My church has moved into a series called “How To Survive the End of the World.” This series is very interesting as much as it is scary. The pastor, though he didn’t call it this, started out with what is known as the Olivet Discourse, aptly named after the location on which it was told, The Mount of Olives. For those of you unfamiliar with this title, it starts in Mathew chapter 24. Now, just to be clear, I am not going to follow the pastor’s sermon, though he said many challenging and thought provoking things.
The “discourse” starts out with Jesus telling his disciples that the temple would be destroyed, that “not one stone here would be left on another.” This is truth, it happened just as Jesus said and today, the temple is no more. Shortly after saying this, Jesus is sitting on the Mount and his disciples ask him, “When will these things happen? What are the signs of the end?” Jesus tells them the answer to these things but in an open ended sort of way. He tells them the signs but then tells them that only the father knows the exact day. But, he also says that when he comes, you will know it, that everyone on earth will know that he has come. He says, “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Then he describes that the time of his coming will become more and more evident as nature begins to cry out for him and the world rages, “ethnos against ethnos,” or, “ethnicity against ethnicity.”
My friends, I tell you this, never before have there been so many wars, and threats of war. Never has there been so many earthquakes and natural disasters. Just as Jesus said, “there will be wars and rumors of wars,” and,”famines and earthquakes in various places.” But, this is not the end. Amidst all this, Jesus give us an encouragement saying, “see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” As bad as all that sounds, “All these are the beginning of birth pains.” They are just the beginning. There will be worse, and it will be frightful, especially for Christians. This time period will be ever so painful, and you will have trouble even distinguishing who among you is your brother.
Jesus warns his disciples, and like them the church. He tells of betrayal and persecution. He even takes it upon himself to warn against deception in the church. Jesus talks of false Christ’s and prophets coming to turn even those who believe “if that were even possible.” My friends, the end of times will include knock down, drag out fights even in the church! Jesus goes on to say that “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” I look to my friends and think, “Surely not them, they wouldn’t betray me to those who would have me stripped and beaten, killed just because I proclaim the name of Christ.” But, In Jesus Name I tell you the truth, even our closest brothers and friends can and may be persuaded by Satan. The evil one will even have the power to turn our love down a notch, to curb our compassion. So much so that “the love of most will grow cold.” This is alarming to me because I have seen it in my own life! How many times have I backed away from feeding the needy, clothing those who need clothes, visiting someone in prison? How many times have I recognized that something was bad and terrible and yet my heart was not broken? Too Many! I’m frightful of the power that I give up because I do not love. I’m frightful of what my Lord will say when I see him. I don’t want him to say to me, “You wicked and Lazy servant!” Nor do I want to hear, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. (Matthew 25:41-43)”
And yet, Jesus inserts another encouragement saying, “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Even more, He instills a message of hope in reference to the gospel. Jesus says that the gospel will be preached to the ends of the world before the end comes, but once it has the end will come. I don’t know about you but this motivates me. The sooner the world hears about the gospel of His Kingdom, the sooner that I will be called to see it and live in it. It makes me want to race out into the streets shouting that my God and Savior came to purify with fire and wash with blood. That when my Lord died, he didn’t stay dead, he rose against all odds and destroyed the chains laid on us by sin. How Glorious! How Wonderful! Now He has been lifted to the highest and reaches down to bring us up with him.
Jesus then tells us to prepare for his coming. He tells us that when he comes, nobody will expect it. One moment someone might be there and the next he will be no more. My friends, we have been given a great gift! Jesus has told us these things that we might be prepared. He will come as a thief in the night but rejoice! because we have been warned. Like a watchful homeowner expecting a burglar, we have the opportunity to be prepared for His coming. I hope to never forget this. I hope to dream about it night and day. When He comes, I’m gonna be ready! I hope, for the love of Christ, that you will be ready as well.
In Christ,
Adam
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