Like the audience in the theater many seemed to amuse themselves with what the world has to offer but do they recognize the obvious signs of the end of the world? Unlike many, Christians don’t have to be ignorant of the signs; we are warned in the Bible. We need to pay close attention and get ready, because the time is short. Whether you like it or not the world we live in will come to an end sooner than you expect. In Matthew 24:1-14 Jesus gave several signs to his disciples to warn them about the end of the age and of his glorious return.
We will study a few signs from Matthew 24:9-14 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,.. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,.. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
I. INCREASED PERSECUTION:
Jesus, during his teachings challenged his disciples, following him meant they were to deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him. He wanted them to walk in his footsteps of suffering. He indicated that they will be persecuted for their faith. He said in John 15:20-21 “Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” In Matt 24:9 Christ gave his disciples “persecution” as one of the signs of the end times. Vs 9. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
After this statement, the first one to be martyred for his faith was Stephen. He was stoned to death by an angry mob. Steven’s death unleashed a great persecution on the Church. Acts 8:1-3. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”
We will study a few signs from Matthew 24:9-14 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,.. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,.. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
I. INCREASED PERSECUTION:
Jesus, during his teachings challenged his disciples, following him meant they were to deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him. He wanted them to walk in his footsteps of suffering. He indicated that they will be persecuted for their faith. He said in John 15:20-21 “Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” In Matt 24:9 Christ gave his disciples “persecution” as one of the signs of the end times. Vs 9. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
After this statement, the first one to be martyred for his faith was Stephen. He was stoned to death by an angry mob. Steven’s death unleashed a great persecution on the Church. Acts 8:1-3. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”
The persecution that began on that day has continued throughout the centuries even until today. Study tells us all the eleven disciples were martyred for their faith except Judas. Over the centuries many were killed for their faith. One of The early church fathers Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”As a young Christian my faith was deeply challenged when I read “Tortured for Christ” the biography of Richard Wurmbrand, who said, “Faith is never passive. It demands a response. It asks for a mission. It demonstrates the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit.”
Statistics show that an estimated 150,000 Christians are martyred every year for their faith. More than 200 million Christians are restricted from living out their Christianity. There is a growing onslaught on Christianity world wide. It will only increase. We live in a country where we can freely believe, practice and propagate our faith, but that is not the case in many countries like, Sudan, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and China where Christians are being persecuted in great numbers.
Because of our relative ease and comfort, persecution may be a difficult concept to understand. Now I understand that some of you face subtle or sometimes outright opposition in the work place because of the clear stand you take as a committed Christian. But is what we face in America at this point anywhere near to what the early Christians have endured and many Christians are enduring around the world? Looking at what Christians have endured over the years for their faith puts whatever we go through today in perspective.
The writer of Hebrews gives a window into what the early Christians have endured while defending their faith. Hebrews 11:35-38, “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them.
The challenge of Paul to young Timothy is applicable to all Christians. 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” So if you are being persecuted for your faith, don’t be surprised our Lord was persecuted first before you.
Statistics show that an estimated 150,000 Christians are martyred every year for their faith. More than 200 million Christians are restricted from living out their Christianity. There is a growing onslaught on Christianity world wide. It will only increase. We live in a country where we can freely believe, practice and propagate our faith, but that is not the case in many countries like, Sudan, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and China where Christians are being persecuted in great numbers.
Because of our relative ease and comfort, persecution may be a difficult concept to understand. Now I understand that some of you face subtle or sometimes outright opposition in the work place because of the clear stand you take as a committed Christian. But is what we face in America at this point anywhere near to what the early Christians have endured and many Christians are enduring around the world? Looking at what Christians have endured over the years for their faith puts whatever we go through today in perspective.
The writer of Hebrews gives a window into what the early Christians have endured while defending their faith. Hebrews 11:35-38, “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them.
The challenge of Paul to young Timothy is applicable to all Christians. 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” So if you are being persecuted for your faith, don’t be surprised our Lord was persecuted first before you.
