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¹ “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: ² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. ³ Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

I am sure that some people will be a little bit surprised that Jude would desire to write an Epistle to already saved people about the doctrine of salvation. Clearly, he tells us that was his desire and intent.

Many, many, many people (and most of them lost) think that salvation is “pray a prayer” “sign a card” or “walk an aisle” – been there and done that! Every Bible-believing Christian knows better than that.

A vast amount of Biblical content deals with the Doctrines of Salvation. While our experience of salvation may indeed take place in a brief period of time; (although with many people, coming to faith is a long process.) That certainly was the case in my life.

Back to my point: while the experience of being saved may well be simple and brief; the experience of salvation involves the whole person over our whole life and the Scriptures give lots and lots of verses to help us understand all that is involved.

For example, our salvation involves…

Election; Predestination; Substitution; Imputation; (and double imputation at that) regeneration; justification; sanctification; and, glorification! (Don’t worry – I am committed to staying within my “self-imposed” 30 minute time limit!)

Each and every one of these doctrines could easily be a SERIES OF SERMONS by itself. God wants HIS people to fully understand our salvation and Jude was intent on teaching them these wonderful truths.

So, what would cause Jude to change his mind and devote his one opportunity to write Scripture to a warning about false teaching and false teachers?

False teaching and false teachers are a really big deal because they are a real threat to the spiritual health of those unfortunate people who fall for their errors!

To quote Dr. Lee Roberson, “There is one saving gospel, only one!”

And that “one saving gospel” is this…

In spite of the fact that we have all sinned against HIM, God loves us and sent HIS Son Jesus to pay for our sins on the cross. If we will turn away from our sins and believe in Jesus as our Savior and LORD; God will forgive our sins, change our life, and take us to heaven when we die.

That’s it; plus nothing and minus nothing!

As I pointed out last Sunday, our world is awash in heresy. False teaching and false teachers abound on every hand. The miracle of modern electronic communication has brought with it the curse of world-wide heresy!

As the LORD allows, I will “briefly” discuss the Biblical doctrine of salvation; including, “From Before the Foundation of the World” “In the Death of Jesus on the Cross” and “In the life of the Believer.”

THEN…

I will spend the balance of our time showing the FOUR KEY REASONS that our salvation in Jesus is indeed, a “Common Salvation.” I plan to close the message with one paragraph (just one) about the importance of God’s man being open to the leading of the HOLY SPIRIT to change what he had planned to do!

As Tom Rains loves to say, “I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side

Love you guys!

Pastor Lanny

The Epistle of Jude

¹ “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: ² May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Judgment on False Teachers

³ Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ⁵ Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— ⁷ just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. ⁸ Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. ⁹ But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” ¹⁰ But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. ¹² These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; ¹³  wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. ¹⁴ It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, ¹⁵  to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ¹⁶ These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷ But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” ¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; ²¹  keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Doxology

²⁴  Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Rule #1: Since it is such an unpleasant thing and goes against human nature, unnecessary interpersonal conflict ought to be avoided if at all possible!

Rule #2: False doctrine and those who teach it are such an offense to God and such a danger to the eternal well-being of people that it demands that we publicly and personally call out both the false teaching and the false teachers in spite of the fact that it is unpleasant and goes against human nature!

Rule #3: There are no exceptions to Rules #1 and #2.

Many people despise conflict so much that they will often turn against those who expose false teaching and teachers rather than turning against the false teaching and teachers themselves.

But, as I pointed out in Rule #2, there are some things, “worth fighting over” and being misunderstood and chastised by others. Those things are the precious doctrines taught in God’s Word; and especially those doctrines that involved the way of salvation.

False teachings on the way of salvation (and those who teach them) are the most dangerous things on earth. They are responsible for the eternal damnation of millions of people who think they have found a true way of salvation; when, in fact, they are “the blind” who are being misled by “the blind.”

It is the responsibility of those who do know the truth to tell the truth and to point out the false teachings of the false teachers! That is exactly what Jude, the half-brother of Jesus and James, does with his brief Epistle.

