Cause and Effect – Judgment and Peace pulls us back into our End Times sermon series. Dear friends it’s payback time. Some have compared the last day, judgment day, to a competition where God’s team wins a glorious victory once and for all against his enemies. How will the Last Work exactly? The Apostle Paul helps us see the answer in this letter to the ancient church.
The Wormy Fig
It would be easy to leave our discussion on revenge thinking that God will pay back people on the basis for what they have done, but that isn’t necessarily the case. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. God will punish those who do not know him. How can that be? You’ve heard me say that everyone knows God. The conscience in their hearts tells them they feel guilty – why? Every culture on the planet has some kind of religion, they all acknowledge a God – so what does Paul mean? – Those who don’t know God. There is a story – it comes from an eastern culture – of a man about to retire for the evening. He wanted a snack so he reached for the bowl of figs by his bed. Much to his dismay, the first fig had a worm in it. He reached for another, and found another worm. He gave one last try and got… another worm. Thoroughly disgusted the man turned out the light, took another fig and ate it. I don’t know of too many people who think they are perfect, but I do know a number of people who would rather turn off the light – ignore what God has to say, ignore God altogether – just refuse to know God.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s message taken from 2 Thessalonians 1, Cause and Effect – Judgment and Peace.
Book(s): 2 Thessalonians
Series: Cause and Effect
Tag(s): End Times
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg