First Corinthians chapter 15.
Verse 24. Then cometh. The end. I've entitled this message. The
end. Then come at the end, it's not
yet here, but it is coming. In the context, Paul is talking
about what will happen when time is no more. It's a wonderful
thing to think about. Look in verse twenty four again,
then come at the end when he, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall
have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the father, when
he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power,
for he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that should be
destroyed is death. For he has put all things under
his feet, but when he sayeth all things are put under him,
it's manifest that he is accepted, which to put all things under
him. In other words, God, the father is not under his feet.
And when all things should be subdued unto him, Then shall
the son also himself be subject unto him to put all things under
him that God may be all in all. Isn't that exciting? Then cometh
the end. There is such a thing as the
end of the world as we know it. In Matthew 24, verse 6, the Lord
said, all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. And he goes on to speak of some
things that will take place. And then he says in Matthew 24,
14, that passage of scripture I just read, and then shall the
end come. It hadn't come yet, but it is
coming. The end. being everybody here
probably heard the word eschatology the word simply means the study
of the end and the Bible most definitely tells us what will
take place at the end we have already read the last chapter
we already know the end now usually when people think of the end
or the study of the end or eschatology, they think of the different millennial
views. You've probably heard of premillennialism. And I'm not going to preach on
this, just so don't anybody get nervous. Premillennialism, postmillennialism,
and all millennialism, the three different millennial views. Premillennial,
however you say that, is the belief that Christ will come
back and then there's going to be some kind of thousand-year
reign after he comes back. The post-millennial view is there's
going to be this thousand years of prosperity and it's just going
to be a great time and then Christ will come back. And the all-millennial
view is that this thousand-year reign is symbolic and typical
and that we're actually in that time right now. It's the time
of gospel preaching that will continue until Christ comes. Now, there's also another view
called panmillennialism. It's all going to pan out in
the end. And that is decidedly my view. It's all going to pan out in
the end. So this message, my purpose is not to try to bring
out these millennial views, but let me read you some scriptures
regarding the end. God said in Deuteronomy chapter
32, verse 29, Oh, that they were wise. that they understood this, that
they would consider their latter end. David said in Psalm 39,
verse 5, Lord, make me to know my end. Make me to know. my end and the measure of my
days, what it is that I might know how frail I am. Now, there is an end and everybody
in this room has a latter end. Speaking of the end, God says,
say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him. He's got a glorious end. Woe
unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him. Now, God is the one who controls
the end. Isaiah chapter 46 verses 9 and
10, God says, I am God and there's none else. I am God and there's
none like me, declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient times, the things
that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand and I
will do all my pleasure. Now, if you love God, it makes
you glad. If you hate God, it makes you
mad. And to every one of his people,
God says, as he said in Jeremiah 29, verse 11, I know the thoughts
I think toward you, saith the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not
of evil to give you an expected end. With that in mind, how precious
are the words of the wise man? In Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verse
8, better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. And
the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. And
who are the patient in spirit? Those who are waiting on God
to bring about the end. I'm waiting on the Lord right
now to bring about the end. Now, it's my prayer that God
will bless our thoughts as we consider the end. The end is
what we're hoping for and eagerly awaiting. Then cometh the end. Now, the Greek word, I don't
know if I'm pronouncing it right, but I'll give it a shot. Tell
us. And there are six ways that this
word is used in the New Testament, all of which give us some understanding
of the end. And I want to know my end, don't
you? I mean, I want to know my end. I want to know how it's
going to be with me. Now, here's the first meaning
of the word, and this is how it's used in the scriptures.
The end means determination. The end. It's over. the limit at which a person or
thing ceases to be what he or it was up to that point. The
end. When Paul spoke in 2 Corinthians
3 of the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai, he spake of the
end of that which is abolished. The law as a covenant of works
has been done away with. It's no more. It is abolished. It's terminated. It is ended. Now. Things are going to be terminated. Things are not going to remain
the same. There is an end to this world
as we know it. The circumstances that we're
going through are not going to last. They're temporary. And there's going to be an end.
