END TIMES
It was a mild October afternoon in 1982 and Badger Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin was packed. Over 60,000 die-hard University of Wisconsin fans were watching their beloved football team take a beating by Michigan State. What seemed odd was that it seemed the more their team lost the more cheers and applause kept being heard in the stands. It was only natural that some people began to wonder who these strange people were who were cheering while their own team was losing.
As it turns out seventy miles away from Badger stadium the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the St. Louis Cardinals in game three of the World Series. Many of the Badger fans in the stands were listening to portable radios and responding to something else besides what was happening right in front of their eyes. In many ways that is a fairly accurate description of what the Christian life is like. Even though we see injustice, pain and heart ache all around us we know a different voice that tells us we have something to cheer about. We may see where culture is heading, but we know what God’s Word says and that we have a different future.
Last week I talked about Understanding the Times. As we look today at what is happening in the world around us, we see that we are moving towards the time Jesus spoke about;
Matt 24:3-14 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The disciples were sitting with Jesus on the Mount of Olives and they asked Him in simple question. In response He gave them a simple, detailed and straight-forward answer. I know that many people today try and make the second coming of Jesus a very complex and convoluted topic, but it is not.
Let me start out by saying that Jesus was clear that no person on earth knows the day or time that He would return. If you ever hear of someone saying that Jesus will return next Saturday at 3:00 then there is one thing you know for sure, that He is NOT returning next Saturday at 3:00! However, He did say that we could know the season. In other words, we can see if it is drawing close or not.
Mat 24:32-33 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
So, what are some of the things from this verse that we have read this morning that might indicate that the return of Jesus is drawing near?
1. Growing Trials (6-13)
Jesus said that in the end times we would see increasing trials of many different kinds. These trials include a rise in:
a. Power – increased political turmoil (7a)
It says in verse 6 that, “you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed … Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Remember that Jesus spoke these words to a nation that was ruled by a foreign power. Nations have always been at war with one another through recorded history. However, in the last 100 years we have seen this rise to new levels. The first and second World Wars were unique in that they were not simply local conflicts, one nation or even one region of the world fighting. It was a vast conflict that was global in scale.
Since then, we have only seen the situation worsen. Nations have aligned themselves with other nations in alliances like NATO, the Arab League or the African Union. War is no longer a localized conflict. We have developed weapons of such mass destruction to the scale that every living person on the planet could be wiped out in minutes. With other nations developing nuclear weapons as well, this threat is only increasing.
b. Pain – creation dying (7b-8)
Jesus said that there would be famines and earthquakes. While this has always been the case, you could argue that in the past 100 years we have seen an increase globally in natural disasters on a vast scale. The Haiti earthquake in 2010 killed 220,000 people. The Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people. The Cyclone in Bangladesh in 1970 killed up to 500,000 people. The earthquake in China in 1976 killed up to 800,000 people. The Yangtze River flood in 1931 killed 3.7 million people. As our global population continues to grow, often in areas where natural disasters are a constant threat, we will continue to see this increase.
c. Persecution without – from the world (9)
Jesus says in verse 9 that, “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” From the year 2000 to 2010 there were an estimated 1.6 million Christians killed for their faith. More Christians have been killed for their faith in the last 20 years than in all the rest of human history combined. We see persecution from the world only intensifying.
d. Persecution within – from the church (10)
Jesus says in verse 10 that, “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” Not only will there be persecution from the world but also from within the church. There has always been division within the body of Christ, but I think in the last 10 years we have seen an increase in the polarization of these divisions. Most mainline denominations in Canada have walked away from the truth and are attacking those of us who still believe in the biblical message.
e. Prophets – leaving the truth (11)
Jesus says in verse 11 that, “many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” With the advent of media and especially the internet in the past 20 years, religious leaders are given a platform where they can have vast audiences that before would have been unheard of. While this can be used for good, it also gives a platform for false prophets to deceive millions.
f. Pruning – most will turn away (12)
In verse 12 Jesus says that the result of these trials will be that, “the love of most will grow cold.” That means that as things grow increasingly worse, many Christians will abandon their faith for a lie. They will give in to fear and leave their faith. We see this happening today. While we know that the church globally is still growing very quickly, we also know that in areas where the church is already established and there are a lot of Christians that there is a turning away.
All of these trials that Jesus was speaking about 2000 years ago we see happening all around us today in the world today. But Jesus did not just speak about trials, he also gave the next sign;
2. Global Testimony (14)
Matt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Many people have looked at this passage over the years as a primary indicator for determining the second coming of Christ. The founder of our denomination AB Simpson understood the importance of this verse. His focus on missions especially to the least reached peoples was his way of trying to speed the return of Jesus.
Ours in the first generation where we could see the task of global missions completed. We are seeing it happen all around us today. With the advent of the internet, the world has become much smaller. Everyone is connected globally. With modern missions and through modern technology, the gospel is available everywhere. Global witness is becoming a reality.
Years ago, I signed up to a website called SermonCentral.com. If I want to research a biblical text to see what other people have preached on a topic or if I am looking for stories that I might use, I go to that sight. In addition to just seeing what other people have contributed, over the years I have posted 187 of my own sermons on that sight. I checked my stats last week. In the past month over 2500 people from 249 countries around the world have accessed at least one of those sermons. That includes 213 people from the Philippines, 141 people from India, 97 people from Nigeria, 63 people from Ghana, 27 people from Turkey and even 11 people from Indonesia! I am just a pastor from a small church in rural southwestern Ontario, but God’s word is going forth. That is the power of technology.
