Back to the Future, Part 1

Our five-year vision to come is following in the footsteps of Jesus, His Great Commission. And so we're focusing on bringing the 96% of Americans who do not have a Christian worldview to come and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We're reaching out to the rest of the world through the Navigators, through KingdomSats, through many, many opportunities. And that is God's vision for us, and I pray that you're going to be part of this vision. Partner with Dr. Yusef and leading the way today to spark a new and great spiritual awakening in the West. Reach Muslims and take the gospel to the unreached worldwide when you call 866-626-4356. And when you visit ltw.org. Waiting for the Lord means that we work harder, that we serve faithfully, that we give generously, that we witness intensely, that we love passionately, that we forgive easily, that we join the spiritual battle courageously. And so when He returns, He finds us busy, working, serving, not idly sitting by. Thank you for taking time to listen to Leading the Way with pastor and bestselling author, Dr. Michael Yusef.

You can reach the ministry teams at ltw.org. Well, events of recent years have provided many with a copious amount of material, all to declare that the Battle of Armageddon is just a tweet away or maybe an election away. But what does the Bible say? What should you be doing to prepare for and to endure these last days? Well, how about a challenge to get busy from Leading the Way's Bible teacher, Dr. Michael Yusef. Join me in listening as he begins today's Bible teaching. Whenever the subject of the Lord's second coming is in place, you're going to find the two categories of people, those who are forever trying to fix a date on which the Lord will return. Then there are those on the other extreme who are skeptical and they are apathetic about that day of the return of the Lord, about the whole matter of Christ's return. And yet the Scripture repeatedly urges us, urges every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to live every single day with the expectancy of the day of the Lord. Every generation must do that because we do not know exactly when He's coming back and therefore it is our joy to live expectantly of the coming of the Lord. But there can be very little doubt, I think, in the mind of anybody who's studying the Scripture to know that the return of the Lord is imminent. Jesus Himself said, while only the Father knows that hour, nonetheless, Christians must look forward to the return of Christ every single day. In Matthew 24, 44, I'm going to get you to turn to it in a minute, He said, always be ready for the return of the Lord because you don't know the hour in which He will return.

You don't know the hour to expect Him. 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 3 and 4 tells us that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lusts and saying, where is that promise of His coming? But here's the irony, and the irony is that the scoffers of our day, the scoffers of today, are in a state of frightful expectation of a cosmic collapse.

So many scientists who are warning us that a frightful worldwide catastrophe is around the corner, it's inevitable. But for those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ, those of us who believe His word and longing for His return, that day is not frightening to us. That day is a day of eager expectations on our part. We have joyful anticipation of the coming of the Lord.

We have gleeful anticipation of that day. And we are daily praying, come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus every single day. That is what categorized a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're afraid of that day of judgment, then you have not committed your life to Jesus Christ. You do not know Him as the Savior of your soul and the Lord of your life. And I pray to God that today will be the day in which you commit your life to Him.

Your name will be written in the book of life and heaven will rejoice. Ah, but that does not mean that we sell everything, put on white robes, head for the mountains and wait for the spaceship. That is not the Christian faith. That is not the Christian faith.

I work 14 to 16 hours a day at least. And yet every single day I live with longing for the return of the Lord. In fact, waiting for the Lord means that we work harder, that we serve faithfully, that we give generously, that we witness intensely, that we love passionately, that we forgive easily, that we labor for Christ devotedly, that we join the spiritual battle courageously. That's what it means to be waiting for the Lord.

And so when He returns, He finds us busy, working, serving, not idly sitting by. One of the clearest signs of the nearness of the return of the Lord, one of the clearest signs of the eminence of the return of the Lord is found in Matthew 24 beginning of 37. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be prior to the return of the Son of Man.

Right after He told them that no one knows the hour, not even the angels in heaven, not even He Himself in the flesh when He was on this earth that He knew exact hour, only the Father knew. And yet He immediately goes on to say, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be prior to the return of the Son of Man. In other words, He is saying that as the prevailing attitudes were in the days of Noah before the flood, so shall be the prevailing attitudes prior to the return of Christ. What are these prevailing attitudes? Well you have to go back to Genesis chapter 6 to find out what the prevailing attitudes were.

At least I found five prevailing attitudes that are very similar to the prevailing attitudes of our day. First, there was a rapid increase in the population explosion. Verse 1 of chapter 6 of the book of Genesis. And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth.

Now listen to me. Increase in population, population explosion is neutral. It is neither good nor bad. But often with the increase of the population, there is an increase in moral decadence. And today's world population is over 6 billion people. In 1973, there were only 3 billion people. So we doubled in less than 35 years.

