The Day of the Lord...Not Yet

May 17, 2026

Chris Freeman

Title: The Day of the Lord… Not Yet Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 FCF: We often struggle waiting for the events of the last days and trusting in what we’ve been taught. Prop: Because the Day of the Lord will bring comfort to God’s people, we must hold fast and stand firm in what we have received. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard bible starting in verse 1. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 2 serve to close out a section talking about God’s justice and the great hope we have when Christ is revealed from heaven. It also allows Paul to move to addressing another concern the Thessalonians have about the end times. There is no question that this is one of the primary reasons that Paul writes this letter. Of course, it is quite interesting to modern readers because what Paul talks about concerns the study of the End Times or Eschatology. But it might be easy for us to focus on the discussion of eschatology and miss the truths that are far more applicable to us today. I will do my best to guide us to these truths. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Awesome, Holy and Terrible God, You incite fear in the hearts of Your enemies. You are untamable. You cannot be muzzled. You cannot be resisted. You cannot be thwarted. You are just and will have justice. You are sinless and will have a sinless and perfect world one day. For Your people, these words are not fearful words. For we desire what You desire. You have changed our hearts to want what You want. A world ruled by You and governed by Your law where sin doesn’t exist and we can worship You in Your presence. But for the wicked, for those who hold only a loose affiliation to Christianity, those who think themselves Christians but love the world and all its distractions, for these – such an eternity sounds terrible and boring. Help us today to see the Comfort and the Terror of the Day when you make all things right. May Your Spirit convict us, guide us, and conform us to You. Be with us and teach us today from Your word, we pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “He who loves the coming of the Lord is not he who affirms it is far off, nor is it he who says it is near. It is he who, whether it be far or near, awaits it with sincere faith, steadfast hope, and fervent love.” Augustine of Hippo “In the first advent God veiled His divinity to prove the faithful; in the second advent He will manifest His glory to reward their faith.” John Chrysostom [Slide 3] “As Christians we should not be exit-ists, looking for our going, but advent-ists, looking for His coming.” William Freel “The primitive church thought a great deal more about the coming of Christ than about death, and thought a great deal more about His coming than about heaven.” Alexander MacLaren “Many people will be surprised when Jesus comes again – but nobody will be mistaken.” John Blanchard Let these words concerning the Lord’s return prepare our minds for the exposition of this text. I.) The Day of the Lord will bring comfort to God’s people, so we must hold fast and stand firm. (1-2a) a. [Slide 4] 1 - Now we ask you, brothers, i. The word, “now” here suggests that what follows is really a result of all that Paul has said. ii. So, what has he said? iii. He has expressed his thankfulness to God for them because they are growing in faith and love and remaining steadfast against persecution. iv. He has reminded them that their growing faith and endurance amid persecution is evidence that God has counted them worthy of His Kingdom, and that God will eventually punish those harming them while rewarding them with glory when Christ returns v. He has even assured them that the justice of God is perfect and that it is His prayer that God will keep His promises to them and deliver them safely through to that day when they are all gathered together with Jesus. vi. As a result of this, Paul has a request. vii. It is not a command. But the primary reason this is so, is because of the relationship between Paul and the Thessalonians. viii. Because they are obedient, submissive, and desiring to grow in their faith and love – Paul doesn’t need to bark orders to them. His kind requests are readily heard and joyfully observed. ix. So, what is his request concerning? b. [Slide 5] with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, i. Paul has been addressing the Thessalonians’ concerns regarding the timing of the Day of the Lord, really since the beginning of the book. ii. He has talked about what will be when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven – and it really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that what they are going through is not the Day of the Lord at all. iii. But Paul won’t leave them uncertain any longer. He will bring clarity directly to their concern. iv. Is the persecution they are experiencing now a sign that The Day of the Lord has come? This is their concern. v. Paul will address it head on. c. [Slide 6] 2 - that you not be quickly shaken in your mind. i. We should note that this is the third question or concern they have expressed regarding the Day of the Lord. ii. The first, was whether or not those who had died in Christ had missed the revelation of the kingdom. Paul answered them comfortingly that those who had died in Christ would not miss the revelation of Christ nor the