The Coming End of The Age (Matthew 24:1-14)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
13 September 2020
According to Jesus the world will come to an end. Certain signs precede the end.
The Jewish temple would be destroyed before the end (this happened in A.D.70).
There would be other signs preceding the end.
There would be false teachings. False ideas were present as early as the Garden of Eden. Satan, who is the serpent, deceived Eve with false ideas. Jesus warned of imposters (v.5) and false teachers (v.11). False teachings spring from two false premises. One is that there are many gods. The other is that there is no God. From these presuppositions spring all false teachings. The Bible teaches there is one true God. He is our creator and he has sent Jesus into this world to save us from our sins.
There will be wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes. This cluster of woes is symptomatic of a fallen world. They will be here right up to the end of the age.
Persecution of the church will be present throughout this age. The elect have always been persecuted. Cain against AbeI; Ishmael against Isaac; Egypt against Israel. The Christian Church over 2000 years has experienced persecution. Things will not get so much better that persecution will cease. The persecution of the church needs a change of heart in the perpetrators of persecution. This change can only take place when people are confronted with their hatred of God and be at peace with God through Jesus Christ.
Breakdown of relationships. Some people will be offended by Christ. These professed followers of Jesus in fact are unregenerate. They turn against the church and treacherously betray and hate one another. It is a known fact that when there is pressure on the church some people switch sides and betray the disciples of Jesus.
Lawlessness. The world will experience increasing lawlessness to the point where societies become anarchic as in the closing days of the Judges (Judges 21:25). Because of lawlessness peoples' love will grow cold. When people see lawlessness and their governments unwilling or unable to curb it they become discouraged and their love grows cold.
Gospel preaching. The gospel will be preached to all nations as a witness before the end comes. Jesus is building his church and by the Holy Spirit people will respond and be added to the church.
Some practical matters.
Be prepared.
Do not be troubled (v.6). The things Jesus spoke of are but the beginning of sorrows or birth pangs. Therefore be ready for hardships.
Be assured of prophecy.
Jesus spoke prophetically about the signs preceding his coming and the end of the age. Have confidence in his prophecy which is enough for the church to see it through to the end. We need no further prophecy. Jesus has given all we need. It is enough.
Remarkably the same situation existed at the end of the Babylonian captivity. The prophets gave prophecies concerning the period between the Old and New Testaments. In that 400 year period there was silence. There were no prophecies. All that the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel gave were enough to see Israel through to the birth of Jesus. There was no prophecy give in the inter-testament period. All that was necessary was given beforehand. Prophecy was enough. Similarly, no new prophecy is given in the gospel age. All has been given beforehand. We have enough to see us through to the coming again of Jesus Christ and the end of the age.
Be a witness for the gospel. What a privilege to be part of Jesus’s gospel purposes. The kingdom of God consists of all who have repented and believed in Christ. This kingdom will not end. Proclaim the gospel and be part of the fulfilment of Jesus’s prophecy.