As the LORD allows, over the next few weeks I will teach through The Epistle of Jude verse by verse and application by application in order to help you understand the seriousness of false teaching and teachers; and, to make absolutely sure that you, yourself, rightly understand the Doctrines of Salvation.

This coming LORD’s Day, (as the LORD allows) we will read through this Epistle and cover a lot of introductory material that will help set the stage for our upcoming study.

I hope that you will take the time over the next couple of days to read through, think through, and pray through this brief Epistle and take careful note of things you want to know more about and those things that the Holy Spirit impresses on your spirit.

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

Matthew 25:31-46 

³¹  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

As a refresher, let’s think about the biblical order of events as revealed in these verses…

(24:1-3) “Jesus’ initial comments and three questions by the Disciples”

Jesus tells them that the Temple will be destroyed stone by stone so the disciples ask when that will take place; what will be the sign of HIS return; and, what will be the sign of the end of the age?

(24:4-8) “The Beginning of Sorrows” (First ½ of Tribulation)

The seven year tribulation period is divided into two parts of three and one-half years each. While not specifically mentioning the rapture here, HE first describes the conditions on earth immediately after that event.

(24:9-26) “The Revelation of the Antichrist and the beginning of the Great Tribulation” (Second ½ of Tribulation)

In these verses, Jesus describes the revelation of the antichrist and the subsequent events of the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation, which Jesus calls the “Great” Tribulation.

(24:27-44) “The Second Advent (Physical Return of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon)

At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will physically return to earth; defeat Satan and his armies at the Battle of Armageddon; judge all who are living on earth; and, set up the Millennial Kingdom.

(24:45 – 25:30) “Warning of Coming Judgment and the Parables of the Kingdom: Be Ready; Be Faithful”

Jesus reminds HIS disciples through the use of parables that we must be ready for HIS return and we must be faithful stewards of HIS gifts until HE returns!

(25:31-46) The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats”

Following HIS victory at the Battle of Armageddon, Jesus will set all of the “Nations” (peoples) of the world who are alive on earth before HIM and demonstrate the reality of their salvation (or the reality of their unsaved condition) as evidenced by their living. Those who are saved will enter and populate the Kingdom, while those who are not saved are immediately cast into hell.

As the LORD allows, I will teach through this passage in six specific areas including both the time and nature of the Kingdom; the judgment of the sheep and the judgment of the goats; the undeniable evidence in their lives proving whether or not they are truly saved. Jesus closes this sermon with a basic summary of the nature of the saved and the unsaved and the eternal consequence of their spiritual condition before God.

I hope that you will take the time to read over these verses a few times and think about how they apply to your life today. Read, Think, and Pray, so your mind will be ready to hear the Word of God on Sunday!

To quote my Evangelist friend Tom Rains, I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand; a smile on your face; and your family and friends by your side!

As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day, I will deliver the first of two sermons to complete my series on “The Second Coming of Jesus” taken from the Olivet Discourse!

These final two sermons will cover, “The Parables of the Kingdom” (25:1-30) and “The Sheep and Goats Judgment.” (25:31-46)

This Sunday, we will consider these two Parables of the Kingdom!

Matthew 25:1-30

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Notice the progress of events in this passage based on the “time” and “event” words that JESUS uses:

What if you knew that you were going away from those people you love most in the world, and you knew that in the future the most important thing that would ever happen to them was really going to happen to them; what would you say to them?

That is exactly the situation Jesus faced in our passage for this morning. HE knows the HE is going to be arrested, crucified, and buried soon. Then HE will rise from the dead and be with them for only forty more days. Then, HE was going to be physically separated from them for the rest of their lives. In that situation, these verses are about what HE said to them. HE chose to use parables, which were to HIM a very familiar and often used method of teaching.

As HE prepares to leave them; as they are about to enter the most difficult days of their life; Jesus talks to them about two things – readiness and faithfulness.

I cannot help but believe that since HE thought this was so important to them, that these two things are really important to you and me as well. So, the message for today is simply this: BE READY FOR HIS RETURN AND BE FAITHFUL TILL HE COMES!

