We are looking at the Signs of Times. A person must be dumb, deaf, and blind, to miss the what is happening in today’s world, all around us. It was no different in Jesus’ day. The high and mighty religious officials were asking Jesus for sign and Jesus made this statement to the Pharisees and Sadducees:
Matthew 16:2–3 But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
Look at the ruins of Pompeii, located just outside of Naples Italy. The Roman City of Pompeii was destroyed in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden, the residents were killed while in their routine: men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and superheated gasses. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day. The saddest part is that these people did not have to die. Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers record--weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to Vesuvius’s warning! There are similar "rumblings" in our world. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming day of Judgment. We need not be caught unprepared and unaware. [1]
We look around us. The warning signs are there. Jesus warns us of the tough times are coming for those who follow Him.
Matthew 24:9–14
College students sometimes decide to audit classes rather than take them as registered students. Auditing means that they can sit in on the classes and listen to the lectures, but they don’t have to do any of the work or use the textbooks. Auditing students simply listen and observe. One tendency of half-hearted Christians is to audit the Christian life. They might attend church or Bible study, but they don’t put those lessons to use in their daily lives. They might profess to follow Christ and even go through the motions of obedience, but they don’t really know God or live in His power.
In today’s passage, Jesus is warning His followers, it won’t be easy to be His disciple. You must be fully committed. We are not to audit the Christian life, we are to live it. Half hearted following will not work in the times that are coming.
Last week we looked at some of things Jesus said would happen before He returns. False Messiahs would come. Wars and rumor of wars, famines and earthquakes. The fact is these things everyone in the whole earth has experienced for many centuries, since Christ walked the earth. Jesus said:
Matthew 24:8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Like birth pangs, these things are increasing in intensity and frequency, and will continue do so till the time of the end. In other words, it will not get any better prior to Jesus’s return. However, today passage is different. Last week, we covered in verse 4-8, things everyone in the world has or will experience. What we look at in these verses today are things the Christian can expect will happen to them.
Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
Little words mean a lot. That first word, “Then,” in the Greek is “tote.” This is the first of three times in today’s passage (see verses 9, 10 and the end of verse 14). It is a word that sets you up for what comes next. So then, after you see the beginning of the birth pangs, “they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you.” Who are “they?” They are the one who hate Jesus, and all that He stands for. Many of who “they” are will be more fully defined in the verses that follow.
This is not the first place Jesus makes warning about His followers being delivered up.
Matthew 10:17–18 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
Couple of things to take notice of: We will be delivered up as a testimony. Jesus called us to be His witnesses. Our being delivered up is being a witness in a big way. The words “witness” and “testimony” come from the same Greek root word “martyres” from where we get our word “martyr.” To be delivered up for tribulation and even to be killed, we do so as a witness to Jesus. Jesus also gives instruction on how we are to conduct ourselves:
Matthew 10:19–20 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
We will be the mouthpiece for the Holy Spirit. We will be a witness indeed. No one said it would be easy, but that is what is in store for many believers in the times ahead. Indeed, these things have been going on since the times of Jesus, in various situations and nations around the world. However it is happening today with greater frequency and intensity as never before seen.
More now than at any time in history, Christians are losing their possessions, their families, their livelihood, and losing even their very lives today because they belong to Jesus. They are not being persecuted for what they have done, but simply because they belong to Jesus, because they are known as a Christian.
“You will be hated by all nations because of My name” What do we have to look forward to as Christians today. Not mere discomfort and inconvenience, but trouble that crushes. We see the beginnings of this hate for Christians today in our own nation. Our newly elected officials have gone on record of having said we can worship the way we want in private, but in public we cannot practice what we believe.
We have seen this to be so with the prosecution of those in the wedding industry, Christian bakers and photographers refusing to do gay weddings. We have seen this in business owners not wanting to have abortion covered in the health insurance they provide for their employees. The list goes on. We are seeing all these things right here in America, Christians being fined and prosecuted just for living out their faith. Yes, our own government is quick to say what we do within these walls is our business, but we are not free to live out our convictions.
And even that is changing with the “Equality Bill” that both houses of the Democratic controlled congress vows to pass and our new President said he would sign into law, as a first order of business in the coming weeks. That will in effect tell us the church what we must accept transgenders in our restroom and we must allow for and perform gay weddings. I may be in jail before all this is over. But that is not the hard part.
Matthew 24:10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
“At that time” is the Greek “tote.” Most other translation have “then.” What comes next.
“Many will fall away” or be offended by the faith. Why? Why will many fall away from the faith? We are seeing it today as whole denominations believe it to be expedient to be politically and culturally correct rather than Biblically correct. They have abandoned the Word of God to go along with the world. Jesus tells us in the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), the spreading of the seed, which is the word of God, on various different types of soils. The rocky soil describes many today.
