Culver Community Church
Pastor Chris Sweeney
Sermon Notes
February 24, 2019
Matthew 24:23 - 31 – The End of the End!
{vs 23-27} Now we begin to move away from the signs of The End and are brought back to the other part of the disciples’ question – “What will be the signs of Your coming?” Jesus obviously does not give a day or time that we can put on our calendars (that would be a disservice to the Church, who needs to live in the readiness of His coming). The transition is made in these verses (back to the tribulation) – things will be so bad that everyone who has turned to Christ will be looking for what? They will be looking for The End, for relief - - - for the coming of the Messiah!
Just as when the tribulation began (birth pains), just as in our day and just as in every day – Satan will be hard at work counterfeiting God’s truth, the one true Messiah and even sending prophets to prepare the way (as God did for Jesus). Satan is a great knockoff artist, the very best at counterfeiting God. We know that he was once in the very presence of God making music and worshipping – intimately knowing God. Worship must come from a place of knowledge; we worship in Spirit and truth (we cannot worship God, if we are not in communion/relationship with Him!) Which brings me to the question - - - how is your relationship? Are you and I growing in the knowledge of God, of Christ – our Savior and Redeemer? If not, how on Earth (or in Heaven) can we expect to worship Him? [Back to our signs]
False Messiahs will be popping up everywhere! People will be saying he is here, there or we have found him. We see this today – people with secret knowledge of the return of Christ – hogwash! During the tribulation, they will even be allowed to perform miracles and signs (and not just little ones but great signs and wonders) – so convincing in fact that Satan is trying (but unable) to trick believers. Revelation 13 verse 13 tells us “And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.”
However, Jesus gives us the tools, the truth to deal with this deception and all false messiahs by telling us two things:
1. Jesus has told us ahead of time! Not only have we been warned, but it has been preserved for us in scripture – “I have told you ahead of time”. We have God’s Word to keep us from being deceived! Not only knowing Christ, but also knowing how He will return!
2. When Christ returns He will be seen by all! At Jesus’ second coming there will not be a need for discernment, for secret knowledge or for a pilgrimage to some special location. At His appearing, the whole world will see Him – just as lightening is seen through the entire sky (even more, because the whole world, not just one location will see Him!) If for no other reason than this we know that every false messiah that has come into the world is just that – FALSE!
"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven." - Acts 1:11 NIV
Name them all one by one (the list is extensive and always growing), but until the world sees Christ coming just as He left, descending in the clouds these fakes have nothing to base their claims on! Those who are perishing however will be deceived as second Thessalonians tells us -
And then the lawless one [Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. [sneak peek at how the story ends!] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. - 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 NIV
{vs 28} This one verse often throws believers and commentators for a loop. We go from the glorious appearing of Christ to talking about vultures (could also be translated eagles, but not right in context) and corpses? The sad truth is (like 2 Thessalonians just told us) some refuse the truth – even after the angels have flown the skies and declared it and yes, even after this unprecedented time of trouble. Some, many will dread the return of Christ! While the elect will be looking for Him – we will see in a few verses, “the peoples of the Earth will mourn”! Why? Because He will not return to bring forgiveness, grace and mercy. He will not come as an infant, born to a virgin in humility – NO, He will return in power, authority and glory as the Conquering King! Those who are not right with God, they will see their destruction in His coming! This proverb reminds us that wherever death is, the birds of prey will gather. Christ is coming to a world dying, corrupt and full of sin! Remember the cartoons, when you see the vultures circling overhead . . . you know that you’re in trouble! You know that the end is near!
In Revelation 19 verses 11 to 18 we read -
{11} I saw Heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose Rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. {12} His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. {13} He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. {14} The armies of Heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. {15} Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. {16} On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. {17} And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, {18} so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small." - Revelation 19:11-18 NIV
There is only two ways to receive His coming – in great joy or in terrible sorrow!
{vs 29-31} This is the short answer to the question “What will be the sign of Your coming?” The second coming will happen immediately following the distress of those days – right after the Tribulation or more precisely, ending the tribulation (the second half of the tribulation or Great Tribulation!) As He comes, there will be signs that no one can deny! The Sun will go dark (just as it did when Christ was on the cross). The Moon will not shine (will not reflect the Sun) and the stars themselves will fall from the sky! This is not new, passages like Isaiah 13:9-10, Joel 2:31 & 3:15, Acts 2:20, and Revelation 6:12 & 8:12 also reference this global “black out” that will occur immediately after the tribulation in preparation for Christ’s second coming.
What will be that sign? We are not explicitly told. Some of the early church fathers believed that it would be a blazing cross - - - but that is just conjecture! Others connect it with the Shekinah glory, that glory which Christ put aside when He came the first time - - - that seems like a good guess, but yes it is also a guess. What we know is that, like lightning, and even more this sign will be visible to the entire world! This passage means that the second coming of Christ will be something that no human being—not even the anti-Christ—will be able to fake. It will be of such a nature that only God will be able to accomplish it. It will be a global and miraculous event that cannot be confused with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 – or any other time in history! The people of that day will not need to turn to their TV’s or newspapers, God will make certain that everyone will know exactly what is happening, without any doubt! It is at this time that the angels are sent to collect the elect and return them to the Promised Land (from there Christ will reign) as seen in Deuteronomy 30:1-4 and Isaiah 11:6 – 12. This is a return to that idyllic state, before Satan and sin entered the world. With Satan defeated and locked up for 1,000 years - Christ will reign and life will be good! (what an understatement!!!)