Let me begin with some helpful hints about interpreting parables…

First, the word “parable” itself is easy to understand. It is made up of two basic words: “para” which means “alongside” (as in parallel lines) and, “bole’” which means to “roll out” (think, bowling.) So “para-bole’” means “something rolled out alongside something else.” A parable is given alongside a story to illustrate its meaning.

Second, parables almost always have one particular point. Just one. So, we see in these two Parables of the Kingdom one simple lesson each:

(Matthew 25:1-13) JESUS IS COMING AGAIN – BE READY!

There are several principles in these verses that apply to our Kingdom Life today!

These were all equally good people who had the best of intentions!

Even good people can make very foolish mistakes!

Waiting on the return of Jesus is hard on everyone; the foolish and the wise!

Regardless of how hard it is to wait; and, how long it has been; JESUS IS going to return!

Neither being a good person, nor having the best of intentions will make any difference when JESUS returns – you will either be ready or not!

(Matthew 25:14-30) JESUS IS COMING AGAIN – BE FAITHFUL!

Again in these 17 verses, we have key principles for faithful Kingdom living!

JESUS has physically gone away from us and while HE is physically absent, HE has left us in charge of HIS resources. The Biblical name for this is, “Stewardship.”

JESUS does not give everyone the same amount of resources and responsibility; but, HE expects the same amount of faithfulness from all of HIS stewards!

The #1 reason that unfaithful stewards are unfaithful stewards is fear!

God is not bothered by any “politically-correct” sense of fairness! HE gives more to those who produce and takes away from those who do not!

I hope that you will read over, think over, and pray over these verses and comments as you prepare to hear the Word of God on Sunday!

Matthew 24:27-51

²⁷  “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

²⁹ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³² “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. ³⁷ As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. ⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

There are eight specific prophetic events that have not yet come to pass. Since it is not possible for God to either lie or err, these eight things will come to pass exactly as God says in His Word!

1. The Rapture of the Church (John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
2. The Tribulation (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:9-26; Rev. 5 – 18)
3. The Second Advent including the battle of Armageddon (Zechariah 14:1-5; Matthew 24:27-51; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 19:11-21)
4. The Millennial Kingdom (Daniel 2:44-45; John 18:36; Rev. 20:1-6)
5. The Battle of Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:7-10)
6. The Sheep and Goat Judgment (Matthew 24:45-51; 25:31-46)
7. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)
8. The onset of the Eternal State (Revelation 21 – 22)

In our focal passage for Sunday, we will see four Biblical principles about the Second Advent (physical return) of Jesus Christ…

(24:27-29) The Physical Return of Jesus Christ to earth will be unexpected, rapid, and traumatic!

Following the end of the Great Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to earth to defeat the devil and his armies, judge HIS enemies, and set up HIS Kingdom.

(24:30-31) For everyone living on earth, the Physical Return of Jesus Christ to earth will be a time of, “Revelation” for the unsaved it will be a time of, “Retribution” but for those who come to faith in Christ, it will be a time of “Salvation!”

Everyone then living will see HIM when HE comes! For those who hate God, it will be an awful time of judgment and destruction; but, for HIS people HIS return will be a time of final salvation from the persecution and terrors of the antichrist, the Beast, and the False Prophet!

(24:32-44) The Physical Return of Jesus Christ will be accompanied by some discernible signs, but, no one knows the day and time when HE will return to Earth!

We know this comes at the end of seven years of Tribulation, but no one knows specifically (day and hour) when HE will return! This is also true of those of us living now and who will be taken out in the rapture. We do not know when HE will come in the clouds to call us to HIMSELF.

(24:45-51) Since we do not know when either the Rapture or the Second Advent will take place, we must always be ready for HIS return!

Jesus concludes this portion of the Olivet Discourse with parables designed to remind us of the importance of being faithful and ready for HIS return. Again, this is also true of those of us who will be taken in the Rapture. We will appear at the Judgment Seat following the rapture and our faithfulness will be judged.

Since neither we, nor they, know when HE will return; the wisest thing we can do is to live in such a way as to be ready to meet HIM!

I promise to work hard to remember to take my notes with me next Sunday! If I do, we will work through these verses and you will be able to complete your outline!

