The Great Tribulation

Call to worship

Welcome everyone!

I would like to read from the last chapter of the Bible this morning

Rev 22:1-9 “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”

LET US STAND AND WORSHIP!

“O Praise the Name”

Words and Music by Anastasia

PRAYER OF PRAISE FOR WHO GOD IS

Lord, we praise Your great name this morning because You are good and You are holy, and You are love, and You are just, and You are all powerful, and You are God! WE praise you Lord because You sent Your Son to die for the sins of the world, and You have what no one else could. we Praise You because You have given us the right to become Your children and there is no greater privilege on the earth. may our worship be pleasing to You this morning. Amen!

“How Great Thou Art”

Words and Music by Alan Jackson

“In Christ Alone”

Words and Music by Keith and Kristin Ghetty

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION TO OPEN OUR HEARTS

Lord, would You grant us understanding today, not to just understand things with our minds, but to know them with our hearts. Would you impart truth to us so that it would change the way we think and the way that we live. And would Your Holy Spirit teach us things that will bring us closer to You. Amen!

SERMON

Introduction

SHORT RECAP

In first 14 verses of chapter 24, Jesus speaks about things that will come after His resurrection: wars, famines, persecution, martyrdom, hatred by the world, etc. And He tells us that these things are not signs of His coming, but merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Birth pangs do not mean that a baby is getting ready to be born, they only signal that a woman has gone into labor. Sometimes women can be in labor for a long time. And Jesus says wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution are all things that are the birth pangs. BUT as with labor, these things increase as the actual delivery becomes imminent.

The Key in this section was to not mistake birth pangs as the second of Jesus. He tells us very plainly, “but that is not the end” (v 6).

That was verses 1-14.

IN VERSE 15, WE MOVE FROM BIRTH PANGS TO THE GREAT TRIBULATION. The Great Tribulation is a time of great affliction that is coming upon the earth which will precede the second coming of Jesus. The common understanding of this event is that it will be a seven year period. I believe this is described in verses 15-28.

There are all sorts of ideas about the Great Tribulation.

Some believe the church will be raptured out of the world before this period of suffering begins.

We’ve probably all seen the (Left Behind movies with Kirk Cameron).

This is where many people have formed their theology of the end times.

Others believe that the Great Tribulation was a form of judgement upon the Jews in the first century and has already happened.

Others believe there will be a midpoint in the Tribulation when the church will be taken out before things get really bad

Others believe the church will be called to endure this great time of suffering and to go through the Tribulation.

It is my conviction that the Great Tribulation is an end time event that will be worse than anything that this world has ever seen, and HAS Not HAPPENED YET.

I also believe this teaching is significant for us because I believe the church will go through the Tribulation.

The biblical evidence of this outweighs a Pre-trib rapture

I also believe Matthew 24 is a chronology about these events and is not strictly Jewish

Lets read verses 15-21 together, and then we will go back and look more closely at come details.

Matthew 24:15-21 “Therefore (this word connects section this to the previous section) when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

What is the Abomination of Desolation

This phrase comes from the book of Daniel. Daniel contains many important prophecies about the end of time and the coming of the Messiah.

One of those prophecies is about “The Abomination of Desolation”.

This phrase is used three different times in Daniel and each referring to a pagan invader who will come into Jerusalem and desecrate the temple with some sort of religious sacrilege.

This Prophecy from Daniel was fulfilled in 167 BC when a pagan emperor names Antiochus invaded Jerusalem and built a pagan altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offering and sacrificed a pig on it.

This was the worst possible abomination to Judaism. It was a clear defilement of the law that God had given His people.

It was also very specific desolation of God’s temple.

The Jewish people were not top eat or even touch swine because they were considered unclean.

So this act was intentional and it was directly against God Himself and His Law.

It was like spitting in the face of God, in God’s own house.

Jesus was not referring to that event, because it had already happened by the time Jesus walked this earth, and Jesus said this event was still yet to come.

Many scholars believe this was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burnt the temple.

