Here's your sign

Intro

We are in part 3 of our series called, The End is Near.

Theme Verse

1 Peter 4:7

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

Big Idea:

It’s not to scare you, but to prepare you!

last week we look at the what.. what will it look like.

Today we look closer at the when.

When will it happen, everyone wants to know.

Church sign joke

The purpose of a sign is to inform and direct.

Give you some information so that you know what to do.

Today were going to look at some signs of the end times in Jesus own words.

These signs shouldn’t be our entire focus!

If you drive staring at a sign, you’ll crash.

They inform us of these season we are in so we can direct our actions and lives accordingly.

John 14:1-3

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Main Text:

Matthew 24:3

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

you keep talking about this Jesus, when will it happen!!

Matthew 24:4-8

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

These are the signs of “birth pains”

Likens to a pregnancy.

Matt 24:36

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

No One knows!!!

If they say they know… run!

Book 88 reasons why in 1988. Then one in 1989, another in 1993, 1994.

Let’s hope he was wrong.

Don’t know the day, but the signs point to a season…

Matthew 24:9-13

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, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

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, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

6 TYPES of signs.

Going to go quick because I think that the signs aren’t as important as what they are directing us to do.

Each of these signs, and all of these things have been happening in portion since Jesus left.

But here will be and increase in scope, intensity and consistency.

Deception -

A time of great persecution for anyone of faith will come.

A time of being mocked, hated and cancelled for what you believe is coming.

Because so much of the church isn’t ready for this, our faith isn’t strong enough to handle real persecution, many will be deceived into walking away from their faith.

Convinced that other things are the answer besides Jesus.

A great deconstruction of faith by so many prominent people is already happening.

Too many people have a form of godliness but no power.

That’s why we better be a church full of the spirit, depending on his power!!

Dissension -

Wars and rumors of wars...

Always have been war. But wars, and nation against nation will increase in severity and frequency.

Destruction -

Earthquakes, famine, disease...

We will see more decay and destruction on the physical and economic level.

Storms, earthquakes...

Disease.

Famine.

Not just because there is not food, but because an economy that creates more poverty.

Revelation 6:6

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

Depravity -

Increased wickedness....

love for self.

It will be marked by increased moral decay.

Our country is in a state of obvious moral decay.

Values are whatever you want them to be. Not right and wrong.

Founder of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid,

My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I ride a Mercedes, my son rides a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to ride a Land Rover. But my great- grandson is going to have to ride a camel again. Why is that he was asked? And his reply was, “Hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men, weak men create difficult times. Many will not understand it, but you have to raise warriors, not parasites. And add to that the historical reality that all great empires ... the Persians, the Trojans, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and in later years the British ... all rose and perished within 240 years. They were not conquered by external enemies, they rotted from within.”

Division -

A division and hatred among people will be unparalleled.

Love will grow cold...

people will betray and hate one another...

We are in a time of the greatest division ever.

There is not disagreement, there is hatred.

The chasm between people is so great.

Even though all of that is true, there is coming a season of incredible revival.

Where people are being brought to hope in Christ like never before!!

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.

Revival -

Only in our generation are we close to seeing this fulfilled.

there are about 7000 language groups on the earth.

Because of modern technology, we are on track to have the bible translated into every language on the planet by 2035

The gospel is increasing at an incredible rate!

1970 - 1.2 Billion Christians

2020 - 2.6 Billion

There is a lot of hope!!!

Matthew 24:15

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—

Antichrist will give hope of peace in israel, but will institue a false worship to himself in the place of God.

Recorded in the book of Daniel. Jesus affirms Daniels predictions of the end times.

Daniel 12:1-4

At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

Couple more bonus signs...

Increase in Travel -

Many will go here and there

Increase Knowledge -

used to double our knowledge every 25 years.

Now they say human knowledge increases every 12 hours...

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

This is our calling. This is where all of the signs are pointing us!!

Inform us, to direct us.

Be wise - lead many to righteousness.

We don’t know when, but we do know that the season is showing. And whenever he’s ready, it’s time.

2 Challenges in light of the season we are in.

1. GET FOCUSED

Matthew 24:40-42

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

(jesus shares a parable)

Matthew 25:13

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

We need to make sure that our lives are focused on what really matters.

It’s so easy to have only an earthly perspective of things we go through. But there is a bigger picture.

where is your attention?

We need our eyes on Jesus not the world.

2. GET BUSY

Some Christians of the past have thought the end was in there day, so they did nothing.

He’s coming back, all we have to do is wait… NO!!!!

That’s missing the message.

It’s not time to sit back, it’s time to get busy.

25 he tells the story of the servants.

A master goes away and leaves money to 3 servants.

On his return, 2 servants had done something with the money, increased it, invested it.

he told them well done good and faithful, let’s celebrate!

One servant did nothing, just hid the money until the mater returned.

He condemned this servant for doing nothing.

Matthew 25:29-30

For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We need to get busy LIVING ON PURPOSE.

You are here on this planet for a purpose and with purpose.

You have been given siftings by God.

He has put things in yoru hands.

Your influence, talent, resources, etc.

How are you using what he’s giving you??

He goes on to talk about the final judgement in the end and a conversation that will happen.

Matthew 25:34-40

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

You did well because you loved well.

Every time you chose to love and care for someone, you did that for me!

We need to get busy LOVING WITH PURPOSE.

Matthew 25:45

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

People don’t have to qualify for our love and care.

How often do we look past people instead of seeing them.

It’s time now to decide that our lives will be lived to make an eternal difference!

At the end it’s that eternal difference that will matter.

Did we care about people.

CONCLUSION

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Acts 1:6-8

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

THIS IS OUR MISSION, NOT TO KNOW THE DAY, BUT TO GET FOCUSED AND BUSY TODAY. IN OUR DAY. IT’S THE ONLY DAY WE ARE GUARANTEED.

I believe this is a season that God is going to move that we’ve never seen before.

It’s happening around the world. God, let it happen here.

I will be a part of that.

Will you too?