As my dear friend Tom Rains often says… I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

I am struck with the thought of how much people will sacrifice to escape physical suffering, (even temporarily)  when they will do nothing to escape the eternal horrific suffering that is promised them in the Word of God if they do not repent of their sins against God!

Matthew 24:9-26

⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, ¹⁸ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁹ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ²³ Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.”

As I have shared with you in both of the previous sermons in this series, there are eight remaining prophetic events which will take place in a future time. These events are both chronicled and described in the Word of God: they include The Rapture; the Tribulation; The Battle of Armageddon; The Millennial Kingdom; The Battle of Gog and Magog; The Sheep and Goat Judgment; The Great White Throne Judgment; and, the Onset of Eternity!

As the LORD allows, this coming Lord’s Day I will speak to you about the second of these eight events: The Tribulation. This period of time begins immediately following the Rapture and it ends with the Second Advent of Jesus and the Battle of Armageddon.

It will last for seven years and is divided into two periods of three and one-half years each. The first half is described by Jesus as “the beginning of birth pains” and HE calls the second half, “great tribulation.”

And even that is somewhat of an understatement!

The first half will be a time in which the antichrist will rise to power and make the long-awaited peace treaty with Israel. He will not reveal his true self until three and one-half years in to this event when he will break his treaty with them and desecrate the Temple by entering it himself, sitting on the Mercy Seat, and declaring that he is god!

For the next three and one-half years, the God of Heaven will pour out judgment on him and on his followers both declaring and demonstrating that the antichrist is, in fact, not god; and, that HE – the One True Living God of the Christian Bible – is God.

In our focal passage, Jesus will call Daniel “the prophet” and will use Daniel’s prophetic words to verify the reality of Daniel the man; and, the divine inspiration of his writings; and, to describe the coming events.

The Tribulation is a dark and deadly time. God will indeed save many people during this time, but they will pay a high price for their faith in HIM! They will be hated, hunted, and murdered by the thousands. Like so many of our contemporary brothers and sisters, many will lose everything – including their very life – for the sake of Jesus.

As you read through these verses, you will see again and again the word, “then.” If you follow the logic and the order of these phrases, you will begin to see the biblical plan that God has put in place to carry out HIS eternal will for the world.

There is, of course, “Good News!” God will save many during this time; HE will fulfill HIS will during this time; and, Jesus will be glorified during this time. I hope you will carefully and prayerfully read over these words this week as you prepare your mind and spirit to hear the sermon on Sunday!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!

Matthew 24:1-8

¹ “Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. ² 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.”

³ “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 close of the age?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

As I shared with you last week, there are 8 specific prophetic events that have not yet been fulfilled. Since God can neither lie, be mistaken, nor break a promise, these events will take place exactly as God says they will in HIS Holy Word:

#1: The Rapture of the Church when every believer who as died will be raised from the dead and every believer still alive will be transformed into our glorified body and caught up to be forever with the Lord!

Cf. 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18

#2: The Tribulation when God (to fulfill HIS own purposes) will allow the antichrist to come to world-wide power and begin persecuting the Nation of Israel and those who come to faith in Jesus Christ!

Cf. Daniel 9:21-27; Matthew 24:1-14; (Mark 13:1-13; Luke 21:5-19) Revelation 6 – 19

#3: The Battle of Armageddon where Jesus will return physically to earth and destroy the antichrist and his armies!

Cf. Revelation 16:12-16; 17:12-14; 19:11-21

#4: The Sheep and Goat Judgment when Jesus separates HIS people from unbelievers following the Battle of Armageddon!

Cf. Matthew 25:31-46

#5: The Millennial Kingdom when Jesus will fulfill God’s Covenant with David that one of his sons will sit upon the Throne of Israel and rule in righteousness forever!

Cf. 2^nd Samuel 7:4-17; Daniel 2:44; Revelation 20:1-6

#6: The Battle of Gog and Magog which comes at the end of the Millennial Kingdom when Satan is released out of his prison to gather all of the unsaved people on earth for a final rebellion against God and HIS Christ. He and his armies will be destroyed and he, himself, will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever!

