This post covers our sermon from 10/29/23. This was not an easy sermon for our pastor. It can’t be easy to talk about a future that has so much hate and destruction. But is it so much different than the world we live in today? There have always been times like the ones described in Matthew 24.
The red letters in my Bible indicate Jesus’ words and in chapter 24 he begins telling his disciples about the signs of the end of the times. The disciples were in awe of the buildings and they brought Jesus’ attention to them and he replied…
”Do you see all these things?” He asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
Matt. 24:2
They were admiring the temple and how magnificent it was. But, it’s the same thing we have today when we have church envy, always admiring what the mega churches have that we don’t.
Jesus makes the point that they’re missing the point of it all. The temple will be entirely destroyed. The temple was the center of Jewish life. They gave allegiance to the temple. The building is not what God ever makes as the center of our belief in him.
Don’t worship with such passion anything that will take God’s place. Don’t let the temple be the center of your worship. Jesus was righteously indignant. God holds little value of temples and government.
When the disciples ask him to tell them of the signs of the end of times. They thought the end would come soon. Why was Jesus so vague? God wants every age to have reasons for Jesus’ return.
It’s imminent. We just don’t know when. If God would of told us when, we wouldn’t be ready. Since Pentecost we’ve know that it will happen and we’re still not prepared.
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
Matt. 24:4-6
There have been many who think they’ve figured out when the end will come. They’ve gotten rich off of the books and movies that have been published from their theories. When they world didn’t end, they simply wrote another book and made more money! But prophets who are not from God, are only spinning a web of lies.
- Jesus warns us not to be deceived
- Don’t worship the temple
- Don’t worship prophecy
There will be false messiahs, wars, famines, earth quakes. These are not specific signs of the end. It’s a broken world. Be careful of those who claim to know. Institutes, monuments, and politicians will come and go.
If even the angels or the Son don’t know the time why would we think God would reveal it to anyone.
God wants us to get ready and be ready at all times. There has been only 6 months of peace and homeless who have been that way for years. We’ve not fixed it yet.
How would you do things differently if you knew the date and time of Jesus’ return? Would you fix the broken things? Would you act differently?
Whatever you’d do different, do it now! Times haven’t changed. It’s still a scary world.
God loves us. His Son saved us.
We didn’t understand the cross. But that was God’s plan all along.
This was a reminder of why our time is not well spent to try to figure out when the end will come. We won’t know. Just be ready! Even if procrastinators knew when, they still wouldn’t be prepared because they’d keep putting it off.
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 