I want you all to think back with me as we begin this morning. Many of us looked forward to leaving high school behind with all of its challenges. Then we began to experience a whole new set of challenges in college or in the workplace. We began wondering what direction we were going to take in life.
When I was a student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas, I took part in a Bible group each Wednesday night. I saw a lot of my friends come in and get involved but then begin to fade out. I see some of that in the church setting today. Individuals will come in and get on fire for the Lord, accept Him as their Savior, be baptized in His name, and are fairly active for a while. Then they begin to fade out.
Some of us have probably been in the same situation and in the same frame of mind at one time or another. The trials of life tend to turn our attention to other things rather than worshiping God. The covid virus of 2020 shut down a lot of the churches for a while. People became accustomed to staying home and not going to church. But now the churches are open, and many people have yet to return to the church to worship God. They've become accustomed to sitting in their pajamas and drinking coffee and watching it on Facebook. Which is okay to a certain extent.
So we are all involved in yet another trial of life. But God is reminding us today that trials are a part of the Christian life. Jesus has warned us as recently as last week that difficulties don't leave us when we choose to follow Christ. Jesus never glossed over the challenges we face as His children. When He spoke about His return, Jesus also spoke of the hardships we will face, difficulties that would even increase. Thankfully, we will not face them alone. God reminds us today that whatever trial we face, He is there waiting for us to turn it over to Him and stand strong. Prayer
We will be looking at Matthew 24. Our story today takes place near the temple in Jerusalem. The temple in Jerusalem was quite impressive. It was considered an architectural marvel in the middle east. Even though the disciples had just been in the temple, they were wowed by the structure. Mark recorded in his gospel that one of Jesus’ disciples said to Him, teacher, “Look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!” We begin our story.
Matthew 24:1-3 – “As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”
*******3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus responded to the disciples’ with words that no one was expecting. “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” This couldn't have been an easy thing for the disciples to hear. Because the temple was the center of political and religious life for Israel, the disciples couldn't imagine such a catastrophe. That is probably why they mentioned “the end of time” in verse 3.
In the disciples’ minds, they were asking one question. They figured that the Temple's destruction and the coming of Christ would trigger the end of the age. In their way of thinking, if the temple were ever destroyed, it surely must signal that the world was ending quickly.
Jesus’ teaching in these verses was two-fold. He was preparing the disciples for the destruction of the temple and for his second coming. He offered comfort for the difficult time ahead, but he also looked far beyond the temple to the end of the age.
What is challenging to understand for all of us is that Jesus doesn't distinguish between when He was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and when He was referring to the end times. With that in mind, notice that Jesus didn't answer the “when” part of their question. If we were to know the exact timing, it would cut off any sense of urgency and any need to depend on Christ in our lives. In responding this way, Jesus wants our focus to be solely on Him. Jesus's knowledge of these events reminds us that God knows all. We can live at peace as the world approaches its end because God has a perfect knowledge of the end of the age, and Jesus has promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let me clarify some things as we move through Matthew 24. We may wonder, is Jesus describing an event that has already occurred in history or a future event to come? The answer is both. Most interpreters agree that Jesus was partially describing the historical account of the Roman destruction of the Temple. Jesus's words came to pass with precision about 40 years later. The Romans raided Jerusalem in AD 70, and Emperor Titus set fire to the temple.
In all of this, once again we are not given the exact timing of Jesus's return. But one thing is for sure, God has a plan that He governs with a definite course and direction. We just need to trust Him and His plan.
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.”
What Jesus says here, even we have seen in our lifetime. As Jesus spoke to the disciples of what was to come, He includes this warning about false messiahs. We have seen this several times already in our lifetime. People have fallen prey to the smooth-talking cult leaders that have swayed normal people to follow them. Those who have fallen prey to the persuasion of false teachers will tell you it is easier to be deceived than you can imagine.
But Jesus warned the disciples and He warns us today to stay alert, watch out! The way to stay alert in the face of spiritual deception is to become so familiar with God's word that we will quickly recognize false teaching when we hear it. That is why Bible reading and Bible studying is so important. We should determine in advance to avoid these false messiahs by our regular reading and studying of the Scripture. And if you're not sure as to whether you should follow one of these false messiahs, then at least ask someone who studies and reads their Bible and let them help you to discern.
The answer that Jesus gives to His disciples is the longest answer given to any question asked in the New Testament. His answer covers verses 4-14. Jesus now starts giving warnings of several characteristics of the period before Christ will return. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that the destruction of Jerusalem did not necessarily mean that the end of the world had arrived. The signs mentioned in these verses are general in tone, telling us that it will be a gradual progression toward the end. Are we not seeing some of this today?
Matthew 24: 6 – 8 – “You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.”
You see, false teachers weren't the only things Jesus warned the disciples about. He explained that there would be an increase of international conflict and natural disasters. These wars and rumors of wars will keep on coming, and they will continue as long as sin rules this world. The times that we face will be unsettling, challenging days.
How should we respond? Jesus tells us that we are not to be alarmed. He told us to prepare in advance to say “no” to our tendency to be afraid. Natural disasters like famines and earthquakes and a variety of other destructive signs will become even more prevalent than they previously were. These events will prove that God's plan is unfolding according to His will.
