Jump Start # 2749

1 Corinthians 15:24 “Then comes the end, when He  hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.”

New Year’s Eve. The last day of the year. There never will be a 2020 again. That thought makes many say, “Good,” because of how difficult the year has been. Our verse today, telling of the Lord’s return, begins with the expression, “then comes the end.”

I thought about that recently. Some day will be the last day. Some year will be the last year ever. Now, that doesn’t mean life ends. It will end here. Eternity takes over. Life as we know it, this planet as we know it, will be dissolved as God promised Peter. There won’t be any publications after that recapping the highlights of the year. Then comes the end—what a sobering thought.

Consider for a moment:

First, it will be the end of generations and family legacies. When the end comes, the family tree stops. Someone will be the last of their family. I’ve known some people that were the last branch on part of their family tree, but there were other branches. But when the end comes, there will be no more after that. No more children to be born. No more ancestors after that. It will be the end of the line of humanity that began with Adam, traced through Noah and continues through you and I. But, the end means the end of that.

Second, there will be no tomorrow, at least not on planet earth. What didn’t get done, didn’t get done. Plans stopped. Promises were left unfulfilled. Dreams were cancelled. Nothing here beyond that last day. Certain payments would not be received. Some packages would not be delivered. Some books in publication would never be read. Some songs that were in the process of being released would never be heard. Some weddings wouldn’t take place. Some babies would not be born. Just think about how invested we are already into the next year. Some have doctor’s appointments on those new calendars. Some have vacations planned, even hotels booked. Some have graduation plans. I’ve have several preaching plans already in the book for next year. But, if this was the final year, none of those things would come about. There would be some who would be disappointed. They would want another year. They’d want to be married, hold that baby, take that trip. There will be a lot of work that won’t get completed. Think about those in construction who are building large buildings, making ships, developing rockets, working on next year’s movies and plays. When the end comes, there will be things that will not be completed. When the end comes, all things will end.

Third, when the end comes, it will catch some procrastinators unprepared. They live putting things off. They put everything off as long as they can. That’s been their life. Staying up all night to finish a paper that is due in the morning. Putting off fixing things in the house. Putting off going to the doctor. And, in pace with their thinking, they’ve put off some essential things, such as apologizing, forgiving and seeking the Lord. Oh, they were going to do that. They’d get a round to it has been their theme song. Another time. Another day. Not now. But one day, will be the last day. And, for those who need tomorrow, they won’t have it. All they have is today. Then comes the end, and that’s it.

Fourth, then comes the end, and what matters at that time will be one’s walk with the Lord. It won’t matter if you got your house paid off before the end came. After that day, you won’t need your house and it will be gone. It won’t matter if you got the yard fertilized, taxes paid, dog groomed, and made the next dentist appointment. When the end comes, those things will no longer matter. What matters is you and the Lord. Do you know Him? Have you followed Him? Have you obeyed Him? Have you worshipped Him? So many things that we think are important, we will realize do not matter. There will be clothes you never picked up from the cleaners. There will be mail that you never got to go through. There will be books, movies and TV shows that you never finished. There will be food left in the frig. None of those things will matter. A lifetime of being busy, but missing the essential will haunt those who just couldn’t slow down for the Lord. A time will come and all will end. Then, it will be too late. It will be too late for sermons. Too late for repentance. Too late for apologies. Too late to make things right. It will be just too late.

What if today, was that day? What if today was the last day? Not just of the year, but of all years. What if as the day closed, eternity began with the coming of the Lord? What if everything on the books for tomorrow on out never happened? What if the last sermon I heard, was the last sermon? What if this day was it? Someday, that will be.

Then comes the end…

Roger