This morning, we’re starting into Matthew 24.
And I have to tell you, this chapter has kept me up at night.
Kelly can attest to wanting to turn the light off while I’m reading a little more on the topic.
And the topics that come up in Matthew 24 are prophecies about the Last Days/End Times.
I’ve wanted to ensure as much as I can that I don’t say anything false.
And that I don’t preach an opinion as if it’s certain fact.
But it’s difficult to describe something that hasn’t happened yet.
It’s hard to be certain about something that God described somewhat vaguely.
It’s difficult to keep from simply stating facts that might be fanciful in the end.
Speaking of facts and knowledge -
An arrogant man and a young woman are sitting next to each other on a long flight from LA to NY.
The guy leans over to her and asks if she would like to play a game.
The woman is tired and just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The man persists, saying that the game is really easy.
He explains how the game works:
"I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and visa-versa."
Again, she politely declines and tries to get some sleep.
The arrogant man figures that since his opponent is young, he will easily win the match, so he makes another offer:
"Okay, how about this, if you don't know the answer you pay me only $5,
but if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $50."
This catches the young lady’s attention and, figuring that there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, she agrees to play the game.
The man asks the first question. "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?"
The woman doesn't say a word, reaches in to her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it over.
Now, it's her turn.
She asks the man, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?"
The guy looks at her with a puzzled look.
After sitting for an hour in silence racking his brain, he finally gives up.
He wakes the woman and hands her $50.
She politely takes the money and turns away to get back to sleep.
The man, who was quite frustrated, shakes her shoulder and asks, "Well, so what IS the answer?"
Again without a word, the young lady reaches into her purse, hands the man $5, and goes back to sleep.
If I was playing that game with you, and you asked me for absolutely correct answers on the end times,
One thing I do know for sure, it’s that (for those of us who know Christ as their Savior) -
Title: We Ride with Christ to the End.
Jesus has been debating the religious leaders for days in the temple grounds.
And He finally pronounced His grievous ruling saying “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”
After grieving over Jerusalem for the fate that it will face, Jesus heads out of the city.
On their way out, the disciples want to know Jesus’ opinion of the grandeur of the temple
· 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.
It’s likely that the statement of Jesus leaving the temple is significant as He just talked about it being left desolate/abandoned.
Solomon’s temple was considered one of the 7th wonders of the world.
And it was the pride of the Jewish people around the world.
· 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Most of the Jewish people believed that their temple was indestructible.
It was thought to be a guarantee of God’s future care for Jerusalem.
It’s a nightmarish idea for Jews to think of a day when their temple might be destroyed.
Yet, Jesus describes the utter destruction of it being completely leveled.
From there, Jesus crosses the Kidron Valley to a spot that overlooks the temple mount.
· 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus is overlooking the Kidron Valley and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives.
His disciples ask Him two questions which they see as connected to each other.
When will this happen“When will the temple be destroyed and not one stone left on another?”
What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the Age?
For the disciples, these two events must be connected (1 after the other or simultaneous) for two reasons.
1. Old Testament prophecy foretold of the end of the Jewish Temple.
With this event, they expected the Messiah to come into His kingdom and reign over the earth.
2. The Jewish people couldn’t really see God continuing to work in the world without the temple -it was so significant in their minds to God’s activity on earth.
We have to keep in mind that Jesus is answering these two questions as they relate to the Jewish people.
Illus -[bowl of spaghetti[
Biblical prophecy can be like a bowl of spaghetti.
A bowl of spaghetti is intertwined and intermingled.
It’s difficult to trace each noodle as it’s twisted up with the others.
Similarly, biblical prophecy is usually intertwining different events and themes as it’s given.
At the same time, prophecy about Christ’s return at the end of the age is a very prominent noodle which keeps popping up.
It could also be thought of as a colored thread in a tapestry that keeps weaving in and out.
It may seem random at times, but it’s adding to the entire picture of the tapestry which has to be taken as a whole.
Dr. George Sweeting once estimated that "more than a fourth of the Bible is predictive prophecy...
Both the Old and New Testaments are full of promises about the return of Jesus Christ.
Over 1800 references appear in the Old Testament, and seventeen Old Testament books give prominence to this theme.
Of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there are more than 300 references to the Lord's return--one out of every 30 verses.
Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event...
For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ's second coming."
The answers to these two questions appear to weave and intermingle in Jesus’ prophetic statements here.
Let’s read the rest of this morning’s passage
· 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
· 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
· 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
· 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
I’d like to share an image that helps me to understand a principle of Bible prophecy
[piano chords]
The principle is “Now but Not Yet” or as Grover likes to say “Near / Far”
It means that most Bible Prophecy has a near fulfillment and a far fulfillment.
