The End is Near?

            Please turn to Matthew 24.  As promised, we are going to jump ahead as we approach Passover and Resurrection Sunday. Passover is one of three major Jewish festivals.  Passover commemorates Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt (c.a. 1400 BC) – particularly when God sent the 10th and final plague killing the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.  To protect Israel, God instructed each Israelite household to sacrifice a 1-year-old lamb without blemish and put the blood on the doorposts and lintel. When God saw the blood on the doorframe, this mysterious figure, the Destroyer would pass over the home – thus the family was safe.  Each year, Israel would celebrate the Passover by sacrificing a lamb in the Tabernacle or Temple.  Of course, Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for the entire world.

            Several days before the Passover, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey - we call this Palm Sunday.  Between Palm Sunday and Jesus’ crucifixion, a lot happened (Passion Week).  I want to look at What we call the Olivet Discourse – it’s a lengthy teaching from Jesus regarding what we call the “End Times.”

Matthew 24:1–3 ESV

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?”

Do tell.  Enquiring minds want to know.  Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus explained the events leading up to His return.  

            Understand the “End Times” is a complex subject which we humans tend to make very complicated.  Many people, Christian or not, are attracted to the mysterious and prophetic events, signs and wonders the End - we want to know when.  When’s the rapture or the 7-year Tribulation, who’s the anti-Christ?  What about the New World Order and the mark of the beast and Armageddon?  Our preoccupation with the ooohs and aaahhs can lead many people to jump on the apocalyptic bandwagon too easy.  

            I know there are ministries and pastors dedicated to the End Times. Some are so hyper focused that everything becomes a  prophetic sign.  Like deliverance ministries- everything is demonic and everyone has a demon.  Look, scholars, theologians, pastors, teachers have been studying the end times for over 2,000 years and the Church has yet to come to a definitive understanding ….  Be cautious …

            We should be mindful of the Lord’s return; however, I’ve noticed a couple of things that bother me when there’s too much of an emphasis on the End.

2 Things That Bother Pastor Chad About The “End Times”

1) Jesus often takes a backseat. 

People can become so enthralled with timelines and trying to match events and people with Biblical prophecies and can become so obsessed with Jesus, that they stop listening to Jesus. They quit jobs and sell houses. Then people, especially the lost can become disillusioned with Jesus. “Where's He at?”  Often it makes the Church and God look silly.  

2) It rarely results in personal transformation

toward Christlikeness. It’s like Jesus is coming so let’s pack our bags and wait rather than witness for Christ and the Gospel.   Before we do a bunch of newspaper or social-media theology – slow down – look inside first. If Jesus is coming soon, how then does this my heart and relationship with God and others?

            Obvious the disciples were curious about the end – nothing wrong with that.  They were asking about His return and setting up His Kingdom.  Asked Him before and after the crucifixion.   Then 1stCentury Christians feared that they had missed Christ’s second return.  The apostles Paul, Peter, John all wrote about this and basically said, “Calm down. You didn’t miss Jesus.”  Our curiosity and anticipation is nothing new.

            In this Olivet Discourse, Jesus spoke about false Messiahs and prophets, wars, famines, natural disasters and other catastrophes, and of course, a final judgment.  As I read through His discourse, five critical themes (repeated) that we need to be mindful of. Not cover all today.

5 Critical “End Time” Themes

1. The “End Times” is past, present and future.  

Not just a future far off thing.  Some events already happened – hundreds or a thousand years ago or so.  Events happening now, and events that will happen later.  We are in the End Times and have been since Jesus rose from the grave and ever since you were born. For many, the end of the world was yesterday, or today, or tomorrow.

For those who think the “End” is close because the world seems to be increasing in chaos and evil – it's always been this way.  C.S. Lewis. 

“We are mistaken when we compare war to ‘normal life.’  Life has never been normal. Even those periods we think most tranquil … turn out on closer inspection, to be full of crises, alarms, difficulties, emergencies.” ~ C.S. Lewis

There has always been chaos and evil and catastrophes alongside peace and good and beauty. 

Don't look at the U.S. as an indication that the end is near.  Revivals around the world ….

 The most important thing about the “End Times” is not how bad the world is but that people know Jesus. 

Some questions to ask ourselves.

Am I more concerned with current events than the Gospel?  Where's my focus- how bad the world is or on Jesus and His promises …?

The second critical theme is this: 

2. Genuine faith is necessary.

Matthew 24:13 ESV

But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

First, what “end” was Jesus talking about?  The actual end of the world as we know it? Or, the end of one’s life?  Surviving persecution or tribulation? Or something in between?  I think the answer is yes.   Maybe we could say the one who endures to the end of his or her life will be saved.

This is not about a works based or earning salvation.  Salvation is not dependent on self.  We can neither earn or “unearn” salvation. Salvation is a gift that is received by faith alone in Christ and His work on the cross.  However, I propose there is a difference between genuine saving faith and false religious faith.  What's the difference? 

Genuine saving faith trusts, obeys, and conforms to Christ. 

There are "exceptions” like the thief on the cross, which gives us hope. A false religious faith simply says, “I believe in God,” or “I'm a Christian …” but they’re just words and their lives reveal they don’t believe – No internal union with Christ.  Just attend church ….  A lot of people who “believe” in Jesus will end up in Hell (Matt. 25).

John Stott says this regarding endurance.

“He who stands firm to the end will be saved’ (Mark 13:13), not because salvation is the reward of endurance, but because endurance is the hallmark of the saved.

If the false teachers had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. This is stated as a principle. Those who belong to us stay with us. Future and final perseverance is the ultimate test of a past participation in Christ (cf. Heb. 3:14). ~ John Stott

Question: Saving faith or religious faith?  Is Jesus Christ truly your Lord and Savior?

Admitted?  Confessed?  Trusted?

Acts 1:6–8 ESV

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”