They claim the Romans defiled the temple by wearing objects on their uniforms that they worshiped.

They also claimed the blood of the zealots was spilled in the temple and defiled the temple being the “Abomination of Desolation”.

But none of the these things fit this description of what happened in 167 BC.

This is why Jesus says, “let the reader understand”

The reader of what?

The reader of Daniel

Secondly, Jesus says when this happens, it will usher in a time “such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” (v 21).

If this happened in 70 AD, then the Romans overthrowing Jerusalem had to have been worse than

The world wide flood in Gen 6

The Babylonian exile 586 when people were starving and forced to cannibalism to survive and Solomon’s temple was destroyed

That includes the Jewish Holocaust where 6 million Jews were exterminated

It would also includes world wars and things such as the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

For these reasons I did not think Jesus is referring to 70 AD, but to something much greater, much more severe.

What then is, “The Abomination of Desolation?” if it is not the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70?

I believe this is referring to the Antichrist, the son of perdition, the son of Satan who will enter into the temple of God and display himself to all the world as God.

2 Thess 2:1-4 “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”

Paul tells us that before Jesus returns, the “man of lawlessness will take his eat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God”

1 John 2:18 NASB95

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

The word antichrist is used twice, the first is singular denoting a certain one who is coming

Revelation 13:1–3 NASB95

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;

This also speaks of an individual who will be empowered by Satan and mislead the world

It is clear from Scripture that we have a great enemy in this world and there is coming a day when evil will manifest in the form of man

He will be Satan’s son

He will be a false prophet

He will speak lies to the world

He will deceive the world and the world will follow Him!

He will have great abilities and great power

And the day of his coming is certain

Application

This is a reminder to us that in our world in which we live there is an enemy who opposes God and the followers of God

When we think about evil we think about Hitler, or Dahmer or mass shootings

We think about bad people or bad things that happen, and these things certainly are evil

But we must understand that behind all of that is an enemy that desperately wants to destroy us.

Christianity is warfare!

Coming to church on Sunday mornings and hearing me preach is not Christianity

Claiming the name of Christ without being engaged in the spiritual battle is not Christianity

Christianity is warfare!

Ephesians 6:12 NASB95

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

If you have set your heart to follow Jesus Christ, then the enemy has set his sights on you!

And I’m not trying to scare you, I want to prepare you!

He is going to do EVERYTHING that he can to pull you away from Christ!

He will give you the pleasures of this world

He will give you a big bank account, worldly possessions, worldly pursuits to steal your heart away from Jesus

He will use your friends, your family, your relationships to pull you away.

He will attack your health, your finances, and if you let him your mind

He is the master of discouragement

He loves to cause strife in the church and in the home

He loves to whisper lies in our ears about others

He will even used saved people to try to get you out of the will of God

And he would love nothing more to put an end to this church

Since the Lord called me to plant this church I have had almost constant health problems

I have been accused of stealing money from this church

I have been told to stop sharing the gospel

I have been cussed at people’s door steps

I have been so financially broke that I had no idea how our bills would be paid

I have been discouraged to the point that I was ready to give in

I have had rocky times in my marriage

BECAUSE REAL CHRISTIANITY IS WARFARE

Now don’t hear this as walking with the Lord is a bad thing

It is the best thing we could ever do

I wouldn’t trade it for anything this world had to offer

And I’d go through it all again in a heartbeat

My point is that WE MUST KNOW that we have an enemy who is going to oppose us

What then should we do brethren?

1 Peter 5:8 NASB95

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

We are to walk through this world with a spiritual awareness of the things going on around us.

Everything in life has a spiritual component

Don't think that the decisions you make about life in general cannot affect you spiritually

Who we hang around

How we spend out time

How we spend our money

Whom we let pour into our lives

What we pursue with our hearts

We must have a sober spirit about our enemy

And if we are not at war, then we should take a look at our lives and see if we are even engaged in battle

This is not just for pastors, but for all believers

(v 22) “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

Who are the elect?