Prior to that, it took 73 years for the population to double before that. Whatever it may be, we know who is in control. Whatever happens, those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ know that this world is not our home. That sooner or later, we're going to be caught up with Him in the cloud and we will reign and rule the universe with Him forever.

Amen belongs here. The second prevailing attitude that characterized the days of Noah is the unprecedented accumulation of knowledge. Genesis chapter 4 tells us about the development of mega cities for the first time ever.

Metallurgy, art and sciences. Even if you look at the size of Noah's ark, just think about this. When you think of the size of Noah's ark, it is comparable to one of our modern day ocean liners.

450 feet by 75 feet. This increase in knowledge contributed to an increase in self-indulgence, increase in complacency, increase in greed, an increase in luxuries and indeed was happening today. Today, the sum total of human knowledge is doubling every 22 months and that number is getting shorter and shorter that within a very short period of time, the total sum knowledge is going to be doubling every year. As someone estimated that from the beginning of history until 1845, just to illustrate it in your mind so you get it, knowledge would be equivalent to an inch. From 1845 to 1945, that knowledge was equivalent to three inches. From 1945 to 1975, knowledge was as high as the Washington Monument and from 1975 till today, knowledge is now equivalent to the Empire State Building.

Just give you an idea of the vast increase in knowledge. Third characteristics of the day of Noah, there was increase in wickedness. The Bible said that God saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously. Beloved, that's what brings about the judgment of God. It's evil and wickedness in the world and today we are seeing more and more men and women are living without regard to God. We are seeing more and more men and women who are living without moral absolutes and God's judgment could not be far from around the corner. Today, there are so many genocides and gratuitous bloodshed all over the world from Rwanda to Conga to Sudan to dozens of other places. Today, we have a whole new generation of young church going, call themselves evangelicals who are minimizing the enormity of the shedding of innocent blood in America in these abortion clinics.

Younger generation saying, yes abortion is important but it's not all that important. Wickedness generally is on increase worldwide. You would have to be living in space if you have not seen how within churches, these are churches that once preached the gospel. Within churches, they are de-emphasizing of sin and morality and they are drowning the people in these Bible, so-called Bible believing churches.

Homosexuality is seen as a civil right, not as a front to God and a rebellion against His created order. Sexual immorality among young, so-called Christian young people is rampant and as they blissfully rationalize their promiscuous lifestyle, many pastors are winking at it. Not only that, but biblical truth is so watered down that the average person can walk into a church and does not know that it's Jesus alone who can save from eternal judgment. They are no longer part and parcel of church's belief that so many of us are called emergent churches saying, you don't have to believe doctrine, you don't have to believe the Bible, you don't have to receive Jesus as your savior, just imitate Him.

Pray, tell me, how can you imitate Jesus if you don't belong to Him? Today, more and more church goers no longer believe in moral evil. They no longer believe in a personal Satan. They no longer believe in the coming judgment and that is the time Jesus said when people are living their lives without regard to God and the coming judgment and that's when He comes suddenly. In the meanwhile, the hearts are being hardened and are being hardened and being hardened as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days prior to the return of the Son of Man. And Paul tells us that in these last days, you're going to find Christians who are going to be running around from church to church, from preacher to preacher, from teacher to teacher, looking for what?

Looking for somebody who tickled their ears. What does that mean? They're looking for somebody who tells them what they want to hear, not the truth. Fourth characteristic is that they will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Verse 38. What's wrong with eating and drinking and marrying?

Nothing. These are gifts of God. Food and drink is a gift from God. That's why we give thanks before we eat. Thank Him for His gift. Nothing wrong with marriage. It's a great gift of God.

I recommend it. So what is Jesus saying? He's saying when food and drink becomes your obsession, when food and drink becomes your focus, when food and drink becomes the master and not the slave, then your priorities are lopsided. When we are obsessed with self-gratification, when the annual money that we spend on pet food and there's nothing wrong with that, but when the annual money we spend is twice as much as the entire budget of the nation of Uganda, there's something wrong with that. When people get in and out of marriage at whim, there's something wrong with that.

When selfishness dominate marriage relationship, there's something wrong with that. When immorality is just as rampant among Christians and church goers as it is among the non-believers, there's something wrong with that. And the judgment could not be far away. As it was in the day of Noah, so shall it be before the return of the Son of Man. There's a fifth characteristic of the day of Noah and it was this. It was mockery. It was a mockery of the preaching of the truth.

Second Peter 2.5 tells us that we're now as building the ark and inviting people to come and escape the judgment and the flood that is coming. People were mocking him. They were ridiculing him. They were laughing at him.