So, the wars, famines, and earthquakes are small ripples in the pool of history. They don't signal the end of the age, but they are only the beginning of labor pains. Just like the labor pains in the process of birth, these events will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus returns in power and glory.
I hear almost on a weekly basis someone being fearful of what's happening in our world today. Is there a situation right now that is currently causing you to fear? If so, simply entrust that to God today. Trusting God with smaller concerns makes it easier to trust Him with the larger ones. Jesus continues:
Matthew 24:9-13 – “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another.
*******11 Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Jesus paints a bleak picture of what believers would experience as the last days approach. For one thing, hatred will grow stronger toward those who follow Christ. False prophets will arise and attempt to deceive people. But Jesus says in verse 13, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” Who was He talking about? Does it mean that a person has to endure to the end to achieve salvation, or that he will endure to the end because of his salvation? This last meaning is the one that is consistent with God's word. A person will endure to the end because they have salvation.
Peter wrote that true believers are guarded by God's power. The apostle Paul wrote that Christ will continue the good work He started in us. And don't forget that Jesus told us that Christians can expect to experience persecution. Persecution of Christians will increase as we draw nearer to Jesus's return. But the good part is that we have hope. We can endure because of Christ with us and the promise we have of a future with Him. Unfortunately, not everyone will endure.
Those who truly know Christ will persevere to the end, but Jesus says that “many will fall away.” Unfortunately, many, even today, may claim to be Christian, but their hearts have never really been transformed by the salvation, forgiveness, and grace of Christ. John would later write and said,
1 John 2:19 - "They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us."
So then, as a result of the stress of persecution, these fake Christians will turn on one another, creating ruptured relationships as they betray one another, and hate one another. The spiritual vitality of so many will be drained away. Jesus says the love of many will grow cold. That brings to mind the image of someone blowing on something to cool it off. Unfortunately, these chilling winds of persecution and the increase in lawlessness will cause many who claim Christ to have a spiritual cool down.
As I begin this message today, I talked about those who are on fire for the Lord but then fade away. That is this cool down that Jesus is referring to here. The zeal for the Lord nowadays has seemed to fade away and cool down. Even what was once the active membership in churches have placed going to church on the back burner. I hope this is not describing any of you.
The church and biblical principles are what form the solid foundation that we need to stand on in times of persecution. I wonder how strong your foundation really is. Persecution seems to reveal that vividly.
“Oh preacher, you are hurting our feelings.” Don't think of it as me trying to hurt your feelings, think of it as God reminding you of where you're slacking. Let me just ask. Maybe if I just mention some of the things that have happened here during the summer months at SEBC it will make you realize where you're fading away.
- Have you been involved in any way with our youth program?
- Have you been involved in any way with our children's program?
- Were you involved with our vacation bible school this year?
- Are you involved in any way with our foreign mission project since Feb. 2021? Or do you even know we have a foreign mission project?
- Are you involved at all with our Community Clothes Closet that is over a year old now?
- Were you involved with our back to school bash that reached hundreds in our community just recently?
- Were you involved with our church picnic?
- Were you a part of our 9 Lake baptisms last week?
- Do you even know about the cruise that our church will be going on in October?
If you were missing and not involved in any of these events, then maybe God is saying you are cooling down. You are fading away. Don't let it happen to you. Get back and be involved in your church. Finally, Jesus brings the disciples attention to the gospel.
Matthew 24:14 – “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
If any of this has offended you in any way, and you haven’t turned off this Facebook message, God just wants us all to realize that our task is to take the gospel to all nations, regardless of obstacles we will face. Jesus ends His teaching with a pointed challenge, and motivating promise.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus's commandment to go, evangelize, baptize, and disciple. But here in verse 14, Jesus promises that one generation will succeed in finishing the great task that others have begun. That is the task of proclaiming the good news of the kingdom to all the world. The gospel is about God's rule and reign. The aim is to proclaim this gospel so that all the nations might know Jesus, find salvation in Him, and worship Him.
This gospel message will be a testimony to all nations, or more specifically, to all ethnic groups with cultural and language differences. That is why God has led us to a Community Clothes Closet Ministry and a Foreign Mission Project on the other side of the world to help share the gospel. We are now ministering in 5 churches to around 200 children every week there. I personally deliver a message to them every week. I praise God for using all of the leaders to carry on that ministry over there. If you want more details about it, call me.
Is it a challenge? No doubt it is. With all of the cultural and language differences, it is hard for the gospel to flow naturally from one group to the other. That is why we must be intentional in taking God's good news to the ends of the earth.
No person, group, or force can stop God's stated purpose to be known and praised among the nations. This is a promise that God will bring to pass. We shouldn't let persecution keep us from sharing the gospel with the whole world.
So God challenges all of us today. Be more consistent in our attendance. Be more consistent in our support of the church and the ministries we are involved in, not only financially, but in our physical help as well. Get more involved in your church. God needs you.
Please help us to take the gospel to the ends of the Earth. And when we do, Jesus promises that He will be with us through it all. And the more we are involved, the stronger our foundation in Christ will be. And then when persecution comes, we stand armed with the Word of God. Be prepared to tell someone the good news of the Gospel today.
Plan of salvation.