And this is a blessed thought to me. You know, right now. Right now. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner saved by grace. I'm a sinner who knows the Lord
Jesus Christ. I've got a new nature. But it's still true right
now, I'm a sinner. But do you know what? That's
going to be ended. I'm not going to deal with that
anymore. There's going to be a termination. There's going
to be an end. Peter said in 1 Peter 4, verse
7, the end of all things is at hand. Aren't you glad? You know, we don't have much
longer to wait. The end of all things is at hand. Things will
not continue as they are. There will be an end, a termination. There is such a thing as the
end of the world. Now, this word is also used in
this sense, the end means the issue or the result. the fate
of a thing. The fate of the thing is an end
of a thing. In Proverbs chapter 14 verse
12, let me show you some ways this word is used in the scriptures.
This thought, both in Old Testament and New Testament, Proverbs chapter
14 says, there is a way that seemeth right unto a man. The end thereof, the fate of
it, is the way of death. It may seem right, but Here's
its end. Here's its fate. Death. David was talking about being
jealous of the wicked in Psalm 73. And he said, I went into
the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. Surely thou did set them in slippery
places. Thou castest them down to destruction. In Matthew 26, verse 58, we read
where Peter sat with the servants during the trial of our Lord
to see the end. To see how it would ultimately
fall out. Paul says in Philippians 3, verse
19, he speaks of those who are enemies of the cross of Christ,
whose God is their belly, whose end is destruction. You see, there's a final end.
There's an issue. There's a fate to unbelief. You
know what the end of unbelief is? Hell. A place that there's no way I
could adequately describe, fueled by the justice of a holy God. The end of unbelief is everlasting
destruction. If I die without Christ, if I
die in unbelief, that will be the beginning of the eternal
end to me. I would urge you, if you're without
Christ, believe on Him. Believe on Him. Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. I don't want to go
to hell, do you? That's the end of unbelief. Destruction. And there is an end to faith.
Peter said in 1 Peter 1, 9, receiving the end of your faith. The salvation of your souls. Here's an example, James 5, verse
11, the fate of the thing, how it turns out. In James 5, verse
11, we read, you've heard of the patience of Job and have
seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is very pitiful
and of tender mercies. Now, you look at what Job was
going through. It doesn't seem very pitiful, does it? It doesn't
seem like it's filled with tender mercies. What a horrible life! I mean, he had it so bad, but
yet you see the end of the Lord. This is how it all turns out. So that we read concerning Job
42, Job 42 verse 12, so the Lord blessed the latter end of Job
more than the beginning. Then cometh the end, the final
result, the way things turn out. There is going to be an end.
Now the third way this word is used, then cometh the end or
the fulfillment. The fulfillment. Would you turn
with me for a moment to Luke chapter 22? Luke chapter 22. Verse 37, these are the words
of the Lord Jesus. And he says, for I say unto you
that. This that is written. Must yet
be accomplished in me. And then he quotes a passage
from Isaiah 53 and he was reckoned. Among the transgressors. He was reckoned. The holy spotless
Lamb of God was reckoned among the transgressors. Christ said,
this must be fulfilled, which was written of me for the things
concerning me. Have an end. Have a fulfillment. And it must be fulfilled, whatever
was written of Christ, he must be reckoned among the transgressors.
Turn back to Matthew chapter 26. The fulfillment. Matthew 26, verse
52. Then said Jesus unto him, Put
up again thy sword into his place, for all they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot pray
to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions
of angels? Do you think that I'm helpless
in this thing? Do you think I need your protection? Peter, do you
think I need you to be swinging your sword at somebody? Don't
you know that I could right this second call upon my heavenly
Father and 12,000 mighty angels would appear to take care of
this mob? Don't think I'm helpless, but look what he says. But then
how shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? It must be. Everything that takes
place is the fulfillment of what God has determined to take place. Everything is going to be fulfilled.
And here is a blessed thought. Romans chapter 10 verse 4 says,
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. He is the
fulfillment of God's holy law for righteousness to everyone
that believes. Isn't that wonderful? Christ
is the fulfillment of the law. God's holy law looks me over
through and through and says, I find no fault in him. The law has already been fulfilled. It's fulfilled. It's over. I am perfect in Christ Jesus.
