Sermons
Winning the World at it’s Worst, Pt. 4
February 25, 2024
Ministry:
- Sunday Morning
Speaker:
- Jeff Crotts
Text: Matthew 24:29-24:31
Series:
- Matthew
Matthew 24:29-31 – Winning the world at its worst (pt. 4)
[Context] Theme: Winning world @/worst, @/end (Matt. 24).
- X calls for perseverance.
- Keep going!
- Persevering wins the world to X.
- Your testimony.
- Keep going!
- My burden: Show you how works.
Prop: How believers persevere when the world at its worst
- Run from evil (vv. 15-22)
[Context] Scene set in the end.
- 144,000 in 7-year tribulation as LORD’s super-evangelists.
- Winning Jews/Nations.
- Testimony, to stir believers.
- Testimony to follow in same perseverance!
- “No quit.”
- Running from Evil.
- Winning Jews/Nations.
- Fleeing things.
- Verse 16 says, “…flee to the mountaintops” (v. 16).
[Question] “What evil do believers need to run from?”
[Answer] “Flee false Messiahs.”
- Discern false Messiahs (vv. 23-28)
- Flee false gospels (v. 23)
- Flee false miracles (v. 24)
- Flee false communities (vv. 25-26)
- Flee false promises (vv. 27-28)
[Intro] Keeping w/spirit of X’s teaching.
- X’s teaching applies to ev/believer of ev/age.
- X’s teaching @/future believing Jews.
- When world’s @/absolute worst, applies.
- “Being aware of the Lord’s return!”
“Therefore, stay awake for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (v. 42).
- From 3 wks teaching; Next event is: X’s return to rapture church.
- Jews @/trib. (likewise) anticipate the Lord’s return.
- This return @/end of trib.
- Known as the Day of the LORD.
- Anticipating X’s return, both for church and trib. saints.
- Equally important in view of the Lord’s return.
- Lord’s return, grace and judgement.
- Sense of finality.
- Equally important in view of the Lord’s return.
- X’s return @/rapture marks the end of church age on earth.
- Leaving unbelievers on earth to face the tribulation.
- Clear step toward finality.
- Day of the Lord, X returns @/end of trib.
- Believing Jews, along w/new Believers, during Trib.
- Go into millennial kingdom w/all the saints.
- Everyone else swept away in final judgment, Hell.
- Believing Jews, along w/new Believers, during Trib.
[Appl] In my lifetime I have watched the church drift away from thinking in terms of X’s return. No matter what age you find yourself in, the Lord’s return matters.
Reason why is the Lord’s return means finality. X’s return marks the end. Transitions into final judgment.
[Appl] Theory @/why the those who consider life/afterlife and God, do not consider the Lord’s return.
Most frame their life/death via, philosophy not theology.
Believing in God, “As your best guess!”
“I may as well believe in God and the gospel because if it’s not true, then what do I have to lose?”
[Illus] Pascal’s wager, the French philosopher (1600’s), Blaise Pascal said: “Belief is a wise wager…faith cannot be proved, [so] what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”
[Appl] I grew up hearing this @/close of evangelistic services. I’m hearing this again in popular self-help or wellness, culture. Basic philosophy, which makes faith in God, a game.
- Ignores the conscience imbedded inside everyone.
- Made in God’s image.
- Accountability to God who created you, whom you have sinned against.
- Ignores the offer of grace to save you from sin’s justice.
- Invites eternal punishment.
- Stakes are high and eternal.
- Basic theology is your need.
- Bible is clear revelation.
- Guiding your direction.
[TRANS] Leads to point 3 on how believers persevere when the world’s at its worst.
- Comes down to having the rt/Jesus, Bible’s Jesus.
- Jesus who comes to rescue and judge with finality.
- Embrace the true Messiah (vv. 29-31)
[Question] “How will you know you have the true Messiah?” Marked by this kind of return!
- Unimaginable fallout (v. 29)
[KEY] Note the apocalyptic descriptions X makes clear this is the true Jesus.
- Remember, X warning these Jews.
