Download “What Does The Future Look Like?” Dan. 12:1-3 St. John`s

“What Does The Future Look Like?”
Dan. 12:1-3
St. John’s - East Moline
11/18/12
Intro.: How much would you give to know the future; to be able to see what’s coming in the days or months
or years ahead?
What would it be worth to have a place to go for the answer for all of those things you are
going to face, and to be assured of a glorious outcome? The Lord gives us all of this in His precious Word as
in our readings He shows what our future will look like.
Many of us have serious and legitimate concerns about what lies ahead for us and our children. Will I be
able to go to college and if so will there be any jobs? Am I ever going to find the right person to marry? Will I
be able to retire with benefits? What is going to become of this country, the Christian faith, and my Church?
Already, there are so many who are not continuing to practice their faith, so where will this congregation be
and what will it be doing 5, 10, or 100 years from now? Thankfully the Lord does not reveal all of the things
that are in our future, but he does offer us some insight into the events surrounding these last days and the
future of His kingdom and people.
By offering us the prophecies we heard today, God is not merely trying to tantalize us. These messages
are given to calm our hearts and assure us that in Christ we are kept safe in his grace.
Both the prophet Daniel and our Lord Jesus encourage us to take comfort in God’s promises, and to find our
refuge in His Church. If we were to ask Daniel, “What does the future hold?” he might respond, “Well, I’ve
got some good news and I’ve got some bad news.”
I. We Are Facing A Time Of Great Distress.
First the bad news: “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of the
nations, until then.” Jesus might add, “those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when
God created the world, until now and never too be equaled again.” “Nation will rise against nation and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the
beginning of birth-pains.....”and “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will
be saved...” (Gospel Mark 13)
In these last days of our Church year, we are reminded that we as a congregation, each of us as a child of
God, along with all of humanity are facing a time of distress such as the world has never known.
A. Despite what many would like to believe, who witness monumental achievements in science, medicine
and technology, the Bible and even our own experience reveals that humanity is degenerating morally and
spiritually. Our world is descending to ever greater degrees of foolishness and depths of depravity even as it
claims to be growing wiser and more tolerant. This spiritual bankruptcy is making conditions worse and
worse, especially for the faithful. The result is that we are beginning to see days of distress that nothing in all
of history can match.
B. Jesus words in today’s Gospel reveal that the last days have most certainly begun. They began with
Christ’s coming in the flesh, his crucifixion for the forgiveness of the world’s sin, and his resurrection to give
life to all believers. Many of the signs mentioned by Jesus have already taken place. Jesus said, “Watch out
that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many”. Indeed
many false prophets and false saviors have led multitudes away from the truth of salvation by God’s grace
through faith in Jesus. Self-proclaimed prophets like Mohamed, Joseph Smith, and others who claim to
speak by direct revelation the oracles of God have taken millions captive by their false teachings. Even
within the sectarian denominations of the visible Church there are more and more false prophets who dismiss
Biblical doctrine for the sake of being more acceptable or appealing to modern society. Their teachings are
soul-damning poisons which are eagerly received by people with “itching ears” who want a religion and a God
who will be more “tolerant”, “non-judgmental,” and “open-minded.”
C. Yes things in the world are bad marriages fail at an alarming rate, delinquency is rampant among our
youth, and gangs wage war on society. Governments, like ours, that seek to expunge God from public life
and place no value on human life, give birth to godless people who place no value in and have no use for one
another. In a society that calls good evil and evil good, murder, theft, sexual immorality, and abuse have
become commonplace. Our generations have witnessed the most destructive wars on the broadest scale in
the world’s history along with many attempts at genocide. We are ever engaged in or on the brink of war
and natural disasters are occurring at an alarming rate. These are the beginnings of birth pains. These are
the start of the distress which we face.
And if you are thinking that the present conditions of the world are not severe enough to fit the terrible
descriptions of the end times in Scripture, remember that the worst kind of distress is not physical but
spiritual. This is why the prophet says that in these last days, “Michael, the great prince who protects your
people, will arise” Michael is the archangel of the Lord, he does not lead the armies of nations, with columns
of tanks, and warships loaded with cruise missiles, but commands the hosts of angels in spiritual battle for the
sake of God’s people. It is in the spiritual realm that the greatest distress has come upon us. As our nation
has twisted the first amendment’s guarantee for freedom of religion freedom to mean freedom from religion,
we will continue to see more and more legislation intended to silence our witness and aimed at driving our
faith and worship back into hiding. All of this is happening and most people think it is just the result of
human powers of flesh and blood, but it is not. Satan does his best work in secret, without people realizing
what he is doing or when he is doing it. This is why Jesus warns, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
.
