Should Christians Be Afraid of the End Times?
For a lot of people, the phrase “end times” brings up fear: charts, warnings, and a vague sense that something terrible is about to happen to everyone. Maybe you grew up hearing sermons that left you lying awake at night, or maybe you’ve avoided the subject altogether because it felt too heavy. Either way, it’s worth asking a simple question. Is that really what God meant for His people to feel when they think about the return of Jesus?
Scripture paints a very different picture. When Joseph Morris was with us, he put it plainly: if end-times teaching scares you, something is being taught wrong. That isn’t because the Bible avoids hard realities. It’s because, for those who belong to Jesus, His return is the best news imaginable. We aren’t waiting for a disaster. We’re waiting for a reunion.
Think about a couple two weeks away from their wedding. Nobody expects them to spend those final days in dread, crossing days off the calendar like a sentence being served. They’re counting down because something wonderful is coming. That’s the posture the church is invited into. Every day that passes brings us closer to seeing the One who loved us enough to die for us, and that should stir up joy rather than anxiety.
The Bible also tells us we don’t have to be in the dark about the season we’re living in. Jesus told His disciples to watch the fig tree, and that just as new leaves tell you summer is near, the things happening in the world would tell them His coming was near (Luke 21:29-31). Peter wrote that in the last days people would scoff and say nothing ever changes (2 Peter 3:3-4). The point of these passages has never been to set a date. The point is to live awake.
That’s where the real warning comes in, and it may not be the one you expect. In Luke 21:34, Jesus said, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” The Message puts it in a way that lands close to home, telling us not to let the sharp edge of our expectation get dulled by parties and shopping. Jesus wasn’t describing people who openly reject Him. He was describing people who are simply too busy and distracted to notice what God is doing.
Most of us can relate to that more than we’d like to admit. Life fills up fast with work, family, errands, and the endless scroll, and none of those things are evil on their own. But little by little they crowd out our attention, and attention is where expectation lives. Peter gave a similar warning when he urged believers to beware lest they “fall from [their] own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). Falling away doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it just looks like getting bored with God at the very moment we should be most alive to Him.
The good news is that Jesus didn’t give us these warnings because He’s frustrated with us. He gave them because He loves us and wants us ready. Readiness isn’t panic. It’s staying close, staying in the Word, and staying stirred up. Joseph reminded us that in a relay, the fastest runner is saved for the last leg, and every generation that loves Jesus gets to run its leg with that kind of urgency and joy. There isn’t a B team waiting in the wings to take our place.
So this week, take an honest look at what’s dulling your expectation. Maybe it’s a schedule so packed there’s no room left for prayer, or a habit of filling every quiet moment with noise.
Pick one thing and make room. Set aside fifteen minutes each morning, before your phone comes out, to read a chapter of Scripture and talk to God about the day ahead. Then, at least once this week, tell someone you’re excited that Jesus is coming back and see what that conversation opens up.
It isn’t a countdown to fear. It’s a countdown to the King.
Scripture paints a very different picture. When Joseph Morris was with us, he put it plainly: if end-times teaching scares you, something is being taught wrong. That isn’t because the Bible avoids hard realities. It’s because, for those who belong to Jesus, His return is the best news imaginable. We aren’t waiting for a disaster. We’re waiting for a reunion.
Think about a couple two weeks away from their wedding. Nobody expects them to spend those final days in dread, crossing days off the calendar like a sentence being served. They’re counting down because something wonderful is coming. That’s the posture the church is invited into. Every day that passes brings us closer to seeing the One who loved us enough to die for us, and that should stir up joy rather than anxiety.
The Bible also tells us we don’t have to be in the dark about the season we’re living in. Jesus told His disciples to watch the fig tree, and that just as new leaves tell you summer is near, the things happening in the world would tell them His coming was near (Luke 21:29-31). Peter wrote that in the last days people would scoff and say nothing ever changes (2 Peter 3:3-4). The point of these passages has never been to set a date. The point is to live awake.
That’s where the real warning comes in, and it may not be the one you expect. In Luke 21:34, Jesus said, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” The Message puts it in a way that lands close to home, telling us not to let the sharp edge of our expectation get dulled by parties and shopping. Jesus wasn’t describing people who openly reject Him. He was describing people who are simply too busy and distracted to notice what God is doing.
Most of us can relate to that more than we’d like to admit. Life fills up fast with work, family, errands, and the endless scroll, and none of those things are evil on their own. But little by little they crowd out our attention, and attention is where expectation lives. Peter gave a similar warning when he urged believers to beware lest they “fall from [their] own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:17). Falling away doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it just looks like getting bored with God at the very moment we should be most alive to Him.
The good news is that Jesus didn’t give us these warnings because He’s frustrated with us. He gave them because He loves us and wants us ready. Readiness isn’t panic. It’s staying close, staying in the Word, and staying stirred up. Joseph reminded us that in a relay, the fastest runner is saved for the last leg, and every generation that loves Jesus gets to run its leg with that kind of urgency and joy. There isn’t a B team waiting in the wings to take our place.
So this week, take an honest look at what’s dulling your expectation. Maybe it’s a schedule so packed there’s no room left for prayer, or a habit of filling every quiet moment with noise.
Pick one thing and make room. Set aside fifteen minutes each morning, before your phone comes out, to read a chapter of Scripture and talk to God about the day ahead. Then, at least once this week, tell someone you’re excited that Jesus is coming back and see what that conversation opens up.
It isn’t a countdown to fear. It’s a countdown to the King.