Derek Prince - The Church Can Bring About The Closing Of The Age
We’re going on to verse 13: "But he who endures to the end shall be saved". The Greek is more precise. It says "he who has endured to the end shall be saved". So you’re saved now praise God for that but if you want to stay saved what do you have to do? Endure, that’s right. I tell people there’s only one way to learn endurance. Do you know what that is? Enduring. That’s why some of you are enduring because God is preparing you for what lies ahead. Don’t complain. It says "count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But let endurance have it’s perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing". So if you want to be perfect and complete you have to let endurance have its perfect work. That is the key to survival.
In Luke 21 Jesus said something along the same lines in the course of the same discourse. Luke 21:19, He said: "In your patience possess your souls". But that’s not a very clear translation. I would say by your endurance purchase your souls. In other words, the price of your soul’s salvation is endurance. He who has endured to the end will be saved. You’re saved now, to stay saved you and I will have to endure. We have been clearly warned. Now, what we’ve had so far in this discourse has been various signs plural, of the end. But Jesus has not answered the question. "What will be the sign of the end of the age"? When we get to verse 14 we have the sign. This is very, very important. Jesus was asked a straight question and He gave an absolutely straight answer. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come". When will the end come? When this gospel of the kingdom has been preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations.
That’s a very important statement because it means that the real initiative in world history is not with the politicians not with the military commanders not with the scientists but with the church. Because the church is the only group of people that can bring about the closing sign of the age the preaching of this gospel of the kingdom. I’m so glad Jesus said "this gospel of the kingdom". He didn’t say some watered down, humanistic version but the same gospel that was preached by Jesus preached by the apostles is the gospel that must be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations. Whose responsibility is that? Say it again. Ours, That’s right, now you’re a witness against yourself. Alright?
See, this places a tremendous responsibility upon us because if you consider all the tragedy, the suffering the sickness, the hatred the wars, the poverty that mark the present age and are increasing steadily if we do not do our job as quickly as we can we are responsible for all that unnecessary, additional suffering. I hope none of you will forget what I’m saying. I say it with the utmost passion of my soul. I think I can say honestly for Ruth and myself, this is the verse that motivates us "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed [I prefer to say that] in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come". We take our responsibility seriously. The motto of our ministry which is only one amongst hundreds is "Reaching the unreached and teaching the untaught".
If you look in Revelation 7 you’ll see how many people have got to be saved before the age can end. Revelation 7:9 and following. John is describing something he saw in a vision: After these things I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, saying "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb".
Notice that multitude of people all of whom had received salvation through faith in Jesus the Lamb of God came from all nations, tribes peoples and tongues. In other words before the age can close there has to be at least one representative of every nation, people tribe and language on earth. I believe the reason for this is that God the Father is jealous for His Son’s glory. And because Jesus was willing to suffer for all humankind God will not allow the age to close until there is at least one representative from every tribe, people nation and tongue who has received the salvation offered through Jesus the Lamb of God.
What are you living for? Are you living for an easy life? the most you can get out of life? a better job? higher pay? a larger house? a larger car? Or are you living for this purpose? that this gospel of the kingdom may be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all the nations. I believe that when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, as we must one of the questions He’s going to ask each of us individually is this "What did you do to help the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to all nations"? See, there is no one here who cannot do anything. All of us can do certain things. Jesus said the harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few. What’s the next thing He said? "Pray the Lord of the harvest" Everybody here can pray and you are guilty if you do not pray. Most of us can give.
If you view the whole world as it is today with its population of something over 5 billion you may not think of that but every one of us here is wealthy. You say why? Well, we have a bed to sleep on. We don’t sleep on a mat or on a floor. Most of us have sheets on the bed. We can choose what we eat. And basically we have enough to eat. The problem with some of us is we have too much. But there are millions and millions and millions of people on earth who don’t have any of those privileges. I’ve lived among some of them. What are you doing with your money? It’s not my responsibility. Are you squandering it on selfish self-indulgence while millions are starving? Not merely starving physically but starving spiritually for the Bread of Life. To me, this is one of the most searching verses in the Bible. "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come".
I’m so glad that Jesus said it will be preached, because it will be preached. If He said it will be preached it will be preached. But the question is what are you and I going to do about it? Will we have to stand before God one day and say, "I’m sorry but I really never took this verse seriously? I just went on living my life as if the age was going to go on forever and all I had to do was look after number one and maybe number two". It’s a desperately serious issue. I don’t want to dwell on it but I would be unfair to you if I did not point out to you the seriousness of this issue.