Title: “Birth Pains”
Text: Matthew 24:1-14 (The Olivet Discourse)
Subject: How do we live for Christ as the age moves toward his return?
Complement: We live wisely, fearlessly, courageously, devotedly, missionally…with endurance inspired by his coming.
Big Idea; Jesus calls us to faithfulness as his coming approaches
Introduction - story of giving birth…Our first son,Joel was born after 20 hours of labour. Our first daughter, Heather was almost born in the car…she was ready before the doctor was – my wife had to hold off pushing...You may remember that in Genesis 3 God gives “pain in childbirth to Eve” (and all women!... so, Don’t yell at your husband – yell at Eve - “thanks a lot Eve!!!”
Our text; Matthew 24:1-14
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.” 3 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 Messiah,’ 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 the one 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.
Original Context: Olivet discourse – discourse # 5 (for the 12 disciples)
Location - Mt of Olives (same place where Jesus will ascend/return!!!)
There are Many “Apocalyptic” overtones in this passage
Verse 2 - “not one stone will be left untouched…”
When? ask the disciples. (Verse 3)
The fall of the temple occurs about 35 years later in AD 70.
Since then it has never been rebuilt - now the Church is God's temple.
Second question - What will be the sign of your coming?
There is a near and a far-off dimension to the questions and the answer.
These 2 Q – near & future elements are purposely intertwined - The near event, the destruction of Jerusalem, serves as a symbol – wake-up call - for the far event.
Our context in the 21st century ... is it the …“end of the age?”
Honestly - I don’t know… are we in a season of trouble? …are we nearing the end of the age and the coming of Christ?
Jesus’ answer is Watch! ... 4 times in Mt 24-25 = be alert
How are we to live in these days?
Jesus gives us his teaching on how to live in these times of trouble and upheaval...
1. Live Wisely - Beware Of Deception And Deceivers: V. 4-5
“Many will come in my name – I am the messiah”
People agree that we need a messiah – since the world is “in such a mess” – and this isn’t new!
the world is a mess..
Discrimination
Poverty
War
Greed
Abuse of power – corrupt governments – it has always been the case.
Something is terribly wrong with the world. That’s indisputable.
So people are longing for a “messiah” figure - A “saviour”!
Politicians arise to fill the void…
Philosophers try to bring meaning and ways of understanding the world.
Musicians and poets sing about it…
Country music is built on the experience of heartache and heartbreak...
All the arts are addressing this common reality of pain and brokenness
Listen to one song…
... tell me something boy…are you still trying to fill that void?
Bono ... “but I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…
these songs become popular because the speak to the human condition and the longing for something better.
Cults arise…attempting to provide the solution
o JW…
o Mormons
in the 2nd C. aJewish rebel “ Simon Bar Kokhba” - was thought to be the Messiah by Rabbi Akiba.
False religions arise …
o Any religion that denies the deity of Jesus…
o Islam - Mohammed came in the 600’s – well after Jesus – He claimed to be the greatest revelation of God…conquered people and nations by the sword.
Please Note Christianity makes a unique claim – because Jesus makes a unique claim.
o And only Jesus can back-up that claim – by his resurrection.
o Jesus says, I am the way, truth, life.
o Jesus to a religious Jew,Nicodemus - “Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.”
o Paul wrote, “if righteousness could be gained by the law (religion) - Christ died for nothing.
False prophets arise offering false hope:
o Jim Jones cult - 1978 - Jones then ordered a mass murder-suicide that claimed the lives of 909 commune members, 304 of them children; almost all of the members died by drinking Flavor Aid laced with cyanide.
o “they drank the “kool-aid” – and over 300 people died by poisoning.
Now in the age of the Internet its “open season” for all kinds of strange ideas... everything/everyone is capable of being online!
Jesus says, live wisely.
2. Live Fearlessly - Major “Birth Pains” Will Occur – Causing Great Alarm: V.6-8
Childbirth analogy…“Birth pains” is a common metaphor from the Old Testament prophets to depict terrible human suffering generally.
**The metaphor in “birth pains” highlights labor as not steady - but a repeated experience -- coming in waves - over and over again!
**Some will try to mislead believers that these pains are the end. But Jesus warns his disciples not to be deceived.
c. Wars will alarm many
i. Ukraine - 2014
ii. Israel – October 2023??? (since 1948)
iii. Israel – Palestinian War (1948 – present) ...
Gulf Wars (January–February 1991 and March–April 2003)
the Middle East is a powder keg that could explode at any time and world leaders are trying to avoid escalation.
d. Famines continue to occur.
e. Earthquakes… Recent earthquakes:
227,898 killed Indonesia, Indian Ocean - December 26, 2004
160,000 killed Haiti 2010 Haiti earthquake January 12, 2010
87,587 killed China 2008 Sichuan earthquake;May 12, 2008
3. Live Courageously - Persecution Against Believers Will Be Widespread: V. 9
a. Martyrdom will occur ...You will be hated by all nations
See also Matthew 10:16-23
Why – it is indicative of the spiritual conflict we find ourselves in
False prophets will step in
Persecuted church - “Open Doors” North Korea… Pakistan…Nigeria…Afghanistan…India…China.
