Sermon - January 31, 2016 - Matthew 24:15-28 - A Tribulation Warning from Jesus

Over the last couple of weeks, we have looked at Jesus’ overview of the tribulation. We have seen that there will be false prophets, famine, wars, martyrdom, and more. The antichrist will be revealed and his false prophet will lead people astray in worship. In verse 15 we find that Jesus was not done talking about what to expect. It is such a big deal, a heads up for people around today, and a warning for those who will live through the Tribulation that Jesus wants to be very clear.

Matthew 24:15-28

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁷ A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house. ¹⁸ And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. ¹⁹ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! ²² Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect. ²³ “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! ²⁴ False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.²⁵ Take note: I have told you in advance. ²⁶ So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.”

By this point in time those who have given their lives to Jesus have been raptured and all that is left is those who have found Jesus during the tribulation and the Jewish remnant. Jesus is speaking to those who are left after the rapture and filling them in on what is arguably the most obvious sign of the tribulation, the ‘abomination that causes desolation.’ We touched on this last week.

Daniel 9:27

“He will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering. And the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

At the half way point of the tribulation the antichrist is going to have a wild idea to desecrate the Holy Temple of the Jewish people. He is going to turn it from a place that is used to worship the One True God to one that is worshipping the antichrist. The antichrist’s days will be numbered from that point.

Daniel 12:11

“From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.”

For those trying to do the math, that is just about 3 ½ years. So Daniel was prophesizing about a 7-year tribulation and the desolation of the Holy Temple happening in the middle of it.

Before we go any farther, a question needs to be answered. There is no temple today, so are there any plans to build one?

The short answer is, yes. The Temple Institute, which is an organization that is trying engage the Jewish people to build a new temple. Last year we saw that people in Israel were now raising herds of red heifers, which have been all but extinct in Israel for many years. This is significant in that a red heifer is needed for purification.

Numbers 19:1-10

“19 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ² “This is the legal statute that the Lord has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red cow that has no defect and has never been yoked. ³ Give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will have it brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. ⁴ Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. ⁵ The cow must be burned in his sight. Its hide, flesh, and blood, are to be burned along with its dung. ⁶ The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson yarn, and throw them onto the fire where the cow is burning. ⁷ Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. ⁸ The one who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he will remain unclean until evening. ⁹ “A man who is clean is to gather up the cow’s ashes and deposit them outside the camp in a ceremonially clean place. The ashes must be kept by the Israelite community for preparing the water to remove impurity; it is a sin offering. ¹⁰ Then the one who gathers up the cow’s ashes must wash his clothes, and he will remain unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner who resides among them.”

Using a red heifer for purification is required for the temple. The red heifer has returned. I also read that while they do not have a temple, The Temple Institute has built a new altar. Under the guidance of a Rabbi, this new altar has been built according to scriptural requirements. It was inaugurated at the end of 2014.

So, The Temple Institute has orchestrated the reemergence of red heifers and built a new altar. Their plans do not stop there. They have been successful in raising the money needed to have an architect draw up the plans for the third temple to be built in Jerusalem. The Bible does not tell us if the Third Temple is built before the tribulation or during it. The Bible is clear that there will be a Third Temple and that the antichrist will take it as his own.

Last week we saw that Israel would be alone against all of the nations of the world. Take that with the return of the red heifers, a new altar, and the plans for the Third Temple being worked on; it appears the puzzle pieces are falling into place.

Eventually the Third Temple will be built and at the mid-point of the tribulation the antichrist will reveal himself.

2 Thessalonians 2:4

“He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God.”

There will be no missing or denying that the antichrist has revealed himself. Many will believe he is god since they are blind, but those that are watching. Those who are serving Jesus and the Jewish remnant will know exactly what is going on.

Jesus confirmed Daniel’s prophecy and told people to watch for it as it is the most visible event that can be recognized by pretty much everyone. He even gave directions on how to respond.

Matthew 24:16-21

¹⁶ “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁷ A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house. ¹⁸ And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. ¹⁹ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again!”

When the antichrist reveals himself it is time to get out of Dodge. Do not hang around for anything, do not go back to the house to get your valuables, do not even stop long enough to get a change of clothes. Just get out of there as fast as you possibly can. Expectant or nursing mothers are going to have a very hard time escaping. The bad weather of winter will be an obstacle to getting out quickly and in Israel everything is closed on the Sabbath so it will be impossible to get gas for your car or whatever else is needed to flee. Things must be bad if Jesus is telling the remnant is Israel to be prepared to run.

