like to finish this sermon today in that book because we can learn so much from the past and tell us the future because I feel in my heart after much reading that this church is very much like the church that he wrote that to.

They were an incredible people. They were blessed, but they had hearts. Hearts that he loved. Hearts that he saw. Hearts that were shaped. The book, or epistle, we'll read from today in theological circles is called Eschatological.

It's where the sermon came from today.

The word is eschatology. Eschatology. It's from the Greek. It's what they use in theological circles. There's all these words, but this one I wanted to give you today because it does relate to us. Eschatology actually means last. Of course, ology actually means a study. So it's the study of the last times, the last days. That's what this epistle does.

See, we're not at the very last day yet. It's yet ahead of us.

We are called to be humble. We are called to be solemn sometimes, but we're also told that we should enjoy things. We should enjoy life.

Enjoy why you have it. Enjoy that relationship. Should we just go, well, let's sell everything and give it to the poor? Even Christ so does not to do that, right? He said, the poor you shall have with you always. But we can make a difference to a lot of people.

Remember the starfish, the story of the starfish, the little girl walking on the beach, and the starfish, so many washed up. There were hundreds of them. They were just dying on the beach.

And a little girl came running, and she started just picking them up and trying to throw them back in the water so they wouldn't die. And a man walking down the beach says, Honey, you can't. It doesn't make a difference. Why are you wasting your time? You really can't make that much of a difference. And she picked it up, and she threw one in. She said, made a difference to that one. Rather than we can make a difference, you have people brought into your life. Although they may not be poor, they may not be the little child with the vulture behind them, but there are some people that we can help, and many of you have helped.

And as part of our calling is to help. Be that example, because how many did Christ help? How many did He heal? So many. John said there are so many works that if you were to write it all down, there were enough books to hold it all. So I'd like to look at today this eschatology, because it is an epistle. Anybody care to guess the epistle?

No, it's the— Revelation mentions more, but it's the next one too, Revelation, and the most. Anybody have a guess? First Thessalonians. First Thessalonians, yes, sir. That's the book of eschatology that is Paul's writings. It's the number one.

You know, the first time that the last days are actually mentioned is in the book of Genesis. It goes all the way there, talking about the last days, the last time. As Jacob is calling his sons as he is about to die at 137 years of age, he is laying there, and he calls all of his sons forward, and he reaches out and gives them a blessing, and then proceeds to tell them, what shall befall you in the last days? So Jacob was a prophet. God did inspire him, be able to know what was going to happen in the last days to his sons. So what will befall you, me, in the last days, brethren? Do we know? Do we care?

People, and I'll say even people in the church, I've always had a problem with balance.

There's this ditch and there's this ditch, where usually we come and say, we come and say, go from this ditch to this ditch. Don't we? It's that way in our lives.

God asked us to be balanced. Do we give everything away? No. Do we not give anything away? No. But how do we help? Do we worry that, you know, the end of the world is coming in five years. What can I do? Oh, what am I to do? Maybe I need to look busy as a sticker said. No, that's not what it's about. Will you be ready for the seventh trumpet to blow in five years?

In ten years? In about 20 years. I used to hear this when I was a kid. When I was a teenager, oh, it's coming. I'll never get married. I'll never have this. Now I'm gray hair and I'll be 60.

Right? None of us know. Christ is not for us to know.

But He gave us instructions on what to do and how to live. So if it comes tomorrow, I don't know. Did Nora know she was going to die the night she did? I don't know. My dad didn't expect on July the 7th, 8th, July the 8th, to go out and have a massive heart attack and die.

His next moment will be the trumpet and the call forward. All of us. It could be the last days for us. I had a reality check with all this cancer this year. Three doctors said you're going to die.

Now three doctors aren't saying anything because there's no cancer.

You know? And I'm thankful for it. But I'm also a reality check. It doesn't mean I won't die of a heart attack or I won't die in a car or anything else. Am I prepared to meet my maker? Because if I don't hear that seventh trumpet, I'm dead. I'm in trouble. Aren't you?

Let's go to John 5. John 5 and verse 28. John 5 and verse 28.

John 5 and verse 28. Christ said, Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all how many people is all? All. For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of what? Ow! Combination!

Let's go to the book. Let's go to eschatology. And let's look at this book and we're going to just jump around to a couple places, a few places as we wrap this sermon up today. Because he, what is the main message as these people have become obsessed and Timothy went and visited them and then came back and told Paul, Oh man, they're all worried about this. Some of the relatives have died and they don't know what happened to them and other people have come in and said, Christ has already come and you guys missed the boat. And so Paul wanted to write to them, okay, and say, let's look at this rationally. Let's look at this as we should. So, 1st Thessalonians, I'll read from the New King James Version. Here as we go. 1st Thessalonians 1 verse 8 said, For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only a Macedonian and Achaquaean, but also in every place. Your faith towards God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything. What an incredible church! You know, is this a discouraging epistle? No. He's telling a man, you guys, I've done a fantastic job. You're setting such an example. You're living life. So what you want to say is, don't get your focus off living a wonderful life. Continue to do that. 2nd Verse 9, For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turn to God from idols and serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven. Did he say, don't worry about it? No, His Son's coming. He's telling them. You know, the last days His Son's coming. And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. God delivers those from the wrath to come.

