Living in the Last Days | Part 1

Are we living in the last days? Listen closely there and we're moving toward it.

No, we're living in it. We're going to have a Bible turn to 1 John 2 right now. We'll begin in verse 18 as Adrian Rogers relays what the Bible says about living in the last days. All of us have a feeling that the sands of time are running low for this generation and most all of us feel that history, as we know it, is headed for a climax. Now if that is true, time is ripe for the appearance of a person that the Bible calls the Antichrist.

There is a beast of a man lurking in the shadows of history and he's about ready to step from the wings of the stage onto center stage. Now the Bible says that perilous times shall come. May I say that perilous times are here, the dynamite is in place, the fuse is laid, the match has been struck, the days are numbered, and we need to be ready. Let me tell you some reasons that we need to be ready and then we're going to jump into the Word of God.

We need to be ready because of the intercession factor. We need to be praying for this world. We need to get our heads out of the clouds of prophecy and get our knees on the floor and pray for this generation and also the soul winning factor.

Now dear friend, if you're living for this world only, all you're doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We need to be getting people into the lifeboats. We need to be getting them to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the personal Savior.

We need to be getting the family preparation factor. Living in the last days is dangerous and we as parents and grandparents need to be inculcating into the hearts and minds and lives of our children, values and rock-ribbed truths and finally the comfort factor. Look what the Bible says is going to come to pass and these things happen. We don't go around wringing our hands and saying the sky is falling and look what the world is coming to. We say look who's coming to the world. We understand that Jesus Christ is coming again. Now with all of that in mind, 1 John chapter 2 verse 18, Children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard, that antichrist shall come.

Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.

But they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

Who is a liar? But he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, he is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. But he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Now I'm going to stop reading then. We're going to take up some more of this chapter and we're going to go on through the end of the chapter. But there are three things I want you to learn about the time, the tyrant, and the triumph.

And I want you to keep these in your mind. Now what is the time? The time is the last days, according to verse 18.

We are living in the last days and we need to be awake. John says little children. It is the last time, literally that may be translated and is translated in some Bibles, the last hour. Now John said that two thousand years ago. Adrian, if John said two thousand years ago that it was the last time, what happened? How could it have been the last time? Because we've had two millenniums.

Now here's something you need to understand. That ever since Jesus Christ ascended into glory, it has been the last time. Now the Old Testament, the former time, was preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ. After the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, we enter into a period of time called the last time. From the time that Jesus went up to the time that Jesus is coming back, that is the last time, that is the last hour, and any time in that interval Jesus Christ could come. All Christians from the time of John to this time are to be living with the expectancy that Jesus Christ may come at any moment. So many of us have the idea that the last time is out there and we're moving toward it.

No, we're living in it. Joyce and I went to see one time the Grand Canyon. Now I was not afraid of falling into the Grand Canyon when we were driving toward it a hundred miles away.

I didn't say a hundred miles an hour. A hundred miles away. And then forty miles and thirty miles. And finally we got to the Grand Canyon and there we went out to a place to watch and there's the rim of the Grand Canyon. And while we were at the rim we were not headed toward it. We were right on the very edge. Now we could have walked fifty miles right on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

Not headed toward it but right on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The wrong step we could have fallen in. What I'm trying to say is that we are not moving toward the last days. We're living on the edge of the last days.

Not always from the time that Jesus went up to the time that He's coming back. He could come at any moment. Put down the word imminent. Learn this about Bible prophecy. The second coming of Jesus Christ is imminent.

Come up here close and I'm going to tell you something. There is no sign that we're waiting for. There is no event in history that we're waiting for. Jesus Christ could have come back three weeks after He ascended into heaven.

And He may come back this afternoon. You see all of the Bible teaches that we are on the very edge, on the very brink. And therefore we should be yearning and not yawning. We should be ready for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you say well what about all of the signs of the times in all of this? There are signs of the times but these are not the times of the signs.

Now what I mean by that is this. That the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is in two stages. First the Lord Jesus Christ comes for His church. That's the rapture. We'll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

That will be suddenly in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. And then there will be the great tribulation here on this earth. And then Jesus Christ will come back with His saints to rule and to reign for 1,000 years.

We call that the millennium. Now the rapture has no signs. It could happen at any moment. There are plenty of signs for the revelation when Jesus Christ comes back in glory and power with His saints, not for His saints but with His saints. And the Bible tells of many signs like that. Well you say well Adrian are you trying to tell me that all of the things that we call the signs of the times don't apply? That we can't read them?

Yes we can read them. And we can tell that there is an intensity that portends the coming of Christ. And there are many signs for the nation of Israel and other things that are happening.