Kingdom He brings. iii. The second, was concerning the timing of the Day of the Lord. Specifically, its suddenness. Paul answered them again, comfortingly, informing them that although it would come unexpectedly to unbelievers, it should not take them unawares. But even if it does – it will not prevent them from joining Him in the air and living with Him in His Kingdom. iv. This third concern they face has yet to be truly unveiled although we have discussed it quite freely since it helps to make sense of much of what Paul says and why. v. But before we get to the specifics of their concern – we ought to dwell on the concern itself. vi. Since this is the third separate issue related to the Day of the Lord – Paul desires them to stop being so unstable on this issue. vii. In less than a year Paul has now had to deal with three different concerns regarding the Day of the Lord. viii. Furthermore, they went from concerned about the suddenness of its coming to thinking it had already come. ix. This really paints the picture of the words Paul uses here “quickly shaken” x. Shaken has the idea of tremors and vacillating back and forth. xi. They are quite unstable on this issue, quickly vacillating between concerns and opinions. xii. You can hardly blame them. The idea of a future eternal judgment beyond death was not common in the paganism they left. If anything, paganism saw things in cycles, so that even if there was some kind of judgment it only led to renewal. xiii. So, the idea of a future judgment with such stark contrasts of eternal destinies for the righteous and the wicked, really raises the stakes. xiv. Paul adds the prepositional phrase “in your mind” to sharpen the discussion of their vacillation. xv. By mind, Paul means – their understanding or discernment. It is their seat of reason. xvi. They are not being thoughtful, discerning, or reasonable about this issue. xvii. They are allowing the high stakes of this issue to overwhelm them and cloud their judgment. xviii. Paul’s request is for them to stop allowing their discernment to be quickly moved. To take time to think and reason and consider what they have been taught before being overwhelmed with concern. xix. But what is the root of their instability? What else is Paul requesting them to stop doing? d. [Slide 7] or be alarmed i. Not only has Paul requested them not to continue to quickly shift their discernment on the teaching of the Day of the Lord, but he also requests that they not be alarmed. ii. To be alarmed is to be afraid – but not a growing nagging fear. Rather a startling fear. iii. Something they are caught by surprise and startled by. iv. This seems to be the cause of the quick changes in the discernment of the Thessalonians. v. They continue to be on unstable and shaky ground with the teaching regarding the Day of the Lord, because they are easily startled and alarmed. vi. Paul wants them to arrive at comfort and stability regarding the teaching of the Day of the Lord. vii. He wants them to hold fast to what he has taught them and stand firm and courageous against sudden fears. e. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: When Paul mentions that his next topic is concerning the Day of the Lord’s return and His gathering together of… US… he leaves no room for uncertainty. He expresses to the Thessalonians that for the believer there is no fear concerning the Day of the Lord. In fact, the Day of the Lord is consistently taught by Paul in these two letters as an aspect of COMFORT to God’s people. It will be the day when they experience true peace and meet with their Savior and never be separated from Him. So, Paul requests that they keep themselves from doing two things. Do not be quickly shaken in your mind or be alarmed. If we were to put these commands positively it would be, hold fast and stand firm. Be courageous and discerning. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] But Paul isn’t done addressing their vacillating discernment or their fear. He needs to assure them that no matter what caused them to fear – or what they have heard – they must believe what Paul has already taught them. II.) The Day of the Lord will bring comfort to God’s people, so we must measure all teachings of the Day of the Lord by what we have already received. (2b) a. [Slide 10] whether by a spirit or a word or a letter as if from us, i. It becomes clear there is some sort of false teaching causing them to be suddenly startled and thus quickly vacillate in their discernment regarding the teaching they have received about the Day of the Lord. ii. Paul isn’t sure what the source of this false teaching is but offers three different examples of places they might have received it. iii. A spirit. 1. Although I originally had a different idea of what this meant, every single commentator I consulted, unanimously interpreted this as people coming to them with a spirit of prophesy. This is one of those cases where I don’t feel confident about my interpretation… certainly not confident enough to disagree with EVERYONE else. 2. So how did they arrive at this conclusion? 