“The End of the Ages” Part II

Just a couple years ago, there were a small band of thieves that swept through our neighborhood. It didn’t take long for the entire community to hear about it and before you knew it, different security monitoring system sales reps were knowing on front doors. All for the protection of a person’s home and to be ready just incase the thieves decided to strike your home.

The main point of todays message come in the form of a question: “When Jesus does return, will you be readily, expectantly, watching for his return?” This is based on verse 42-44 of

Matthew 24:42–44 NIV

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Last week we talked about ...

The destruction that will come upon the temple - In the year 66 AD the Jewish people rebelled against the Roman Empire. In response, the Emperor Nero dispatched an army to restore order. By the year 68, resistance in the northern part of the province had been eradicated and the Romans turned their full attention to the subjugation of Jerusalem. That same year, the Emperor Nero died by his own hand, creating a power vacuum in Rome. In the resultant chaos, Vespasian was declared Emperor and returned to Rome. It fell to his son, Titus, to lead the remaining army in the assault on Jerusalem. The Roman legions surrounded the city and began to slowly squeeze the life out of the Jewish stronghold. By the year 70, the attackers had breached Jerusalem's outer walls and began a systematic ransacking of the city. The assault culminated in the burning and destruction of the Temple that served as the center of Judaism. Thus what Jesus had said would happen did in 70 AD The Temple was destroyed.

We talked about the deception that would take place among the people… People claiming to be Christ; people leading others astray by false teaching

Roman CenturianThe Roman legions surrounded the city and began to slowly squeeze the life out of the Jewish stronghold. By the year 70, the attackers had breached Jerusalem's outer walls and began a systematic ransacking of the city. The assault culminated in the burning and destruction of the Temple that served as the center of Judaism.

We talked about Division in the world - nation against nation, ethnic groups against ethnic groups… Once again this past week 3 churches where set on fire in Louisiana...

We talked about Disaster in the World - earthquakes and famines…

We talked about Defamation against others - persecution, malice, hatred…

We talked about Distress in peoples lives…

Today we are going to talk about “When will the second coming of Jesus take place?”

In we read

Matthew 24:36 NIV

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

We don’t know when? We can look at all the signs as mentioned above, but even then, we do not know when. Jesus does tell us to learn from the fig tree in

Matthew 24:32–33 NIV

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

The most common trees in the region are evergreens. So, the bareness of the fig tree in the winter is very conspicuous. Its large leaves do not appear until late in the spring, a sure sign of the the approach of summer. All that has been talked about will take place and when you see the twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you will know the end is near…

He also talked about the days of lawlessness during the time of Noah…

Matthew 24:37–39 NIV

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

This week there was the signing of a hands free cell phones is now the law in MN. A common sense law. I always chuckle when I hear of people getting picked up for ‘Jay Walking’ And yet I shouldn’t, because it too is a common sense law, that requires people to cross a street where designated for their own safety. People who are ticked would say, “Their was no car coming; no real crime committed. Yet the laws are set as boundaries for our own good.

In the days before the Flood of Noah, people were living as they pleased and there was no regard for the way of God. When the rains finally did come, no one expected it to be as bad as it was.

Jesus says, that is the the way it will be at the coming of the Son of Man...

Police have committed themselves to serve and protect the people in their neighborhoods and communities. An unfortunate thing has happened in our days in age, greater than in any other generation. There is no longer the respect there once was for the people wearing those uniforms.

I was on may way to work a couple of weeks again. An HP was just in front of me. most of us stayed within the speed of the HP. However, there was this one pickup that at every stop light, would speed up and eventually he was traveling faster than the HP until finally the HP put on his lights. All i could think of was the fact that this person knew the HP was there and yet he continued to push the limits until finally it became apparent that he didn’t really care what the speed limit law was… Jesus says, that’s the way it will be in the end days… people really won’t care about what the law says.

The question we began with this morning was, will you be ready when the second coming of Jesus does take place.

Now, speaking of Jesus second coming, William Barclay writes this: “The New Testament does not ever use the phrase ‘The second coming.’ The word which it uses to describe the return of Christ is ‘Parousia;’ This word has come into English as a description of the Second Coming; it is quite common in the rest of the New Testament, but in the Gospels, this is the only chapter in which it occurs (vs. 3, 27, 37, 39). The interesting thing is that it is the regular word for the arrival of a governor into his province or for the coming of a king to his subjects. It regularly describes a coming in authority and in power.