I think of it like a piano chord that might build one key at a time.
Each key adds to the fullness of the chord and gives meaning.
But the chord is only complete once the final finger lands.
The only interpretations of bible prophecy that we can be sure of are the ones that have already taken place
- Or the notes that have already been struck
Still, it’s important to wait on the Lord and His timing and hear the whole of the music that His events are making.
All of us who feel called to predict what future fulfillment will look like need to do so with humility.
There have been some pretty lousy predictions made about different things.
The book The World's Worst Predictions lists some of history's all-time prophetic goof.
King George II said in 1773 that the American colonies had little stomach for revolution.
An official of the White Star Line, speaking of the firm's newly built flagship, the Titanic, launched in 1912, declared that the ship was unsinkable.
In 1939 The New York Times said the problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn't have time for it.
An English astronomy professor said in the early 19th century that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate.
My interest isn’t in making predictions but in preparing you to follow Christ by drawing on His words here.
From v. 4-8, I want to encourage you to.
1. FOLLOW THE TRUE JESUS THROUGH PAINS.
· 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Jesus is recognizing that there’s many moments when life stinks and seems to get stinkier.
We can see in v4-8 that Jesus tells His followers to be careful as they follow Him.
He tells them:
1. See that no one leads you astray.
2. See that you are not alarmed
These are important instructions for Jesus’ followers as we go through what He calls the beginning of the birth pains
It appears that He is teaching them how not to fall for false Christs who claim to be Jesus returning.
And it will be during tumultuous times (like the events surrounding the destruction of the temple) that men will be lifted up as their returning Savior.
And I believe that the times continue to be tumultuous as we wait for Jesus’ return.
So, as apart of this, heed Jesus’ warning and -
1A. DON’T BE LED ASTRAY
· 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
When Jesus warns His followers to see that no one leads you astray
The verb for lead astray means to cause to go astray (wander) from a specific way
Jesus’ followers are to stay on the narrow path of following Him.
?- What was Dorothy’s one instruction while traveling through Ozfollow the Yellow Brick Road
Jesus is the ONLY Savior.
And Jesus is going to be and do exactly what He says He will be and do.
If a person isn’t convinced of Jesus’ promises, they might be primed to fall for a false Messiahs
There’s been plenty of well-known nutjobs that claimed to be the returned Christ.
Images of False Messiahs
Sun Myung Moon (died in 2012) -claimed to have over five million followers and is in over 100 countries
Jim Jones - The founder of the Peoples Temple led over 900 people to take their lives in 1978
Sadly, this is how we started talking about falling for false teaching as “drinking the kool-aid”
David Koresh (1993) -Leader of the Branch Davidians.
He claimed to be the Messiah destined to lead his followers through the end times.
That was until he ran into Janet Reno.
Right now, there’s a cult leader in Russia that claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus.
The fact is that these and many others were led astray.
We’re to see that no one leads us astray.
In following the True Christ through the Pains -
1B. DON’T BE ALARMED AS THE WORLD TO GET WORSE
· 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Jesus tells His disciples that wars and natural disaster are part and parcel of the coming age of waiting.
Alan Cranston called the 20th century the time of Megadeath.
While the century that just closed was thought to be the dawn of a new society without war, it closed with an estimated 197 million people killed in war, terrorism, or genocide
And Jesus told them and us - All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Birth pains in the term used to describe a time of suffering prior to Christ’s return
This is His description of these events to back up His instruction
See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
?- Are we seeing signs that Christ can return at any moment?Yes
?- Are we seeing signs that confirm that guarantee Christ’s return within the next few yearsNo
I say this because Jesus tells us to accept that this broken world acts broken and breaks bad often.
As Jesus encouraged His disciples, I think I should encourage you that NO world event means that God is asleep at the wheel.
And NO event must mean that the world is at some breaking point and telling us that Jesus is just around the corner.
And NO world event is missing from this list, meaning that Jesus can’t return at any moment.
Of course, what that imminent return would look like is still debated.
How many returns Jesus will make is still debated.
My opinion is that He will return twice
1. once in the sky to take His church to be with Him so He can work exclusively with the Israel again.
2. a second time to reign on earth as a complete fulfillment of the Day of the Lord.
More of my humble opinions next week.
When I was in high school, a book was released called 88 Reasons Why Jesus Is Coming Back in 1988,
It was very popular among Evangelicals.
