December 1, 2024 Preaching | Ptr Peter Tanchi
Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”4And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.9“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Did you know that for every one prophecy about the first coming of Jesus, there are eight prophecies about His second coming? Out of 27 books of the New Testament, 24 books talk about the Second Coming—mentioned 300 times in the Bible. This topic is very important; it will impact your life and future. Jesus will surely come again, not as a Savior—He will come as the King of Kings, as the Judge. He’ll fix what is broken in this world. He’ll correct all injustices—He will make everything new! God wants you to be ready!
1) GOD WANTS TO PROTECT US (Matthew 24:1-5)
The Jerusalem temple was a magnificent structure that took 80 years to build. Yet Jesus prophesied that its massive stones would all be torn down. This happened in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. This was the exact fulfillment of what Jesus prophesied in 30 A.D. When Jesus says something will happen, it will surely come true (Matthew 24:35).
The disciples were very conscious that there would be a coming kingdom at the end of this age; God would create a new heaven and a new earth where all our pains and sorrows would be removed. God wants us to know the truth about the endtimes because there will be false teachers who will try to deceive God’s people by claiming that they are the Christ. They want to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:24). This deception is Satan’s lie, and the battle begins with our thought life (Revelation 12:9). Guard your minds against doubts about God’s goodness and love. Always filter negative thoughts through God’s truth! We need to know God’s truth for our protection, that’s why Jesus warned us; we don’t know when Jesus will come again, so we need to always be ready (Matthew 24:25, 42). What we do with Jesus today will impact our eternity (Matthew 24:48-51)!
2) GOD WANTS US TO PERSEVERE (Matthew 24:6-14)
People have given false predictions about the exact date of Jesus’ coming. Some spend all their time studying prophecy. On the other end, some claim that Jesus will not be coming again! Avoid these extreme beliefs. Live each day as if Jesus will come any time but plan your life as if He’s not yet coming anytime soon. Don’t neglect responsibilities, keep on doing what is right; do not give up. Wars, plagues, famines around the world — these are all “birth pangs” leading to Jesus’ second coming. Today, Christians are persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. Many more have been arrested, and their properties destroyed. Pray for our persecuted brethren all around the world! Endure to the end; many Christians will survive persecution, but few can survive prosperity. We are living in the last, last days; people are lovers of self, money, and pleasure (2 Timothy 3:1-4). The most dangerous thing that can happen to us is for our hearts to grow cold towards Jesus. Prosperity gives people more access to things that draw them away from church and God.
A clear sign that the end is near is when the gospel is preached throughout the whole world. This is being fulfilled today, but there are still 2 billion people who have not heard the gospel. The Great Tribulation will be the worst time in history, but God will intervene to save His elect (Matthew 24:21-22). The whole universe will be affected, so don’t be surprised when you begin to see signs of this today (Matthew 24:29) When Jesus came the first time, He was poor, born without announcements —except to a few shepherds. The Second Coming of Christ will be known to the whole world and will be in great power and glory (Matthew 24:30-31)! In the timeline of events, we do not know when the rapture of the church will be. But Jesus is coming soon!
3) GOD WANTS US TO BE PRUDENT (Matthew 24:37-39)
7 illustrations are found in Matthew about being ready and prudent (Matthew 24:32-47, 25:1-30):
- Fig tree
- Noah
- 2 workers
- Thief
- Servants
- 10 Virgins
- Talents
The last days will be as it was in the days of Noah (Genesis 5:32, 6:9-10). Like Noah, believers are recipients of God’s grace, and the earth is corrupted and filled with violence today, as it was then. God alone has the right and the power to destroy everything. God is God, and He can do anything, yet He is also good and holy. All of us are given the chance to change — but don’t wait for tomorrow to repent! God commanded Noah to build an ark with detailed instructions (Genesis 6:14-15). Everything on the earth was destroyed by the flood, but Noah and his entire family were saved because Noah obeyed God (Genesis 6:17-18, 7:1, 4-5). It was the Lord who closed the door of the ark after Noah and his family, as well as the animals, were all inside (Genesis 7:13, 16). Today, the door of salvation is still open, but one day, it will be shut.
Be wise; believe that God is God, He is good and rewards those who seek Him. Real faith is obedience; Noah believed and took action (Hebrews 11:6-7). A wise man considers not just his salvation but his family’s salvation. How’s your family’s relationship with Christ? People did not believe Noah about the coming judgment. There are those today who will hear about Jesus’ second coming but won’t do anything about it. Come to Christ today. The door of salvation is still open, but it will soon be too late for those who do not repent (2 Peter 2:5, 3:3-4). God wants all of us to be inside the “ark” – there is only one door to salvation, Jesus. We don’t know when Jesus will come again, but we are to preach the word by our words and by our lives (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Jesus is coming again soon! Be ready!