Introduction: Are you looking forward to Jesus coming a second
time to take you to heaven? Do you want Him to end the problems
in your life and the sin problem in general? Are you beginning to
wonder if this will ever happen? Is there some way to know when
Jesus will come? Let’s jump into our study this week and find
out!
- Jesus’ Uncertain Statements
- Read Matthew 24:1-2. What would be the equivalent
statement for us in the United States? (Imagine you are
walking down the mall in Washington, D.C. and Jesus
says “not one stone” of the Capital, the White House,
the Supreme Court, the Lincoln memorial, the
Smithsonian, etc. will be standing.) - What if you were walking downtown in New York City and
were told that the next day the Twin Towers of the
World Trade Center would not be standing? - What would you conclude if this prediction were
made about Washington, D.C. or New York City? (A
catastrophic event was coming to America.) - Read Matthew 24:3-4. The disciples come to Jesus and
they have a question that contains an assumption. What
did the disciples assume about Jesus’ statement? (That
the destruction of Jerusalem would be the end of the
world.) - Notice Jesus says (v.4) don’t let anyone deceive
you. Doesn’t the disciples’ question show they are
already confused? We know the destruction of
Jerusalem was not the end of the world. Why not
start out correcting that error? Why didn’t Jesus
say, “Well, to begin with, you’ve got the wrong
question?” (The only logical reason I can see is
that Jesus did not want them to have a perfectly
clear understanding of the end time.) - If you agree with me, why would Jesus want
His disciples to be a little unclear? - Is that also true today?
- Let’s skip down and read Matthew 24:36, 42-44 to answer
these questions. What do these verses suggest is Jesus’
reason to be a little unclear about the future? (First,
Jesus says He doesn’t know the exact time! Second, He
says that we should be ready all the time.) - Is verse 44 a promise? What is promised to you?
(Jesus will come again. But, you will be surprised
because you will not expect it.) - If Jesus is right, what does this tell us about
all attempts to set a date for Jesus’ Second
Coming? (Anyone who sets a date does not believe
Jesus’ words. The rest of that person’s theology
should be equally suspect!) - Jesus’ Certain Statements
- Read Matthew 24:31-33. Can you tell time from a fig
tree? Is time-telling through the use of trees an
exact science? (According to Jesus, you can tell when a
season approaches (“summer is near”)by the leaves on
the tree beginning to come out.) - Since Jesus compares the coming of summer to the
end of the world, what lessons about knowing the
time of the end can we learn from the fig tree?
(This is further proof that God does not reveal
the exact time of the Second Coming. He says that
He will reveal to us generally when He is coming
again.) - Since Jesus has told us that we can only read signs of
the general time of His return, let’s review those
statements. Read Matthew 24:5-6. Were any of you
alarmed recently? (My office is close enough to the
Pentagon that we could feel the blast of the explosion
on September 11.) - Why does Jesus tell us not to be alarmed? Isn’t
this something about which to be alarmed? - All around the world you hear of trouble and
fighting. My father grew up in the Great
Depression and was in combat in World War II.
I’ve often thought that I’ve had such an easy life
compared to him. Should we find comfort in
trouble? (I don’t think Jesus is telling us to
enjoy problems, He is just saying consider where
all of this is leading. When one of the little
girls in my wife’s school heard about the
terrorist attack on Washington and New York she
said, “Good, Jesus is coming soon.” Despite
terrible things happening around us, Jesus assures
us that we should not be alarmed because such
things happen as a prelude to His Second Coming
where the problems of sin and death are ended.) - Read Matthew 24:7-8. How are war, famine and earthquake
like birth pains? (Every mother says, “I know what
Jesus is talking about! Seriously, Jesus is making a
comparison. Birth pains are very uncomfortable. But,
they lead to a joyous event, the birth of your child.
Jesus is saying that this hardship is leading to a
joyous event — the return of Jesus!) - Notice that verse 8 says these are the “beginning”
of birth pains. Does the pain get worse? - Read Matthew 24:9-12. How do the troubles mentioned in
these verses differ from those mentioned in Matthew
24:6-8? (This second group is not the description of
general problems, it describes problems involving you!
The trouble has now come to your house.) - Obviously, the United States is not the center of
the universe, but it can truly be said that
serious problems, for the first time, have come to
“our house” this week. Never, in any of the wars
in which the U.S. had been involved, has such
damage be done to the mainland. - Read Matthew 24:13. What is the promise if we remain
faithful? If we “stand firm?” (That Jesus will save us
from all of the trouble.) - Read Matthew 24:14. What is Jesus saying? That we have
to preach the gospel to the entire world before He
comes again? Or, that the result of all of this trouble
in the world is the preaching of the gospel to the
entire world? (This is not clear to me. What is clear
is that the gospel is preached and that we should be
partners in that task.) - Read Matthew 24:23-24. Before the end of time
impersonators of Christ will come. Why is it possible
to be deceived by them? (The have the power to perform
great signs and miracles.) - Isn’t this one way Jesus proved who He was when He
was here the first time? (Yes. Look at Matthew
11:2-5.) - If these false christs use the same methods, how
can we know the real from the fake? (Read Matthew
24:25-27. This is not going to be a secret event,
this is not going to be a private event, this is
not going to be something you see on TV, when
Jesus comes a Second time you will know it. If you
have any doubt, it is not the “real thing.”) - I once read an article where the person said,
“This ‘every eye'[see Revelation 1:7]refers
to television.” Why is that statement wrong?
( Matthew 24:27 refers to the event, not the
reporting of it. My God does not need the
power of television to make His power
complete!) - Read Matthew 24:30-31. What else is added to our
picture of Jesus’ Second Coming? (Not only will He be
seen from the east to the west, but He will have a loud
“trumpet call” and the righteous will be gathered from
earth. If “your christ” does not come in this way, he
is not Jesus. Jesus tells us in v.25 that He has given
us advance warning about this so we will not be
deceived about His Second Coming.) - New Views
- Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. In addition to warning us about
physical signs of the end, we are also warned about the
character of the world at the time of the end. Does
this list seem to apply to the world today? Does this
list apply to those of us who are in the church? - Notice the phrase in verse 5, “having a form of
godliness but denying its power.” What does that
mean? (We see all sorts of “morality” outside of
the teachings of the Bible.) - Can you give examples of “morality” that is
outside of the Bible? (Some claim a moral
right to kill their unborn children. Some
claim a moral right to be put in leadership
positions of the church even though they have
serious sexual problems. Some claim a moral
right to be free from hearing the gospel.
All of this shows the need to base our
morality (v.5) on the power of the true God.) - Read 2 Timothy 3:7. This is a very interesting phrase.
Are these people well-educated? What is necessary to
our education? (Not just to learn stuff, but to
“acknowledge the truth.”) - Friend, Jesus tells us He is coming again, but He
refuses to be specific about the timing because He
wants us always to be ready and waiting for Him to
come. Will you agree to be continually faithful? If
you see the signs that the season of His coming is
soon, I encourage you to commit yourself today to be
ready. - Next Week: Behold, He Comes!