And I can read those signs and I can tell. You see coming events cast their shadows ahead of time. And if Jesus Christ could have come in John's day, yes He could have. How much more should we be ready in these days when we see those signs that are gathering and coming. Now listen, listen I want to show you beyond the shadow of any doubt that Jesus Christ may come at any moment. I want to give you some scriptures, get a piece of paper and write these down. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10. Paul is talking to the church at Thessalonica and he says to them among other things, And to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead. The apostle Paul told those early Christians, wait for Jesus.

Now if Jesus could not have come in Paul's day, that was foolish. Wait for Jesus. And the word wait is a present infinitive.

That means to be constantly waiting. Philippians 3 verse 20. Paul said to the church at Philippi, For our conversation, our behavior is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior. Those people in Philippi were to be looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now he'd already come in redemption, but they were waiting for him to come in rapture. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 7. Paul told the church at Corinth, So that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then in the book of Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 28, The writer says, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Do you know what you're to be doing? You're to be learning of his coming, you're to be living for his coming, You're to be longing for his coming, and you're to be looking for his coming. You are to be expecting the Lord Jesus Christ at any moment.

Paul told Titus in Titus 2 verse 13 about the grace of God that redeems us and makes us a peculiar people, and then he says, Looking for that glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Look for Jesus. We're not looking for some event. We're not looking for the temple to be rebuilt. We're not looking for the antichrist to appear. We're not looking for the regathering of Israel.

We're not looking for earthquakes and famines and all of these things. We're looking for Jesus. We're looking for Jesus. I'm telling you, friend, that Jesus may come before I finish this sermon. His coming is imminent, and if John said we're living in the last days, he was right, and so are we. Now, when he comes, he's coming suddenly in a moment. He's coming in the twinkling of an eye.

I wonder if I even believe it. I was preaching a sermon one time in Stewart, Florida. It was a revival crusade, and they had me staying in a hotel that was right by the railroad tracks. I had preached on the second coming of Jesus. I had preached on the trumpet. The dead in Christ shall rise first.

We which remain alive shall be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I preached that. I went to sleep. It was about 1 a.m., and I was right by the railroad tracks, and for whatever reason, the engineer on that locomotive revved his engine and blew the whistle right outside my window. Friend, I thought I'd be happy to see Jesus come. It scared me to death.

I thought, this is it. It has really happened. I thought, friend, the trumpet had sounded, and I was ready to go. Well, I wasn't frightened, but I was alarmed.

I was shocked. But one of these days just like that, Jesus is going to come. Friend, you say, well, I don't think it'll happen today. Well, that's a good sign that it might, for the Bible says, In such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.

The first point is, we're living in the last days. Be awake. Be awake. Be awake. Be awake, little children. It is the last hour in John's time, in our time, at any moment.

Look for Jesus. He's coming. He's coming at any moment. Now, if they had reason to believe he was coming in their day, how much more are we when we see these convergence of signs and coming events that cast a shadow ahead of time?

Here's the second point. Not only are these the last days, but number two, the antichrist is coming, and we need to be aware. The antichrist is coming, and we need to be aware. These are the last days. We need to be awake. The antichrist is coming.

We need to be aware. Look, if you will, again in verse 18 of this same chapter. And he says here, little children, it is the last time.

Okay, wake up. And as ye have heard, that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. Now, there is a world ruler who is waiting in the wings, ready to step onto the center stage.

I've told you that. And his title is antichrist. Now, it's interesting to know that the Bible describes the antichrist in many ways, but John is the only one who calls him antichrist. The apostle John calls him antichrist.

He has many aliases, but he has but one wicked heart. He is called the son of perdition. He is called the man of sin. He is called the wicked one. He is called the lawless one. He is called the beast. He is called the antichrist. Put down in your margin 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 3. There he's called the man of sin, this same one.

Listen to what Paul said. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, the man of sin. This man is so wicked, this antichrist, that he is literally called the man of sin.

That speaks of his character. Let me tell you what some other translations say. I'm reading from the King James. One calls him the man of lawlessness. Another calls him, listen to this, the incarnation of wickedness. Another translation calls him the champion of wickedness. Another calls him wickedness in human form. The King James calls him the man of sin. He will be the epitome of evil. He will be the personification, the incarnation of evil, this one that John is calling the antichrist. But also he's called in this same passage the son of perdition. Perdition means judgment. It speaks of the judgment that is surely awaiting him as he's going to be cast into the lake of fire.

Those who follow antichrist are following a loser. He is called in Revelation chapter 13 the beast that rises up out of the sea. And when the Bible calls him a beast, that speaks of his cruelty. It speaks of his fierce and ferocious nature that would devour and shred and tear.

He's called the beast. John calls him the antichrist. Now why does John call him the antichrist? The word, the prefix A-N-T-I has two meanings. Number one, it means against.

