More About The End Of The Age Series

Introduction

A. The outline for this message came from “The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible’” by Leadership Ministries Worldwide

B. Lets begin by reading Matthew 24:1 - 14 again

Matthew 24:1-14 (NKJV)

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. {2} And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." {3} Now 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?" {4} And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. {5} "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. {6} "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. {7} "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. {8} "All these are the beginning of sorrows. {9} "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. {10} "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. {11} "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. {12} "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. {13} "But he who endures to the end shall be saved. {14} "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come

1. We are not going to reiterate the events of the day

a. Just know that it is afternoon

b. Jesus had just put all the religious elite to silence

c. He had put the secular leaders to silence

d. He had pronounced the 9 woes

2. And Jesus is leaving the temple

a. In the first verse of our passage

Matthew 24:1 (NKJV)

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

b. The NIV says that “Jesus left the temple and was walking away…”

(1) So lets look at this passage just a little differently than we have the others

II. Body

A. I think there are two reasons these verses are in the Bible and they are both found in verse 1

1. The first reason these verses are in the Bible is to re-ignite our walk with Jesus

“Jesus left the temple and was walking away…”

a. We should want to leave here walking like Jesus

b. We should want to leave here walking with Jesus

2. The second reason these verses are in the bible is to redirect our attention back to Christ

a. And His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple

(1) Sometimes our attention is on the wrong things

(2) Sometimes our attention is on the temporal rather than the eternal

(3) Nothing will re-ignite our walk with God or redirect our attention back to God like exposure to the truth.

(a) Just look at verse 2

Matthew 24:2 (NKJV)

And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

(b) The temple was once classed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

i) Now Herod’s temple did not ever begin to approach the magnificence of Solomon’s temple

ii) But, it was still a national treasure

iii) It was still something which the nation was very proud

iv) And what was Jesus saying?

Matthew 24:2 (NKJV)

And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

(c) This had to be a shock, But lets turn to John 8:32

John 8:32 (NKJV)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

b. Jesus was trying to teach these men a spiritual truth

c. This temple, the place for Hebrew worship is only a thing

(1) Lets turn to John 4:24

(2) It is only temporary

John 4:24 (NKJV)

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

(3) Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:16

(4) The place of worship is within ourselves