Because Christ was reckoned with the transgressors, I am reckoned
with the righteous. And beloved, that doesn't mean
God views me as if I were righteous. It means God sees me as righteous
because that's what I am. Christ was made sin. I made the
very righteousness of God in Him. Then cometh the end, the fulfillment
of a thing. Fourthly, then cometh the end,
that means the utmost degree. This is how this word is used
to the utmost degree. Having loved his own, John chapter
13, you know how that starts out. Having loved his own, which
were in the world, he loved them. Anybody know the rest of the
verse? Unto the end. Now that doesn't mean his love
ended or was terminated. This word, end, is translated
in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 16, having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them, if you translate this same word
the way it was translated in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 16,
he loved them to the uttermost. That's what that means. Having
loved His own which were in the world, He loved them to the uttermost. Truly we are saved, we are loved
to the uttermost. I may not look like that to you
right now, but I am saved to the uttermost. I can't And the
only way I can believe this is by faith. The only way I can
believe this is by faith. Faith is believing what you can't
see, isn't it? Isn't that what faith is? It's
believing what you cannot see. I can't get any more holy than
I am right now. I can't become more holy. The holiness that I have right
now, I'm going to have in heaven. I'm fit for heaven right now. fit for the inheritance of the
saints in life. I can't get any more justified, righteous before God than I am
right now. I can't get any more saved. I can't get any more loved. I
can't get any more accepted. I am loved to the uttermost. I believe that by faith. I can't
see it. I really, I can't, as far as, do you feel holy? No. Do you feel justified? No. Don't feel that way. But I believe I am. I believe
that which I cannot see, because having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. And one of these days
we'll see it. Then cometh the end, the uttermost. David said in Psalm 37 verse
37, Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end
of that man is peace. Peace to the uttermost? Yes,
peace to the uttermost. And here's why. Wherefore he
is able I think of the preciousness of what's being said, Hebrew
725. He is able. Just think about that. Don't
get past that. He's able. He's able, isn't he? You believe
he's able? He is able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God by him. And you know what? I'm coming to God by him right
now. I'm not pleading anything else,
but it means more than that. Doesn't mean I'm holding on to
Him and just saying, hear me for Christ's sake. Doesn't mean that.
I'm coming to God by Him in this sense. As He comes to God, I
do too because I'm united to Him. When He comes into the presence
of the Father, you know who else does? I do, because I'm united
to Him. Because of union with Christ,
when He comes to the Father, I come to the Father. I don't
come to God pleading Him, although I do plead Him. I come to God
by Him. That's how I come into God's
presence, by Him. If He's there, I'm there. Isn't
union with Christ wonderful? What could be more wonderful
than to be united with the Lord Jesus Christ? This is the most glorious thing
in the Bible, union with Christ. Save to the uttermost. The end
is the aim or purpose of the thing. Here's the fifth way the
word is used. The end is the aim or the purpose of a thing. Then cometh the end. Peter said
receiving the end of your faith. Here's the purpose of your faith.
Here's the purpose. Here's the aim of it. Receiving
the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Paul said in 1
Timothy chapter 1 verse 5, now the end of the commandment, the
goal of the commandment, the purpose of the commandment. I
don't care if you're talking about God's holy law or if you're talking
about the commandment of the gospel. It's true concerning whichever
one Paul's talking about when he says the end of the commandment.
As a matter of fact, I want you to turn there and look at this
with me. 1 Timothy 1 chapter 5. Now the end, verse 5, 1 Timothy
1, 5, now the end, now the goal, now the purpose of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and
of faith unfeigned. Now there's the goal. There's
the end of the commandment. That's the goal of the law. And
this can only be understood in the light of the gospel. But
it's what the gospel produces, the end of the commandment, whether
it's the commandment to believe the gospel, whether it's the
commandment of the law. And the law, understand, is only realized
in the gospel. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believe it. Now, the end,
the goal of the commandment is, first of all, charity out of
a pure heart. But what is this pure heart he's
speaking of? Charity out of a pure heart? Well, it's the same heart
our Lord was speaking about when he said, blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God. If you're a believer, you
have a pure heart. It's the heart that was given
you in the new birth, and this is the heart that actually loves
God. You love him, don't you? You
actually love Him for who He is. You love His Word. You love
His way of saving. You love Him. And you love His
people, don't you? You really do. You love the people
of God. Those are the people you want
to spend eternity with. Don't you love the idea of spending
eternity with your brothers and sisters in Christ? You love them. So the end of the commandment,
the goal of the gospel is charity, real love out of pure heart.
