Are You Ready?

Let's say that tomorrow you're getting ready for work, putting on your socks...or you're getting the kids ready for school or you're getting ready for the day in whatever way you usually do. Suddenly, you hear a trumpet. It's like no other instrument you've ever heard. You don't just hear it, but you also feel it. You know this is it. This is the last trumpet at the end of time. Not only do you know it, but everyone in the whole world knows it, whether they have been living for God or they have been living for themselves. What goes through peoples' minds at this point? For some, it will be shock. “Oh no. I've made a terrible miscalculation. It seems he really does exist.” For some it will be dread. “What have I done? I've wasted it all. I haven't done a single thing worth while. Why did I walk away from Him?” For some, it's thrilling. “Finally! It's been a difficult time, but now everything will be fine. I've waited for Christ all my life and He's here! What an incredible time!” Hopefully, we will be in this latter case.

We're going to read some parts from letters that the apostles wrote about the end of time and the final trumpet sounding.

In a flash, the last trumpet

1 Cor 15

51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

[There won't be any time to change your ways at this point. There won't be any time to fix things in your life. That will be it. Whatever you're doing, whether it's getting ready for the day, wasting time at work, doing something helpful for someone, doing something hurtful for someone, that will be it.]

53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

In our daily life, we may fail to see this victory. People around us maybe hostile toward Christianity. They may say we are foolish and ignorant for being a Christian. Where is this victory that Christ has over the world? We can't mistake the fact that it hasn't happened for the idea that it won't happen. It's so important that we are ready for that trumpet to sound.

It may be that our lives will end before the trumpet sounds as happened to some Christians we read about.

The trumpet call

1 Thes 4

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.

So, it may be that Jesus will not return during our lives on earth. We just read about some who fell asleep while waiting. But should we lessen our expectations because of this? Should we ease up in following Christ because we assume we have our whole life to make amends? No. We must always be ready.

A thief in the night.

1 Thes 5

1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

[How many in the world live assuming there is this peace and safety? They assume there is no permanent consequence for the things they do. They do what they feel like doing.

As we talked about, this final trumpet may not come at a convenient time. You might not be in the midst of reading the bible. You might be putting on your socks or something else. In general, the biggest mistake is not to expect it at all. Peace and safety, and then a terrible surprise that you hadn't prepared for.]

    4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

[We read here about self-control. Strangely, this is sometimes thought of as a bad thing in our society. Don't censor yourself. Don't repress yourself. If you're angry with someone, let your feelings out. Take what's yours. You deserve it. ]

Phil 3

18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

[And there are many out there who don't bother to try to have any self control. They don't teach their children to have any self control. Their children pass it on to their children and so on. But this cycle can be broken at any point before that final trumpet. Any person can commit themselves to live for Christ and have their citizenship in heaven.]

Chad read to us recently about the promises of God. One of these promises is for those who do not know God and obey the gospel.

Punishment for those who are against God

2 Thes 1

6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

[This promise doesn't exactly leave any middle ground. There are those who may say that you can follow God in your own way...whatever makes you comfortable. But this says that God will punish those who don't know him and don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. That doesn't sound like there are a lot of different ways to God. Jesus said no one comes to the Father except through him.]

We read not only about those who refuse to follow God, but those who actively work against him. They mock God's will. This was the case in the time of the early Christians who faced problems from those who followed Jewish tradition. It's also true today as we see more and more people who are so angered by Christianity that they rail against it, expelling it from everywhere they can.

Scoffers, though he delays, he will come. Be ready.

2 Peter 3

3First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

[If God could create the entire universe in a week and perform miracles that would take hours to list, why would it be impossible for him to end things in the way he sees fit?]

    8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

[This is the reason for the delay. Our human minds are limited in the way we think of things. There are years in our lives that can fly by and we wonder where they went. There are seconds in our lives that may as well be infinitely long, such as when we are in a painful moment or a time of loss.]

    10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

    11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

[So, oddly, this is saying, “the world is going to come to a fiery end, but don't worry.” In fact, we are to look forward to Christ's coming because it will be the beginning of something much better for those who follow him.]

    14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

    17Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

As we wait for Jesus return, we are to make every effort to be found spotless. We are to avoid distorting the scriptures. We are to be on guard and grow in grace and knowledge.

We often sing the song, It Is Well with My Soul (490). It says: The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.

So, as we imagine hearing that final trumpet sounding, let's make sure it doesn't come as a shock to us and that we are ready for it...that we are at peace with God.