So I Missed It, Now What

So I Missed It, Now What. PT 2

Matthew 24:3-14 Revelation 13:11-18 November 25, 2018

Last week we looked at the topic, “The Disappointment Of Having Just Missed It.” We began our sermon with Tyrone, a young man who just missed the bus, that led to him losing a job he could not afford to lose. We then looked at Jesus telling us the need to be ready when he comes back for us.

We looked at the five wise and five foolish virgins or bridesmaids. Both groups knew what to expect, what was required, and what was going to happen, but one group was ready and one group was not.

Jesus told us in our Scripture reading some of the signs that are indicative that the end is near. Matthew 24:6-8 (NIV2011) 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. “ He speaks of the wars that will go be going on. Right now there are 42 wars going on between nations. He mentioned famines and earthquakes. North Korea, Yemen, Somalia. We average 110 to 170 Strong and Major Earthquakes a year.

Jesus tells his followers they will be hated by all nations because of me. Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world. This country is more anti-Christian than it has ever been. Jesus says many will turn away from the faith. Many people have left the church for a host of reasons, most because they want to do their own thing.

There has been a major cultural shift in the culture’s attitude toward the church. Once there was an overlap between the church and the world. That has been caused by three things. 1) Jesus’ claim to be the only way to God. 2) The LGBTQ movement which demands the church call good what God calls evil. 3) The equating of the Republican Party with evangelical Christianity. The world does not distinguish between black Christians and white Christians, we are simply Christians to be despised.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. People are scared to help others. Mass shootings in churches make us suspicious when people come to bible study. But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

You’re having a hard time understanding mass shootings, people forcing people into human trafficking, car jackings, political corruption, abortion of healthy babies, the rejection of any restraints on sexual behaviors, and students that are out of control.

We are told in 2 Timothy what to expect. , But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Matthew 24:20-22 (NIV2011) Jesus tells us:

20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 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.

There is coming a figure on the world scene who will be known as the Anti-Christ. He will be a man with a plan for the problems of the world and everyone is going to go crazy over him. He will bring about world peace. He asks at first for a voluntary mark of allegiance. The mark is to be placed on the hand or on the forehead. Everyone will be required to accept the mark.

Preaching will be taking place during this period known as the Great Tribulation. There will be two witnesses who constantly preached who can’t be destroyed. They can hit the earth with plagues as often as they want. Fire comes from the mouths of those to destroy those who want to destroy them. They will be a pain to the Anti-Christ. God will allow them to be killed and the world will celebrate. But then they will be raised back to life again after 3 ½ days and the world goes into fear. They are called into heaven as a massive earthquake hits the earth.

Going back for a moment, the mark which was first voluntary becomes mandatory. Revelations 13:16-17 6 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.