As Bob said a few weeks ago, there is revival in places like Thailand and Iran. People are coming to Christ around the world in unprecedented numbers. 30 years ago, Islam was called the last of the giants in terms of missions. The Muslim nations were traditionally the least reached and the hardest to get into. When Naomi and I first went to Kuwait in 1993 we were told that there was no recorded case of a single Kuwaiti Muslims ever coming to Christ. After 10 years there we saw dozens come to faith.
I visited Lebanon a few years ago. I visited a church with hundreds of people worshipping. I asked the pastor how many of them had come out of Islam. His answer was, “All of them!” Stories like this could be repeated in hundreds of other countries today around the world.
The gospel is going out. However, not only must the gospel be preached to every nation but there must be the opportunity to respond. In the book of revelations, we see that the job eventually gets done.
Rev 7:9-10 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
In the end we know that the gospel has been preached everywhere. There will be growing trials and a global testimony. The gospel will be preached in the whole world and then the end will come.
3. Great Tribulation (15-28)
Growing trials and global testimony give us an idea of the season that we are currently living in. They point us to the fact that the second coming is drawing near. But how will we know when that day actually arrives? What will the beginning of those final days look like? Again, Jesus provides us with a description;
Mat 24:15 So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel -- let the reader understand…
There has been a lot written about what the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is all about, but I am not going to get into all that, it is not what is important here. The main thing to see is that this is the start of the great tribulation. Jesus describes the tribulation a few verses later;
Mat 24:21-22 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now -- and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
People ask me all the time if I am pre mill or post mill - pre trib, mid trib or post trib? I am pan mill, I think it will all pan out in the end. We know that before Jesus returns the world will go through a great tribulation. It will be unlike anything in recorded history.
Mat 24:29 Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
If you read Revelations chapter 16 you see that this will not be a picnic. Painful sores, water turning to blood, earthquakes destroying cities and hundred-pound hailstones falling from the sky. The important thing to remember is that, although these days will be terrible, they will be temporary. God is not as interested in our comfort as He is in our character. It is not our wellness but our witness that is important.
In the days before Connecticut became a state, the colonial legislature was in session when a thick black cloud blocked out the sunlight. Someone shouted, "It is the Day of Judgment Let’s go home and get ready." But one member of the legislature, who happened to be an old church deacon, stood up and said, "Brethren, it may be The Day of Judgment -- I do not know. The Lord may come. But when He does come, I want Him to find me at my post, doing my duty up to the very last moment. Mr. Speaker, I move that candles be brought in and that we get on with the business of the colony."
4. Glorious Trumpet (29-31)
Immediately after the great tribulation, Jesus will return;
Mat 24:30 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Jesus will come and He will take us home. In this chapter Jesus gives us 3 assurances. Those that keep their faith will be saved. The gospel will reach all people. The end WILL come and Jesus WILL take us home. That needs to be our focus. This is the truth that we need to remind ourselves of.
G. Campbell Morgan, a preacher from the last century said “To me the second coming is the perpetual light in the path which makes the present bearable. I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that: maybe before the morning breaks the final morning may have dawned. I never begin my work without thinking perhaps he may interrupt my work and begin his own.”
I believe that the end times are coming soon. We need to be ready. We need to have our bags packed and our hearts prepared. The way we do this is by digging deep and staying close to our saviour.
The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ -- William Barclay
All around us we see the signs that suggest that fall is upon us. The days are getting shorter. The leaves are starting to change. Pumpkins are appearing in all the stores. We all know that the fall is upon us. Likewise, it is important to see the signs of the times spiritually. To tune in to what God’s word says and understand what God is doing in the world around us today. Let’s be careful not to miss what is going on around us.
History books report that WW II began on Sept 1, 1939 when German armies invaded Poland. The original plan was to invade on August 26th. The order was sent out to stand down because of a last-minute change in plans. All units but one received the news. That unit moved forward on the 26th and captured an important mountain pass taking several prisoners. When the success was radioed back to German command, they were told of the change in plans and ordered to released the prisoners and head back to Germany. This should have been a sign to the Polish government that something was about to happen. They chose to ignore the incident.
We need to be ready. We need to keep watch. Let’s not be so focused on what is happening in the world around us that we forget the most important thing, that Jesus is coming soon. Sitting in the stands we see what appears to be the losing game being played on the field before us, but we hear a different voice. Let’s keep our focus on what is important.
I once read an article in a medical journal that told of the dangers of bird watching in Florida. How can bird watching be so dangerous? Because bird watchers are so intent on watching the bird that they forget about the crocodiles. Many bird watchers had been eaten alive because, while they were focused on a bird, the crocodile was focused on them! We are focused on everything but God - and He is the One who is coming!
The fact that Jesus is returning soon means that we need to be ready. We need to be on mission. Jesus ends His teaching about the second coming with a story that is really sums up the point of the whole chapter:
Mat 24:42-51 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We need to be ready, but that does not mean that we just quit our jobs and go sit on a mountain somewhere waiting for Jesus to return. We are to work while we wait. A gardener for a large estate in northern Italy was conducting a visitor through the castle and the beautiful, well-groomed grounds. As the visitor had lunch with the gardener and his wife, he commended them for the beautiful way they were keeping the gardens. He asked, "By the way, when was the last time the owner was here? He said, "I was about ten years ago." The visitor asked, "Then why do you keep the gardens in such an immaculate, lovely manner?" He said, "Because I’m expecting him to return." He persisted, "Is he coming this week or next?" The gardener replied, "I don’t know when he is coming, but I am expecting him today."
Although he didn’t come that day, he was living in the light of the owner’s imminent return. The gardener wasn’t hanging over the gate, watching down the road to see whether his master was coming. He was in the garden, trimming, cutting, mowing, weeding and planting. He was busy. That is what Paul is talking about when he says we should be established in the work of the Lord in the view of the fact that He is returning. We need to wake up, watch, work and witness for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is coming again.