Jeremiah 30:7

“How awful that day will be! There will be none like it! It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be delivered out of it.”

Any persecution up until this point will be mild in comparison to what is coming. Hell on earth is coming for those who do not follow the antichrist. One commentary I read this week stated that that no person can truly grasp the horrors that will be faced during this period. As usual we can be thankful that God does not leave things at their worst.

Matthew 24:22

“Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.”

An encouraging note, that our Lord will limit the time that the antichrist is in control. The days of persecution will be limited for the sake of those who will accept Christ as their savior, those that have been redeemed during the tribulation.

Matthew 24:23-26

“²³ “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! ²⁴ False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.²⁵ Take note: I have told you in advance. ²⁶ So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.”

The antichrist will empower the false prophet who will have ‘spiritual leaders’, or as much as I hate to say it he will have ‘pastors’ out preaching the gospel of the antichrist trying to convert everyone possible. Jesus is telling the elect to be prepared that they will hear that that antichrist is the true God, they will hear that Jesus has actually returned in private, they will hear all sorts of lies to make them doubt that Jesus is God.

So, Jesus wants to be clear, do not believe what you hear. It is all lies! He is not going to return in that manner, He is not going to come back in secret, and He is not going to come back disguised as someone else. When Jesus returns the whole world will know. There will be no doubt whatsoever.

Matthew 24:27-28

“²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.”

Has anyone been woken up by lightning, not the sound of the thunder, just the flash of lightning? I have. There have been times that the flash was so bright that the room was bright as day, even with the curtains closed. When you are awake, there is no missing the lightning and there will be no missing the return of Jesus.

“Christ’s coming will be sudden, startling, universally visible, and terrifying to the ungodly.” – Charles Spurgeon

Without warning Jesus will return, all will be startled, everyone will see it, and judgment will follow.

It is imperative that we study the end times so that we are not caught off guard. We need to be watching for what is coming and caring enough for those around us to reach out to them in hopes that they will not endure this horrible time.

We also see once more that God does not leave us groveling in the mire and that even parts of the tribulation are proof of God’s love for us. He is warning us today for what is to come, His words are recorded to prepare those enduring the tribulation, and He brings the tribulation to a close before all are lost. All of this out of Love for His children.

1 John 3:1a

“Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are!”

Be prepared to join Jesus before the time of testing. Serve Him daily! 

God Bless,

Robert

Sermon - January 24, 2016 - Matthew 24:9-14 - Peace and the Tribulation

This morning we are continuing our walk through Matthew 24 and 25. The end times is a topic that it is pretty easy to find commentaries that express opposing beliefs. I can tell you it has been challenging working through this series as I filter through all of it.  

Two weeks ago we looked at how some of the theologians out there believe that the first of the seals that are found in Revelations 6; the coming of the anti-Christ, war, famine, and death are the period leading up to the tribulation and others think they are part of the tribulation.

There is that same difference of opinions on our main scriptures in Matthew 24 for this morning.

One group, those that feel that the verses we looked at two weeks ago are part of the tribulation will tell you that starting at verse 9 we are seeing the second half of the tribulation.

Another group who feel that the first 8 verses are the period of time leading up to the tribulation, the birth pains, that verse 9 is the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

I guess it really comes down to how you interpret these verses in Revelation 3.

Revelation 3:10-11

“¹⁰ Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. ¹¹ I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown.”

What does it mean to be kept from the hour of testing? Many will tell you these verses mean that we will not be around in any part of the tribulation but others tell you that we will be gone before the wrath of God starts, or the final seal, the trumpets, and the bowls, or it could be something in between the two.

Basically if you believe we will not be a part of the tribulation at all, that is what is called pre-trib. Mid trib is where the rapture happens half way through the tribulation, so we would experience the seals we talked about last week but be gone before the wrath of God.

There are very strong cases for all of these theories. I have been pre-trib for many years, but some of the things I have read have challenged that belief but I do keep coming back to these verses and thinking pre-trib is the closest to the truth. I still do not think it is as black and white as most people make it seem.

