Playing off the Star Wars theme, Christian Life Center (CLC) launched a new sermon series this past weekend called, “Last Wars.” I introduced the series with a message titled, “Last Wars Episode I: The Church Awakens.”

In typical Stars Wars fashion (think *yellow text scrolling to a momentous musical underscore*), the service began with the following opening story:

Written a long time ago in a galaxy not so far away…

Last Wars

Episode 1: The Church Awakens

2,000 years ago, Jesus made a promise: “I will come again.” Along with this promise, He gave political, natural, moral, and spiritual signs of His coming.

Concerned followers don’t need to search scriptures for these signs. They appear on the news daily…

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the churches…” REVELATION 2:7

WATCH NOW >>> Last Wars Episode 1: The Church Awakens

Reflecting on this past weekend, I was pleased at the good attendance and feedback for a church service about the “End Times” despite the topic losing popularity in recent years.

The start of this new series reminded me of the 1990s. Back then, whenever I would preach about the end times, attendance would jump UP by 10-15%!

In more recent years, unfortunately, people seem to be apathetic about the “End Times,” and the apathy typically manifests itself in church attendance. Meaning, it typically drops when pastors preach about the “End Times.”

Nonetheless, I’ve always felt a responsibility to be sure the people I am called to pastor are at least generally aware that one of the central concerns of Christianity is that Jesus promised to return, and the Bible gives a plethora of signs for the “End Times” to let us know when His return is imminent.

The service this past weekend took a deep dive into Jesus’ promise to return and the many signs that He gave us to help identify when His return will be. Click here to watch the recording of the service on-demand.

Without re-preaching the message, I do want to emphasize that Biblical prophecy has an amazing track record of accuracy!

Let’s consider the prophet Daniel. He predicted the rise AND fall of FOUR ancient empires, spanning 1,000 years of history! Such predictive accuracy makes other prophecies something to anticipate.

Here’s another example: Ezekiel predicted that Iran, along with Russia and several allies (from Turkey to Ethiopia) would start a major war with Israel. As referenced in the sermon, current news headlines show this type of event is surely going to happen.

Furthermore, Jesus described what culture would be like in the days of His return, and it sounds soberingly like TODAY! The moral, spiritual, and political characteristics he describes in Matthew 24 and 25 make it clear His coming is imminent.

With a proper sense of urgency, people who consider themselves to be Christ-followers must now more than ever live in a way that reflects Jesus to a world in need. In Romans 1:32, Paul describes the “peer pressure” of our society to let our guard down and live comfortable lives of moral compromise.

The service concluded with the most creative use of a thrift store wedding dress (see photo). It illustrated a very powerful point about the best wedding ever (reference Revelation 19:7).

In order to effectively plan for the best wedding ever, we must live in anticipation of Jesus’ coming. He is the groom. We (the church) are His bride. As referenced in the sermon, it’s absolutely critical for us to get the following question right: Which bride are we? How we answer it is truly the most significant life-changing decision any person can make

To see the hard-hitting, thought-provoking “Romans 1:32” video and “thrift store wedding dress” illustration, watch the on-demand recording now (tip: scroll to about 56:55 in the video).

Looking ahead to this coming weekend (also, Father’s Day), the CLC staff and I are super pumped for week two of the series: “Last Wars Episode 2: The Dark Side.” The service will be a unique blend of celebrating dads and discovering how the current technology toys (that dads love haha) in our culture may play a part in the “End Times.”

I really hope you can join us for a service at one of the CLC campuses this Father’s Day weekend! CLC service times are Saturdays at 5:00pm and Sundays at 9:00am and 10:45am.

If you’re not in the Dayton, Ohio area, then watch CLC live online. Here’s how to view the CLC service livestream:

1. Visit clcdayton.com
2. Hover over “Watch” at the top of the homepage
3. Click “LIVE” in the dropdown menu

Now I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below what you thought about the “Last Wars Episode 1: The Church Awakens.”