- Hearers who represent tribulation saints not to follow the many false teachers.
- Saying, “I am the Christ” (v. 5).
- Marked success.
- Leading people astray.
- Also say, “Look, here is the Christ! or There he is!” (v. 23).
- All a lie.
- “How know these are not the Christ?”
- All a lie.
- Looking @/how X describes his return (cf. vv. 29-31).
[KEY] Begin, highlighting word, “Immediately” (v. 29) – X’s return both before the tribulation and end will be sudden and immediate.
- 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4, speaks to suddenness of Jesus’ return at the rapture.
ESV 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1Co 15:52 ESV) (1Co 15:51 ESV)
ESV 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (1Th 4:16 ESV)
ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.
2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. (1Th 5:1-4 ESV)
- OT @/Day of the LORD likewise describes a sudden terrible event that comes upon the world.
ESV Isaiah 13:9-13 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. (Isa 13:9-13 ESV)
ESV Joel 2:11 The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it? (Joe 2:11 ESV)
ESV Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.
(Oba 1:15 ESV)
ESV Zephaniah 1:14-18 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.
15 A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. (Zep 1:14-18 ESV)
ESV Haggai 2:6-7 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. (Hag 2:6-7 ESV)
ESV Zechariah 14:1-7 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle.
4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.
5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost.
7 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. (Zec 14:1-7 ESV)
- Revelation 19:11 John depicts X coming as sudden:
ESV Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (Rev 19:11 ESV)
- Sudden expectation, not be bottled up better than John saying:
ESV Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20 ESV)
NASB
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
- John’s anticipation in light of X’s return as his rescuing Savior and as a justice serving King!
[KEY] X describes His return, marked by Creation Unraveling.
- Natural light from sun and moon will be shut off.
- Stars fall.
- Everything in universe.
- Laws of nature, immediate chaos.
- All Navigation shut down.
- Stellar and magnetic fields will be disrupted.
[Illus] Astronomers have predicted stellar events, centuries in advance bc/of uniform laws; All will be now unpredictable.
[Illus] Spurgeon: “There will be no further need of the sun and the moon and the stars when He who is brighter than the sun, shines forth in all the glory of his Father and of his holy angels.”
- Luke’s account tells us even the waves are affected, “people fainting with fear” (literally, “stop breathing”).
ESV Luke 21:25-26 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,
26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luk 21:25-26 ESV)
- X as Creator holds all things together, so X’s return marks the ultimate shift in the universe.
It will unravel.
ESV John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (Joh 1:3 ESV)
ESV Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
(Col 1:17 ESV)
ESV Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Heb 1:3 ESV)
ESV Revelation 1:8-9 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (Rev 1:9 ESV)
ESV Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Rev 4:11 ESV)
- One word seems to capture the scale of, “…the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (v. 29) – Cataclysmic.
[Illus] The Cross.
ESV Matthew 27:51-53 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Mat 27:51-53 ESV)
[Question] “Why do people want to pretend the sudden imminent return of X does not exist?”
[Answer] Because people want Jesus to feel safe at the expense of his wrath.
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe?
I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"…"Safe?" said Mr Beaver …"Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
��� C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Unmistakable sign (v. 30)
[Question] What is this – “sign of the Son of Man” (v. 30)?
- X answering question first posed by disciples on the mount of Olives (cf. v. 3).
“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3).
- X loads in warnings which are lesser signs which precede X’s coming.
- However, true bottom line is the actual sign to look for is “the Son of Man” (v. 30).
- “sign” is standard or banner of the Son of Man, unfurled in the heavens.
- X @/apocalyptic vision is seeing the sign of his coming.
- X, Daniel prophesied seeing one as the Son of Man coming in the clouds.
- “clouds” – X’s presence, Jesus riding clouds or in them.
- One described in Psalm 104.
ESV Psalm 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.
3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;
4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. (Psa 104:1-4 ESV)
ESV Revelation 14:14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. (Rev 14:14 ESV)
ESV Daniel 7:13 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. (Dan 7:13 ESV)
[TRANS] Verse 30 remakes earlier point: X’s return marks rescue for tribulation saints and likewise judgment.
