Is The End Near? 14 June 2020
14 06 20 Filed in: Sermons | "What in the World is Going On?"
Is the End Near?
Series—What in the World is Going On?
Big Idea: Are you ready for the return of Jesus? Are others?
What in the world is going on? If you’re like me, you’ve asked that question a lot lately.
The deadly coronavirus is one thing. The lockdowns and ensuring chaos have been—at least for many—even worse.
The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are one thing. The ensuring protests and violence are—at least for many—even worse.
What in the world is going on? Are these the last days? Is Jesus coming back soon? If so, what difference does it make?
Last week I mentioned one of the most common questions I get is, “Are we living in the end times? Are these the last days? Paul wrote these words to his disciple, Timothy:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Does that describe our world today? I think so!
Does that describe Paul and Timothy’s day in the first century? Yes!
The Bible is not always the easiest book to understand. I think we can discern the meaning of Exodus 20:13. It says,
“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
But what about those other passages which talk about beasts and horns and fire? It can be confusing…and even scary.
The Bible is not a book. It’s a collection of books…sixty-six books written over hundreds of years in multiple languages by a variety of authors…yet they fit together as one beautiful story. When we study the Bible, we must ask three questions:
(Note: a great resource for hermeneutics—studying the Bible—is Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth)
This is a simple process, but not necessarily easy!
One of the key factors in reading the Bible is understanding the type of literature. If you go into a bookstore (remember those?!), you can find graphic novels, reference volumes, comic books, biographies, and satire. If you don’t understand the difference, you’ll almost certainly end up with some crazy conclusions!
In the same way, we cannot read the poetry of the Psalms the same way we read the laws of Leviticus. The stories of the prophets are different from Paul’s personal letters. There’s one type of literature that is especially fascinating and misunderstood: apocalyptic.
VIDEO: Apocalyptic Literature, https://bibleproject.com/videos/apocalyptic-literature/
One of the most provocative chapters in the Bible is Matthew 24. Jesus responds to his disciples’ questions about the end of the age.
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 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. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:4-8)
He’s speaking of the end, right? Actually, he says in verse six these “things must happen, but the end is still to come.” When will all of this occur? It already has! I can prove it!
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (Matthew 24:9)
He’s not speaking to us. He’s talking to his followers about 2000 years ago! They all died in the first century, nearly all of them martyred.
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:10-13)
Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience looking for signs of the Messiah. You may have heard this is about a future event, but it’s obvious Jesus is speaking about first-century events, specifically the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70.
This past week I was listening to the Alliance’s EquippingU podcast where they were discussing the moral decline of our nation, the marginalization of Christianity, and opposition to the views of the Church. These verses in Matthew sound a lot like our present day. One person said that we no longer have home-field advantage, to which the other speaker said those in the first century would remark that we still have it easy compared to their experience living under Roman rule.
If we read the Bible as if it was written to us, we’ll end up with some radically different conclusions than if we understand it was written for us. These events Jesus is describing already occurred…yet we can relate to them today.
Some have said there are four approaches to apocalyptic texts:
Preterist these events occurred around the time the text was written (“past”)
Idealist this describes the ongoing conflict between good and evil
Historicist this helps us understand God’s perspective in human history
Futurist these describe events in the future, before and during the end times
Which approach is the best? It depends! In some cases, more than one might be useful.
Despite the difficult conditions of the early church in the first century, the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2) and did incredible things, moving the Church from Jerusalem to regions across the known world. Jesus predicted that, too!
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
This is a famous verse in the Christian & Missionary Alliance. It has been understood by some to mean when everyone on the planet hears the good news of Jesus, Christ will return. If we evangelize the whole world, we can go home!
I’m not saying that’s necessarily wrong, but it’s not what Jesus was referencing. This was fulfilled nineteen centuries ago!
It is possible that it speaks of two eras, one in the past and one in the future. This is true for some prophecy even about the Messiah. Some speak of the first coming of Jesus, others his return, and perhaps some describe both!
So What?
Are these the end times? Yes…but they began around AD 70! Actually, the war began in 66 AD until 70 AD.
Is the anti-Christ alive today? It’s possible, but previous generations said the same thing. Does it really matter?
Is Jesus returning soon? Absolutely! He said so…about two thousand years ago!
