Are You Watching or Scoffing?

God told Noah he had 120 years to build an ark.  We can be 100% certain that the people of his day walked by Noah's place and saw him working on a massive project.

"What are you doing Noah?"

"Building a big boat to survive a catastrophic flood that God is sending."

"Ha!  That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

Now just imagine 5 years later when the same guy comes back...and then 10 years, 20 years, 30 years...

"Holy crap Noah!  You have to be the absolute craziest man I have EVER seen!  You do realize that you are totally insane, right?

And then 50 years, 75 years, 100 years....

"Hey Noah!  You do realize that I first started scoffing at you more than 100 years ago.  And today I have brought my great, great grandson with me so I could show him personally what the biggest waste of time actually looks like!"

But Noah ignored them all and listened to God.

Genesis 7
16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

Today, we folks of the 21'st century have God's word printed out for us and available on every computer, i Pad and i Phone.  In His word He clearly tells us that one day a loud trumpet is going to sound, and Jesus is going to pluck the dead Christian bodies out of the grave and transform it into an eternal, glorified body.  Then in a twinkling of an eye Jesus will turn his attention to the followers of Christ who are still alive and standing on planet earth listening to the massive trumpet blast.  They will then be transformed into their glorified bodies and join Christ in the clouds.

"Dennis...that has to be one of the craziest things I have EVER heard!  You do realize that science has proved most of the stories in the Bible to be fables....right?"

What is it about Bible prophecy and end times dialogue that sets some Christian’s teeth on edge? The reason I’m asking this question is because I can’t remember a time when apathy regarding the Lord’s return has been so widespread. If we were talking about a pagan view of the last days...the previous statement wouldn’t seem so provocative. We are discussing apathy of so many in the church...that is why the matter is of deep concern.

I have defended the importance of Bible prophecy and it’s not my intention to review the subject. What I want to focus on—is a “heart'” issue. I want to make a clear distinction between those who “love His appearing” and those who couldn’t care less.

Just like some people in the 1st century church, we also have people inside the church now who are lukewarm, complacent, and slumbering. Welcome to Laodicea: Many inside of our churches today aren’t watching and waiting. Instead, they are scoffing.

Is it just me, or have you also noticed a growing disconnect between some professing believers and those of us who are longing for the Lord’s return? I know spiritual apathy has always been around, but the level and fervor of the scoffers inside the church is reaching a fever pitch. This lukewarm condition inside the church captured my full-attention after I read an article on the Christian Post that was about prophetic events and our time.

Since we live at a time when so many are scoffing at the fact that Jesus will return soon...it encourages me to be ready all the more. It makes me want to reach out to those who are stuck in the lukewarm mire right now. Some of you may be asking, “Isn’t that casting pearls...?” I would say no...unless our loving admonishment is met by a continued “unrepentant” life pattern by one claiming to be a Christian. Then it may be time to move on and lovingly warn others while continuing to pray for those with unrepentant hearts.

Jesus stands at the door and knocks. We have the truth of the Bible when we tell people with confidence: In His own words Jesus said He was coming soon, three times in Revelation 22. Nothing cuts through the mire of the heart like the Bible does.

It is a loving thing to bring a brother or sister to repentance, but repeated scoffing and hard-heartedness toward the things of God is another matter all together.

I want those of us who love His appearing to get in the practice of encouraging one another as we see the day approaching. Many in the world and inside the church don’t want to hear that Jesus is coming back for His people and that judgment will follow. Keep on faithfully proclaiming the gospel and the soon return of the Lord.

Read this entire encouraging article here;  http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/green15.html

I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, "But Dennis...I've been hearing from people in church that Jesus is coming since I was a little boy!  I'm now (insert age) and he still isn't here!  It's a waste of time and effort to tell people to repent and get sober because Jesus is coming!  Don't get so heavenly minded that you become no earthly good!"

Friends, Israel just became a nation in 1948.  That's only 66 years ago when that major indicator of Christ's return happened.  Noah got scoffed at for 120 years...until the flood came and took all the scoffers away.

We are clearly in the days when we shouldn't be surprised if Christ returns for us.  We need to keep working to tell people about the ONLY way to salvation, snatching them from the fires of judgment before it's too late.  In an instant...the age of grace will be over.

Luke 17
26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.