<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Warrenton SDA Church

Mark Finley

Preparing for the Overwhelming Surprise

My topic this morning is the overwhelming surprise.

Let's pray as we open our Bibles together.

Father in heaven, we've come to a point in the service where we're going to open your word.

As we look out over the world, the situation in our world is incredibly crucial.

We're living in a very dangerous world, but a world that God is still moving in.

And we pray that as we open your word that you would touch our hearts.

Give us the message that we need for our hearts today.

Strengthen us as we study together in Christ's name.

The year was 1969, and the place was a little town called Pass Christian, Mississippi.

Hurricane Camille was hurtling down upon that city, and police chief Jerry Peralta was concerned.

It was late, the sun had set and he knew that there were still some people along the coast in a group of apartments.

And it was his responsibility to get them to evacuate as quickly and rapidly as possible.

So Jerry Peralta pulled up to a place called the Richelieu Apartments.

And what he was unaware of at the time was a group of about 20 people were having a hurricane party.

And he pulled up and saw a man on the balcony of 1 of these apartments with a bottle of beer in his hand.

Peralta, the police chief, looked up and he said, look, it's time to evacuate.

It's time to leave." And the man said, are you going to arrest me if I don't leave?

Somebody else joined him on the balcony and they began to mock the police chief saying, look, we're having a party and we're not going anywhere." Little did they know that that hurricane would be the strongest hurricane that ever hit the American coast up until that time.

Hurricane Camille packed winds of 205 miles an hour.

Those apartments were just 250 feet from the coast.

And when at 10.15 PM that evening, the hurricane hit the coastline, The waves were 22 to 26 feet high, totally demolished that apartment.

And every 1 of those 20 people died instantly in their hurricane party.

Were they simply thinking this storm is not going to be as intense as we anticipated?

I wonder what was going on in their minds.

No doubt they thought they could ride out the storm.

No doubt none of them had any idea of the intensity and the fury that the storm was packing.

We are facing another storm, a storm that's coming to burst upon this world relentless in its fury.

Is it possible at times that we are overconfident?

Is it possible at times that we don't understand the fury of the storm that's coming?

The Apostle Paul talks about what will soon break upon this world as an overwhelming surprise.

I'd like you to take your Bible and turn to 1 Thessalonians 5.

Those who stayed in the Richelieu apartments that day neglected the plain warnings.

They overestimated their ability to ride out the storm.

They knew the storm was coming, but they had little idea of its intensity.

They listened to weather reports and watched the news, but they didn't have any idea of the fierceness of the storm.

They failed to prepare, and they lost their lives.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 describes another event that's coming.

Now another word for safety there in the original language is security.

So these people are saying peace, they're saying security.

Now remember those 2 words, We're going to come back to them later in the message this morning.

When they say peace and security, the people in the Richelieu apartments didn't understand the intensity of the storm.

They said that police chief Jerry Peralta, who was giving the warning, that he was a wild-eyed fanatic.

When they say peace and security, then what happens?

Sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape." Verse 4, But you, brethren and sisters, are not in darkness, so this day, the coming of Jesus, should overtake you as a thief.

You are all sons of light and sons of the day.

We recognize based on the biblical prophecies that a storm is coming relentless in its fury.

We recognize that this world will be faced with overwhelming events.

Verse 6, therefore let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

If you analyze this passage, it's saying 3 things.

First, events are going to take place in this world and they're going to come rapidly and suddenly that the world does not expect.

Secondly, as Bible-believing Christians, we should not be surprised.

And thirdly, it's not only important to live with a sense of urgency of Christ's coming, it's important to prepare for His soon return.

Now Ellen White, in the eighth volume of the Testimonies, writing counsels to the church, on page 28 puts it this way, transgression has almost reached its limit.

Did sin reach its limit in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah?

So, she says, transgression or sin has almost reached its limit.

Are political leaders confused in what to do about the situation of society?

A great terror is soon to come upon human beings.

We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.

So will there break upon this world very soon an overwhelming surprise?

But we are not children of the darkness as Bible-believing Christians.

So, although we don't know exactly when it will come, we see the events shaping up, and we know that an overwhelming surprise is coming upon the world.

Now this morning, I want to explore 3 things with you.

First, the coming revival in the people of God.

Back to Menu

Preparing for the Overwhelming Surprise

Transcript

Sponsor

Recorded

Related

Making Healthy Choices

53m

Revelation’s Victorious Christ

47m

ISIS, Armageddon, Earth’s Last Battle and You

56m

Jesus An Unsurpassed Leader

45m

From Tragedy to Triumph

53m

Elijah, Jesus and End Time People

59m

Plenary

Why is Jesus Always Talking About Plants

1h

SPARK: How to Start a Fire for the Lord in Your Church

SPARK: How to Start a Fire for the Lord in Your Church- Part 3

1h 1m

ASI 2011 Seminar: Spiritual Growth

Effective Personal Evangelism

1h 22m

Total Member Involvement

6. Moving The Ship

1h

Acts: First Generation Lessons for Last Generation Believers

6. Cutting Timothy

55m

Fight or Flight?

53m

Sound Doctrine