It can be fascinating to listen to predictions, look for prophetic fulfillment in the news, and get excited about the Second Coming of Christ, but there’s really only two things we must do:
Get Ready. Jesus said later in Matthew 24,
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44)
Jesus is coming. When? Soon! In our lifetime? I have no idea! All I know is we’re one day closer than we were yesterday! The point is to get ready. If you want to study this chapter, many believe the first 35 verses were fulfilled in 70 AD (preterist), while verses 36-51 speak of the future (futurist)
Someday this body will die. It might be from COVID, cancer, or a car accident. We don’t know when, but the odds are pretty good! Only one generation will be alive when Jesus returns. It might be ours, it might be thousands of years from now.
I’m afraid too many people waste time and energy trying to figure out the when instead of focusing on the Who.
After describing many great men and women of faith, the writer of Hebrews continues,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Family, we need to fix our eyes—and our attention—on Jesus. Will there be trials? Absolutely! Will people hate us? In every generation. Will we be martyrs? It’s always possible, and not historically unusual.
We need to turn our eyes away from the tv news and social media and toward Jesus. Followers of Jesus have no reason to fear. None. Zero. Zip! When we look to him, we will not grow weary and lose heart. We will not freak out about chaos in the world, instead preparing for the new heaven and new earth. We must be ready for our end…and get others ready, too. Tomorrow may be too late.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Family, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He’s the reason we’re here. He’s our hope—not our economy, politicians, or popularity. From Genesis until the end of Revelation, God is in control. He’s got this! We need to get ready…and we need to help others get ready, too. Now is the time to share good news with our family, friends, and even strangers. We need to pray, engage in spiritual conversations, and tell our story. Perhaps the best way to love well is to introduce people not to religion, but to Jesus.
These are crazy times. Are these the last days? Maybe. We’ve been in the end times for two thousand years, but someday Jesus will return. Are you ready? Are your friends ready?
Family, our world is out of control. Coronavirus. Racism. Political divisions. Fear. Anxiety.
The world needs Jesus! He’s coming soon. Let’s get ready. Let’s get others ready. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—What in the World is Going On?
Big Idea: Are you ready for the return of Jesus? Are others?
What in the world is going on? If you’re like me, you’ve asked that question a lot lately.
The deadly coronavirus is one thing. The lockdowns and ensuring chaos have been—at least for many—even worse.
The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are one thing. The ensuring protests and violence are—at least for many—even worse.
What in the world is going on? Are these the last days? Is Jesus coming back soon? If so, what difference does it make?
Last week I mentioned one of the most common questions I get is, “Are we living in the end times? Are these the last days? Paul wrote these words to his disciple, Timothy:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Does that describe our world today? I think so!
Does that describe Paul and Timothy’s day in the first century? Yes!
The Bible is not always the easiest book to understand. I think we can discern the meaning of Exodus 20:13. It says,
“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
But what about those other passages which talk about beasts and horns and fire? It can be confusing…and even scary.
The Bible is not a book. It’s a collection of books…sixty-six books written over hundreds of years in multiple languages by a variety of authors…yet they fit together as one beautiful story. When we study the Bible, we must ask three questions:
- - What did it mean then? This is known as exegesis. It is important to discover the original, intended meaning of a passage because a text cannot mean what it never meant.
- - What does it mean now? This is known as hermeneutics.
- - How do we apply it to our lives? So what?
(Note: a great resource for hermeneutics—studying the Bible—is Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth)
This is a simple process, but not necessarily easy!
One of the key factors in reading the Bible is understanding the type of literature. If you go into a bookstore (remember those?!), you can find graphic novels, reference volumes, comic books, biographies, and satire. If you don’t understand the difference, you’ll almost certainly end up with some crazy conclusions!
In the same way, we cannot read the poetry of the Psalms the same way we read the laws of Leviticus. The stories of the prophets are different from Paul’s personal letters. There’s one type of literature that is especially fascinating and misunderstood: apocalyptic.
VIDEO: Apocalyptic Literature, https://bibleproject.com/videos/apocalyptic-literature/
One of the most provocative chapters in the Bible is Matthew 24. Jesus responds to his disciples’ questions about the end of the age.
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 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. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:4-8)
He’s speaking of the end, right? Actually, he says in verse six these “things must happen, but the end is still to come.” When will all of this occur? It already has! I can prove it!
