‘Signs of the times’
Part 1
Matthew 24:1-14
September 9, 2018-am
1. Decide now to be a more devoted disciple of Christ. V.3-4
2. There will be deception. V.4-5
3. There will be division.v. 6-7
4. There will be disasters.v.7-8
Open:
Signs of the times:
There has been famine in our world. A few examples,
#1 - The Great Chinese Famine from 1959-61, where 43 million people died.
#2 - The Russian famine of 1921, 5 million Russians starved to death.
#3 - During WW II, a million died of starvation,
#4 -In Ethiopia, in 1984-85, 400,000 men, women, and children died and the entire world saw as TV cameras captured the famine’s effect.
#5 - In 1996, North Korea experienced a famine with 3.5 million dying from starvation.
Matthew 24:7, ‘…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.’
Bread for the World reports that ‘Right now’ there are 17 famines occurring around the world, in places like
Malawi, North Korea, East Africa, Kenya and Somalia.
Every day, 16,000 children die from hunger related causes. That means that in the last minute, 12 children died of starvation.
There are 925 million people, globally that are hungry every day.
How about more signs of the times?
Earthquakes? -
The December 26, 2004, the Tsunami of SE Asia that wiped out villages and caused the death of 230,000 people from 14 countries. This is the deadliest tsunami in history.
Hurricanes?
1992, Hurricane Andrew pummeled Miami, causing damage of $25 Billion dollars, at the time the most expensive natural disaster in US history.
2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans with a deadly aftermath and caused a new record of $108 billion dollars’ worth of damages.
Are these signs of the end times? Yes. Famine. Natural disasters and false teachers are plentiful.
How are we to react? Panic? Be scared? More to a famine-proof country?
1. Face reality and listen to God’s word. v.6 ‘…for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.’
2. Don’t worry. God is Still on His throne.
3. Make certain you’re right with God.
I. Decide now to be a more devoted disciple of Christ. v.3-4
The end times are coming. These famines, wars, natural disasters and the like are just the beginning.
Jesus tells us v.4 ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’
You’ve got to decide to get serious about your walk.
Jesus didn’t go to the Cross for you to be ‘casual about your commitment’ to Him. Jesus demands your all;
Sell out to him; He gave his all for you.
Let’s think about what Christ has done for you.
First, he left heaven and all its glory to come to earth as a common carpenter and live as a simple man.
Then, he lived a sinless life.
He led 12 apostles and taught them the kingdom of heaven.
He taught with authority, lived sacrificing himself and died for all of us!
He rose from the Grave.
He reigns at the right hand of God, the Father.
He offers salvation, from sin. He forgives. He gives us New Life.
He does all this and ask for nothing, in return.
Does Christ’s life, sacrifice, death and resurrection make you want to follow Him?
It’s decision time. Do you want Jesus or the world? The world is crumbling and failing and Jesus is ruling & reigning.
Jesus is looking for some Full-time followers…Not, part-time people-pleasers.
How about you? In these difficult times, you got to decide. More devoted to Jesus than your team?
Will you be more devoted to Christ, than you are now? The difficulty of this world won’t lessen.
Jesus calls everyone to a full-time faith. Not a part-time priority.
This morning, you must decide. Can you give yourself fully to God? What prevents you?
The world will squeeze you. They will tempt you. The pressures of daily life will draw you away from God.
But God will keep you, shape you, provide for you and guide you. He’ll give peace in turmoil. Clarity in calamity
And salvation to any seeker!
2.There will be deception. v.4-5
Illus. 5 Legs
Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Lincoln, said, ‘Well, let’s see how many legs has a cow?’
‘Four, of course,’ came the reply disgustedly. ‘That’s right,” agreed Lincoln. “Now suppose you call the cow’s tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?’ ‘Why, five, of course,’ was the confident reply. ‘Now, that’s where you’re wrong,’ said Lincoln. ‘Calling a cow’s tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.’
Just as 1 Tim. 4:1-3, says, ‘Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron….’
These deceivers would 1) forbid marriage 2) stop eating certain foods.
Today, deceivers would be _______
Illustration. - 2006 Paper published Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal estimated that 1 of 6 education doctorates are fake!
And testimonial evidence concluded that at least 500,000 Americans have fake degrees!
There are fakes in the teaching industry, Fakes in medical field. Fakes everywhere, if you look close enough.
There are phonies trying to deceive God’s people.
Illus. TV Evangelist, Jesse Duplantis, Asked for a brand jet for $54 million. He asked his followers to chip in to help pay for in. This was this past summer. He retracted his comments.
‘I never raised money for the plane. I put it in our magazine and said believe God with me.’ Duplantis owns 3 other private jets.
Listen to scripture (Phil. 4:11-12), ‘Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.’ I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need.’
So, Paul says, He’s had plenty and had little and in both He’s been content. So, either holy scripture is wrong or Jesse Duplantis is deceptive.
Beware of false teachers, they will abound in the end times.
Anyone who you think is off base, check out what they are saying against God’s word. God’s word is the test for all things. Be on guard against false teachers.
3.There will be division. v.6-7
A house divided against itself will not stand.
2 Timothy 3:1-5, ‘…for people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good…. lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…
Mark 13:12, brother against brother
Matthew 10:21, brother will deliver brother over to death…
Luke 12:53, They will be divided….
Matthew 24:10….
Matthew 10:21-22 ….
4.There will be disasters. v.7-8
Conflict will continue day after day and year after year. Since we are a fallen humanity, our sin nature will continue to rear its ugly head in power struggles which give way to conflicts and even wars.
When, one might ask, will disasters cease? Only on the other side of heaven – when you and I have gone from this earth. So, expect nations, in conflict with themselves and each other until time is no more.
What about famines and other natural disasters? They will continue and likely increase in their intensity. The occurrence of tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes are signs that the end of the age is near. But we must remember, the timeline of ‘the end of the age’ is on God’s calendar not ours.
As Isaiah says, ‘So my ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Isaiah 55:9)
And as Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:8, ‘with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.’
So, we must trust that disasters will be a part of our Christian experience in the world we live in. Take confidence that God is still in control and working through these circumstances to bring about his purposes.
As Americans who like creature comforts and a life of ease, please know these ‘end times’ will not be pleasant nor for the casual Christian.
The trials and natural disasters will reveal the genuine followers of Christ. So, stand firm on the promises and claims of Christ. Persevere in your faith…God is working for your good and ultimately for His glory!
Close in Prayer.
