Culver Community Church

Pastor Chris Sweeney

Sermon Notes

February 11, 2019

Matthew 24:9-14 – The Beginning of the End (Part 2)

{vs. 9-13} Now Jesus turns from the condition of the world at large to the spiritual condition of the world.  This is a simultaneous evaluation!  The Greek word tote (to'-te) literally means at that time or when  Some commentators would like to place this after the beginnings of birth pains, but it coincides and happens because of the signs taking place!  The persecution, hatred and loss of faith happen because these signs make it hard to be a believer.  It will be a horrible time for everyone alive, but Satan’s attention will be on anyone claiming to belong to God.  When people have to start choosing between eating or even living and faith, many will let faith go!  Those sown on rocky soil (no depth believers) will wither and die.

Most important to us, we must remember who the ‘you’ is in this prophesy.  This is a prophetic ‘you’; Jesus is not speaking to the disciples who would become apostles, nor to the early church and not even to the modern day church (no matter how close to the Tribulation!)  We must remember that this is all about the time of Jacob’s trouble or Tribulation – that seven-year period Daniel saw when God’s restraint on the evil one and a sinful world is removed and things get as bad as they possibly can!

Which brings us to why it cannot apply to the church – because we will be gone (Praise God, hallelujah, A-men!)  When Jesus comes to Earth (not actually His second coming, but a fly by!) to collect His Bride, the Church, the restraining power of the Holy Spirit will be taken away with us!  Think about that – it is our work, our message and God’s Spirit in us that slams the breaks on the Devil’s plans to steal, kill and destroy!  Have you ever been the butt of jokes or even criticized because others just can’t relax or let go with you around?  It is not that you are some goodie-two-shoes, but rather the conviction they feel because of God’s Spirit in you.  Things that the Devil has convinced them are perfectly acceptable, even desirable seem wrong when you or I are around!  Moreover, God simply will not allow our adversary to have free reign while we are in the way and would be harmed by his lawless program.  Remember, Satan is a defeated foe – he has to ask permission from God, our loving Father in order to touch us (it must kill him!)  We see this in the story of Job!

No, Jesus is speaking to a ‘you’, a group of Tribulation believers.   In addition, this ‘you’ is primarily Jewish.  We see several keys to this in the chapter, like the false prophets (the church has false teachers), the use of the Jewish term Messiah, and the focus on events in Jerusalem verses all the nations.  Yes, we can see that Jesus is speaking to the descendants of Jacob who are in the time of Jacob’s trouble!

Religious persecution is something we are familiar with – just check the stats, in this modern, civilized world people are still being put to death for Christ’s name.  In large portions of the world it is a crime to convert, in other areas the government tries to control or sanction the church so the believers meet in underground or home churches.  Believers face discrimination, abuse, rape and even genocide - - - while we complain of a bias in our culture, government, work places and homes.  We do not know how bad, how real the hatred and betrayal (even by those close and trusted) will become.  Anti-Semitism is also alive in our day, but without the Holy Spirit’s influence and without the church to push back it will become the normal.  As long as the church, who knows God’s promises is here anti-Semitism cannot be worldwide.  We know God’s Word, that to bless Abraham is to be blessed, that they are God’s special people, the apple of His eye and that the gospel goes ‘to the Jew first”.  However, in that day all nations will gather against the Jews because of their association with Christ, the Jewish Messiah!

In Revelation’s account, we see Jesus’ prediction parallels the seal judgements.  This persecution produces the martyrs slain for their testimony (witness, or gospel) and God’s Word:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained.  They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"  Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. - Revelation 6:9-11 NIV

Satan will rage against anyone who holds to the truth during this time.  It will become unbearable to stand by them and profitable to betray them - - - just to eat or stay alive!  “but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – in the midst of this pressure the false believers will buckle, but the real believers will stand firm!  Even today, we can only tell the true from the false by their endurance.  So many claim Christ and speak the right words, some even do the right works but Salvation is a heart thing – only God and the person really knows (and sometimes the person even fools themselves!)  As John writes speaking of false teachers and antichrists who looked like they were believers but in the end were proved false:

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.  They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. - 1 John 2:18-19 NIV

Those who truly belong to God will be saved because they stand firm (endure) – not just by their own strength but because God will provide the grace, the words and the power to face persecution, starvation, imprisonment, torture and even death without denying Him!  In Matthew 10 (22-23), Jesus looked to this time in the future and said:

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. - Matthew 10:22-23 NIV

{vs. 14} Our last verse for today is one that is often misunderstood!  Many will take this to mean that before Christ comes, the Church (missionaries etc.) will have to reach every corner of the globe with the gospel (good news)!  Now while it is our commission (Great Commission) to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) – this is not what verse 14 is referring to!  Remember our context – we are already in the time of Jacob’s trouble (Tribulation) prophetically – next time we will reach the midway mark as seen in Daniel’s prophecy!  No this cannot be a prerequisite for the Rapture of the Church, the tribulation, the coming of antichrist (we saw him at the opening of the first seal with the false messiahs!) or the coming of Christ Himself!

What this is referring to, is God’s provision for a world in utter chaos!  Never let it be said that God is unfair, that He condemned the world without giving them warning or a way of escape!  Before the flood, Noah preached for 100 years – and still no one repented!  Before the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus warned them.  Every time judgement was coming, God sent His prophets and servants to warn the people.  In Revelation, we see three methods for this gospel message to reach the entire world! 

· In Revelation 7:1-8, we see the 144,000.  These are Jewish believers like those being persecuted above who are sealed on their forehead (given supernatural protection so they can stand firm during this time of trouble).

· In Revelation 11 and Zechariah 4, we see the two witnesses who are anointed to serve the Lord.  They will give the gospel message with signs and wonders for three and a half years (1/2 the tribulation) and eventually be killed by the Beast who comes up from the Abyss but after three days they will be resurrected and brought up to Heaven.

· In Revelation 14, we see three angels flying across the sky:

Then I saw another [the first of the three] angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people.  He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." - Revelation 14:6-7 NIV

The second angel will announce the fall of Babylon the Great (that evil end-time world system) and the third will warn against taking the mark of the beast and of the wrath of God for those who do.

God does not want to destroy or punish the people He created and loves!  He desires to save from the consequences of sin and the judgment and wrath that is coming.  This is His heart, this is the reason that Christ came and died on the cross, paying the horrible price for our forgiveness!  I know that it is hard to imagine that things could get any worse when we look to the news, recognizing the prolific sin all around us - the murder, greed, sexual sins, genocides, infanticides, etc. – all unspeakable evils!  Even those who should have a natural love for each other – mothers, fathers, children, spouses - - - they commit unthinkable crimes against each other because ‘every inclination of man’s heart is evil’ (Genesis 6:5), just as it was before the flood and as it will be until Christ will punish the wicked and glorify the repentant!  But this is not the End – not yet!  We cannot imagine what awaits those who must live through this literal Hell on Earth – just as we can only try to imagine the glories that await those of us who will be “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17b)