The End, Part 2 - Be Ready!

A friend of mine was telling me the story of the birth of a recent child. His wife felt a few contractions, but believed them to be false, so she didn’t do anything to get ready for the birth. Then all of a sudden she realized things were progressing really fast. She called her husband who rushed home, and by the time he got there, the event was happening. No trip to the hospital, no boiling water, no getting ready. In less than five minutes the baby was born, right there in the house. In this case, the story has a great ending, but ignoring the birth pains that give warning of the end of time and the return of Jesus will lead to a much worse outcome. As Jesus teaches on the last things that will happen on the earth, he passes on one central message. He does not tell how, when, where it will happen, but he guarantees that it will happen, and he challenges us to be ready. Today we will look at the events the Bible promises will take place, and we will be asking you if you are ready for that day.