This evening we will be looking at Matthew 24.
With all of the talk about the Middle East and War, many people are thinking about the End of the World.
Does this event represent the beginning of the end?
This evening we are going to look at three things that the Bible teaches about the Beginning of the End.
In Matthew 24 we Jesus teaching his disciples this exact issue.
Look at verse 3
3Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, “When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world??”
Let Us Pray
Thirty years ago a science magazine featured a clock that was set five minutes to twelve.
And to think of a clock, slowly creeping towards midnight.
We are asked today, in this hour to check the time.
We look at our culture as it becomes like the days of Noah and ask what time is it?
We look at war and rumors of war and we ask, what time is it?
We hear of Earthquake in various parts of the world and we ask, what time is it?
We see the world running this way and that like the prophet Daniel spoke of, and we ask what time is it?
We see the increase of knowledge also described by Daniel, and we asked what time is it?
We see people from every nation accepting Christ, and we ask what time is it?
So how does Jesus answer our question?
What does Jesus say the last days will be like?
He says that what we have seen this week will be the beginning of horrors to come.
V. 4-8
4Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will lead many astray. 6And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.
And I point your attention to this so that you will not panic or even be afraid, because what we see in this passage is that God is in control.
Jesus says what happened last Tuesday, and he knows what will happen in the future and says,
v. 6
6And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately.
The end won’t follow immediately Because there is more that God’s will must allow to happen for his secret plan to be revealed.
The Bible says that all of this will be the beginning of horrors to come.
It was once unimaginable what horrors that may take place, but this week we have been able to understand about the horrors.
But not only that, we can expect more famines and earthquakes.
7The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.
Adrian Rodgers says that Earthquakes are God’s Voice of Warning and God’s A-Men.
We see throughout scripture that earthquakes shook the disobedient Israelite Army and shook the earth at the crucifiction.
In Revelation, Earthquakes shake at the opening of the seals and as God splits Babylon apart in three pieces.
But these earthquake that experience today are only the beginning of things to come.
Another sign of the end is sin and religious persecution.
v. 9-13
9“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me. 10And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. 12Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13But those who endure to the end will be saved.
Slowly devout Christians are being persecuted around the world. Right now, there are American Christian Aide workers in Afghanistan awaiting trial from the same government that protects Bin Laden.
Christians in Indonesia have experienced a year of intense persecution.
I get e-mails from people that I am not able to share with you because they are in constant danger. There is persecution because of their allegiance to Christ.
Not only persecution, but sin will be rampant.
You can turn on any TV,
Walk into any mall,
Stop for gas at any gas station,
Turn on any radio,
Connect on any computer and see that sin is rampant.
And that is just the beginning.
This is the beginning of horrors to come.
Sin and Religious Persecution will increase
v. 14
The Good News will be preached, so that all nations will here it.
14And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come.
The nations are hear the Good News about Jesus Christ in Greater Numbers than ever before.
The Southern Baptists alone have over 5,000 missionaries overseas and they are reaching out to over 1,000 people groups around the world.
Missions are growing at an amazing rate.
And that gives all of us the opportunity to share the gospel.
We see that as these nations are evangelized, this too is a sign of the beginning of the end.
But we all have to be ready for the end to come.
I spoke with Tommy Ferrell this week; Tommy is the Director of Evangelism for the SC Baptist Convention.
During his presentation at an Evangelism Conference, he made this observation.
All of us remember the pictures of people jumping from the highest floors of the World Trade Center.
Personally, I wish they had never shown them, but I guess it does show us what was happening in New York at the time.
Everybody is scared of heights to some extent, especially when you faced with the certain death of falling from over 100 floors up.
But I want you to think about their decision to jump.
The fear of heights was superseded by their fear of fire.
The Bible speak about hell being a place of fire.
Spending eternity in the anguish of unquenchable fire.
The end could come at any time.
Are you ready?
Is your neighbor ready?
You can be ready by accepting God’s substitute for this eternal death, in the death of Jesus Christ.
He paid the penalty for your sin.
And you can accept that payment tonight.
And during this decision time you can choose to join this church and serve God through this church.
Whatever your decision, you come tonight.
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This sermon was preached at Padgett’s Creek Baptist Church in 2002.
All scripture in this post are from New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.