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (Matthew 24:9)
He’s not speaking to us. He’s talking to his followers about 2000 years ago! They all died in the first century, nearly all of them martyred.
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:10-13)
Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience looking for signs of the Messiah. You may have heard this is about a future event, but it’s obvious Jesus is speaking about first-century events, specifically the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70.
This past week I was listening to the Alliance’s EquippingU podcast where they were discussing the moral decline of our nation, the marginalization of Christianity, and opposition to the views of the Church. These verses in Matthew sound a lot like our present day. One person said that we no longer have home-field advantage, to which the other speaker said those in the first century would remark that we still have it easy compared to their experience living under Roman rule.
If we read the Bible as if it was written to us, we’ll end up with some radically different conclusions than if we understand it was written for us. These events Jesus is describing already occurred…yet we can relate to them today.
Some have said there are four approaches to apocalyptic texts:
Preterist these events occurred around the time the text was written (“past”)
Idealist this describes the ongoing conflict between good and evil
Historicist this helps us understand God’s perspective in human history
Futurist these describe events in the future, before and during the end times
Which approach is the best? It depends! In some cases, more than one might be useful.
Despite the difficult conditions of the early church in the first century, the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2) and did incredible things, moving the Church from Jerusalem to regions across the known world. Jesus predicted that, too!
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
This is a famous verse in the Christian & Missionary Alliance. It has been understood by some to mean when everyone on the planet hears the good news of Jesus, Christ will return. If we evangelize the whole world, we can go home!
I’m not saying that’s necessarily wrong, but it’s not what Jesus was referencing. This was fulfilled nineteen centuries ago!
It is possible that it speaks of two eras, one in the past and one in the future. This is true for some prophecy even about the Messiah. Some speak of the first coming of Jesus, others his return, and perhaps some describe both!
So What?
Are these the end times? Yes…but they began around AD 70! Actually, the war began in 66 AD until 70 AD.
Is the anti-Christ alive today? It’s possible, but previous generations said the same thing. Does it really matter?
Is Jesus returning soon? Absolutely! He said so…about two thousand years ago!
It can be fascinating to listen to predictions, look for prophetic fulfillment in the news, and get excited about the Second Coming of Christ, but there’s really only two things we must do:
- 1. Get ready.
- 2. Get others ready.
Get Ready. Jesus said later in Matthew 24,
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44)
Jesus is coming. When? Soon! In our lifetime? I have no idea! All I know is we’re one day closer than we were yesterday! The point is to get ready. If you want to study this chapter, many believe the first 35 verses were fulfilled in 70 AD (preterist), while verses 36-51 speak of the future (futurist)
Someday this body will die. It might be from COVID, cancer, or a car accident. We don’t know when, but the odds are pretty good! Only one generation will be alive when Jesus returns. It might be ours, it might be thousands of years from now.
I’m afraid too many people waste time and energy trying to figure out the when instead of focusing on the Who.
After describing many great men and women of faith, the writer of Hebrews continues,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Family, we need to fix our eyes—and our attention—on Jesus. Will there be trials? Absolutely! Will people hate us? In every generation. Will we be martyrs? It’s always possible, and not historically unusual.
We need to turn our eyes away from the tv news and social media and toward Jesus. Followers of Jesus have no reason to fear. None. Zero. Zip! When we look to him, we will not grow weary and lose heart. We will not freak out about chaos in the world, instead preparing for the new heaven and new earth. We must be ready for our end…and get others ready, too. Tomorrow may be too late.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Family, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He’s the reason we’re here. He’s our hope—not our economy, politicians, or popularity. From Genesis until the end of Revelation, God is in control. He’s got this! We need to get ready…and we need to help others get ready, too. Now is the time to share good news with our family, friends, and even strangers. We need to pray, engage in spiritual conversations, and tell our story. Perhaps the best way to love well is to introduce people not to religion, but to Jesus.
These are crazy times. Are these the last days? Maybe. We’ve been in the end times for two thousand years, but someday Jesus will return. Are you ready? Are your friends ready?
Family, our world is out of control. Coronavirus. Racism. Political divisions. Fear. Anxiety.
The world needs Jesus! He’s coming soon. Let’s get ready. Let’s get others ready. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.