Matthew 24
DATE:
28 Jan, 2001 AM
PLACE: BBC Blarney
DATE:
4 Feb, 2001 PM
PLACE: BBC Blarney
I.
Introduction
A.
Do you know what our problem as Christians is today?
B.
We have let the age we live in dictate the heart that we have! Think
about it
C.
Surely, we are one day closer to Jesus’ return – AMEN!
D.
But what are the signs that this event is so near? Many look for signs in
the world, but there are some even BIGGER signals that tell us just how close we
are to the end.
E.
But let me say at the outset, these signs are NOT irreversible, and that
is why I am preaching this, this morning!
II.
Background (Mt 24:1-8)
A.
Jesus is with His disciples, and they are heading out of the temple
B.
But that day, the disciples begin to talk about the architecture, and
beauty of the temple – as if to say, it was something greater than the Lord at
their side – typical
C.
Jesus shocks them by saying all those masterfully cut and fitted stones
would one day crumble into dust (24:2)
D.
Now, having caught their attention, he sets down at the mount of Olives
to teach them about the future – and boy what the future holds
1.
Many false saviours (24:4,5)
2.
Many, many wars – hundreds of wars rage on every year today
3.
Famines
4.
Pestilences – locusts eating up massive numbers of acres of crops
5.
Earthquakes in so many different places – very prophetic – not that
more and more earthquakes occurring, but that you will know about so many
earthquakes occurring all over the world.
a.
15,000 dead in India – worse in 50 years
b.
Last week 1,000 died in El Salvador
c.
22,000 dead in hundreds of earthquakes 1999
d.
17,000 dead in Turkey alone in 1998
e.
1 million dead in 1976
6.
And these statistics are just the beginning
E.
But this things should not cause us fear (24:6), nor to be confused
(24:4)
F.
The things that SHOULD cause concern are about to be discussed by our
Lord. I believe it would do us good to listen in on the conversation
G.
Jesus next mentions three signs more worse than all the previous
disasters put together!
1.
Hatred shall be Sign of the Times (24:9,10)
2.
False Prophets shall be a Sign of the Times (24:11)
3.
Uncontrolled Sin shall be a sign of the Time (24:12)
III.
Message – Signs of the Times (Matthew 24)
A.
Hatred shall be a Sign of the Times (24:9,10)
1.
Do you realise how much more deadly HATRED has been to this world,
than all the wars, earthquakes, and famines?
a.
There are no true statistics on hate crimes – only on crimes against
minorities are called hateful these days
b.
But the truth is that hatred is so rampant
c.
Read two very important verses
1)
Gen 6:11
2)
Luke 17:26
2.
Let me preach to you just a bit of my upcoming message on Anger/Hatred
a.
The meaning of anger
1)
A passion of the mind (an attitude) with the desire to retaliate – to
pay-back some perceived wrong
2)
It is the opposite of being calm, and having forbearance
b.
The proper use of anger
1)
God gets angry – it is part of His nature (Ps 7:11)
2)
Man, created in God’s image, with God’s same attributes, also gets
angry, and sometimes for good reason
a)
Against evil
(i)
Old Testament (Ps 97:10; 119:163, 104; 139:21
(ii)
New Testament (Jude 23; Rev 2:6,15)
b)
Against anything between you and God (Lk 14:26)
3)
But because of our fallen nature, we rarely control our anger, and end up
part of the scourge that plagues this planets history from day one when Cain in
fury killed his younger brother!
c.
The evils of anger
1)
Anger makes killers out of anyone (Jg 18:25; Ps 73:6)
2)
Anger has a tendency to become habitual (Ps 30:5)
3)
Fools, the unsaved, have lots of anger in them (Ps 27:3)
d.
The control of anger
1)
Stay away from angry people (Pr 22:24,25)
2)
Realise anger does not work – only stirs up more strife (Pr 10:12;
29:22; jam 1:20)
3)
Get rid of your anger – dump it at the cross (Rom 12:17; Titus 3:3-5
3.
Folks, hatred is on the increase for sure – it has been for a long,
long time, but there is one place where it has NO REFUGE, and no authority to
reign anymore – and that is in the heart and mind of a believer in the Lord
Jesus
4.
