Passing Generation

Dear Brethren,

The recent death of Garner Ted Armstrong, well-known evangelist, represents, in one sense, the passing of an era.  Politics in the greater Church of God aside, Garner Ted is the most recent in a series of older ministers whose deaths highlight the passing of an older generation in the Church.  The implications of this trend certainly are sobering in the light of Biblical prophecy and clearly are a reminder that this human life does not last forever.

"It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."  (Hebrews 9:27)

The older brethren among us once expected that Jesus Christ would have returned before the lives of these men had been spent.  For some longtime members, the deaths of these men are harder to accept than for the younger among us.  Fewer among us, perhaps, now can remember when founder Herbert W. Armstrong and later, his son, Garner Ted Armstrong were prominent voices of The World Tomorrow in preaching the gospel to the world and in restoring for us the great Truths of the Word of God.

In the last century, God did a great and visible work -allowing us to be an integral part of it, while realizing that God's Truth and His purpose for the Church transcend our personal lifetimes.  The younger will have a harder time in believing that we, as God's children, actually did such a powerful work in service to God, a service commanded by Jesus Christ Himself. "After all, there have always been computers, and whoever heard of black-and-white television - let alone the hand-crank neostyle press used to turn out the 250 copies of the first issue of the Plain Truth magazine in 1934."  The younger generation must be careful not to allow the expectation of Christ's return to fade.

Regardless of our personal generation, each of us in the Church of God needs to observe and to heed the warnings of Jesus Christ concerning the conditions in the church prior to His coming.  Christ asked a question that probably shocked the original disciples, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will Hereally find faith on the earth?"  (Luke 18:8)

We can expect, of course, that He knew the world at large would not have such faith, so the question is directed to the Church of God -- especially, the final generation of the church, quite possibly us!  "Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done."   (Mark 13:30)

The letters to Philadelphia and to Laodicea in Revelation 3 have prompted some controversy among the churches of God in recent years.  Regardless of other questions, the different perspectives of the two mind-sets are obvious.  One is dedicated to holding fast to God's work assigned to them by Jesus Christ;  the other has redefined the mission for their own purposes and then locked Him out.  The fact alone that Jesus Christ Himself gave the book of Revelation to us (through John, of course) should give us pause to heed.

In Luke 12, Christ warned future generations of His servants not to grow weary in believing that He will come!  The entire passage of Luke 12:41-53 is assuredly a "must read" for all of God's children, but notice especially verses 47-48.

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  We are rich and increased with goods.  Jesus is speaking expressly to our generation.

We should notice that all of the servants who fail to do the master's will shall be beaten. The only difference in their beatings is one of degree.

Through Peter, Christ identified probably the main characteristic that will be common among His servants who fail to do His will in the final generation of the Church of God.

"Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'"  (2 Peter3:3-4)

The Church of God has faced scoffing from family and friends, business associates, worldly churches outside of our calling, etc. for decades and centuries.  Christ, through Peter, was referring to scoffers arising within the Church of God in the final generation.  With just a small degree of literary license, could we rewrite Peter's words thus?

"What do you mean? 'Christ is coming?'  Ever since the older evangelists and ministers died, nothing's changed.  The world is still here - everything is the same!"

Christ described the scoffers' misguided attitude, "... you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked ..."  (Revelation 3:17)

In spite of all that they have been taught and think they know, the final era, the Laodiceans do not believe Jesus Christ.  Peter was inspired to add this thought in 2 Peter 3:5-6.

"For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water."

Apparently many among us in the greater Church of God, in the final era (generation) of the Church, will come willfully to disbelieve that the coming of Jesus Christ is near -- actually in this very generation.  Many will prefer "to socialize" rather than to do the work and the will of God.

Let us not be so foolish.  Let us remember that God created all of mankind to be His children and that He will bring this evil world to a quick and dramatic end. Jesus Christ will come!  We should conduct our lives accordingly.  We should serve our God and take His word seriously -- while we can!

Let us follow the example of Jesus Christ, Who said, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  (John 9:4)

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Sermon:  "A Magnificent Reality"

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