Series: Living in the End Times

 

Title:  Endure to the End

 

The goal of this series is not to stir up fear in you, but rather to alert you to the times in which we are living.  We are to be watchful as the day approaches.

 

Matthew 6:25-26

 

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

 

As we go through this series keep in mind, as a believer (only if you are a believer) you are a child of God.  He will protect you; He will sustain you.  He will be there with you in your most trying time.  Even if we are persecuted for our faith in Him in this life, we hold on to the promise that we will live forever with Him in the next life.  Ultimately, we cannot lose.

 

            2 Corinthians 5:6-9

 

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

 

We will base most of this series on Matthew 24 because it is Jesus’s direct response to His disciples’ question regarding the end times.

 

Matthew 24:3-14

 

³ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 

 

First note the relationship Jesus has with His disciples.  He speaks with His disciples privately apart from the crowds and welcomes them into a more intimate setting. They feel comfortable asking Jesus about the end times. 

 

The question was When? When will it happen? Isn’t that just like us, we want to know when will Jesus healour bodies, when will He save our loved ones, when will our financial situation turn around, when will that spicy chicken sandwich be ready at Popeyes?

 

We tend to be very impatient if we don’t know exactly when something will happen.

Note He does not rebuke them for the question, nor does He answer their question by giving a specific date, but Jesus lovingly responds to their question by giving them signs to look for.  Just as signs were given to the people of Israel regarding Jesus’ first coming through a virgin birth.

 

Isaiah 7:14

 

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

The virgin birth was just one of the many signs that God gave Israel, His chosen people, so that they would anticipate their Savior’s arrival. If they missed the signs, they would surely miss the birth of their King.  Though many believed, sadly many Jews did not believe that Jesus was the anticipated Messiah and missed out on the promises of God.

 

So are the signs of end of the age.  If we ignore the signs of His coming, we too will miss out on God’s greatest act of deliverance the world has ever seen.

 

⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 

• ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 

The first thing we are warned about is deceivers that would arise pretending to be sheep but really are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

 

2 Corinthians 11:14

¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 

 

Jesus warns that there will be a rise of people proclaiming to be the Christ. Jesus is the Christ, the savior of the world and there is no substitute for Him. 

 

John 14:6

 

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

 

Any other way that is not through Jesus, is not the way at all. 

Any other way that attempts to rob God from His glory by bringing glory to their self is not of God.

Any other way that does not align with the word of God needs to be cast out.

  Are there things present today that attempt to bypass Christ. 

(mysticism, connecting with one’s self, the universe or even with the dead)

 

• ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

Did you know that there are 32 countries at war-like conflicts right now. 

 

There are terrorist groups who engage in violent activities to achieve their political goals. (Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Yemen)

 

Civil wars in which countries fight against their own are also prevalent around the world

(Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Somalia)

 

Drug Wars - Countries such as Colombia and Mexico are currently experiencing drug wars, which are characterized by violence and organized crime associated with drug trafficking and distribution.

 

Major Wars – Russia & Ukraine

 

In Israel - Palestinian Authority collapsing and falling apart, the Arabs are turning on the Arabs the Palestinians are turning on the Palestinians and they're trying to gain control. Meanwhile Iran is right in the middle of this trying to seize control particularly in the West Bank.

 

• and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 

As of August 29, 2023, 28.76% of the U.S. and Puerto Rico and 34.28% of the lower 48 states are in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

 

(Natural Disasters see attachment)

Earlier this year, two powerful earthquakes in Syria & Turkey the first 7.8 on the Richter and just hours later the second hit unexpectingly measuring 7.7 on the Richter.  Afterwards, 100 “smaller” aftershock measuring 6.7.  The death toll was over 50,000

 

Vs 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Jesus warns this is just the beginning of the birth pains it gets worse before it gets better.  But don’t worry, for He is with you.

• ⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 

 

Around the world the number of stories of Christians being persecuted even slaughtered killed churches being burned people of faith that believe in the Messiah being attacked all over the world

 

• ¹⁰ And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 

 

Jesus warns as the time draws near, that there will be many that fall astray.  By a show of hands how many of you know at least one person who has strayed away from the faith.   Who could name 5 people who have strayed away?

 

• ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 

 

Lawlessness- contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

 

The general public has not returned to what used to be public politeness prior to COVID. The general public now walks around generally agitated willing to argue with everybody and has become increasingly hostile.

 

The love of many has grown cold.  Common courtesy is leaving us.  You know it used to be that you would not hear a person in public yelling obscenities in an argument you certainly wouldn't see people arguing with the clerk in a store and threatening and becoming hostile toward them. But we are living in the days when this is now becoming commonplace.  There's a spiritual change that has come over mankind.

 

Other scriptures which talk more about the spiritual condition of people in the last days:

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5

 

¹ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 

 

2 Peter 3

³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 

 

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 

 

It does not take a master’s degree in eschatology to conclude things are aligning for the second coming of the Lord. (Back to Matthew 24)

 

VS 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 

 

• ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 

As Jesus prepares us for the end times, He gives the promise of being saved to those who endure to the end.  Whatever that end looks like for you. 

 

Endures - to persevere: absolutely and emphatically, under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ.

 

Right now, we are blessed to live in a country in which we have the freedom to publicly worship God.    We have the freedom to assemble.  We have the freedom to speak freely regarding the things of God.  We know that is not the story in every country.

 

We also have the understanding that if those freedoms are ever taken away, that God’s word calls us to endure to the end. Hold fast to your faith. 

 

In conclusion,

 

Jesus gave his disciples some signs to look for.  He describes world events that would precede His second coming.  Though many Christians throughout time have believed that Jesus was coming back in their lifetime, we live in a day and age in which we could check off just about everything that He mentions in Matthew 24. 

 

We may be the generation of people living in the last days.

 

The call is not to freak out, but to be diligent.  Be watchful. (Pay your bills, live to your fullest potential for the Glory of God) We need to be paying attention to what the Lord said about these days.  We need to be paying particular attention to what goes on in Israel because all the end time prophecies center on what God does with Israel in the last days.  

 

I'll leave you with a word of encouragement: “hang in there” the Lord says we're going to be delivered so look forward to the fulfillment of His promises.