3. In 1 Thessalonians Paul cautioned them to not quench the Spirit and to not despise prophesies. But he also said to test everything taught and hold fast to what is good and abstain from everything evil. 4. What is clear is that they have obeyed the first part of Paul’s previous exhortation and failed at the second part. 5. Probably people came to them who have said, “I have a word from the Lord” and demonstrated some level of charismatic gift to bring the new revelation to them. 6. Paul warns them to not be suddenly fearful but to exercise discernment, even if someone comes in signs and with a message, supposedly from God, that contradicts what they have already received. They must not quench the Spirit or despise prophesies… but they must also test everything. 7. Whatever is not of God, must be avoided. iv. A word or message would be the preaching of some teacher or prophet going about either intentionally or unintentionally sowing fear. 1. Paul no doubt was aware of traveling preachers going about, and perhaps some of them not adequately trained to understand the exact nature of the end times. 2. Perhaps they were false teachers or prophets peddling a new message concerning the end. 3. Perhaps they were not posing as Christians at all, but were simply pagans attempting to take the Christian teaching and adapt it to paganism. This wouldn’t be the first time or the last that such a thing happened. 4. Paul warns them not to be startled and discard discernment just because someone comes preaching a message about the coming judgment from an angle that is new and foreboding. 5. Instead, they should rightly divide truth by the truth they have already received. v. A letter as if it is from us. In this Paul relays, perhaps, more than we might expect. 1. First, he gives us a third medium by which people can communicate startling news that may disrupt their discernment regarding the Day of the Lord. 2. The written word. 3. But over and above that, Paul adds, as if it is from us. Meaning what? 4. Paul either knows of or suspects that there are letters being circulated at this time pretending to be from himself, Silas, and/or Timothy. Letters that call into question some of the teachings they had already given to the Thessalonians regarding the Day of the Lord. 5. Paul warns them not to be alarmed by these letters nor to blindly believe them, but to use their discernment and hold fast to what they had already received. 6. In Galatians Paul said that even if he himself came with a different gospel – that he should be accursed and they should not listen. Paul doesn’t quite go to that extreme here – but he does make plain that it doesn’t matter who supposedly teaches these false teachings about the Day of the Lord. 7. If it contradicts what they had already been taught – then it must be avoided. vi. Well, we have hinted at it long enough… what is the nature of these false prophesies, these new messages and interpretations, or these letters, about the Day of the Lord, that has caused them to abandon discernment due to startling fear? b. [Slide 11] to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. i. Well, we didn’t keep that secret very well – but such is the nature of studying a book of the bible rather than simply reading it. ii. Still, we see that the main reason that the Thessalonians keep vacillating, and abandoning reason, and becoming fearful – is because someone or perhaps many sources are telling them that the Day of the Lord has already come. iii. But Paul says that the Day of the Lord hasn’t come yet – no matter what anyone told you. iv. But after arriving at this, we are left with the question, why? v. Why would the Thessalonians think that the Day of the Lord had come? What could have been taught to them to convince them that the Day of the Lord had arrived? vi. [Slide 12] I see two possibilities for what might have happened and both of them are found within the context of 2 Thessalonians. 1. Perhaps the persecution they are experiencing reminds them of what they were taught about the Day of the Lord including a time of difficulty and tribulation. a. When we discussed the Day of the Lord while studying Paul’s previous letter, we observed that the Day of the Lord includes 4 categories of events. i. A terrible tribulation. Mankind will be afflicted including cosmic signs, wonders in heaven, terrible bloodshed, natural disasters, all spoken of as if they were world ending or crippling. ii. The revelation of Christ and the gathering together of His people with Him. Which may also include some kind of earthly kingdom ruled from Jerusalem. iii. A day of judgment which is the culmination of God’s Justice where all sin will be paid and all sinners, both angelic and human, will be removed from the earth and cast into the Lake of Fire which is the second death. iv. Finally, there is a remaking of the universe. There will be a new heaven and earth. A new Jerusalem will descend, and we will enter into an eternal state. This could be a second earthly kingdom or the same one we already mentioned. b. Interestingly enough, Paul covers both the revelation of Christ and the eternal judgement of the wicked in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Seeming to indicate that these events occur at the same time. c. Which might suggest that the Thessalonians understood the other two events to occur before and after these. d. Perhaps they assumed that the persecution they were experiencing was the terrible tribulation. e. And so, a false teaching that may have arisen is to take what they had been taught about the cosmic signs and reinterpret them as metaphors to refer to less cataclysmic events. f. This would cause them to think that they were in the midst of the Day of the Lord and that the persecution they were experiencing was part of the terrible tribulation that preceded Christ’s return. 