What Does the Future Hold?
Joe R. Price

None of us are able to tell the future without fail or fault (“you do not know what will happen tomorrow,” Jas. 4:14). Still, we look to the future and wonder.

“What does the Bible tell us about the future? What will happen to the earth?”

The Bible does not tell us everything that will happen in the future. But it does tell us enough to know that we must always be spiritually prepared for it (Matt. 24:42-51; Jas. 4:13-15).

Jesus Christ Will Return

“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you say Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

Jesus will return, but not to the earth to establish His kingdom and reign in peace for 1,000 years. 

1) When Jesus returns He will Judge mankind.

“…He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

2) When Jesus returns He will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father…” (1 Cor. 15:24)

3) When Jesus returns He will destroy the material world:  “…the elements will melt with fervent heat: both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Pet. 3:10, 11-12)

The Future of All Men

The future of every person includes:

1) Resurrection from the dead. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (John 5:28-29)

2) Judgment of what we did in this life. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10)

3) Reward or punishment. “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:46) “He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:7-8)

4) The future of the sinner is bleak and fearful.  “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41; 2 Ths. 1:7-9)

5) The future of the Christian is full of glory. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col. 4:3; cf. 1 Ths. 4:13-18)

Where Will You Spend Your Eternity?

The future is upon us. Every second of the clock brings us closer to eternity.  We ought to say “if the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (Jas. 4:15)

Prepare for the future by becoming a Christian. Believe in Christ and confess your faith, repent of your sins and be baptized for the remission of our sins (Jno. 8:24; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 17:30; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). Then, your future will be bright.  Your sins are forgiven. Remain prepared to meet your God through faithful living (2 Cor. 5:7-10; Col. 3:1-4; Gal. 2:20).

Top

The Body of Christ
Joe R. Price

The Roman Catholic Church believes the communion wafer, when consecrated by a priest in the Catholic Mass, becomes the actual body of Christ. The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the doctrine of transubstantiation and was written into Catholic dogma by the Council of Trent (1545-63). The Britannica Concise Encyclopedia notes that “in the mid-20th century, some Roman Catholic theologians interpreted it as referring to a change of meaning rather than a change of substance, but in 1965 Paul VI called for the retention of the original dogma.” (answers.com/ topic/transubstantiation)

This week a University of Central Florida student left mass without eating the consecrated wafer (“host”). This has Catholics there and around the world in an uproar. To them, the body of Christ was defiled by this action. (See “‘Body Of Christ’ Returned To Church After Student Receives Email Threats”, wftv.com, July 7, 2008)

All of this may sound incredible to non-Catholics, but I assure you that Catholics take this matter very seriously. Is this doctrine Biblical? With all due respect, did this student have the body of Jesus in his pocket? As one brother in Christ asked (with tongue in cheek), should the Diocese of Orlando charge this young man with kidnapping?

Jesus did not turn the bread and the fruit of the vine into his real person and presence when he instituted the supper (1 Cor. 11:23-25). Catholicism corrupts the meaning of John 6 and concludes the real presence of Christ’s body and soul and divinity are present in these emblems.

There Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jno. 6:54). Jesus was presenting himself as “the bread of life”, the “living bread which came down from heaven” (Jno. 6:35, 48, 51). He said “the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (Jno. 6:51). To “eat” his flesh and “drink” his blood is not talking about the Lord’s Supper, but about obeying his gospel in order to obtain the nourishment of redemption and salvation that he alone gives. This is confirmed in John 6:56-57: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. He who feeds on me will live because of me”. Jesus went on to say, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life” (Jno. 6:63). When we obey the word of Christ we abide in Christ and he abides in us (Jno. 14:21, 23; 1 Jno. 2:3-6; 3:24).

The body of Christ was sacrificed for the sins of the world one time for all time on Calvary’s cross – not repeatedly since then during the Catholic Mass: “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:10-12).

We eat the bread and drink the cup “in remembrance” of Christ, not to obtain the real presence and person of Christ in some metaphysical way (1 Cor 11:24-25). When we eat the Supper we must remember Christ’s sacrifice (eat worthily and “discern the Lord’s body”, 1 Cor. 11:27-29).

All the Florida student took away from the Catholic Mass was a piece of bread. The New Testament contains no Mass, no rite of consecration and no transubstantiation. However, it does contain a supper of remembrance, profound in its meaning and stunning in its simplicity (Matt. 26:26-29). “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16)

Top

You can find the complete outline of this sermon at BIBLE ANSWERS

The Righteousness of the Kingdom (Part 1)

1. Jesus fulfillment of the law, 5:17-18.
2. Two problems concerning righteousness, 5:19-20.
3. Righteousness of the kingdom: Living by faith with a pure heart, 6:21; Rom. 1:16-17.

I. OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST EXCEED THAT OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, Matt. 5:20 (5:21-6:18).

  A. External Action is not the Mark of Righteousness, 5:21-48 (5:8); Lk. 16:15; 18:9-12. (Touches disposition of the heart)
    1. Toward brothers, 5:21-26.
    2. Toward moral purity vs. lust, 5:27-30.
    3. Toward spouse, 5:31-32.
    4. Toward truthfulness, 5:33-37.
    5. Toward peacefulness, 5:38-42.
    6. Toward enemies, 5:43-48.
  B. Take Heed: Inspect your Devotion of Heart to God, Matt. 6:1-18.
    1. Motive of righteousness.
    2. Alms, 6:1-4.
    3. Prayer, 6:5-15.
    4. Fasting, 6:16-18.
  C. Where is Your Heart? The Treasure of the Righteous Person, Matt. 6:19-21.

II. WHY YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS.

  A. Blessings of the Kingdom, Matt. 5:3-12, 20.
  B. Your Influence in the World, Matt. 5:13-16.
  C. God’s Glory, Matt. 5:16 (1 Pet. 2:11-12).

Conclusion
   The gospel of the kingdom raises our sights to heavenly realms of character and conduct, calling us to holiness, service and love.

Top

You can find the complete outline of this sermon at BIBLE ANSWERS

With or Against Jesus

1. No neutrality with Jesus, Matt. 12:30.
2. No diversity in His revealed truth, Eph. 4:4-6.
3. The emphatic and absolute nature of Christ and his gospel is in stark contrast to the “all-inclusive” approach of most today.

I. CANNOT BIND HUMAN TRADITIONS AND BE “WITH JESUS”, Matt. 12:1-8.

  A. Binding Human Traditions Elevates Man’s Will above God’s Law, 12:1-4.
  B. Binding Human Traditions Ignores Authorized Activities (that do not Violate God’s Law), 12:5-8 (9-13).

II. CANNOT PROMOTE JESUS IN VIOLATION OF GOD’S PLAN AND BE “WITH JESUS”, Matt. 12:15-21.

  A. The Savior is Made Known in His Service to Mankind (Isa. 42:1-4).
  B. Men Attempt to Make Him Known in Unscriptural Ways.
  C. Our Confidence is in His Name (Power), 12:21 (Matt. 28:18-20).

III. CANNOT HOLD FALSE DOCTRINES ABOUT CHRIST AND BE “WITH JESUS”, Matt. 12:22-27. (Col. 2:9)

IV. CANNOT HOLD FALSE DOCTRINES ABOUT THE KINGDOM AND BE “WITH JESUS”, Matt. 12:28 (Lk. 11:20; 17:20-21).

V. CANNOT REJECT THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORK AND BE “WITH JESUS”, Matt. 12:31-32.

  A. Reduced to Impersonal Force (Acts 5:3)
  B. Caricatured into Ecstatic Emanations.
  C. Ridiculed as Revealer of All Truth.

Conclusion
1. Those “with” Jesus keep his commandments …his word…and live as he lived, 1 Jno. 2:3-6.
2. Be “with Jesus” and not “with men” who are not “with Jesus”, 2 Jno. 9-11.

Top