II. INCREASED LAWLESSNESS (SIN):
What happens when you deliberately ignore a “No Trespassing” sign? You may be punished for it. Right? Since the fall of man we all have broken God’s laws. Paul writes in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The Bible calls sin lawlessness. In other words when we break God’s law or commandments we sin. Jesus warned that in the end times Lawlessness will increase in the world. Isn’t that what we are seeing these days all around us? Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, and conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power…always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.”
When I look at this passage I look straight in the face of contemporary culture. We have noticed that in the past 100 years morality in the Western world has been in a downward spiral. Our culture is far removed from the Biblical truth. Don’t get me wrong, I am not bashing our culture! Culture: says Andy Crouch is what we make of the world. People come up with inventions that literally changes the way we live and function some of those things are not bad in themselves. However the sum of what we have come up with has by and large removed us from
God’s intentions.
The current of our culture is downward and many people just drift along with the moral flow. Living as Christians in today’s world is like rowing upstream in a white water rafting. It’s very hard to paddle upstream. The entertainment industry constantly pumps out 24/7 programs, reality shows and movies to convert our thinking. For example, take Romance and marriage.
The media promotes pre marital sex, spouse swapping; cohabitation, same sex marriage and immodesty as the accepted norms. Are you not amazed at how our morals have been degraded? Traditional marriage has come under attack, divorce rates have increased, school violence and usage of drugs is rampant, millions of innocent lives never see the daylight because of abortions, homosexuality has largely become an accepted norm. Healthy family life has become an exception rather than the norm. Rudeness and rebellion in children seems to have become acceptable.
How do we look at this in our lives? Have any of these attitudes slipped into our lives? Is being boastful, arrogant or ungrateful not a big deal to us? Are we given to gossip? Do we lack self control? Are we brutal and rude? Do we carry an attitude of ‘so what’ as long as I get what I want, who cares? In the midst of increased lawlessness is our love for God growing cold? Are we becoming hard? Do you replace seeking a deeper relationship with God with an endless pursuit of video games, sports, music, shopping, parties and pleasures? Do you find it hard to live out your Christianity?
In the midst of all these devastating trends we are called not to give up our faith instead we must stand firm and zealously protect our faith. If we give up, God is not pleased with us. Hebrews 10:35-39 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere…for in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” No matter what happens don’t quit we must endure till the end, only then we will be saved.
When will be the end of the world? We are seeing many end of the age signs such as false prophets, wars, earthquakes, Storms, famine, persecution and increased wickedness happening right in front of our eyes in an increased manner. Then where is the promised end? Christ gave one sure sign that is “this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations and then the end shall come.” The one sure way we can hasten the second coming of our Lord Jesus back to the earth is through world evangelization. That is the reason why we exist. That is why we do evangelistic outreaches, pray and support missionaries and mission work.
III. THE WORLD EVANGELIZATION:
God’s intentions.
The current of our culture is downward and many people just drift along with the moral flow. Living as Christians in today’s world is like rowing upstream in a white water rafting. It’s very hard to paddle upstream. The entertainment industry constantly pumps out 24/7 programs, reality shows and movies to convert our thinking. For example, take Romance and marriage.
The media promotes pre marital sex, spouse swapping; cohabitation, same sex marriage and immodesty as the accepted norms. Are you not amazed at how our morals have been degraded? Traditional marriage has come under attack, divorce rates have increased, school violence and usage of drugs is rampant, millions of innocent lives never see the daylight because of abortions, homosexuality has largely become an accepted norm. Healthy family life has become an exception rather than the norm. Rudeness and rebellion in children seems to have become acceptable.
How do we look at this in our lives? Have any of these attitudes slipped into our lives? Is being boastful, arrogant or ungrateful not a big deal to us? Are we given to gossip? Do we lack self control? Are we brutal and rude? Do we carry an attitude of ‘so what’ as long as I get what I want, who cares? In the midst of increased lawlessness is our love for God growing cold? Are we becoming hard? Do you replace seeking a deeper relationship with God with an endless pursuit of video games, sports, music, shopping, parties and pleasures? Do you find it hard to live out your Christianity?
