In episode 92, we talked about a recent event in the news. NBA star Jason Collins came out and announced that he's gay, becoming the first openly gay professional athlete in American team sports, at least in male sports. And he also claims to be a Christian. That same day, ESPN analyst Chris Broussard responded by saying, quote, if you're openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, I believe that's walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ, end quote.

For this statement, Broussard got called things like unkind, hateful, abusive, a bigot, and intolerant. So here's the follow up question, Pastor John. Is this hostile response to Broussard for calling homosexuality a sin and an offense to God a sign of things to come in the United States? >> It is a sign of things to come, though I want to be very careful not to presume that I know the final outcome in this century or the next.

Meaning, I do think there is biblical warrant and cultural warrant to expect things to get worse. In other words, expect more sin to be flaunted more openly and more biblical truth to be criticized more severely. I think that's very, very likely. But that doesn't say anything about whether God might step in at the very darkest hour and pour out his Holy Spirit upon his church and then upon the world through his church and call people to repentance such that a stunning awakening and turning happens.

So when I say yes, I think things are going to get worse. I don't hold that long term with any great conviction because I don't know what God's plan is in this age short of the second coming. But it might be helpful for me to give the biblical reason why I think things are going to get worse.

It says in Jude 1, you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of the Lord when they said, in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. Now, I know that we live in the last times already, but they're picturing a significant, it seems, outcropping of scoffing kind of ungodly giving over of yourself to passions near the end of time.

Or 2 Timothy, the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. So Paul saw a time coming when that would be worse than it was in his own time, even though it was bad then.

Same thing in 2 Thessalonians, that there's a man of lawlessness coming by the activity of Satan with power and false signs and wonders and wicked deception. So I think that the picture in the Bible is that toward the end of this age, things get really bleak. The implication of that is that we shouldn't be surprised.

Jesus said, a disciple is not above his teacher, a servant is not above his master. If they have called the master of the house, namely me, Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household? And so Jesus is saying, "Look, don't expect to be treated better than I was treated, and I'm going to be crucified." And that's what Peter says in his epistle is, "Don't think of strange brothers when a fiery ordeal should come upon you." So the upshot of this for the church, I think, is that we not become embittered or cranky, but that we return good for evil, that we love our enemies, that we boldly proclaim the gospel and make the main thing the main thing, that we expose the darkness.

In fact, I'm not sure many people know that Ephesians 5.11 is in the Bible because it says, "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." And I think the exposure happens not mainly by having a website that is totally negative and just points out problem, problem, problem.

Mainly, darkness is exposed by light, by contrast. And so making the gospel the main thing and heralding the good news of kingdom truth and the work of Christ on behalf of sinners and the power of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to change people so that we love the world.

And that word "love" just brings one more thing to my mind. I preached a sermon, what, several weeks ago in which I saw this passage in 2 John where he says, "Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess the coming of Christ." And he said that was the ground for why the church should love each other more, each other more.

So he said it like this, "This is love that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it, love one another, for," that's the ground, "many deceivers have gone out into the world." And I said to the church, "Isn't it remarkable that the more pessimistic you feel about the world, the more you should love your brother, the more you should love Christians because there's something about a loving, caring, happy body of people that protects them from the infection of the world and the bitterness of the world and the anger and immorality of the world?" So I think the upshot, Tony, of all this is that we should pray for the coming of the Lord in two senses.

The ultimate coming, maranatha, come Lord Jesus. Oh, how we would like this world to be transformed into a beautiful portrayal of Christ. But we also mean pray for His powerful in-breaking now. Don't give up on your church or your denomination or the city you live in, thinking, "Well, no revival could happen here.

No reformation could happen here." How do you know God is sovereign? All things are possible with the Lord. - Thank you, Pastor John. The sermon mentioned earlier is titled, "Life Together at the End of the Age," and it was preached on February 25th, 2013, and you can find it at desiringgod.org.

I'm your host, Tony Reinke. Thanks for listening. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