Cf. Revelation 20:7-10

#7: The Great White Throne Judgment where the unsaved dead of all ages will stand before God to be assigned their eternal punishments in the Lake of Fire!

Cf. Revelation 20:11-15

#8: The Eternal State where following the unsaved dead are judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, the saints of God are taken to live with HIM and the Holy Angels in the New Jerusalem forever and forever!

Cf. Revelation 21 – 22

The sermon for this coming Lord’s Day will answer several questions about this much discussed, but little understood passage!

(24:1-3)

Why does Jesus ignore the very first question that HE is asked by HIS disciples?

– Why was HE leaving the Temple?

– Has HIS prophecy about the destruction of the Temple been literally fulfilled?

– If so, what does that mean about the way HIS other prophecies about the end times will be fulfilled?

– HE is focused on the future; on what were HIS disciples focused?

THE BIG QUESTION! If Jesus knows the future, how does HE know these things?

(24:4-8)

What are the three “Signs” HE says will “begin to take place” in Luke 21:28

What can we imply from HIS illustration of “Birth Pains?”

I deeply appreciate the many kind words about the introductory sermon in this series last week! I pray that you will find all six of these sermons to just as interesting and informative!

REMEMBER: Prophecy is the ONE Bible topic in which your unsaved family and friends will be interested… now, is a great time to invite them to come with you and learn the answers to these – and many more – of their questions about the future!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

Matthew 24:1-14

¹ “Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. ² 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.”

³ 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 close of the age?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

You and I are living in uncertain and fearful times. We who live in the United States (and the Midwest in particular) have been pretty much exempt from the direct effects of these events going on around the world. Many of us do have family or friends who are either serving in missions or in the military for whom these events are indeed very worrisome.

With the rise of militant Islam and the endless and outrageous attacks by these people upon everyone around them who will not submit to them, more and more people are asking questions about how these events relate to Bible prophecies about the return of Jesus Christ; especially since many of them are taking place in or near the Middle East.

The Bible is clear about “what” is going to happen; but, it is not clear at all about “when” these things are going to happen. However, there is a basic (and easily discernible) guideline of the “order of prophetic events” that God has decreed to take place before Jesus returns.

While there are many competing ideas and positions on how God’s plan for the future will unfold, humans make all of this much more complicated God makes it in His Word.

Basically, there are 8 specific events that God has decreed to take place that have not yet taken place. Because God cannot lie and His plans cannot be thwarted, they absolutely will take place!

This series of sermons that I begin here today is a (hopefully) simple road map to help you understand the events which will take place prior to and after the return of Jesus Christ!

Please read these two Chapters a few times before Sunday!

There are 8 major prophetic events which have not yet been fulfilled. They are (in chronological order)

The return of Jesus in the air to raise those church-age believers who have died and remove those who are still living before the onset of the Tribulation. This is called the _______________.

This is followed by a seven year period of judgment on earth called the _____________________.

* This is made up of two parts each lasting three and one-half years. The first half is called, “The Beginning of ________” and the second half is called “The _________ Tribulation.”

Next is the great battle of __________________ where Jesus returns and defeats the antichrist.

This Battle is followed by a judgment which pictures believers as _________ and unbelievers as _________.

The next event is the earthly ______________ of Jesus where HE fulfills God’s promise to David.

This period of time is then followed again by a great battle. This “final” battle is called the Battle of _______ and _________.

After this, a final judgment of all of the unsaved dead will take place before the _________ _________ __________ of God.

Then we will experience the onset of the _________ State where we, with all of the saints of all ages and all of the holy angels will spend eternity with God.

Our focal passage, Matthew 24 – 25, deals with the events here numbered #2 through #4.

As you read through, think through, and pray through these verses, consider the great cause for thanksgiving you have as a believer; and, consider the great burden we must have for those who have not yet put their faith in Jesus.

As the LORD allows, I will take six Sundays to complete this series. Let me also encourage you that your unsaved and unchurched family and friends will be more interested in a series of sermons on Prophecy than any other subject in the Bible. This is the time to invite them!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!