2. Another option is for us to look ahead in this context and see that Paul had already taught them about the man of lawlessness and the coming apostasy. So, perhaps they have been convinced that their present condition fit that description and they were already seeing the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. vii. In either case we are left with the same question… what about these teachings would lead them to sudden fear? Why might they be afraid of the Day of the Lord when they were clearly taught in both letters that the Day of the Lord is a day of victory for God’s people and should give us comfort and peace? viii. [Slide 13] For myself it only makes sense in one way. That they assumed that the events of the Day of the Lord would happen in quick succession. They assumed that once the tribulation or apostacy and man of lawlessness stepped on the scene, that Christ would return and gather them together. ix. Why would that be fear inducing to hear people say – The Day of the Lord is here? x. Because they haven’t been gathered together to be with Christ. xi. So that leaves them with a few questions and all of them have terrible answers. xii. Did we not make the cut? xiii. Is this the best it gets? xiv. Has God’s justice somehow been served already? xv. If we break down Paul’s statements in chapter 1 and 2 into its most basic message, it is, essentially, that the Day of the Lord is a sequence of events that occur over a period of time. Paul does not say how long until it begins or how long it would take to get through it. But He does indicate that there is a sequence that must be followed. We’ll get to more of that later. xvi. I mention it now only to prove why they were suddenly fearful. xvii. They thought they missed it. And that this was their life from now on. Or worse… that they were to be judged with those who afflicted them because they were NOT counted worthy of God’s call after all. xviii. This is why Paul spends so much time expounding God’s perfect justice. This is why Paul prays that God continue to count them worthy of His calling and continue to give them power to walk worthy of their calling. xix. He wants them to understand that this will all happen over a course of time. And that that time has not yet begun. But when it does… it will be good for them and for all God’s people. c. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: Paul did it in the last letter and he will continue to do so in this one. He will continue to point back to what he and his companions have taught them already. He taught them that the Day of the Lord is a great comfort to God’s true people. And if they hear another teaching that causes them to fear or their discernment to be shaken, because it tells them the Day of the Lord has already come – even if that teaching came from someone who was a prophet, a preacher, or even posing as Paul himself – they should not believe it. They should measure every message they hear by what they have already received. And if what is new doesn’t match up – they should avoid it. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and shapes our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 15] In his first letter and so far in his second, Paul has always spoken of the Day of the Lord as a comfort to those who believe on Jesus. The scriptures as a whole speak of the Day of the Lord as a Terrible day, but a Great day for those who are God’s children. Since this is true, a true believer should not be shaken or startled by any teaching regarding the Day of the Lord. No matter the source of the teaching, we should use discernment and compare it to what we have already received regarding the nature of the Day of the Lord and avoid any teaching that does not fit. But how does this apply to us today? Are there any that say the Day of the Lord has already come? 1.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the Day of the Lord has come. a. If you have spent any time conversing with me, you know that there are some teachings that I am very passionate about. Even some debated teachings that I have taken a strong stand upon and unless the Spirit of God moves me – I do not intend to budge. b. You also know that eschatology… is not one of those. c. I am VERY VERY VERY uncommitted to any eschatological system. I tend to see the merits in most of them and am ready to admit when a passage favors one view over the others. d. But there is one vein of eschatological teaching upon which I can and will be quite strong. It is eschatological teachings that we must… REJECT! e. There are indeed some folks who have concluded that everything predicted in the bible has come about. f. They are called preterists. From the Latin word praeter, meaning past or gone beyond. g. Preterism is divided broadly into two groups. Partial preterists and full preterists. h. Partial preterists would see some predictions in the scriptures as fulfilled. i. Some would conclude that the Roman Catholic church is the apostasy spoken of in 2 Thess chapter 2 and that the Pope is the Man of Lawlessness. j. Therefore, they would conclude that the next thing we are waiting for is for Christ to be revealed from heaven. k. The key here is that they still say that Christ’s revelation from heaven is still in the future. l. This then is the distinguishing mark between a partial