The author, a Christian who was a NASA scientist, identified a three-day window for Jesus to return.
I read one guy’s account of his experience on September 13, 1988 -the last of the three days.
He was a student at a Christian school and as his soccer coach ended practice 30 minutes early.
The idea was that the final hour of the window was passing.
And they were going to sit and wait it out.
The writer recalls his coach looking at him and saying,
“If Jesus does indeed come, make sure all the equipment gets back in the bin.”
That was savage.
Somehow, even after the author was wrong about 1988, people still bought his later books,
· The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989.
· 23 Reasons Why a Pre-Tribulation Rapture Looks Like it will Occur on Rosh-Hashanah 1993
· And Now the Earth's Destruction by Fire, Nuclear Bomb Fire (His Prediction for 1994)
Follow the True Jesus through Pains
?- Does a mother know how long her birth pains are going to lastNo
?- Does it help her to look ahead to what they will bring -the joy of new lifeYes
We’re called to look ahead to what’s on the other side of the pain -as Jesus did
=> As we’re told in -
* Hebrews 12:1–2 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Along the same lines of following Jesus through the pains, I want to encourage you to -
2. FOLLOW JESUS TO THE END.
· 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
?- Are v. 9-14 talking about
- The experience of Jesus’ disciples prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70?
- Or are they talking about the experience of the church waiting for Christ’s return?
- Or are they talking about a future tribulation that will be experience by God’s people in the end times?
In my humble opinion, I say YES, all of the above.
Along the lines of my humble opinion, next week we’ll look at these verses along with more of the chapter.
I’m going to share more of what I mean by this.
recall the piano chords.
The principle is “Now but Not Yet” or “Near / Far”
These verses reflect the experience of the disciples prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70?
And I think they’re talking about the experience of the church waiting for Christ’s return?
And I think they’re about a future tribulation that will be experience by God’s people in the end times?
For now, as I encourage you to follow Jesus to the end, first you can -
2A. EXPECT THE WORLD TO GET UGLIER
· 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
Jesus has explained the general birth pains of the last days as His followers await His return
In v. 9 Jesus seems to give His disciples fair warning that things will be difficult as they follow Him.
The tribulation that He speaks about began with the pressure the Romans would put on the land of Judea.
The Jewish people would put great pressure on Jewish Christians for patriotic loyalty over loyalty to Christ.
I believe that this tribulation at the hands of their countrymen would continue through the time of the early church and to today as the gospel has spread and faced hatred from all nations it enters.
Next week, we’ll examine whether this is also speaking of the formal tribulation period of the End Times.
· 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
The falling away of Jesus’ nominal followers has been dealt with previously in Matthew’s gospel.
He uses the term in His parable of the four soils, describing the soil that receives the seed of the gospel.
The seed sprouts but then falls away due to having a shallow root.
These are people claim to follow Christ but have no fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirt that would keep them.
· 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The term Saved is not referring to the fact that those who have a saving faith will have an enduring faith.
The term here is referring to physical deliverance/protection of those who are present in the end
?- Is this talking about the end as in -
- The of the destruction of Jerusalem?
- Or the prior to Jesus returning to rapture His church?
- Or the end in terms of the Great Tribulation period?
In my humble opinion, Maybe!
But I believe the full chord of this statement is the End that the disciples ask about -
Jesus’ coming and of the end of the Age.
This is when the final key will be struck in this chord of this tribulation He speaks of.
Lastly, as a part of following Jesus to the End -
2B. EXPECT THE GOSPEL TO BE THE ANSWER.
· 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Here, Jesus again appears to look beyond the tribulation of the destruction of Jerusalem.
The terminology seems to be in keeping with Jesus’ disciples being hated by all nations.
Jesus is foretelling the gospel outreach that would lead up to the end the disciples were asking about -
Jesus’ coming and of the end of the Age
I believe that this is describing the gospel outreach that was in fulfillment of His command to make disciples of all nations.
It would start with the early church in the book of Acts
It will culminate in the End Times when the whole world is either following Christ or the AntiChrist
I used to love the movie, Dances with Wolves.
If you started to hum the theme song it would it’d transport me to another place.
There’s this cheesy moment when the native wife of Lieutenant Dunbar tells him,
“I go where you go.”
Every now and then, if Kelly or I are asking if the other is coming along, the other might say,
“I go where you go.”
Soon after Jesus’ teaching here in Matthew 24, after telling His disciples about all the tribulation they will endure, He will tell them this in the upper room.
=> In John 14
* John 14:1–3 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
He’s saying, “I’m going to come and get you, and you’re going to go where I go."
