The current events of our time have led me to think about many passages in Scripture that reference the end of time. I have always lamented preachers who take every bad event and start prophesying that the end is near. Much like Chicken Little cried out “the sky is falling!” so these fundamentalist preachers often cry out “The end is upon us!” or “The church will be raptured soon!” Although I believe we should all anticipate the Lord’s return, I have often thought that some Christians spend way too much time focusing upon the bad or negative events of our time and trying to predict the return of Lord. Instead, I believe we should follow the exhortation of Jesus on this matter when he responded to the disciples who asked a similar question: “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7, 8). Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples were to not focus on the times and events of the earth and be captive to them. Jesus wanted his disciples to simply trust the Lord with these matters and focus their attention on being his church in the midst of these events. The statement “being the church” is a very loaded statement that is packed full of implications. But the most concise conclusion is this: to be the church is to glorify God by fulfilling his Great Commission mandate. Being a disciple who makes disciples is what it means to “be the church” or to “be a Christian.”

 

Acts 1:8 is Luke’s version of Matthew 28:19, 20. There is a phrase that Matthew records where Jesus promises to be with his disciples “to the end of the age.” This statement is one of the most precious promises of the Lord. If we will commit to following Jesus Christ by being a disciple who lives for the purpose of making disciples, then Jesus promises to empower us (Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8a) to complete his mission. His presence will never leave us (Matthew 28:20b) no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.

 

Jesus gave us this blessed promise because he knew we would need it. Jesus spends a great deal of time in Matthew 13 and 24 informing the disciples that as time passes things will get more difficult for the church. Both natural evil and moral evil will abound, and the church will find it increasingly difficult to be a disciple of Christ. Jesus asserts, “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. 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” (Matthew 24:5-14). Jesus has warned us that tribulation in a variety of forms will come upon us. But in the midst of our suffering we are called to carry out the mission of verse 14: to proclaim the gospel of Christ’s kingdom throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. This is why at the end of the book when Jesus reiterates his command in Matthew 28, he ends by saying “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus has promised that his power and presence will be with the church until he returns and consummates his kingdom.

 

Jesus has promised to give us the means to carry out his will. These texts remind us that we cannot conquer the obstacles to discipleship on our own. We must remember that it’s God’s kingdom that is being proclaimed. God is working to bring everything in history to a point of final redemption when he will return in all his glory to destroy his enemies, establish a true and final justice, and usher in the eternal era of his glorious kingdom where we, along with the saints of old, will live forever. This will all be done in God’s timing. Our responsibility as Christians is to be his vessel that proclaims his gospel so that many will be saved. The obstacles are great, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome them. These texts remind us that when we surrender to the will of God he will work through our trials and suffering to spread the gospel and the boundaries of this spiritual kingdom, of which we are citizens.

 

There are many other passages of Scripture that go along with Christ’s exhortations in Matthew. Read these texts carefully. The Apostle Paul declares in Philippians 3:7-11 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Because Paul considered it such a privilege to be owned by Christ, he went on to declare “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Philippians 3:12-4:1). What an awesome outlook on life this Apostle had!

 

But it’s not just peace in our circumstances that God offers. He also promises divine wisdom for facing all our circumstances as long we stay on mission. The Apostle James writes, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:2-8). When we go to God and ask for wisdom as we seek to obey the Great Commission, he has promised to give it abundantly. There are many obstacles to discipleship and Christian living, but God has promised divine wisdom. The God who is omniscient (all-knowing) has promised us the knowledge and wisdom we need to remain faithful to his will and continue forward in making disciples. Walking by faith is walking with an expectation that God will provide what we need to remain faithful.

 

Again, what a blessing we have as the adopted children of God! These passages, written decades after the events of Matthew 28 and Acts 1, are proof that God is faithful to his promise that he will be with his church to the end of the age. Brothers and sisters, God is faithful to you. Stay on mission for him.

 

Blessings!