“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?” Matthew 24:3-14
FBCF – 10/15/23
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Title of sermon today: “What in the World Is Going On?” Maybe should say: “What Is Going on in the World?”
Our family at our home Thu evening for son’s bday party. As we sat around table, began discussing events of past week that have been happening in Israel. You’ve seen the reports & the videos. Dominates the news channels & social media feeds right now.
- Started last Sat morning – Hamas terrorists launched a massive attack on Israel, firing thousands of missiles into Israel. They then came across the border into Israel. Attack came by air, land, & sea. Attackers landed at festival & elsewhere by paragliders. Hundreds of terrorists crossed border on motorcycles or on foot & began randomly killing anyone they encountered. They stormed into homes killing people & taking people hostage – children, elderly people, others. Women were raped. Babies were killed. Death toll stands at some 1500 dead in Israel & 1800 in Gaza.
As we talked, I could see fear creeping across their faces. Don’t get me wrong: All of my kids & their spouses are strong Christ-followers. But the realities of the level of evil in our world can sometimes disrupt your peace of mind, no matter how strong your walk w/ Christ is.
- What kind of world is our kids growing up in?
- Could we see violence happen in our nation, in our communities?
- Are we in danger? Will we & our kids be in danger in the days to come?
Visiting w/ in the home of one of our senior adult couples last week. Wife asked me, “Bro. Jon, what do YOU think about all this stuff going on in Israel?” I could tell that she was concerned, maybe afraid.
And I am sure that there are others here today who are wrestling w/ some fear & worry. We don’t like to admit it b/c we are people of faith. But there’s a palpable sense of fear, uncertainty, anxiety across our nation & world today for lots of reasons, even before this attack on Israel broke out.
WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED – Connect the dots. We’ve got some really clear indications in Scripture of why we are seeing the things we are seeing right now in our world.
- God said in end times Israel would be scattered & regathered. This has happened – May 14, 1948 – Israel became a nation.
- God said in end times Israel would be attacked by Magog & Persia – Russia & Iran – allies w/ each other now – Iran funding Hamas – US gave $6 billion to Iran
- David Jeremiah: “Every prophetic event casts its shadow. While the event itself happens in a moment of time, there are visible shadows of that event prior to its occurrence. For example, the seven–year period known as the Tribulation will begin in a single moment with the Rapture of the Church. While the Church will not be on earth to experience the difficult days of the Tribulation, the storm clouds of that period will gather long before it begins. The discerning believer will be aware of and watching for the shadows of future prophetic events.” (https://www.davidjeremiah.org/age-of-signs/the-antichrists-powerful-prophet-of-deception-a-study-guide?devdate=2020-06-07)
- Matthew 24:4-12 – “birth pains” (v. 8)
- 2 Peter 3:3 – “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” (NIV)
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:3-4
- Romans 1:28-32
WE SHOULD BE STUDYING
- Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord…” – Be like Ezra!
- Revelation 1:1-3 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
- There’s no substitute for serious intake of the Bible. Goes back to my comment from a few wks ago of the “Verse of the Day” being all you need. If that’s all you are doing in the area of Bible study, you won’t ever have a deeper understanding of God & what He has been up to throughout the centuries & what He is up to now in our world & in our lives. Every Christ-follower needs to make or renew their commitment to being a student of the Bible – And you need to make that commitment TODAY!
- Don’t cop out – “Well I just can’t understand all that stuff.” We forget that God has graciously given us His Holy Spirit to be our teacher, the revealer of truth, our guide.
o Nehemiah 9:20 – “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them…”
o John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
- Study what Bible says about Israel, its enemies, the Rapture, the 2nd Coming, & how we should prepare.
WE SHOULD BE SHARING
- The only way a Hamas terrorist is going to stop killing Jews is to realize that Jesus Christ is truly the Savior & the only-begotten Son of God & be saved.
o O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about Allah except the truth.1 The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfilment of His Word through Mary and a spirit ?created by a command? from Him.2 So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, “Trinity.” Stop! — for your own good. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son! (https://quran.com/4:171?store=false&translations=19,206,20,22,149,131,207,203#)
o A Muslim may love Allah and wish to please Allah, but the question in his mind will invariably be “Is it enough? Are my works enough to merit salvation?” … Allah offers no such promise. Muslims believe Allah will be merciful to them based on his evaluation of their performance. But salvation is never sure; it is never a promise. When the Western world looks with horror on things like jihad and acts of Islamic terrorism, they get a glimpse of the powerful fear that Allah instills in many of his followers. Faithful Muslims are faced with a terrible choice: obey the violent commands of an omnipotent deity whose mercy is given only to the most passionate and devoted followers (and perhaps not even then) or give themselves up as hopelessly lost and headed for punishment.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/who-is-Allah.html)
- The only way a Jewish person is going to get to heaven is to realize that Jesus is the Christ – the Promised Messiah - & be saved.
o Keeping the OT laws won’t save you. In fact, the purpose of the Law is to SHOW us that we are sinners who cannot save ourselves & that we need a Savior – THE Savior & Messiah, Jesus Christ.
o Romans 3:20 – “No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; His laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.” (TLB)
- The only way a good, moral person sitting in a church building in Mississippi today is going to get to heaven one day is by trusting in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.
WE SHOULD NOT BE SCARED
A.W Tozer: “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who hasn’t surrendered His authority.”
- Doesn’t mean we won’t suffer. Things in this life will get more difficult.
o John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
o 2 Timothy 3:12 – “…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (NLT)
o Revelation 12:12 – “But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (NIV)
- But we can trust in God’s plan, His purpose, His protection, & His power in our lives.
o 1 John 4:4 – “…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
o Luke 21:28 – “…lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.” (KJV)
WE SHALL BE SAVED – The very next event that will happen on God’s prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the Church!
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d]that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
- NOW is the time to get ready for that moment! It can happen at any time. No other prophecies need to be fulfilled for it to happen.
- So can YOU say, w/out a doubt, that YOU are ready for the Rapture?