Before we move forward, I do want to back up a bit. The rapture is important but I can tell you most theologians agree that it is not a set event in time. The rapture is not what starts the tribulation period. The rapture is not a fixed point in the future, as scripture tells us only the Father knows when. He may take us months before the beginning of the tribulation or just after the Antichrist gains power. Heck it could be after a seal or two are opened. Regardless, it will happen before the judgement and wrath begin, before the testing.

It is almost funny how much of an emphasis people put on when the rapture is going to happen, as it has no impact on the timing of events. 

Daniel 9:27

“He will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering. And the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

The week here is referring to the 7 years of the tribulation. The beginning of the tribulation is marked or triggered by a covenant with the people of Israel. The new or soon to be world leader will make a peace covenant with Israel and guarantee their safety.

Two things need to happen for this to happen.

First, Israel needs to occupy the land it has occupied since the end of World War 2. The second is Israel needs to feel like she is no longer safe.

Zechariah 12:3

“On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who try to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her.”

At some point every nation will stand against Israel. Until the last couple of years, it could always be said that the United States of America was Israel’s closest and strongest ally. Today, our President has made it clear that he no longer supports Israel and neither does this country. Many American’s don’t agree with him, but he has more control than we do.

In the news we see the tension rising on the Temple Mount. Jewish people are being attacked for going to the Wailing Wall. Islamist are attacking them at the Temple Mount and pretty much anywhere else they can. Israel is being surrounded by its enemies. Iran wants to wipe them out and so does ISIS. Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria are all against them, and who is supporting Syria? Russia. The pieces are coming together, Israel is being threatened and her old friend the USA is not there to support her.

‘all the nations of the earth gather against her.’

The time is coming, Israel will no longer be safe and will be open to discuss a peace treaty. That treaty signifies the beginning of the 7-year tribulation.

Now let’s look at a couple of our verses from last week again.

Matthew 24:4-8

“⁴ Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. ⁶ You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these events are the beginning of birth pains.”

I mentioned that these are the birth pains or lead up towards the tribulation. Signs we need to watch for to tell us that the tribulation is near and that they may or may not tie to the first 4 seals of Revelation 6.

Another point of view is that these verses are actually the first half of the tribulation and that they absolutely tie to the seal judgements. This would fit with the belief that Revelation 3 tells us that we will be kept from ‘the hour of testing’. From what I have read over the last month, this is the most popular belief from the theologians I have looked at.

In my opinion, the first Seal is probably the only seal that could be opened before the testing begins. This is the seal that represents the coming of the Antichrist and his rise to power. He is going to need to be in a position of power before he has any authority to negotiate with Israel. So it is very likely that this seal is opened before the tribulation begins.

We are going to see the rise of the antichrist, world wars, worldwide famines, followed by death, the fifth seal will be martyrdom, which will be followed by the sixth seal of earthquakes.

Under this view, the birth pains are not signaling the birth or start of the tribulation. Instead they are the first half of the tribulation. They are the early birth pains of the Day of the Lord, which comes at the end of the tribulation.

As the world comes to the middle of the 7-year tribulation that peace that Israel was enjoying will come to an end. The antichrist will break the peace treaty he made with Israel.

Daniel 7:25

“He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High. He will intend to change religious festivals and laws, and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.”

He will come into Israel and convert the Holy Temple into his own temple. The time, times, and half a time is the 3 ½ years that the antichrist will be in control. The last 3 ½ years of the tribulation.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

“³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.⁴ He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God.”

The world leader who brought peace takes over the Holy Temple of Israel and sets himself up as God. The antichrist comes out of the closet and things only get worse.

Matthew 24:9-12

⁹ “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. ¹² Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.”

All of a sudden the world will be turned completely upside down as those remaining endure the 2^nd half of the tribulation. Persecution will increase significantly for Jews and those who are true to Jesus. Believers will be betrayed by those that don’t believe.

The false prophet will arise.

Revelation 13:11-14

“¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, but he sounded like a dragon. ¹² He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³ He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. ¹⁴ He deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived.”

He, the false prophet, will come to turn as many away from God as he can and lead them to destruction through the worship of the antichrist. People who had ‘found’ Jesus since the beginning of the tribulation who had not fully committed will fall away. Those remaining true believers will be persecuted; they will be hunted down.

