Focusing on the Future - Lesson 6 - Warnings

Warnings to the Wicked concerning the Future

We do not need to be caught between the tension of the person we have been and the tension of the person we want to be. We can move forward without discouragements, without being lazy and always keeping our eyes on the goal. We are going to attempt great things for God and expect great things from Him.

‘…We do not need to be caught between the tension of the person we have been and the tension of the person we want to be…’


James 1:19-24, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:”
“For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”

Story of the Obituary

A teacher once asked us to write our own obituary. Before we put pen to paper the teacher prefaced it and stated, 'Now, keep in mind this is your obituary, someone else is writing it about how they see your life, not what you want it to be or how you think they see it. What would others say about you right now?'Ouch. That was a quiet class for about 30 minutes. 'O.K. Turn your paper over, now I want you to write down how you want your obituary to read. The sky is the limit. It is your life; you lived it, so write about it. What is holding you back?' Wow, I want that obituary. What is holding us back?

Which one would you rather they write about you?

James 1:25-27, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”


Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Shall appear the sign of the Son of man.
Some sign of his coming that every one will recognize when it is manifested.

All the tribes of the earth mourn.
Because of their sins.

They shall see the Son of man coming.
It will be visible to every eye and will be in splendor.

The unprepared will mourn, Are you ready?





Another warning to the wicked…

Mark 8:38, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

I think this verse should scare us into submission.
So we know that we are to follow Jesus and not be ashamed.
What is His advise if we want to follow Him?

Matthew 16:24, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

The principles of the Christian life are:

First – To have a sincere desire to belong to Christ.
Secondly – To renounce self-dependence, and selfish pursuits.
Thirdly – To embrace the condition, which God has appointed, and bear the troubles and difficulties he may meet with in walking the Christian road.
Fourthly – To imitate Jesus, and do and suffer all in his spirit

Luke 21:26, “Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

The terror would be so great that men would faint
and be ready to die in view of the approaching calamities

I know we are not to be afraid when these things come,
But it is a little scary when you think about what the end times will be like.
What do you think?





II Thessalonians 1:7, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,”

Three things we can learn here…

1. We will be comforted and supported for our persecution. Christ our righteous judge will come: He shall come as an exalted king, accompanied with a glorious train of mighty angels.

2. That the dread and terror of the day of judgment, will be a matter of comfort to the godly, not terrifying in any way and it should bring us comfort when we are under our present troubles.

3. If Christ will render vengeance to them that know him not, how much more to them that do know, but obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Do you rest in knowing that, or is this an area where you are still growing?





2 Thessalonians 1:8, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Who know not God – The root of all wickedness and misery
And obey not – Those who refuse to accept and obey the gospel.

And a final Warning to the Wicked concerning the Future

Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

If we weren’t so saddened by the fact
that people were going to spend an eternity in hell
we would probably be saying ‘Ha, ha, I told you so…’


In conclusion

James 1:23-25, “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

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