What in the world is going to happen?

0:00What in the world is gonna happen? Let's talk about it on Key Life. That was Steve Brown and this is Key Life. We're dedicated to the teaching that the only people who get any better are those who know that if they don't get any better, God will still love them anyway. Steve is an author, seminary professor, and our teacher on Key Life. We were saying yesterday if you were listening and I know those who weren't by the way. I know the names of those who know I don't. But yesterday I was suggesting that Christian have an edge on unbelievers because we know the future. When you know the future it makes a difference. Now let me tell you why. First, because the Christian knows about the future of the world.

1:01The prophet Isaiah saw the future and spoke the Word of God. This is Isaiah 65-17. For behold, I create new heavens and new earth and the former things shall not be remembered or even come to mind. The Bible points to God's purpose for the world. And I could go to a lot of places, but let me go to 2 Peter 3, 8 through 10 and 13. But we do not ignore this one fact, beloved. That with the Lord a day is a thousand years. And a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slow about His promises, some counts slowness, but is forebearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach revenant.

2:01But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. And then the heavens will pass away with a loud voice, and the elements will be dissolved with fire and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. But according to His promise, we wait for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. We live in chaos, don't we? We really do. I don't know about you. I keep about every day of my life. I say to myself, I'm not going to watch the news anymore. But I can't help it. I was a newsman in broadcasting for so many years. I just can't get away from it. But it causes stomach problems. It turns my stomach. It causes mind problems.

3:03I get angry in my mind. I think I wish. I never mind what I think, but the world really is in chaos. And if you pay much attention to the news, you'll do your people say crazy things, really crazy things, and they will say, we're on the side of history. Nonsense. If you watch the news, you'll see some things that will cause you to win. And somewhere in that place, somebody's going to say, we're on the side of history. No, you're not on the side of history. Someday, the scripture is clear. The craziness is going to come to an end. Someday, in the future, you're going to find out that all along you

4:03were on the side of history because you were on the side of Jesus. Never before has there been so much confusion. And because of the confusion, so much damage and so much danger. Every paper and television screened, screams out the message of a new crisis, a new problem, a new fear. There is no hope for our world if one looks for hope within the bound of our world. We simply don't have enough solutions to go around. If air pollution doesn't strangle us, global warming will kill us all. There's the population explosion, and we need to throw all of the morality things out. The things we thought were right or wrong because they don't count anymore.

5:05A man is not a man and a woman is not a woman. I could go on and on. And some of those things are on the right and some of those things are on the left. If we aren't starved at death because we can't produce enough food for the world, we'll blow ourselves up because of the bonds. War, poverty, racism, pollution marks like a soldier in review before the world. And most of us just go get a fresh six pack and change the station. The problem is that the most we can do is tinker with the mess. Education, psychology, religion have done their best, but educated men build those bonds. Adjusted men and women turned away

6:07and religious men and women just smile and talk about love. There was a time when some of us spoke about how the world was getting better and better in every way, every day. In fact, the Christian magazine called the Christian Century was named that magazine because they honestly believed that when they began it, we were entering, finally, the coming kingdom of God, the century that would be a Christian century. And then the World War came along and blew that to smithereens. For years, I served on the board of Christianity today and the executive committee and those were good years, and I loved it, but you need to know that Christianity today was founded.

7:12On the reality that Christian century was wrong, we don't live in a Christian century. Things are not going to get better and better in every way, every day. It's just not going to happen. We live in a fallen world, and if you don't get the implications of what it means to live in a fallen world, you simply don't understand. And so, when we see how bad it really is and sometimes it seems to be getting worse, all we do is tinker with the mess. But in the middle of all that chaos, the crisis, the fear, the confusion, the destruction, the Christian could stand sure in the knowledge that Jesus has spoken, and he doesn't lie. In this world, he said,

8:14you have tribulation. But be of good cheer I have overcome the world. That's John 1633. Jesus is in control. He knows what he's doing. We can trust him. Aren't you glad? That's why. Real Christians. Like me and I'm a real Christian. Sometimes I don't like it, but I am. This stuff, I believe, every word of the Bible, and I'm a real Christian. Sometimes I get churning inside. Sometimes I think nobody can help us with this. Or we can say with Churchill, we're like a radio with the batteries gone dead. I get all that. But bottom line. I know him. Bottom line.

9:15Somebody is in control. Bottom line. History isn't just the record of dumb people doing dumb things. History is his story. And from Genesis to Revelation, we see history being worked out. From the beginning, in the beginning God, to the end, when Jesus comes back and cleans up all the mess. Do you know what D.L. Moody used to do? He was used in an amazing way in the early years of his ministry with Sunday school classes of kids. He recruited piles and piles of people to help him with those Sunday school classes. And then he would say to them, I have got to leave.

10:16But I'm coming back. I've got some obligations I have to fulfill. But I'm coming back. I have some cities to visit and some people to whom to talk. But I'm coming back. And you do what God has called you to do with these kids and in these cities. And eventually, I'll come back and we'll do it together. Those who were his followers in those early days said they lived on that promise. There's a sense in which we live on that promise, too. Jesus said, I'm watching. I'm ruling. I'm sovereign. I'm in charge. Just keep doing what you're supposed to do. And I'll come back and we'll fix it together.

11:16You think about that. Amen. A little reassurance and hope to wrap up the week in our current teaching series. Thank you, Steve. As Steve mentioned earlier this week, we're beginning to wrap this thing up. Might be a good time to drop by keylife.org slash family to relisten to episodes or maybe share it with a friend. And do join us tomorrow for Friday, Q&A when Steven Pete will answer a question about the Tower of Babel. Interesting stuff. So, catacisms. That's the last time you thought about those. Well, author Treven Wax believes this ancient discipleship tool could help us take on modern secular culture. His new book is called the gospel way catacism. 50 truths to take on the world. We spoke with Treven about it on Steve Bryant, et cetera. And I think you'll be intrigued by what he has to say. Check out that entire episode on CD for free by calling us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE. That's 1-800-539-543-3.

12:16You can also email Steve at keylife.org to ask for that CD or to mail your request go to keylife.org slash contact to find our mailing addresses. Just ask for the free CD featuring Treven Wax. Finally, would you partner in the work of keylife by giving? It's easy, just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope or you can now give safely and securely through text. Just take out your phone and text keylife to 28950. That's keylife, one word or two, doesn't matter. Text that to 28950. Keylife is a member of ECFA in the States and Forci in Canada and keylife is a listener-supported production of keylife network.

13:20Thank you very much.