You think it is bad now as we are called bigots for not supporting the ‘popular’ agenda. Those left during this time caught not worshipping the antichrist will be hunted down and killed. That is the 5^th Seal of martyrdom.

Matthew 24:13

^“But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.”

Those believers who have remained faithful, who have continued to serve God, who continued to share His love, who have survived being hunted by the antichrist and the false prophet, will be delivered. It is believed that those faithful Christians who have survived until the end of the tribulation will enter into the Kingdom in a physical body.

Matthew 24:14

^“This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.”

Though the tribulation will be a horrible thing to live through. Those who believe will be used by God to carry the Good News of Jesus Christ and His coming Kingdom to the entire world. The message they carry to all will be the same message we have today. That through faith in Jesus Christ we are saved and get to spend eternity in the presence of God.

If there are going to be faithful messengers in a time when they will be persecuted and killed for it, we need to be faithful today. If people are going to be proclaiming the Gospel with boldness when their life is on the line, we need to be doing the same today.

Your job as a follower of Jesus is simple. Love God, Love Others, and Make Disciples. If people can do it when facing death, You can do it today! Share the Good News with your family and friends, don’t hold back. With the way things are looking for Israel the tribulation is coming. 

We are living in challenging times and it appears prophesy is coming true. Be watchful and be prepared. If you haven't yet, come to the cross and let Jesus be the Lord of your life!

Blessings,

Robert 

Sermon - January 10, 2016 - Matthew 24:1-8 - Signs

Before we start this morning I want to continue to encourage everyone here to commit to reading more of the Bible in 2016 than they did in 2015. I did not read the entire Bible in 2015, but that is my commitment for 2016. I am going to read every word that God has recorded in the Bible. Whether you make that commitment or not, please spend more time in God’s Word and don’t forget to talk to Him continually.

The end times are probably one of the most challenging topics discussed in the Bible. As we start digging into the end times I want to encourage you to become very familiar with Matthew chapters 24 and 25. They are the focal point for the next several weeks and the more familiar you are with them the more you will get out of our time together.

Last week I was laying the foundation on why we need to study this ever important topic. There are people out there saying that we are days away and others who think it will never happen. My prayer as we go through this study is that each of us will learn what to watch for. There is not one sign but a bunch of things that need to happen. We need to understand what all of the signs are so that we can see when the pieces’ start falling together. I also pray that as we see that we may be closer than some might have thought, that it creates an urgency in each of us to share God’s love and His amazing message so that as many people as possible make it into the lifeboat.  

Before we get into the main verses this morning in Matthew 24, please flip back to Matthew 23.

Matthew 23:37-39

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing! ³⁸ See, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!”

In these final verses in Matthew 23, Jesus pronounced judgement on Jerusalem. This judgement was carried out by the Romans 37 years later.

Matthew 24:1-2

“24 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex, His disciples came up and called His attention to the temple buildings. ² Then He replied to them, “Don’t you see all these things? I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”

Here in the first verses of chapter 24 Jesus prophesies that the Temple would be destroyed. This too happened when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem some 37 years later. Both were destroyed exactly as Jesus said. In neither His prophesy on the destruction of Jerusalem or He prophesy on the destruction of the Temple did Jesus answer when it was going to happen, He only told what was going to happen.

As Jesus words and our attention turn to our future and His second coming we see the same thing.

Matthew 24:3

“³ While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

In this verse they are asking Jesus 3 questions.

1.     When is all this going to happen?

2.     What will be the signs of Your coming?

3.     What will be the signs of the end of age?

In Matthew’s recording of these events we find no record of Jesus answering the first question. Jesus does not answer when it is going to happen, and when you look later in the chapter, He has this for us.

Matthew 24:36-39

^“36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only. ³⁷ As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸ For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. ³⁹ They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be:”

No one is going to know until it is too late. Only those, such as Noah, who are worthy and pay attention will know that we are getting closer. We will get into these verses in more detail in the coming weeks, but the answer Jesus gives here may be why He does not answer the disciples first question about when these things are going to happen.

As for the other two about the signs of His second coming and the end of the age, we find in the following verses that He does answer them.

Matthew 24:4-8

“⁴ Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. ⁶ You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these events are the beginning of birth pains.”

In these verses we see warnings about false signs and some of the genuine signs of both the second coming of Jesus and the end of the age.