Matthew 13:20–21 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
This describes many so-called Christians today. But we have seen nothing yet. When many so-called Christians, those that have audited the faith, those that have played Christians for the good feeling, because of promises of health, wealth and prosperity, those that called themselves Christians only because their families have always been Christian and have gone to church and those who called themselves Christian for the sake of their public reputation. All these will fall away from the faith when the going gets tough.
When all these see that maintaining the Christian lifestyle, to keep that confession before the public will result in persecution and prosecution, many will fall away. Now here is the sad part: “and will betray one another and hate one another.” These that were in the church, those we had called our brothers and sisters in Christ will be the very ones who will betray and deliver us up. This is nothing new. We saw these things in pre-WW2 Germany. People sold themselves out to the ruling party, as the worldly and politically thing to do. Neighbors turning on their neighbors, children betraying their parents and family.
Christianity will become, and is becoming a decisive factor in many areas of our country, communities, and down to the level of the family. We are seeing the destruction of the family as we know it before our eyes. Jesus told us about that too.
Matthew 10:21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
The threats we will face will very likely be as much within the church as from outside of the church. And many in the church will be led astray to boot.
Matthew 24:11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
This goes right along with what Jesus said in verse 5. We discussed this last week, not only will there be false Messiahs, false Christs, we will have many who claim to speak for God, they will be slick in their speech and because people are ignorant of the word of God, they will be led away.
Matthew 24:12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
We are experiencing this lawlessness today. God’s word is called antiquated and irrelevant and is actively being outlawed. Many will grow tired of fighting the apostasy and persecution. Stuart K. Weber in the Holman NT Commentary summed it up well:
One of the consequences of the abandonment of God’s principles is the hardening and deadening of people’s love for one another and especially for God.
The deadening of people’s love for other people manifests itself in the devaluing of life, a greater focus on one’s own pleasure and protection, and a decrease in sensitivity to the needs of others. People’s hearts for others grow numb when they are battered with injustice and unrighteousness. A person’s capacity to love others is damaged by misuse and abuse. The deadening of people’s love for God is demonstrated through a loss of conscience. Right becomes wrong, and wrong becomes right (Isa. 5:20) and people lose the capacity to recognize this perversion. Society sees an increase in “senseless” crimes (such as shootings in schools) and wonders how anyone could become so hardened and unfeeling as to lash out in these ways. The cause is society’s abandonment of God’s values. [3]
These are all symptoms of a society and culture heading for self-destruction:
Verse 9: Universal persecution of the righteous.
Verse 10: Joined by those who once were numbered with the righteous.
Verse 11: Widespread following of false teachers claiming to be God’s spokesmen.
Verse 12: The numbing of hearts and consciences due to the abandonment of God’s word and values. [4]
Paul spoke to these things in Romans 1 when those who have spurred God to the point that God gives them over to a depraved mind.
Romans 1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper ...
Are these not the things we are seeing today? But there are words of hope in all this.
Matthew 24:13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
The times of trials ahead, and indeed present around the world today, will weed out all the false Christians. Trials and tribulation and even the threat of martyrdom, will reveal people’s true colors. The true believer, the truly saved, will endure. The Holy Spirit will be present to guide, to strengthen, to give boldness, and where necessary will give the very words that need to be said. But these words of Jesus has been said before.
Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
When is the end? The end for some will be in death. For others they may be present when Jesus physically returns. There are Biblical promises that go along with enduring to the end:
Matthew 5:11–12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Revelation 2:7b To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
The fact is, an untried and untested faith is no faith at all. We all will experience testing of some sort in our Christian walk. In the meanwhile we have a job to do. Jesus has given us the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20) to fulfill. We need to be found faithful and doing His will, spreading the Gospel, the good news of Jesus to the very lost world around us.
Matthew 24:14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Gospel sent out to all nations. The word “nations” is “ethnos” in the Greek, meaning people groups. Not just countries, but every different people group in the world.
It is difficult to estimate exactly how many people groups are in the world today but our best guess, calculated by Joshua Project, is 16,543 people groups. Out of these, there are 6,701 unreached – that is 42.1% of the world's people groups that have never heard or accepted the Good News of Jesus Christ! [5]
When that is accomplished, the Great Commission is fulfilled, “then the end will come.” Here Jesus finally answers the question the Disciples ask in verse 3, “what is the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”
Are you ready for what lies ahead? There are some tough times ahead for the true believer. Paul tells us to test ourselves to see if we are really in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Better to test ourselves now, then have the world test us later only to fall away and fail.
Later in this sermon series we will discuss the judgement to come. The fact of the matter is we all, everyone who has ever lived, will see Jesus one day. We will see him in love or in judgment. A time of testing lies before us.
Where are you with Jesus today? Why? Because it matters, especially in the trying times ahead.