In the midst of all these devastating trends we are called not to give up our faith instead we must stand firm and zealously protect our faith. If we give up, God is not pleased with us. Hebrews 10:35-39 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere…for in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” No matter what happens don’t quit we must endure till the end, only then we will be saved.
When will be the end of the world? We are seeing many end of the age signs such as false prophets, wars, earthquakes, Storms, famine, persecution and increased wickedness happening right in front of our eyes in an increased manner. Then where is the promised end? Christ gave one sure sign that is “this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations and then the end shall come.” The one sure way we can hasten the second coming of our Lord Jesus back to the earth is through world evangelization. That is the reason why we exist. That is why we do evangelistic outreaches, pray and support missionaries and mission work.
III. THE WORLD EVANGELIZATION:
Jesus gave one sure sign of the end of the world. Matt 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. After Jesus rose from the dead he appeared to the disciples and said “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (Mk 16:14-15). The disciples did not take this commandment seriously at first until the great persecution which compelled them to go to the ends of the earth. Then they began to spread to the four corners of the earth and wherever they went the preached the good news of the Kingdom. As a result of the faithful witnessing of the disciples and other missionaries Gospel has made a great impact in the world.
It is estimated that every day another 74,000 people are coming to the faith in the world. An average 3,500 new churches open every week. From 1990-2000 the number of believers have doubled in the world. Does that mean that now we can relax and just wait for the Lord to come back and take us to heaven? NO! There is a lot more to be done. More people still need to hear the good news of the Kingdom.
According to missiologists from the Joshua Project there are 16,349 people groups in the world (distinct ethnic groups) out of those 6,644 groups have not yet been touched with the good news of the gospel. The world population stands at 6.70 billion and the unreached comprise 2.75 billion which makes 41.0 % of world population have not yet heard the good news. This is staggering to the Christian who longs for the return of Christ, it almost makes me want to pack my bags and leave for Bhutan, Morocco or the unreached tribes of the Amazon how about you?
The Bible says, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are so few. The few laborers that are in the field are struggling because of lack of resources. Are you one of those who eagerly wait for the Lord to return? I have disappointing news for you. He will not return until the good news of the Kingdom is preached to all ethnic groups. God doesn’t want any one to perish but every one to come to repentance. The time is short. We have a goal to accomplish and a job to complete.
Let's rise up and get busy with the work of the Lord. Give our money generously to missions, pray earnestly for missionaries and work tirelessly in spreading the good news of the Kingdom throughout the world.
It is estimated that every day another 74,000 people are coming to the faith in the world. An average 3,500 new churches open every week. From 1990-2000 the number of believers have doubled in the world. Does that mean that now we can relax and just wait for the Lord to come back and take us to heaven? NO! There is a lot more to be done. More people still need to hear the good news of the Kingdom.
According to missiologists from the Joshua Project there are 16,349 people groups in the world (distinct ethnic groups) out of those 6,644 groups have not yet been touched with the good news of the gospel. The world population stands at 6.70 billion and the unreached comprise 2.75 billion which makes 41.0 % of world population have not yet heard the good news. This is staggering to the Christian who longs for the return of Christ, it almost makes me want to pack my bags and leave for Bhutan, Morocco or the unreached tribes of the Amazon how about you?
The Bible says, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are so few. The few laborers that are in the field are struggling because of lack of resources. Are you one of those who eagerly wait for the Lord to return? I have disappointing news for you. He will not return until the good news of the Kingdom is preached to all ethnic groups. God doesn’t want any one to perish but every one to come to repentance. The time is short. We have a goal to accomplish and a job to complete.
Let's rise up and get busy with the work of the Lord. Give our money generously to missions, pray earnestly for missionaries and work tirelessly in spreading the good news of the Kingdom throughout the world.
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