We are not to be alarmed by the false messiahs mentioned in verse 5 and we should not worry about the wars and rumors of wars. These things are going to happen and are NOT signs of the end times.

There have been false teachers since shortly after Jesus’ death. A man named Simon tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit and was confronted by the Apostles. Many big tent ‘healers’ were charlatans. Some of the televangelist over the last 50 years have been called out as false teachers. There are people who have claimed to be prophets and foretold of the rapture and so much more only to be exposed as a phony. False messiahs are nothing new and are not a sign of the end of the age.

How about the wars and rumors of wars? Mankind has fought each other from the very beginning. Whether it is a fight between two brothers, people fighting for freedom, or battles between two countries. War is always present and if wars and rumors of wars have always existed they are not the signs of the end of the age or the second coming of Jesus Christ.

False messiahs and wars and rumors of wars are false signs that we do not need to be worried about. Verse 7 is where we start seeing the genuine signs.

Matthew 24:7

^“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”

Nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom is not talking about wars between one country against another, like the wars between England and France or even Russia and the USA during the Cold War. This verse is referring to complete and total wars, entire regions fighting, such as World Wars. A genuine sign that the end is near are World Wars and we have had two of them. Is there going to be a third world war, if you gauge it by the tension you see or read in the news we may already be in one or on the verge of it. Especially with the rise of Islam and how they seem to be declaring war on everyone who does not agree with them. Either way, many theologians believe that this sign has already been fulfilled by the first two world wars.

Then we are told that there will be famines and earthquakes, which I think if better translated as natural disasters.

While there are parts of the world that are facing famines today, that has been the case for several thousand years. The sign of the end of the age is not a limited number of people facing famines, it is a worldwide famine. Something that impacts every continent and every nation. While we may be heading towards water and food shortages, this has not come to pass so it is a sign to watch for. It is most likely going to be caused by another world war that makes the last two seem like nothing.

California had several earthquakes this last week, but that was not a sign of the coming end times. Again this verse is pointing towards worldwide issues, not something that is only local. Even the earthquake that hit just outside of Poplar Bluff, MO is not a sign of the second coming of Jesus. Natural disasters would have to be hitting each continent on a regular basis for it to be seen as the fulfillment of this sign. We are not there yet.

Matthew 24:8

“All these events are the beginning of birth pains.”

All of the things we have discussed this morning are the birth pains, the signs that we are approaching the Tribulation not that we are already in it and that is where opinions start flying in all different directions.

Some will say that the things listed in these first verses in Matthew 24 are part of the tribulation and have not happened yet. Others will say they have happened and tied to the first 4 of the 6 seals that are opened in Revelations chapter 6.

Seal One releases a horseman with a bow and he was sent out to conquer. This seal represents the coming of the antichrist. The question we have to ask is, is he already here on earth getting into position or has this seal yet to be broken.

Seal Two releases a man on a red horse with a large sword and represents great or world wars. Some say the wars we have seen in the past point to this seal being broken, and some say it is for a war that has yet to come.  

Seal Three releases a man on a black horse and represents the coming famine. Since we know we have not seen a great worldwide famine, I think we can all agree that it has yet to be broken.

Seal Four releases a man on a pale horse, or death. He is here due to the aftermath of war and famine. Again, since the famine has yet to hit this seal is still in place.

This is where I said that it may not be as black and white as some make it out to be. Could some of the seals be broken during the ‘birth pains’ time frame leading up to the Tribulation or will they all be opened during the Tribulation.

I honestly think it is pretty clear if you look at Revelations chapter 3. Here Jesus is talking about the church in Philadelphia, the faithful church.

Revelation 3:10-11

“¹⁰ Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. ¹¹ I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown.”

Those who are faithful, true Christ followers, will be kept from the hour of testing. Based on this, the Seals found in Revelation 6 have NOT been broken. As bad as things have been and seem now, they are not the horsemen being released onto the world. Things are bad, but when the seals are broken it is going to be much, much worse. We have signs to watch for in the global famine and massive natural disasters, but the Seals have not been broken.

Watch for the signs, but remember all of the people out there who do not know Jesus. Even those people who say they are a Christian but do not follow God, you cannot see any good fruit in their lives. All these people, all the ones we love, all the ones that are lost in sin, are not going to be kept from the hour of testing, they are going to live through it. Things are bad now, but they are going to be horrific during the opening of the Seals.

