Warning: The Lord Is Coming!

Matthew 24:36-45

WARNING: THE LORD IS COMING

The Day and Hour Unknown

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[a] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.42 “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?

Intro: Sunday December 26, 2004 just before 7:00 AM a massive earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale occurred some 6 miles deep, under the Indian Ocean. This great earthquake, the strongest in nearly 40 years, caused a 620 mile section of the earth’s tectonic plates to shift. This powerful earthquake released energy into the Indian Ocean equivalent to 1 million of the atomic bombs that fell on Hiroshima, Japan. The force was so powerful that the island of Sumatra was actually moved nearly 100 feet.

This energy caused water to be displaced, creating massive underwater waves. These waves were propelled by the force of the earthquake, away from the epicenter, until they reached speeds of up to 600 miles per hour. As these waves near the shore, where the water became shallower, they slowed down slightly and began to rise above the surface of the ocean. Some reached heights of up to 50 feet. When these waves hit the shores of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and several other countries, some were still traveling at nearly 500 miles per hour. Their impact totally devastated many areas and, at last count, has left at least 150,000 dead. The financial cost will reach into the tens of billions of dollars while the human cost is incalculable.

During that time, we have watched as pictures of this tragedy have filled the news. We have seen nations around the world send in aid and workers to help alleviate the suffering and bury the dead. This event will be remembered as one of the greatest tragedies of recorded history. When these things occur, people are caught off guard and seem to be amazed. But, those who know their Bibles should not be surprised. After all, Jesus said that these things would happen in the last days, Matt. 24:7-8.

As this tsunami has unfolded, I was reminded of the passage we have taken as our text this evening. This is a passage that speaks about events during the Tribulation period. It is a warning about a tsunami that is coming upon this earth. Not a tsunami of water, but a tsunami of the wrath of God. I would like to look into these verses for a few minutes this evening and preach on the subject Warning: The Lord Is Coming. I believe this passage has something to say to the church this evening. I also think it stands as a warning to those who do not know the Lord. It is a reminder to us all that the end is coming and that people had better be ready when it does. It is also a challenge to the church to get busy, for we do not have many days left in which to tell a lost world about our wonderful Savior. Let’s look at the thought Warning: A Tsunami Is Coming.

I. v. 37 JESUS MENTIONS A COMPARISON

A. Jesus tells us that the last days will be like the days when Noah built the ark and the world was destroyed by the flood. To see the state of affairs in Noah’s day, we need to look at Gen. 6:5-13. When we read these verses, we can see that the days when Noah’s lived were days filled with wickedness and violence. Men lived for evil and gave no thought to God or His will.