We ALL need to repent of the filth of anger and hatred - why?
a.
Because it is affecting the families that God gave us – the husband and
wife relationships stink in this day and age
b.
Because it is affecting the church
5.
FOLKS! When iniquity is abounding, our love waxes, turns cold! If your
love for God has grown cold, or if your love for your husband has grown cold, or
for your wife, or your children, or your preacher – sin has taken control, and
needs to be rooted out! AMEN!
B.
False Prophets shall be a Sign of the Times (24:11)
1.
People are running out of answers
2.
Science is now saying that life originated not in a soup of chemicals in
the oceans billions of years ago, but out in the emptiness of space dozens of
billions of years ago! They are grasping at straws!
3.
People are turning to fairy tales (2Tim 4:1-4), and false prophets who
perform, and entertain, and give people what they want
4.
And the masses are flocking to them – “Christians” are flocking to
them
a.
Charismatics and their farm houses
b.
Hinduism is on the increase worldwide – yoga, TM in the workplace
c.
Muslims and Islam is rapidly growing – young Irish girls are marrying
Muslims by the hundreds every year – not to mention the thousands in England
every year
d.
The JW’s and their 14 false prophecies of the end of the world since
1970 – and yet they continue to increase
5.
This world really believes there is no one for sure of anything, so they
gravitate towards anything that makes them feel good
6.
Folks, the only way to keep from being “suckered” in the area of
faith, is to have something truly true, that you can get your hands on, and can
test, and prove to be true – don’t get suckered
C.
Uncontrolled Sin shall be a sign of the Time (24:12)
1.
The idea here is that iniquity no longer is hindered, or
controlled, but is loose, and out of control – oh yes, in the name of freedom
of speech, etc
2.
But you mark my words, or rather, mark the words of God Almighty:
a.
The generation we are in right now is just one hair-breadth from being
judged by God – we are seeing the very same things going on now that were
happening in the days of Noah, Lot, and all over Canaan when Joshua marched
through and mowed all the inhabitants down like a lawn mower!
b.
We have a responsibility to control sin in our lives, and in our homes,
and IN OUR CHURCHES! That’s why this preacher preaches against ungodly forms
of dress, and make-up (not against all make-up), but that men and women, boys
and girls need to be MODEST, CHASTE, GODLY in our look and talk! AMEN, AMEN,
AMEN!
3.
Churches all over this world, are turning away from godliness, and purity
in the hope of attracting huge numbers to their fellowships
a.
They are holding Christian discos
b.
They encourage drink, and smoking as long as in moderation
c.
They don’t care how you live
d.
All they want is you to come to their church
e.
Sounds very catholic doesn’t it? Prophetic too!
4.
Folks, our problem is, not that we don’t know what is sin – it is
just that we don’t want to control it, hinder it; we don’t want to miss it!
a.
Our unsaved grand-parents, and most of the generations before them
controlled sin – they knew the damage sin caused
b.
Funny how unsaved people are smarter than Christians sometimes
5.
We cannot totally get rid of sin – but we can control it, and hinder
its growth! It is called “bucking the system”
IV.
Application and Conclusion
A.
The most damage in the world today is usually thought of as coming from
1.
The many, many wars raging all over the world today
2.
Famines
3.
Pestilences
4.
Earthquakes in so many different places
B.
But Jesus tells us plainly, what we already knew in our heart of hearts:
the damage is being done mostly by three deadly things
1.
Hatred
2.
False Prophets – False religion
3.
Uncontrolled Sin
C.
You and I both need to stop letting the age we live in dictate the heart
we have
D.
Church is all about:
1.
Learning that we really are sinners in God’s sight (maybe not in our
own), but according to God’s standards
2.
And then learning that we deserve hell for all eternity – period!
3.
And then learning that while we were yet sinners, Christ loved us enough
to take our place and die for us, so that we could be SAVED from sin’s
penalty, and even more importantly, from sins power over our lives
4.
Truly, one day soon, we will be saved from even sin’s presence
5.
But until then, let’s let God’s Holy Spirit do a work in our lives,
making us truly different from the world, and living in sharp contrast to the
signs of the times we find ourselves living in!