Do you want your loved ones living through that? Pray for them, pray for their salvation. If you have your prayer book write their names in it. Then pray for the strength and knowledge to share God’s grace with everyone you meet. If you don’t there is a chance they are going to have to live through the Seals being opened and things get worse from there.

Thank you for reading!

God Bless,

Robert

Sermon - January 3, 2016 - Man the Lifeboats!

I have been praying about the next series and how to start off 2016. I feel it is important for us to take a look at the End Times which originally had me praying about preaching through Revelations. Talking to a friend of mine who teaches weekly on end times prophecy at his church in Ohio, has led me to a different source and a different path. Our dominant scriptures for the coming weeks will be Matthew chapters 24 and 25. Words spoken by Jesus that are vital to understanding the times we live in, where our focus should be, and what is to come. 

During this series I will not be trying to pinpoint a day or hour, as that is impossible. I will not be trying to convince anyone that pre, mid, or post tribulation is the most biblical point of view. Theologians who spend more hours than I could ever spend studying this one thing in scripture do not agree, so who am I to try to convince you one way or the other. From what study I have done so far, I am not sure it is as black and white as most people think. Anyways the timing of the tribulation, etc… has no impact on your salvation and spiritual growth which are ultimately my main concerns. The real focus will be for us to understand the signs of the end times and what we need to be doing about it.

One of the main references I will be using is a book by Douglass Shearer titled ‘Facing The Storm’. While I may not agree with every word he writes I do agree with the overall direction he takes.

One thing we need to understand as we begin this series is that in 2016 the church is going to continue to face hostility. The church in America used to enjoy that most people in this country agreed with Biblical values and ethics even if they did not consider themselves a Christian. Since the end of the last revival, the Jesus Movement of the 70’s, we have seen that agreement with Biblical values fade.

Values in society today are defined by Moral Relativism. Meaning that values held by people or a society are for a specific time or situation. According to Moral Relativism, values change over time and no one set of values are better than another. In other words, the old American values that many of us hold dear and for the most part follow Biblical teaching are no better than the values we are seeing in the world today. Moral Relativism would say the values supporting materialistic greed, abortion, and homosexual marriage are just as valid as the Biblical values of sacrifice, love, and living a Godly life style. Moral Relativism will tell us that what is sin changes or even that there is no sin, and hence the need for a savior is lessened.

Society has embraced Moral Relativism and it is taking over. We see it in the laws that are passed making things legal that would have been unheard of 50 years ago. We see it as the 10 Commandments are being yanked out of government buildings and with nativity scenes being pulled out of town squares. Monuments are being taken down that have been in place for many years, just because they have a cross or fish on them. Christianity is under attack and moral relativism is winning.

The question is what are we supposed to do about it?

“In short, the church’s task is not to save the ship, but to get her passengers safely off the ship and onto the life boat; and that life boat is of course Jesus Christ!” Douglass Shearer

The world, the ship, is going downhill and no matter what we do it is going to continue. I am not saying that we should not vote and I am not saying we that we should not be political. What I am saying is that our main focus needs to be on reaching the lost not being a political machine. Vote along Biblical lines, support the right candidates, and make your voices heard. But more importantly remember that it is not our job to save the world or even this country from morale decay. We are to guide the people who inhabit this country and the world, we are to guide them to the lifeboats. We are to guide them to Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 tells us:

Matthew 6:10

“Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

God’s kingdom is going to come no matter what we do. So while we need to stand up for our values, that is not to be our priority. At most, all we can hope to do is make things a little better for a time. In reality if God’s kingdom is coming any resources dedicated to the political realm trying to stop the moral decay are wasted.

There are churches who go out of their way to not alienate anyone. They really want to make sure people with political influence or with deep pockets are happy and feel accepted. They accept those who fight to support the murder of innocent babies and for immoral sexual relations to be the norm. Making sure they accept everything and offend no one. These churches are trying to win favor with the government and are compromising the Gospel message.