These are those who have been called and redeemed by God

These are those who have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be servants of the Most High

We could replace that word “elect” with the word “saved” and it would mean the same thing

This is not referring to Israel, this refers to all the children of God regardless of race!

But notice that Jesus is saying that because of the “elect”, those days will be cut short

What He is implying here is that the elect will be in this Great Tribulation as well!

They will experience this time unlike anything that this world has ever seen

God’s way is OFTEN to carry us through trouble, not to deliver us from it

We get false hopes about following Christ when we think coming Christ means there Will be no more struggles

That is not the way God works.

God allows us to encounter struggles, because struggles make strong Christians

James 1:2–4 NASB95

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

When I came to Christ nearly 13 years ago, I was in a mess with my life!

I wanted God to deliver me, but He did not!

But I continued to trust Him, and walked four long years of turmoil and God made me something I could have never been had not He called me to endure!

Do not expect for God to deliver you out of everything, DO EXPECT God to carry you through it!

He will not leave you, nor will He forsake you

He loves You, and He wants the best for Your life

And our call is to TRUST HIM

God’s elect bring a certain level of mercy to people around them

Look again at Jesus’ words: “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

Notice there will be life saved from death simply because of the presence of the elect

Have you ever considered that just because you follow Christ, you bring a certain level of mercy to people around you?

It may be that a storm is headed toward your house, but because of your presence there God speared the whole family

It my be that you could have been hit by a drunk driver in a car with friends, but because you are His child, He spares the whole car.

We must,Let this not well up pride in our hearts, but remind us of God’s grace that extends beyond us

And because God extends His grace, so should we be grace givers

(v 23-25) “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. “Behold, I have told you in advance.”

Why would people be tempted to follow false Christs or listen to false prophets?

Because in times of trouble people start looking for a deliverer

They begin searching for answers in hopes that they will find a way out of their struggle.

This is why many people come to Christ, they are looking for a deliver to save them from their troubles

And there is nothing wrong with that, just as long as the goal is to have Christ, not simply get what they want

Jesus repeats Himself which means this is important and we must not miss it!

Deception will only increase as time gets closer to the end!

False teachers, false prophets will increase and increase!

And they will even show great signs and wonders which will be very convincing!

Jesus said, “so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect”

This does not mean that God’s chosen people will be deceived, because they are led by God

It does mean that the signs and wonders will be so convincing that if it were possible they would mislead the elect

Why do the elect have the advantage over the world in deception?

1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB95

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Spiritual discernment comes from the Holy Spirit of God

It cannot be learned, it must be imparted

Everyone born of God has spiritual discernment

(v 26-28) “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Now Jesus says Every Report that says the Messiah has come will be false

Why?

Because when Jesus comes He will be visible to all the world

Just lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west”

When lightening strikes across the sky, it is visible to everyone

That is how it will when Christ returns!

The second coming of Christ will be so catastrophic, the whole world will know.

No one will be need to be told Jesus has returned!

Revelation 1:7 NASB95

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

No where is Scripture do we read of a secret second coming where the church will be raptured out secretly

What we do read about is one major event that will bring an end to this age of grace

Conclusion

We began this service with a portion of the final chapter of the Bible.

I’d like to end it how the Bible ends with a final invitation, in the final chapter of Revelation:

Rev 22:10-17 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

~PRAYER~

RESPONSE

PUBLIC INVITATION

“Worthy is the Lamb”

Words and Music by Hillsong

OFFERING

We will now worship the Lord through our tithes and offering.

BENEDICTION

Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.’”

Business Meeting

Opening Prayer

Reading of last months minutes

Any Questions?

Vote to approve last months minutes

Treasurers Report

Any Questions?

Vote to approve the treasurers report

Unfinished Business

A new file cabinet which should be here this week

There will be a key for that (that is only to looked throuhg by the finance committee.

New Business

Website costs ($59/month website only OR $99/month which includes a church app)

Any other new business?

Meeting adjourned