- “…and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn” (v. 30)
.
- Some certainly will mourn with regret.
- Not believing in X, @/first coming.
ESV Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zec 12:10 ESV)
- Mournful tears of repentant Jews.
- Can be taken @/unrepentant, despairing “…all the nations [not tribes – α��� φυλα��� (Mat 24:30 BGT)] of the earth will mourn” (v. 30; cff. Rev. 1:7, 6:15-17).
- Luke summarizes, Jews called to, “…raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
- Every one of 12 tribes will likewise reject Christ, even at his coming.
- X’s indominable glory coming in the clouds will cut both ways.
- Word of God both softens and hardens.
- Son will do this same work.
- And as I have said, this will bring finality.
- All reiterates how unconfusing X’s Sign is @/the end.
- Redemption for Believers.
- Judgement for Unbelievers.
[TRANS] Final point for embracing the true Messiah.
Unimaginable fallout. Unmistakable sign.
- Unchangeable outcome (v. 31)
[KEY] X sends his angels with a loud trumpet call.
- Trumpet blast is a repeated accompaniment for eschatological events (Repeated through Revelation).
- Angels draw the Lord’s final line of demarcation for whom is gathered to heaven or Hell.
[Appl] People preach and desire a one-dimensional Jesus. Jesus who is Love. A soft and kind Jesus who is marked by his understanding and unconditional love. The reality of Jesus’ love is important to embrace and know but never at the expense of his counterpart attributes.
Two things can be and are true at the same time. God is love and God is wrath. God’s love extends to the whole world and God’s wrath is promised for all who reject him. Jesus came as the Lamb and people only want to believe this coming to be Jesus.
Perhaps seeing the windows of wrath during his first coming as anomalies.
Cleansing the temple on two occasions. Stinging final indictments on the Pharisees for blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Moments that foreshadow the emphasis of Christ’s second coming, where he comes as the Lion. There is likewise grace but with the emphasis of the truth of judgment.
[Illus] Jesus is all of Gods attributes because he, by his nature, is “all” God.
This week several people due to a massive all-night windstorm lost power. Our power returned at 3am but I found that neighbors (i.e. Orange house and Kissinger house) were without power (i.e. w/o light and heat) for 24 hours.
So, that dark corner of our street, was a little spookier without light and a few nights ago before the power was back I noticed out my back window a mysterious Sprinter van, large in size parked along our unlit road, between houses.
It was there a long time, able to case our home or others…with a few people moving inside, dimly lit. Some jumping in and out, and you could observe mechanical goods inside. I called a teen over and we debated whether or not to call the police to drive by. Ironically, police or fire, sirens were looming in the background, growing louder and increasing my suspicion, those in the van appeared agitated.
Not much later, the van was gone. The next day I mentioned to Matt (who’s family lives in the Orange House) about the van along the street, apologizing for not thinking to alert him.
And he said, “Wasn’t it great that that van was there, it was finally the electric company addressing our power!” The point is that how you see something is a matter of perspective.
What for me appeared to be dangerous was in fact a rescue to the other!
- The “elect” (v. 31) are called to persevere via God’s preservation.
- 144,000 hiding in caves and converts from the angelic preachers.
- They truly overcome to the end.
- Many who reject Christ and mourn.
- Likewise, those who are gathered from “the four winds” (v. 31).
- From the four corners of the earth!
- “four winds” represent the four points of the compass (cff. Ez. 37:9; Dan. 8:8, 11; 11:4).
“…from one end of heaven to the other” (v. 31).
“From every place under the sky, because that’s how far the gospel of the kingdom will have been preached” [Expositor’s Bible Commentary].
- Gathering of “elect” swept into the millennial kingdom, 1000-year reign of Christ.
ESV Isaiah 11:1-10 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples– of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isa 11:1-10 ESV)
[TRANS] Next time we’ll answer,
“Why Jesus did not know the day or hour of this terrible day!”
“Why, the Lord’s state of mind should be our state of mind.”
- Capstone for this necessary focus on Christ’s return.