and a full preterist. m. A partial preterist… in my estimation… could still very well be a solid brother and close Christian friend. n. But not so for the full preterist. o. A full preterist would say Christ has… in some way… already returned. They would say that this has already occurred in the events of AD 70 and that we are currently living in the New Heaven and the New Earth today. p. My friends, you cannot be a full preterist and be an orthodox Christian. Why? q. Because the earliest creeds confess that Christ will come (future tense) to judge the living and the dead. r. Full preterism is… a heresy. And must be denied. s. The Day of the Lord – has not come. At least not the whole of it. And on this I will firmly stand. And you must too. t. Another end-times conclusion I believe we must draw from this text, is that there is a necessary sequence of events to the Day of the Lord. 2.) [Slide 17] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the Day of the Lord will not happen all at once but must follow a sequence of events. a. It is not an event that any believer could conceivably have missed. b. Now I think we can go overboard here when we get out our timelines and mark days and months and years to every event. c. I’ve pointed it out several times now, that every single timeline of these is wrong because there are 7 thunders in Revelation that we know nothing about because God told John to seal up the scroll and not write down what the 7 thunders said. d. Again, pointing out safely what all acceptable positions of the end times do, is that the Day of the Lord is a period of time that covers several kinds of events. They happen in sequence. Now where we are in that sequence, how long they last, and how long until the next one, is all up for debate. e. But we should not be looking for all of it to happen at once. f. Another thing I can say with confidence about the Day of the Lord… 3.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The Day of the Lord is only spoken of in the scriptures as a comfort to believers. a. Any teaching that causes a genuine believer to fear the coming of the Day of the Lord should be rejected without distinction. b. And any Christian who allows mortal fears to overwhelm their heavenly comfort with regard to the Day of the Lord – should be rebuked. c. Some teachings of the end times tell us that we will avoid the Great Tribulation because the Lord Jesus will rapture us out beforehand. d. Possibly. But my friends – you should expect to experience everything the church has continued to experience in the church age as a normal amount of trouble and suffering. Even if you believe we will be raptured before the cataclysmic events of the tribulation- do not think for a moment that you won’t be abused, beaten, burned, flayed, raped, pillaged, and murdered for your faith. Because that has happened to Christians for the last 2000 years and guess what – it is happening today in other parts of the world. e. Nevertheless, the Day of the Lord should bring comfort to us. f. Friends, even if God permits us to go through the whole tribulation. Even if the tribulation lasts 7000 years instead of just 7. The Day of the Lord… is still a comfort to God’s people. Why? g. Because the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven, and we will all be gathered together to Him and we will never be apart from Him again! h. That single teaching… makes the Day of the Lord a great comfort to His people. i. It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. j. So, since it is a comfort to us… 4.) [Slide 19] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not fear the Day of the Lord. a. What is there to fear? b. What if the stars fall on me? c. What if the plague takes me? d. What if I am a victim of the wars and rumors of wars? e. What if the demons from the abyss sting me with their tails? f. What if all this happens to you… but you still see Jesus in the air face to face? g. What can be taken from you that the Lord has not promised to restore? h. Some may be truly concerned about the man of lawlessness and the strong delusion… i. Do not fear either my friends. We’ll get to that in due time and I will show you conclusively that Paul actually goes out of his way to assure genuine believers that such a delusion will not come upon them and that they will be preserved through the lies of the man of lawlessness. j. But Paul’s words in this text are sufficient. k. There is no reason to be startled or alarmed about anything regarding the Day of the Lord if you are a true believer. l. Well, how do we not allow teachings about the Day of the Lord to cause us to fear? 5.