If you were with us for worship last Sunday at Shelby Crossings, you know that the topic of our message was "the Day of the Lord" that is to come. That was the focus for Malachi as he closed out his prophecy 2,400 years ago, and as we discussed, it is one of the most consistently communicated themes in all of the Bible. There's a judgment day coming.

I also mentioned that, very obviously, as the clock ticks and time moves forward we have never been closer to that day. Which means we are closer to "the end of the world as we know it" than we have ever been. Accordingly, many people are inclined to think we are living in "the last days" that the apostle Paul described in 2 Timothy 3. Specifically, he warned of perilous times, and went on to offer a long list of descriptive traits that would characterize the world in tose days. It's not hard to read that list and see what looks like a reflection in a mirror of our current American culture.

I realize that preacher-types like myself have forever railed against the godless culture they lived in, as they called their flocks to come out from among them and be separate. And most often, they have exaggerated the struggle a bit, usually exclaiming that times have never been worse. A study of church history--or even just a glance outside of an Americo-centric mindset to see life around our world--tells you that's not always the case.

It's bad, but it's been bad before no doubt, even in America. Hedonism, materialism, racism, obscenity, licentiousness, blasphemy and general depravity and ungodliness have been around as long as humanity, and to borrow from King Solomon, "there's nothing new under the sun." These days, our perception of the world has much to do with our 24/7 exposure to what's going on in our world, through social media and endless cycle of sensationalism in our news that brings out the worst in what we see every day. 

Still, with that in mind--and at the risk of sounding like just another predictable preacher--I would suggest that "the times, they are a-changin" like never before. A few principles and terms from the world of physics help to describe the rapid progression of sinfulness in our culture: acceleration ("the velocity of change") and momentum ("the strength of force that something has when it is moving that allows it to grow stronger or faster as time passes"). The decline in our culture is accelerating faster every day, and the momentum behind it often seems overwhelming.

Seminary president Al Mohler wrote several years back in observing our modern culture: "One metric to watch very closely in terms of cultural and social change around us is how fast it takes for something to be considered absolutely unthinkable, then ludicrous, then improbable, and then possible, and then of course, actual."

We have seen that metric lived out over and over the last decade or so, to the point that we are almost numb to it. Is that evidence that we are living in the last days? I do not know. I have used the illustration a few times of water draining out of a bathtub (which always fascinated me as a kid) and how it seems to pick up pace at the end as the downward spiral gets tighter and the last bit of water escapes the tub. Likewise, it seems that we are getting closer to "going down the drain" as a society, and the velocity of change can leave us with our head-spinning.

Which takes us back to the 2 Timothy 3 passage. Paul warned about such times--they may sometimes be shocking, but they should not be unexpected--but he also gave clear instructions for believers to stay the course, stick together, and stand firm on our convictions, grounded in God's holy word, even if they are now "counter-cultural" to the world we live in.

Be assured, our sovereign God is not surprised at any recent developments, and our role as the church to be a positive witness and influence on our culture has not changed. Let us pray for our world, and let us walk in obedience to His word, trusting that Jesus has not descended the throne and that He is working out His plan through us, through all of this. Hang in there. God has a plan, even in these "final days" and we're a part of it. Be encouraged, and be obedient, where you are, while He has us here. 

I'm praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

--Pastor Ken