Why does He deliver them? Because He loves them, and they love Him, and He knows who they are. So He's telling them, don't worry. Don't worry. Do the job I have given you.

And it won't matter a thing on that trumpet sounds, the seventh trumpet is sounded.

Chapter 2, verse 12. What's He saying here? Oh, you need to go out here and keep posted about what's going on in world events? No. What does He say? That you would have a walk worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory. That's what it's about. Having that walk, a walk worthy of why He called you. And then you'll be in the kingdom. It isn't just studying, oh, I'm worried about this. Can I get the latest book on Revelation? Can I figure out who the beast power is? Can I figure out this or this? Can I figure out the false prophet? Oh, wait a minute. It's this guy. Wait a minute. Which pope is this? They're about to kick the pope out because he knew about to be using children. So wait a minute. There's a new pope. So which one is this one? Oh, wait a minute. This is a 666 pope. Right? I heard that 20 years ago. I don't know how many popes don't really care. Okay. This is what I have to care about.

And how I live it and how I can look at it and make it.

Chapter 2, verse 19, said, For what is your hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? Wow. For you are our glory and joy. You're doing everything we could even ask you to do. So don't get bogged down. Don't get worried about all this stuff because God's in charge. You're living your life and you're following Him and you'll be with Christ when He comes. It's that simple. It's not to get bogged down.

People are, oh, wait a minute. I've got to go and wait a minute. I've got to have Peter's shoes, as one church actually said. I've got to have special stuff. I've got this bag. I know one person actually said he had this bag packed so when he was ready to flee to the place of safety, he doesn't even have to stop. He's got all that stuff in there. And he told me that 20-something years ago. I wonder if that stuff's gotten old. So worried about these things and that's exactly what was happening back here in Thessalonica. And that's why this was written about the study of the last days and what's truly important and why that seventh trumpet is so important to us. But if your whole life is just, I've got to be there. I've got that seventh. You know, I've got to be there. What do I have to do to be there? I have to be there. I have to know all this stuff. I have to know the whole book of Revelation. I have to know the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven number of pectaics. I've got no Wallace. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Chapter 3. As we go through this, we'll finish us up. Chapter 3 and verse 12. He said, May the Lord make you increase and abound in what? Who to? And where? And to who? And to who? All, all, just as we do to you. Look at that! What's so important? You abound in love to one another and to all. Now, am I one of these preachers that go, all you need is love? That's the Beatles, not me. Okay? No. But it's so important because God is love. It's one of the descriptive qualities of God. And we need to have it. And we do that. You don't have to worry about a lot of other things because you will follow what this book says if you truly love God. You will study your Bible. You will pray to Him. You will because it's a relationship, because He's guiding you. And then verse 13, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming. Here, He's talking about the coming again, but what's before the coming? Holiness, blameless in our hearts and showing the love. Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes with all His saints. Let's go chapter 4. Chapter 4 and verse 1. Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more just as you receive from us just how you ought to walk and to do what? Please God. You want to please Him? Do the walk. Do the walk. Don't worry how other people are doing their walk. Do your walk. See what you can do. Verse 7. Verse 7. For God did not call us to uncleanliness but in holiness. In holiness. Verse 9. For concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you. There's no need to bring up brotherly love because they showed it.

For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in Macedonian. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase that more and more and more. He loves having billboards. God loves having walking, talking billboards in all walks of life that show His Son. And that's what we should be doing. Hopefully we are, and we will continue. But He said, it's not enough to do it. Do it more. Do it more. And you know, I need to do it more. I look at this. I need to do it more. Now let's go down to verse 13 as we heard on the song today. First, I said, only in 4 verse 13. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren. That's part of the song. He doesn't want us to be ignorant, brethren. Concerning those who have fallen asleep, bless you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Christ. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep, are in their grace. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet, the seventh trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with Him. He said, therefore, comfort one another with these words. It's comforting! We know what's going to happen. And it is encouraging. Finally, chapter 5, verse 1 and 2. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. What is He saying? You're worried about all these in time? I don't even have to worry with it. You shouldn't even be bothered with it. Because if you do your job... It's kind of like I heard one of the coaches, they interviewed him the other day for football, and they were asking about this offensive tackle that got so much money. And they said, you know, does He work well with the other men? And he said, well, that's probably important. But he said, his main job is just stay focused and do your job. Don't worry about what's happening on the other side of you. Just do your job. Take the man out in front of you, do your job, and everything will work. Brethren, that's our focus, is to live a godly life. And the last days will take care of themselves, won't they? That seventh trumpet will sound and we will go, yes! But if we're not living the way He wants us to live, and abound in love, and do it more and more, it's probably going to be one of the worst sounds we've ever heard in our life. But as Paul says, and don't worry about it, just do your duty. Walk the walk. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

In verse 23, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You can study the last days. You can have a doctorate degree in eschatology.

But it's about how we live, how we obey God, and how we love others. Remember, Christ broke it down to two commandments. He can tell you which one is most important. So with Christ, who's coming, who will be coming back, they'll know when, He's our Lord, He's our Savior and our Master. And the Father just says, Be like Him.