Church On The Rock-Abilene
Wednesday Night Service 7/1/2026
  • WAY MAKER
  • GOODNESS OF GOD
  • Redeemed
  • The King Is In The Room
  • Luke 19:13 KJV 1900
    13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
    Luke 19:13 NKJV
    13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
    Introduction:
    Good evening.
    Over the last several days, our news feeds, televisions, and social media have been filled with reports about the conflict in the Middle East.
    As always happens during times like these, many Christians have begun asking the same question:
    "Is this the end?"
    The truth is, it may be.
    Jesus may return today.
    He may return tomorrow.
    He may return before we finish this service.
    The return of Christ is one of the great promises of the Christian faith, and every believer should live with the expectation that He is coming again.
    But there is another truth that we must also remember.
    For nearly every generation of the Church, there has been a major world event that caused believers to say,
    "This is it."
    Wars.
    Natural disasters.
    Economic crises.
    The rebirth of Israel.
    The Cold War.
    Y2K.
    September 11.
    COVID-19.
    And now the current conflict involving Israel and Iran.
    Every generation has looked at the events unfolding around them and wondered if they were witnessing the final chapter of history.
    Perhaps they were.
    Perhaps we are.
    The point is that no one knows.
    Jesus Himself said that no one knows the day or the hour.
    If that is true—and it is—then perhaps we have been asking the wrong question.
    Instead of asking,
    "When is Jesus coming?"
    perhaps we should ask,
    "What did Jesus tell us to be doing until He comes?"
    Tonight, I want us to look beyond the headlines and return to the command of Christ.
    Because while the world is busy predicting His return, Jesus has already told His Church how we are to live until that day arrives.

    The Church has the victory!

    2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV
    14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
    1 John 4:4 NKJV
    4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
    We may not experience victory in every circumstance because we have not yet reached the moment of Christ's final victory, but the Church is victorious.
    In order for the Church to walk in that victory, we must take the time to be introspective and allow the truth we know from God's Word to do what Pastor David O. Troupe called the "thirteen-inch conversion."
    The thirteen-inch conversion is when the truth of God's Word moves from our head to our heart.
    When that truth moves from our head to our heart, it moves from our heart into our lives.
    Our peace in difficult times is found when our witness counts the most.
    It is important that we know God has all things under His control.
    We all struggle with trusting God with the whole of our lives.
    Okay, maybe you don't struggle, but I do.
    It occurred to me that trusting God does not mean we never struggle.
    It means we learn to trust Him while we struggle.
    There is a space between stepping out in faith and seeing the fulfillment of what we are trusting God for.
    I have heard that space called "The Hallway."
    Again, "The Hallway" is where our witness is.

    WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE.

    1948 – Israel Becomes a Nation

    Many Christians believed the rebirth of Israel meant Christ's return was only a few years away.

    1967 – The Six-Day War

    When Israel regained control of East Jerusalem, many said,
    "This is it."

    1970 – The Late Great Planet Earth

    The Late Great Planet Earth became one of the best-selling Christian books of all time and convinced millions that Christ's return was imminent.

    1988 – "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988"

    Edgar C. Whisenant published 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.
    More than 300,000 copies were mailed to pastors.
    Millions more were distributed.
    Many Christians became convinced they knew when Jesus would return.

    1989–1995 – The Predictions Continued

    When 1988 passed, new dates were suggested.
    The dates changed.
    Jesus' words did not.

    2000 – Y2K

    Many believed the millennium and computer failures signaled the end.
    Fear spread once again.

    September 11, 2001

    After the terrorist attacks, many Christians believed this surely marked the beginning of the end.

    2020 – COVID-19

    A worldwide pandemic once again produced a flood of prophecy videos, books, and predictions.

    2025–2026 – Israel and Iran

    Now another Middle East conflict has led many people to ask:
    "Is this it?"

    THE LORD JESUS WARNED US NOT TO BE ALARMED.

    Luke 17:21–23 NKJV
    21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” 22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them.

    NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR!

    Matthew 24:36 NKJV
    36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

    IT'S BETTER TO BE FAITHFUL THAN TO BE RIGHT.

    Matthew 25:21 NKJV
    21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

    WE SHOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME WORK JESUS GAVE US WHETHER HE COMES TONIGHT OR A THOUSAND YEARS FROM NOW.

    Martin Luther is famously credited with saying:

    "Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today."
    I think Martin Luther understood something that many Christians forget.
    He understood that the certainty of Christ's return does not excuse us from today's responsibilities.
    It motivates them.
    Jesus never told His disciples to stop living.
    He never told them to stop planning.
    He never told them to stop working.
    He never told them to stop preaching the Gospel.
    He told them to remain faithful.
    Luke 19:13 NKJV
    13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
    The King James Version says,
    "Occupy till I come."
    The command is simple.
    Until Jesus returns, we are to keep doing His business.
    We are to preach the Gospel.
    We are to make disciples.
    We are to love our neighbors.
    We are to build strong families.
    We are to strengthen the local church.
    We are to help the poor.
    We are to serve one another.
    If Jesus comes today, may He find us faithfully doing what He told us to do.
    If He comes one hundred years from now, may the Church still be faithfully doing what He told us to do.
    Our responsibility is not to predict His return.
    Our responsibility is to be faithful until He returns.
    Because in the end, I believe it is far better to be found faithful than to be found right about a date.
    And when He comes, may every one of us hear these words:
    Matthew 25:1 NKJV
    1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
    Conclusion:
    As we bring this message to a close, let me leave you with one simple thought.
    Jesus is coming again.
    Of that I have absolutely no doubt.
    He promised He would.
    And every promise He has ever made has proven true.
    What I do not know is when.
    Neither do you.
    Neither do the people on television.
    Neither do the people writing books.
    Jesus settled that question when He said,
    "But of that day and hour no one knows..."
    If Jesus did not intend for us to know the day, then perhaps our energy is better spent obeying what He did tell us to do.
    He told us to occupy until He comes.
    He told us to preach the Gospel.
    He told us to make disciples.
    He told us to love our neighbors.
    He told us to be faithful.
    Every generation has believed they might be the generation that would see His return.
    Perhaps we are.
    Perhaps we are not.
    But one thing has never changed.
    The mission remains the same.
    If Jesus comes tonight, may He find us preaching the Gospel.
    If Jesus comes tonight, may He find us loving people.
    If Jesus comes tonight, may He find us serving His Church.
    If Jesus comes tonight, may He find us faithfully doing His business.
    And if He delays His coming another hundred years, may He find His Church still faithfully doing exactly what He commanded.
    The world may panic.
    The headlines may change.
    The nations may rage.
    But the mission of the Church never changes.
    So let us leave here tonight with confidence instead of fear.
    With purpose instead of panic.
    With faith instead of speculation.
    And let us determine in our hearts that whenever our Lord returns, He will find us doing exactly what He told us to do.
    Occupying until He comes.
    And when that day arrives, may every one of us hear the words we long to hear:
    "Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Lord."

      • Luke 19:13NKJV

      • Luke 19:13NKJV

      • 2 Corinthians 2:14NKJV

      • 1 John 4:4NKJV

      • Luke 17:21–23NKJV

      • Matthew 24:36NKJV

      • Matthew 25:21NKJV

      • Luke 19:13NKJV

      • Matthew 25:1NKJV

Church On The Rock-Abilene
churchontherockabilene@gmail.com
3256725446
https://church-on-the-rock-abilene-tx.faithlifesites.com
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