What In The World Is Going On?

“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?” Matthew 24:3-14

FBCF – 10/15/23

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Title of sermon today: “What in the World Is Going On?” Maybe should say: “What Is Going on in the World?”

Our family at our home Thu evening for son’s bday party. As we sat around table, began discussing events of past week that have been happening in Israel. You’ve seen the reports & the videos. Dominates the news channels & social media feeds right now.

- Started last Sat morning – Hamas terrorists launched a massive attack on Israel, firing thousands of missiles into Israel. They then came across the border into Israel. Attack came by air, land, & sea. Attackers landed at festival & elsewhere by paragliders. Hundreds of terrorists crossed border on motorcycles or on foot & began randomly killing anyone they encountered. They stormed into homes killing people & taking people hostage – children, elderly people, others. Women were raped. Babies were killed. Death toll stands at some 1500 dead in Israel & 1800 in Gaza.

As we talked, I could see fear creeping across their faces. Don’t get me wrong: All of my kids & their spouses are strong Christ-followers. But the realities of the level of evil in our world can sometimes disrupt your peace of mind, no matter how strong your walk w/ Christ is.

- What kind of world is our kids growing up in?

- Could we see violence happen in our nation, in our communities?

- Are we in danger? Will we & our kids be in danger in the days to come?

Visiting w/ in the home of one of our senior adult couples last week. Wife asked me, “Bro. Jon, what do YOU think about all this stuff going on in Israel?” I could tell that she was concerned, maybe afraid.

And I am sure that there are others here today who are wrestling w/ some fear & worry. We don’t like to admit it b/c we are people of faith. But there’s a palpable sense of fear, uncertainty, anxiety across our nation & world today for lots of reasons, even before this attack on Israel broke out.

WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED – Connect the dots. We’ve got some really clear indications in Scripture of why we are seeing the things we are seeing right now in our world.

- God said in end times Israel would be scattered & regathered. This has happened – May 14, 1948 – Israel became a nation.

- God said in end times Israel would be attacked by Magog & Persia – Russia & Iran – allies w/ each other now – Iran funding Hamas – US gave $6 billion to Iran

- David Jeremiah: “Every prophetic event casts its shadow. While the event itself happens in a moment of time, there are visible shadows of that event prior to its occurrence. For example, the seven–year period known as the Tribulation will begin in a single moment with the Rapture of the Church. While the Church will not be on earth to experience the difficult days of the Tribulation, the storm clouds of that period will gather long before it begins. The discerning believer will be aware of and watching for the shadows of future prophetic events.” (https://www.davidjeremiah.org/age-of-signs/the-antichrists-powerful-prophet-of-deception-a-study-guide?devdate=2020-06-07)

- Matthew 24:4-12 – “birth pains” (v. 8)

- 2 Peter 3:3 – “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” (NIV)

- 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:3-4

- Romans 1:28-32

WE SHOULD BE STUDYING

- Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord…” – Be like Ezra!

- Revelation 1:1-3 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

- There’s no substitute for serious intake of the Bible. Goes back to my comment from a few wks ago of the “Verse of the Day” being all you need. If that’s all you are doing in the area of Bible study, you won’t ever have a deeper understanding of God & what He has been up to throughout the centuries & what He is up to now in our world & in our lives. Every Christ-follower needs to make or renew their commitment to being a student of the Bible – And you need to make that commitment TODAY!