Two things are certain about the Parousia of Jesus...

1.) For Jesus, his second coming is a sure thing. He has, as we will celebrate next week, risen from the dead. When he returns, he will do so with universal authority. (vs. 30) He will come with power and great glory! All people will know. Will you be ready?

2.) It is a statement that History is going somewhere… People in years past have looked at history as something that will continue to repeat itself and it will fall into further chaos, simply recording the “follies of men.”

Others have expressed life as a tread-mill in which there is no progress and no escape. But Jesus is telling us that there is “A One Time Divine Event” to which the whole world will know he has returned. There is a future History to be known.

In this passage we read many things that we simply do not fully understand and for some, speculation is all there is. For example, Jesus said in

Matthew 24:34 NIV

Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

If ‘This generation’ refers to those who saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, then it is not hard to grasp. But if it refers to the “Parousia” the actual second coming of Jesus, it is very difficult to know what “This Generation” means. A generation in the O.T. was considered to be 40 years. As we talked about in S.S. a few months ago, some people looked to 1948 when Israel became a nation again and predictions were made that Jesus would return in 1988. That did not happens. Luther

Luther: about “This Generation” - “All will begin to take place now in this time, while ye live:” that is, ye will survive the beginning of these events.

Lange, J. P., & Schaff, P. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Matthew (p. 429). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Another view is: Within that Generation the Kingdom of God did spread, making Christ know throughout the world.

in summary of these two views, ‘Yes’, we will see these things, but it does not address the fact that there will be a generation that sees the Second coming of Christ.

As of now, i cannot explain to you what “this generation’ means. I can explain to you that there will come a time when the heavens and the earth as we know it will pass away, but God’s words will stand forever.

Matthew 24:35 NIV

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Jesus also taught in

Matthew 5:18 NIV

For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

God’s will and purpose will be accomplished

How can you be ready?

1.) Know and believe in God’s Holy Word. Not just some of it, but all of it. When you know the Word, you will come to know Jesus. He is God’s Word in the Flesh. He came to live among us; He is God’s voice to us now through the Bible and through the working of the Holy Spirit whom he sent when he left this earth after his resurrection. He is saying to us, I am coming again. Learn of me and know me.

ILLUSTRATION: Billy Graham would encourage people where were seeking God or new believers to read the Gospel of John because there they would come to know God and His Son Jesus in a personal way. “Know the Word.”

2.) Accept Jesus as God’s One and Only Son, the Divine Savior of the World. To believe is to put action to your words “i believe” Obedience to God is action to live a morally and ethical life please to God.

3.) Repent of your sins, for all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death… but, the gift of God is eternal life.

4.) Simply put, Say Yes to Jesus… Say Yes, Jesus, I believe in you; in who you are and what you have said, and i’m surrendering my life to you today. I want you to lead me and Guide me. I ask you to forgive my sins and save me from them. Come into my heart Lord Jesus. I desire to learn from you and follow you, because you are God my God.

Then you will be ready… you will grow to know His love for you and you will following him with confidence in every area of your life. And He will give you strength and peace in the midst of all of life’s circumstance.

Conclusion:

These verses are a warning never to become so immersed in time that we forgot eternity, never to let our concern with worldly affairs, however necessary, completely distract us from remembering that there is a God, that the issues of life and death are in his hands, and that whenever his call comes, at morning, at midday, or at evening, it must find us ready. William Barclay

If the day and the hour of the coming of Christ are known to none other than God, then all of life must be a constant preparation for that coming. Live with watchfulness, live with anticipation, live with hope.

If you have said ‘Yes’ to Jesus, then your entire life is preparation for spending eternity with him; learning to love as he loves, learning how to be generous, compassionate, forgiving, and gracious.

If you haven’t said ‘Yes’ to Jesus, he is simply saying to you today, “I’m making myself known to you. I’ve told you that there is a future. Will you trust in me today and accept my love and forgiveness for you today, so that you can live now as you will live for all of eternity, in my presence and peace? He is asking you to say, “Yes Jesus” i do accept who you are and I desire to live my life now in your presence, power, and peace.

Let myself or Pastor Caleb or a friends of yours know that today you have begun a new relationship with God’s Son, Jesus. This is a time to celebrate life.