We need to battle this, but not in the way most people do. Many Christians are focused on turning things around, or trying to save the ship. I want a revival as much as the next guy, but not in hopes that it will change society but in hopes that it will change people. Battling to save the ship can seem overwhelming. Trying to save the ship instead of the people will result in frustration and burnout. God’s Kingdom is coming and we need to make sure our priorities are right. Don’t waste your resources on trying to save the ship and never compromise the Gospel message. We need a savior, everyone needs a savior, and it is our job to man the lifeboats and convince people to get in.

2 Thessalonians 2:7

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one restraining will do so until he is out of the way.”

While the Holy Spirit is restraining Satan, we need to remember that he is still active today. Satan does not have the power and control that he will during the tribulation but he does have enough to cause plenty of trouble.

Look at the world today, things are pretty bad and getting worse. We are seeing more and more Christians being persecuted. Believers are letting apathy sink in, they no longer care about the things God cares about. Immorality is the social norm. With the riots in Ferguson and Baltimore we have seen the complete lack of respect for laws and those charged with enforcing them.

Even the recent student activism seen at universities around the country point to a breakdown of people wanting to work with others from different ethnicities or social levels. Just looking at things that have happened in the United Sates recently points toward Satan being at work and if we are observant they will point out that we are getting closer to the second coming of Jesus.

If we are drawing nearer to Jesus’ second coming, we need to remember what we are supposed to do. If we are to be manning the lifeboats we need to remember that time for some people is running out.

Matthew 28:19

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

All believers are called to spread the gospel message. We do not know how much time anyone has left and we need to make this a priority every day. Every person you meet is someone who may need to hear the good news of Jesus.

Luke 14:33

“In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple.”

We have to let go of the things of this world to truly serve Jesus. I am not saying we have to sell all that we have, that is a command given for those who hold onto things to tightly, the rest of us need to make sure that our commitment to Jesus is greater than our wanting of things.

Philippians 3:8

“More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ”

According to Paul all the things he had before Jesus are filth. His position of authority, his reputation, the wealth he most likely had, everything… are worthless when compared to the Lordship of Jesus over his life. We need to make sure that we are looking at things correctly, Jesus is to be on the throne of your life and nothing is to come before Him.

2 Corinthians 5:10

“For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.”

All of us are going to be judged, believer and unbeliever alike. We are accountably to Jesus for all of our actions and we will either be rewarded for doing what He created us to do or we will suffer for not doing it.

The stakes are high. How are you going to respond?

We need to get back into God’s Word every day. Not to just read it casually. We need to dig deep into, understand it, and apply it to our lives. We need to take what it teaches us seriously. That includes the end times, to help us understand the urgency that is needed.

All of us are to be witnesses, all believers are to share their faith.

Those verses that talk about the coming judgement for those who do not know Jesus, they are real. Eternal damnation is real.

The things the Bible tells us to do. They are not requests, God is demanding we listen to Him and follow Him.

We need to be totally committed to Jesus. Not Sunday Christians, not people who only want to do what they are comfortable with. Jesus was fully committed when He climbed on the cross, we need to be fully committed as we carry out the Father’s will.

We need to be prepared to face hardship and persecution. Satan is alive and well in the world and things are going to get bad before the Tribulation even starts. We need to be prepared to endure the troubles when they hit.

Our faith needs to be in every aspect of our lives. It is not limited to Sunday morning or your personal quiet time. You are either a Christ follower or you are not.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

We need to know God’s Word so that we may be equipped to do what God created us to do.

Knowledge leads to belief, belief leads to conviction, and conviction leads to action.

We must change the way we think of the end times. My prayer is that as we go through this series on the end times our knowledge and belief will grow. Not only will we know and believe more, but that our knowledge and belief will grow into a conviction that leads us to act. We need to go from a book knowledge to a conviction that alters the way we think and the way we act.

Psalm 119:105

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

We do not know what the future holds but we do know it will not be a bed of roses. As we try to see in the darkness ahead of us, we need to use the one light that can help us see. God’s Word is the only light that will break through the darkness before us. It is the only light that will help you find your way.

I want to encourage you to read Matthew 24 and 25 in preparation of this series and it would probably be a good idea to read them several times as we go through this series.

If you truly believe what the Bible teaches and believe that we are getting closer and closer to the end times, you need to take action. Make sure you are doing what you were created to do. Share the Gospel and help man the lifeboats.

I pray you follow along each week as we go through this series. My hope is that you will see what is coming and that it will have a significant impact on your life.

Blessings,

Robert