Francis Chan once said:“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” (Crazy Love)

Living in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:1–5“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Matthew 24:4–14“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Acts 2:17“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’”

1 John 2:18“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”

The Church Age / Kingdom Age

Some call it the Ecclesial Age (between Pentecost & return).Others:

Kingdom Age (“Thy kingdom come…”).N.T. Wright: “The age to come” = new heavens, new earth.

Dispensationalists: divide Acts/history into stages—sometimes losing urgency.

Pentecostals: heighten expectation—sometimes to extremes.Balance: focus on urgency, mission, surrender.Historical Insight – Already/Not

YetResurrection = D-Day.Return = V-E Day.Early church believed they were in the “long last days,” called to live faithfully.

Urgency Rooted in Hope, Not Fear

Different Views

Dispensational Premillennialism — prophecy unfolds in stages.

Amillennialism — “thousand years” is symbolic; Christ reigns now.

Inaugurated Eschatology — Kingdom already in Jesus, awaiting completion.

NT. Wright:“Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project—not to snatch people away from earth to heaven, but to colonize earth with the life of heaven.”

What Urgency Looks Like in Practice

Practical Expressions

Tell your story.

Serve sacrificially.

Anchor in Scripture.


2 Timothy 3:16–17“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”Live reconciled. Chan:“People who are obsessed with Jesus are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo.

SURRENDER: The Posture That Prepares Us

Surrender of my life.
Surrender of my pride.
Surrender of my control.
Surrender of my future.

THE NICENE CREEDWe believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation  he came down from heaven;  he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,  and was made human.  He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;  he suffered and was buried.  The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.  He ascended to heaven   and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again with glory   to judge the living and the dead.  His kingdom will never end.We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son,  and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets.We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

Ready for Jesus’ return?It’s not about formulas.It’s not about timelines.It’s about surrender.Lord, my life is yours. My pride is yours. My future is yours.