But most of all think of your own life, your personal distress, the struggles you face physically, emotionally
and spiritually, as you seek to stand firm against all of the attacks of the evil one in these last days. Certainly,
even if the world does not yet realize it, you know in your own life that the distress of the last days is upon
you. Certainly, you perceive that the day is coming when the world will be judged, and as the prophet says,
“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and
everlasting contempt.” And what does this all mean for you?
This is where the prophet comes along with the Good News, telling us that in these last days:
II.
We Are Delivered And Made Righteous Through Christ’s Church.
A. “But at that time,” says Daniel, “ your people-- everyone whose name is found written in the book-- will be
delivered.” The Lord has established His Church to be for you, like the ark was for Noah and His family. In
the middle of the flood, when distress came upon the whole earth and all the creatures of the world perished
outside in the dreadful days of God’s judgment, Noah and his family were preserved by entering into the ark
by the Lord’s invitation. Within the ark they were protected from the horrible flood. Within the ark they
were fed by the hand of God. Within the ark they were sustained by God’s promise. And within the ark
they were carried safely through the cleansing waters into a new world.
B. So it is for you, by God’s grace He has established his Church as the unshakable fortress for his people.
In the Holy Christian Church you are delivered through the distress of these last days and protected by His
Word from the assaults of the evil one. In the Church that Christ Himself builds you are fed by the hand of
God with the bread of life – the body and blood of your Savior. The Church is where you are brought into
fellowship with God and your fellow redeemed to live by the promise of salvation, and given assurance that
you will soon land safely by God’s grace in the new world to come.
C. Your Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, is the ark that God has provided for you and for your salvation.
We believe and know that God has established this congregation, and built it upon His Word to be a sanctuary
for sinners like you and me. This is where we are made righteous by the blood of Christ and delivered
through the waters of baptism. This is where saving faith is created by the Holy Spirit working through the
Word and strengthened by Him in the Body and Blood of Jesus. Here through His continued work we confess
our sins and claim the forgiveness Christ won for us on the cross. Every time we gather in this sacred place
we are made even more certain that our names are written the in the Lambs book of life.
Even if the whole world, and all of creation may be shaken in these last days, this Church, not the
building, but the congregation established by God through the Word and Sacrament, will stand. This is the
kingdom which the writer to the Hebrews notes cannot be shaken. The Lord says that in the last days, “I
will shake not only the earth but also the heavens...(this) indicates the removing of what can be shaken that is,
created things, so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom
that cannot be shaken let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. For our
God is a consuming fire.” (Heb.12)
This is the kingdom which our LORD and God, Jesus Christ, promised
to build for us upon the confession of Peter, the Church against which the very gates of hell could not prevail.
And this Church, this pastor, these people, this Gospel, are here for you...whatever your distress....to
comfort you in your grief, to give you love in your loneliness, to visit you when you are ill, to lift you up in faith
when you are feeling low, to share forgiveness with you when you are consumed by guilt, to protect you,
defend you, and to be Christ’s hands, feet and voice to you in all your days of great distress. In this Church
offering that same love and support in Christ’s name you shine like stars by the working of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel that in these last days, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who
lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
In these days of great distress we, who have
been made wise unto salvation are given the opportunity to shine in the darkness to lead others to
righteousness and eternal life in Christ.
III.
Through The Church, And This Congregation, We Lead Many To Righteousness As We Proclaim The Gospel.
A. Jesus says that in these last days, “the gospel must first be preached to all nations...” (Mark 13). That is
why this congregation and each of us are here on this earth and why the day of judgment has yet to come.
As scripture says it is not that God is slow in keeping his promises, but He is patient, not wanting any to perish,
but that all would come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. [Nt. 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4] How can
people know the truth if someone doesn’t tell them, and if you do not tell them, who will?
B. Again, that is why we are here and why these days of distress continue, because the gospel must first be
preached. God has given you many things to enjoy in this earthly life, but you are not here just to watch
your favorite television programs, to win sports trophies, to go on great vacations, or to grow your bank.
You are here to let your light shine, to lead others to the saving truth, to preach the Gospel and to proclaim
the glories of the One who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [Nt. 1 Pet. 2:9].
C. There is the story of two rabbits who were being chased through the woods by a pack of ferocious
wolves. The rabbits dove into their hole to escape and were safe. One rabbit groaned, “What are we going
to do?” The other rabbit calmly replied, “We’ll just stay here in our hole until we outnumber them.” With
the Holy Spirit working in our congregation and through our faithful proclamation we have the assurance that
we will outnumber all the wolves of life that hound us during these days of great distress as many are led to
righteousness and salvation in Christ. Our future looks glorious, because in Christ we will have the victory.
Concl.: So, the bad news is that we are indeed facing in our future times of distress such as the world has
never known, but the good news is that through Christ who has given us His Church and made us a members
of it, we will be delivered to a glorious eternal future to shine like the brightness of heaven and like the stars
forever and ever. Amen.