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must filter everything we are taught about the Day of the Lord through what the Scriptures have revealed to us. a. Friends, many pastors like to speak long about all of this. They really want to make many things certain that I don’t think we have any business making certain. b. But there are a few things about the Day of the Lord that are certain. c. The reason I say they are certain is because no matter what eschatological view you hold to – they all agree on these things. i. There will be a time of tribulation and trouble. ii. Christ will return and take His bride to Himself. iii. There will be an eternal kingdom set up with God living among His people with a New Heaven and a New Earth. iv. And all will be judged, the living and the dead, and Christ will separate the sheep from the goats. v. These things are certain. d. And any teaching that contradicts these – is false. e. Do not listen to those who claim to know when the Lord will return. Do not listen to those who have calculated when things will be. f. Do not believe those who say that all will go to heaven eventually or exist in that New Kingdom with God and His Son’s bride in peace. g. Do not believe the scientists that say this world will burn up in a billion years by colliding into the sun. h. Rather than spending a bunch of time and energy speculating on what is unclear – we should hold fast and stand firm in what is clear. i. And there is one more thing that is abundantly clear that we need to talk about this morning… 6.) [Slide 21] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The Day of the Lord is only spoken of in the scriptures as a terrifying day of judgment to the unbeliever. a. As much as I have taken great pains to convince everyone who is a believer here today that the Day of the Lord is only a comfort to us, I must now take great pains to convince you, if you are not a believer, a Christian in name only, or a Christian who is living in unrepentant sin, that the Day of the Lord is not a comfort to you… at all. b. In fact, the Day of the Lord is a horrifying, cataclysmic, sudden, and terrible day of judgment and death. c. All the enemies of God, all who have not truly believed on His Son, all who have not bowed the knee and submitted to His Lordship, will suffer the eternal wrath of God both in body and in soul forever. d. Not only will the tribulation be a time of great pain and anguish, but it will culminate in the utter defeat of Satan and his children, and finally end in the eternal death of him and his children as they are separated from the merciful and saving presence of a holy God. e. [Slide 22] There are several lies many prominent people have probably told you, that must be exposed. i. Only God can judge me. 1. Indeed. And He will. And only those found in His Son will inherit His Kingdom 2. All others will be separated from His presence to spend eternity in anguish in His wrath. ii. I’m not as bad as other people. 1. All men are wicked. All men are unrighteous. All men miss the mark of perfection which God has set for all who would enter into His Kingdom. 2. Whether you are as bad as Hitler or only told a single lie in your entire life – if you depend on your good deeds to save you – you will be damned. Indeed, as Jesus said, you are damned already. 3. Revelation 19 tells us that the books which record your deeds will be opened. And they will be examined on the day of judgment. But here is the thing. Everyone who is judged by the books containing their deeds – will be cast into the lake of fire. 4. The only people spared from that fate are judged by a different book. A book that doesn’t record their works… only their name. A name chosen and written before the foundations of the earth were created. A name who has believed on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and served Him with their lives. 5. Not being as bad as others won’t matter. You must be as perfect as Christ. iii. I’ll see the signs and remember what you said and I’ll submit to Christ then. 1. My friends, Paul in 1 Thessalonians, told them that the Day of the Lord would come like a thief in the night. And it would be sudden and take people unawares. 2. Jesus said that people would be going about their normal lives, continuing to make plans for marriage and acting like tomorrow would come just like today did… when all things would come to an end. 3. And Paul is about to say in this book that those who are unbelievers will 100% believe and follow the man of lawlessness and God will send a delusion upon them to make sure they do not believe. 4. The truth is, that when the Day of the Lord begins… you will never know it… and by the time you do… it will be too late. f. [Slide 23] The fact of the matter is, that no man or woman is assured another day on this earth. Insurance agents make millions of dollars every year by relaying this one powerful truth. Life is uncertain and the days we have on this earth are not in our hands. g. So, I implore you… I beg you… will you not turn from your sin? Reject your claim on your life and submit your plans, your destiny, your lifestyles, your beliefs to Christ as Savior and Lord. Confess He is Lord and believe He is Savior. Serve Him for the rest of your days. h. And then you will know the comfort of the Day of the Lord. i. If you need to do this today, don’t leave without talking to myself, another Elder, or someone you know is a Christian. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the church father Augustine of Hippo Lord God, as we turn to you in purity of heart, we give you our highest and most abundant thanks, as best we are able to in our frailty. Our whole mind prays for your unmatched goodness, that by your power you would drive out the enemy from our thoughts and deeds. Father Almighty, enlarge our faith, direct our minds, and help us to focus our thoughts on your kingdom. And in the end, bring us safe to your place of endless blessings, through your Son Jesus Christ, Amen. Benediction: May the Lord your God, our help in ages past, And our hope for years to come, Be your guard while troubles last, And lead you to His eternal throne. Until we meet again, grace and peace to you.