Probably they were saying, poor old Noah, he lost it. We've never seen a cloud, let alone a flood. We don't even know what that is. We're living just like our forefathers lived. Why should we respond to your invitation? Why should we listen to you and get into that ark? And the Bible said for 120 years, Noah preached warning and inviting, warning and inviting, but to no avail. In many ways, that's what Jesus is telling us. That as we invite people to come to him, as we invite people to come to Christ, as we lovingly warn them of the judgment that is coming, as we lovingly witness to the fact that only Jesus can save them eternally, that only Jesus can change their eternal direction from torment to bliss, that only Jesus is the one who promised freedom from sin and guilt and damnation. And as we do that, we're going to face rejection, but that's all right. We're going to face mockery, but that's all right. We're going to face polite snub, but that's all right.

Remember that for every one of those, you're going to be rewarded in heaven. But those who persist in the rejection of Christ, they're not your responsibility. Your part is to tell them.

It's their decision. But those who persist in their rejection of the gospel, one day will be terrified. One day they'll be horrified as they face the final judgment of God. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the day of the coming of the Son of Man.

You know, it's something about the whole story of Noah that always gives me a lump in my throat. It said that after Noah entered the ark, it didn't say Noah shut the door. It says God shut the door. You see, God has the door wide open now and he's saying, come now, come now, come now. But the day is going to come when God is going to shut the door.

Not you, not me. God is going to shut the door. And he said, you've heard the good news.

You did not respond to it. Now it's a day for judgment. Beloved, the judgment is not something to tamper with.

It's a serious matter because it's about people who will be in the dark, bottomless, lonely pit forever and ever and ever. That is why we plead with everyone. Come receive his invitation. Give forgiveness of all your sins and guilt. Come receive eternal life at his hand. So when is Jesus returning?

Nobody knows the hour, but we must be on the lookout every single day, every single moment that we'll be on the lookout. Jesus prophesied two different things. He told them that some things are going to happen right away and he said this generation shall not pass without these things happening. And then he said there are other things that are going to happen prior to his second coming. And what are the things that he told them is going to happen in their lifetime? He said to them this magnificent temple that Solomon built, it will be torn down and not one stone on top of the other. And if he visited there, you've seen these magnificent huge stones.

And I'm trying to think, trying to put myself in the place of the disciples in the first century. This is inconceivable. This is unbelievable. That cannot be. This magnificent building is going to fall apart and there's not a stone left on top of the other.

This magnificent building with one of the wonders of the ancient world. And yet in 70 AD, that prophecy came about with meticulous detail fulfillment. Someone here may say I'm going to wait until things really get bad. Then I'm going to come right with God. It doesn't work that way my beloved friend.

It doesn't work that way. You might never have another chance to respond. Why don't you come now while the door is open?

Why do you come now while the opportunity is available? Because his return will be sudden and there will be no second chances. It will be over. It will be over.

Because the next few verses Jesus tells, he talks about that suddenness, that quick. And you notice he didn't say now the believers are going to be out in the mountains with white robes waiting for me and I'm going to pluck them out there and then the others will be working in the field. He said no, they'll be working together. They'll be working in the field together.

They'll be in the mills together. The Christians will be working, continuously working. Ah, but their eyes, their heart, their mind is in anticipation of the return of Christ.

And that's the difference between the two. One is taken to heaven, the other was left to face the judgment of God. Jesus' own words said be alert and otherwise don't go to sleep. Don't fall in the trap of living just like everybody else, living like the non-believers do. Live with such urgency in your heart. Live with such expectancy in your heart if you know Jesus. And if you've never committed your life to him, maybe someone here today would say, you know, I'm a member of a church. I'm into religion and I go to mass or I do this or I do that. That's not what it's all about.

In the last day that's not what he's going to ask you. He's going to ask you have you received the gift of eternal life that was offered to you, that you heard and this very message is going to serve as a testimony on that day. And it is my heart cry, it's about you coming to know Jesus as the savior of your soul and the Lord of your life, where you can experience the joy of heaven even here on earth.

And then you're prepared to be with him reigning and ruling forever. Thank you for joining Dr. Michael Yusef for his timely series speaking directly into life in 2024, Back to the Future on Leading the Way. Our faith is under assault in America. Why are biblical beliefs now labeled hate speech?

Why are students camping out in protest on their college campuses? Why are there two versions of the truth on the internet and in the media? And what forces are behind the attack on Christianity? In his book, The Hidden Enemy, Dr. Michael Yusef offers timely insight to help you understand and respond to threats against the Christian faith. It is time for each of us to stand up for the truth boldly, lovingly and without compromise. God can bring spiritual awakening in these dark times, but we must pray, seek His face and proclaim His truth. Through Leading the Way, we must continue spreading the life-altering good news of Jesus' love. When you give a gift to Leading the Way, you are helping proclaim the Gospel. When you do, please request a copy of The Hidden Enemy, Dr. Yusef's gift to you for your generous partnership. Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Yusef is listener supported.

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