And number two, it means instead of. He is the one who comes against Christ. And how does he come against Christ? He comes against Christ by substituting himself for Christ instead of Christ. He comes as the devil's Messiah.

He comes as a diabolical, devilish substitute. He's one who opposes Christ. So put down first of all this antichrist is devilish. He is devilish. The Bible says he opposes God and exalts himself above God.

He is antichrist. Jesus could say, when he was here in the flesh, he that hath seen me hath seen the Father. When you've seen me, you've seen my Father. That's what Jesus could say. The antichrist could say, when you've seen me, you have seen my Father. You see, Jesus was the visible expression of the invisible God. The antichrist will be the visible expression of the invisible devil. As Jesus is to the Father, he will be to Satan. Satan desires worship.

He wants not only casualties, he wants converts. He wants that worship to be open, and he will receive it through his Messiah, the devil. So put down this antichrist is devilish.

Number two, he is divisive. Look, if you will, in verse 19 of this same chapter. He's talking now about other antichrists, and he says they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. Almost all of these apostate cults began in the true church. Now, these people are not truly saved.

They were not of us, but they went out from us. We've all seen people who have joined churches. They've never received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. They may come down an aisle, present themselves for baptism, be baptized, be in a Sunday school class, be in a choir, and after a while they go off and they get into some strange, weird, esoteric cult.

Why do they do that? Well, friend, they are with us, but they're not of us. They have no true koinonia. The Holy Spirit of God is not in them, and so they go away. Somebody says, well, they lost their salvation. No, they didn't lose their salvation. They never had it.

That's what John says. They went out from us, but they were not with us. They were not of us. Had they been of us, they no doubt would have continued with us, but they went away. These antichristian cults, and the world is full of them, are a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

It has not taken God by surprise. 1 Timothy 4, verse 1, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. They went out from us, but they were not of us.

Had they been of us, had they had the Holy Spirit, they would no doubt have continued with us. What about this antichrist? He is devilish, and the spirit of antichrist is devilish.

It is divisive. It is deceptive. Look here, if you will, in verses 20 and following. John says, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and no lie is of the truth.

Who is a liar? But he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, he is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. But he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

These things have I written unto you, concerning them that seduce you. The antichrist is devilish. He is divisive, and he is deceptive. He is a liar. He is the master liar. He learns this from his father, the devil, who is a liar, and the father of it.

Now, what is he going to deceive men about primarily? Who Jesus is. Who Jesus is. Friend, antichrist is against you understanding just who Jesus is. The battle in every age, in every year, always centers on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are wrong about Jesus, it doesn't matter what you're right about. Now, folks, I want you to understand this.

Listen again. Verse 22, who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ. He is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. If you're wrong about the Son, you have missed the Father.

You don't understand it. Now, put in your margin 1 John chapter 4. 1 John chapter 4, verses 1 through 3. Here's what the apostle John says in two chapters later. Beloved, believe not every spirit. You know, people say, Well, I just, you know, I just have something in my heart.

Listen. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits. Test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are going out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. This is that spirit of antichrist.

Where if ye have heard that it should come, even now already, it is in the world. And coming up on Monday, we'll hear part two of this important message. But maybe today you have questions regarding your faith in Jesus. We'd love to offer an insightful resource on our website. It's our Discover Jesus page. There you'll find answers you may need about your faith.

There's a response section. You can share with us how this message or others have touched your life. Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab at the top that says Discover Jesus.

Let us hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, call 1-877-LOVEGOD and mention the title, Living in the Last Days. This message is also part of the insightful series, Sweetest Fellowship This Side of Heaven. For that complete collection, all 11 powerful messages, call 1-877-LOVEGOD or go online to order at lwf.org slash radio.

Or you can write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Well, part two of Living in the Last Days is coming up on Monday. But before we go, I want to remind you to sign up for our daily heartbeat emails. You'll get daily devotions and message links sent straight to your inbox.

You can join that at lwf.org slash radio. And tune in next time for more timeless truth from Adrian Rogers right here on Love Worth Finding. Here's a message from a listener that really encouraged us. I listen to Adrian Rogers every morning as part of my daily devotions on the radio. What a man of God he was and still is to so many people.

Thanks. Well, at Love Worth Finding, it's our mission to help you grow in your faith, and we are so blessed by your messages, by your prayers, and your generosity. And to say thank you for your gift right now, we'd love to send you our God's Word Booklet Collection. This bundle contains profound and practical booklets from Adrian Rogers' teaching that will help you find meaning in your quiet time, put power in your prayer, and much more. Request the God's Word Booklet Collection when you call with a gift at 1-877-LOVEGOD, 1-877-568-3463, or give online at lwf.org slash radio. And thank you for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.