End of the Age 1 - Are we there?

I. Introduction

A. New Series - Do you have a sense that the world is in more and more unrest? I know things are happening that have always happened, we will talk about that, but does it seem more chaotic? You’re not crazy, something is happening and it’s both sobering and sensational. It’s seems the structures of our society are imploding. Is it the end?

B. Matthew 24:1–3 “Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?””

C. I think it’s hilarious as the disciples wanted to point out the glory of the temple and their religious structures. Jesus wasn’t impressed. How often are we impressed by the wrong things, the things that won’t make it to the end. Is that what is going on? Is the civic, financial, religious, and environmental unrest the sign of the end?

II. Are we there?

A. Question 1: Are we in the last days?

Paul and Last Days - 2 Timothy 3:1-5 - “3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” It seems those people and situations were around Timothy in Ephesus and have been in most churches for the last two thousand years.

Jude and Last Days - Jude 17-19 - Jude 17–19 (NIV) “17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” These were present tense people Jude was writing to in the last times again two thousand years ago.

Peter and the Last Days - Acts 2:16–17 -Acts 2:16–17 (NIV) “16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” - Peter says the event of Pentecost of the spirit being poured out was a last days event according to Joel. That last day prophecy happened again, thousands of years ago.

It’s clear that the NT writers were in the last days and so are we.

1. We have all been in the last days between the first and second coming of Christ. We are in the tension of the already but not yet.

2. They were in the last days before an end of their age, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. For Jews, who were spread over the known world at the time, without a temple in Jerusalem it was the end. It was the epicenter of God’s presence, favor, and forgiveness for the chosen children of God. I

B. Question 2: Are we at the End of an Age?

Notice that the disciples asked about two events: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age.” Two separate events. Matthew 24 address both the end of the age and the end of time.

“End of the Age” - -Literally means the end of specified time with certain events concluding. I personally believe this happens throughout history and not just the end of time. There was antiquity, middle ages, Renaissance, that led to Modern Time fueled by the Again of the Enlightenment in the West.

“ End of Time” There will be a second coming of Christ and time as we know it will be transform into eternity. There will come an end of an age that will actually be the end of time. Is this one, I sure hope so.

Paradigms, ways of seeing the world are changing at a rapid rate as we transition ages in our time.

The last age started in the late 18th-19th century and it was called the Age of Enlightenment that focused on reason and idealism. It enshrined human reason. An age that we worshiped our intellect and ability to build our own utopian society as we ushered in the industrial revolution in one century and the technological revolution in the next. But like any age of the world, it has run out of gas.

The new age has pulled away from reason and idealism. They simply don’t believe than humanity is good enough, smart enough, and loving enough to create a good society. The new age isn’t totally defined yet. In this in-between time the west doesn’t have a new ideology to base it’s existence in, civically or financially.

“You can do anything you put your mind to” is absurd the the new generations who are quickly becoming in charge. They don’t believe you can figure it all out and thus solve all the problems. Problems are more managed than solved.

Work Ethic is changing because this new generation doesn’t believe the only thing in between you and your goals is hard work. They seem to believe more in synergy over individualism and divine intervention over human ingenuity.

The Gray Zone - in between ages, the transition between what was black and white to the new black and white is a time of chaos and instability politically, financially, and the earth it self seems to respond to our chaos with disasters.

C. Jesus our constant through the change.

Hebrews 13:5–6 (NIV) “5  “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”  We are only rattled when we are too entangled with systems and mindsets of of an age that will fail.

Hebrews 12:28–29 (NIV) “28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”  If your kingdom is the Christ’s kingdom you have nothing to be concerned about. Now if your kingdom is of this world hear the words of Christ, “not only stone will be left on another.”

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) “8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This is our constant. Jesus doesn’t change with the ages. Our tactics of reaching and growing disciples may change in our new world age but our identity and position in Christ is changeless.

In times of unrest, uncertainty we have the only constant, Jesus Christ and His kingdom. That is why receptivity is never higher than when one age ends and a new one is yet to emerge because we remain constant. How constant and steady are you brother and sister?

III. Conclusion and Invitation - Sam Roberson