LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST
CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY
26 FEBRUARY 2023
2 TIMOTHY 3 VERSES 1 – 5,
MATTHEW 24 VERSES 36 – 39
We are thinking of how the
world celebrates some of the great events – sporting achievements (world cup
finals recently), the soon coronation of the King and there are political
achievements too. Surely tonight as we
come together the world stands on the brink of the greatest event ever
witnessed, never to be witnessed again.
The Lord who died on the cross of Calvary, was buried in the tomb and on
the third day when they went to look for a body it was gone, he was resurrected
from the dead and is even now ascended into heaven. Jesus promised us “if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself.” (John 14 verse
3) The angels said to the people standing
looking into heaven “why stand ye gazing up into heaven, this same Jesus which
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen
him go into heaven.” (Acts 1 verse 11)
He will not come to the cradle, to the manger in Bethlehem but is coming
to the air with a shout and the trump of the archangel. We will arise. When will it happen? We don’t know but we need to be prepared for
it. We are thinking here of the signs of
the times. Jesus has marked out in the
scripture some of the things we need to look out for. Everyone needs to know these things. Surely this world is on the brink of
something, the climax of it all. The
Lord said in Matthew’s gospel chapter 24 verse 37 pointing right back to the
days of Noah before the flood “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that
Noe entered into the ark.” That was the
way life was going on until the day Noah entered into the ark. Some knew nothing until the flood came. Compare that society with the one we are
living in today. Paul said they would be
“perilous times”. We see a reckless
society. How very important this
scripture is. As Jesus pointed back to
it we can compare the 2 societies – 2 societies who disregarded the things of
God – “eating, drinking and marrying and giving in marriage.” God was left out of the equation until the
flood came and they were taken away.
Some ask if Jesus’ return will ever take place. There were 2 doctors on a train arguing about
the next destination. One thought it was
at a village while the other thought it was at a town. One said to the other “let’s see what
Bradshaw’s guide says and that will settle it.”
When they consulted with the guide they realised both were wrong. It doesn’t matter what man says, it matters
what God’s word says. From the very fall
of man in Genesis 3 the society was on a roller coaster. Genesis 6 verse 13 shows that the earth was “full
of violence”. When God looked on the
society he saw it was full of violence. Surely,
we can see that same violence going on around the world today. Just think of the war in Ukraine or the many
years of civil disobedience in our own province. Such violence as in the days of Noah “so
shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man.”
In Genesis 6 verse 5 we see there was a vent towards evil. This is the society in which God judged. We need to remind ourselves we are looking at
the coming of the Lord, not just looking for the signs of a future day. We read that men will live to please
themselves. Noah was living in such a
society. Paul in 2 Timothy 3 verse 2
tells us that men will be “lovers of themselves”. A reckless society. Are we not living in a reckless society
today? When we can see the Son of God
coming at any moment?
A rebellious
society. In Genesis 4 we see how sin
entered into the world. There was one
tree they were not to eat because in that day they ate of it they would die. Eve looked at that fruit and saw it was good
so gave it to Adam to eat. He ate and
fell from grace. Adam hid from God and
when God came to search for him, he cried out “Adam where are you?” God had to take an animals skins to make them
coverings for their sin. In Adam’s
family we see the first murder. Cain
rose up against his brother and killed him.
In Genesis 4 verse 18, 3 generations later we read of Lamech, Cain’s
great great great grandson. By his
actions he showed rebellion to God. He
disregarded God’s word. He knew the
sanctity of marriage, knew what God said about marriage – Genesis 2 verse 24
“therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto
his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”
God said marriage shall be one man to one woman. He set that aside, disregarded God’s
law. Lamech married 2 wives, he
introduced polygamy. Genesis 4 verse 19. Here was a young man who was going to live
his life in total rebellion to God.
“some shall depart from the faith.” 1 Timothy 4 verse 1. Some people profess Christ today but they have
departed from the faith, have given heed to “seducing spirits.” What do we see in our society today? The younger generation do not know about
their gender. God says man and woman but
today society says we don’t know what gender they are. God says marriage is between one man and one
woman but society says man with man, woman with woman is acceptable. God says “thou shalt not kill” but
society says that’s ok unless it is a
child that is not wanted. Lamech had a
disregard for life. He kills a man
younger than himself – Genesis 4 verse 23 – and he boasts to his wives of what
he has done. God looks down on society,
sees society full of violence, a reckless and a rebellious society turning
their backs on God.
A resistant
society. The society in Noah’s day was characterised
by a life of socialising. They had no
moral principles whatsoever, anything would go.
In that society they did not seek many to turn in repentance. People thought things would continue as they
were. Yes they could see Noah was
preparing for something that would happen but they laughed at the prospect of a
flood. He was building a place of refuge
and safety for them to leave society behind and enter in through one door. The people could not see what was before
them. Are we watching for the coming of
the Lord? Are we ready for him coming
again? People resisted the preaching of
Noah and the building of the ark. People
today are resisting the preaching of the gospel, how he came into the world to
seek and to save. They say “we don’t
need a Saviour, give us a physician, a philosopher, a teacher.” On the cross of Calvary God’s own son was
nailed, he gave his life a ransom for us.
You and I could never make heaven’s door ourselves. We could never see those gates ourselves or
walk the pearly streets for ourselves.
God could see the plight we were in, he took his beloved son and sent
him into the world to die for our sins.
Are you still resisting him? Are
you saying you will make your own way?
Are we happy to take communion, read our bibles and pray? Everyone has missed that mark. We will never be in heaven until we accept
Christ as our Saviour. People resisted
in Noah’s day until the flood came and God shut the door.
A religious
society. The fact they married and were
giving in marriage indicates that perhaps they had some inclination to the programme
God had for mankind. Maybe they had a
religiosity. In these latter days “men
shall be lovers of themselves … having a form of godliness but denying the
power of God.” They denied the teaching
of man’s sinfulness, that man is sinful.
People today say there is a goodness about man but the bible says that
man is depraved and hell is their destination.
Christ came to turn that all on its head. They rejected the idea that Christ died, that
he rose from the dead and that he is coming again. Isn’t that what they laughed at when Paul
preached on Mars Hill? They mocked and
laughed at him.
It was a rejected
society. In Noah’s day they were
resisting what God had given until that day.
We have a rejected society today.
When Christ comes again will we be ready? Horatius Bonnar used to say when he opened
the curtains in a morning “maybe today Lord” and when it came night and he was
closing them again he looked out into the darkness and said “maybe tonight Lord.” He lived in expectation that Christ could
come before the morning would break. A
rejected society. Jesus said they lived
until the day the rains came. I can
imagine the rush to the ark when the waters rose but God had closed the door. Noah had no authority to open it. The door of God’s grace was opened that day
he died on Calvary. It is still
open. Jesus stands with his arms
outstretched biding you to come. Jesus’
coming again will happen in the twinkling of an eye. The dead in Christ will arise and you and I
that are left will be changed, caught up to meet him in the clouds of the
air. What about those left behind? Don’t hold on to that old profession, to some
sort of religious string thinking that will take you through when Jesus comes. It will be too late.
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