Story of our friends, "_______" and family… refugees - because they converted to Christianity.
Jesus’ disciples will feel the wrath and alienation from humanity for following him and proclaiming his message.
**Believers … be prepared to experience persecution and distress for the sake of the gospel during the time of the rebellion and the Antichrist’s appearing… be prepared to experience such things even before the appearance of the Antichrist, - as Paul points out, “the secret power of lawlessness is already at work.”
4. Live With Devotion - “Many Will Turn Away”…: V. 10-12
a. “Betray one another”
b. “Hate one another…”
c. “because of the increase in wickedness” v. 12
Morality is in unprecedented upheaval
1. Marriage
2. Gender
3. Challenge against the family v. schools w/ children
The church doesn't yet realize what we're likely to face in days ahead. ... It's gonna get wilder out there, not tamer.
Increased wickedness will cause a malaise of devotion… a cooling off… a lukewarmness.
The chief characteristic of spiritual death is that it causes love to grow cold. Jesus emphasized that love is not primarily an emotion but an active commitment to God.
1 Timothy 4:1-3
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
2 Timothy 3:1-ff
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
2 Thess 2:1-4
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion (APOSTASIA) comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.
Is wickedness increasing today?
All of history has been marked by injustice…/ wickedness/… exploitation…poverty…slavery…war…disease…corrupt govts.
• We have improved health care…(technology)
• We have improved literacy & education
• We have better social safety nets in many countries
• We have democracy in many countries… (flawed)
So what’s different today?
1. The loss of the concept of truth - truth is now seen as relative - and self-defined.
2. The glorification of self
3. The aggressive atheism
4. The west – once a bastion of Christianity – and the sender of most missionaries… is in sharp decline.
Morality is now summarized by one word - Emotivism - that is, Feelings prevail over truth.
But feelings are fickle…moody…no foundation for family, society.
Quote: “Western culture seems in many ways to be visibly collapsing before our eyes. Our nations, our family structures, our communities, our assumptions, our ecosystems: everything is under strain, under attack or bursting at the seams. What is the cause? Is it mass immigration? Is it post-modern relativism? Is it the woke Left? Is it the far-Right? And what is the solution? Is it a robust defence of “enlightenment values”? Is it writing free speech into law? Is it border control? Is it even more YouTube videos? Paul Kingsnorth.
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada - EFC - Hemorrhaging Faith - A Canadian report
• Only 1 in 3 Canadian young adults who attended church weekly as a child still do so.
• Of these (2/3) young adults who no longer attend church, half have also stopped identifying themselves with the Christian tradition.
5. Live Missionally - In Spite Of All This The Gospel Will Spread To All Nations: V. 14
The gospel will be preached (Notice the precision)…in all nations.
God’s relentless pursuit of his wayward children continues.
Christianity is seeing wonderful growth in SE Asia and South America.
PAOC leader, David Wells writes in the Fall 2023 issue of Enrich...
We need to reawaken to the need for every Canadian to have an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Around the globe, the church is growing exponentially; most believers are engaged in sharing the Good News. They believe their neighbours, colleagues, family members or the strangers they meet daily are entitled to hear it. Where the church is in decline or plateaued, including in our nation, believers have become passive about sharing the gospel. This is often because they doubt that eternal destiny is genuinely at stake. Or more simply, other life pursuits produce apathy towards personally sharing the gospel. Pragmatically, we live as neo-universalists. As Canadian believers, we must be convinced we have good news to share and be intentional to do so in word and deed. Global churches that are on mission are experiencing God at work. Those who are captured by the compelling call to mission are experiencing the powerful presence of the Lord and the gifting of His Spirit. Jesus always made it clear that if we are doing His mission, His way, then His Spirit's empowerment and abilities would be at our disposal. I believe the Lord longs for His Canadian church to rediscover this - now.
In summary, as believers Jesus calls us to ...
(1) Live Wisely
(2) Live Fearlessly
(3) Live Courageously
(4) Live Devotedly
(5) Live Missionally
Big Idea; Jesus calls us to faithfulness as his coming approaches
Application ...Jesus calls us to faithfulness as his coming approaches
Jesus says watch... be alert...Standing Firm Will Be A Test Of Endurance, Faith And Character: V. 13
(1) We are on mission… we all need the help of the Holy Spirit
(2) Repent – be ready (Call to salvation)
(3) Don’t be a spectator… how are you engaged in kingdom work?
• Serve
• Give
• Pray for the neighbour…unreached…
Big Idea; Jesus calls us to faithfulness as his coming approaches
Conclusion - Matt 24:30-31 and 42-44
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 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....42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.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. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