Secondly, says a good conscience. The goal of the commandment is
a good conscience. What's a good conscience? You know, being a. Being a preacher and being on
TV, people in the community come up to me and say things to me
all the time. One guy came up to me, and he
said, boy, you sure stepped on my toe, Sunday. I was feeling
guilty. You really stepped on my toe.
I had no idea what I was saying. I feel sure, you know, after
what he said to me. He said, you sure stepped on my toes. But
boy, that shows, you know, I'm really, I'm really, the Lord's
blessed me because I, I get my toes stepped on because, because
I feel guilty all the time. And, you know, I feel bad about
this. The end of the commandment is
not an accusing conscience or a guilty conscience. The end
of the commandment is a good conscience. Now, what's a good
conscience? A good conscience is a conscience
that doesn't have anything to feel guilty about. That's what
a good conscience is. It's not somebody says, my conscience
is good because I feel guilty all the time. No, that's not.
That's an accusing conscience. A good conscience is a conscience
that can look at the law of God and have nothing to feel guilty
about. Now, how in the world can I have
a good conscience? There's only one answer to that
question and my conscience is satisfied with this. You know,
the blood of Jesus Christ is the answer of a good conscience
toward God. I really believe the blood of
Christ makes me to where I don't have anything to feel guilty
about. Isn't that wonderful? Because I feel guilty all the
time. But I don't have anything to feel guilty about. The blood
of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. The end, the
goal, the purpose of the commandment is a good conscience. I stand
before that law perfect. I don't have anything to feel
guilty about. And I really believe that the blood of Christ makes
me believe I'm without guilt before God. That's a good conscience. That's the goal of the commandment.
And it's realized in believing the gospel, isn't it? You really
believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses you
from all sin. You don't have anything to feel
guilty about. Now, the end of the commandment
is charity out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith.
I like the way he says this, faith unfeigned. A lot of folks
have fake faith, don't they? I believe, I believe. Well, congratulations. The goal of the commandment is
faith unfeigned. Now, this is no fake. This is
no phoniness. I really believe that Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness. to everyone that believes. And
that's the only hope I've got. I'm not faking that. That's the
only hope I have, that Jesus Christ kept the law for me, that
he paid for my sins, that he was raised from the dead. When
he was raised from the dead, I was accepted. If you can cut
into my heart, you'd see somebody who really believes that Christ
is their only and all sufficient hope. I've got faith unfeigned. That's the goal. That's the end
of the commandment. That's its purpose. That's the
end of the thing. And lastly, then cometh the end. And that means the last in a
succession of series. You see, the time is coming when
time will be no more. Now, can I grasp that? No. How many times have I looked
at my watch since I've been in here? You know, I always try
to keep an eye on it, make sure I don't preach too long. And I look at my watch,
I can't imagine being away from time. But the time is coming
when time will be no more. Then cometh the end and all that
will be left is eternity, an end that shall not have an end. Revelation 22. Verse 10. And he saith unto me, seal not
the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at
hand, that time when there will be no more time. He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still. And he will spend eternity being
unjust. He which is filthy, let him be
filthy still. He'll spend eternity that way.
And he that is righteous. And that describes every believer.
Every believer falls into this category, the righteous. He that's
righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that's holy, let
him go on being holy throughout eternity. You see, regarding
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke chapter 1 verse
33 says, Of his kingdom there shall be no end. Now, the end of all this is coming
soon enough. But of His kingdom, there'll
be no end. Now, value nothing here anymore
than you'll value it in the end. What will you value in the end? You know what you'll value in
the end. value nothing here anymore, then you'll value it in the end. Let's pray together.