Important Mission (July 31, 2022)
Sermon Outline for Sunday, July 31, 2022
Pastor Andy Lambert
SERIES: Church on Mission
PASSAGES: Matthew 24:3–14; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18; Acts 2:16–17; Hebrews 1:2; 1 John 2:18
Matthew 24:3–14 (ESV)
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?”
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.
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, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
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.
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.
12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
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.
Some of these verses can be misquoted and taken out of context, so let’s be very clear about what is being said in this passage.
We see a similarity between the “beginning of sorrows and birth pains” (vs 5-14) and the seals of Revelation (6:1-17). The end of the world will not come all at once. The future will be filled with wars, natural disasters, persecutions and the claims of false messiahs. At the very end, there will be an increase and intensification of the signs. We also will see the man of lawlessness appear:
2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,”
Christ gives at least ten signs of the last days. Several things need to be noted as this passage is studied.
1. Christ is answering two or three very specific questions. When will the temple be destroyed? And what shall be the sign of Christ’s return and of the end of the world?
2. The signs given by Christ are to some extent present in every generation. A quick review of world history shows this. In light of this fact, a question has to be asked: why, then, is Christ spelling out every day happenings as signs of the last days? The next point, point three, answers this question.
3. There is to be an intensification of the signs right before the fall of Jerusalem and right before the end of the world. The intensification of the signs is clearly seen by the following.
a. The emphasis upon the possibility of being deceived.
Matthew 24:4 “And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.”
Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”
Matthew 24:11 “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.”
b. Christ uses both the word and the idea of “many” time and again, indicating an increase over what had been (the word is used in v.5, 10, 11, 12; and the idea is used in vv.6, 7, 9).
c. Christ makes three significant statements that definitely point toward an intensification of the signs.
Matthew 24:8 “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
Matthew 24:13 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 24:14 “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.”
d. Other Scriptures say there is to be an intensification of evil in the last days.
2 Timothy 3:1 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.”
2 Peter 3:3 “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”
Jude 18 “They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.””
4. The present age is considered by God to be “the age of the last days” or “the last time.” According to God’s timetable, the history of the church, its presence on earth, takes place in “the last days” or during “the last times.”
Acts 2:16-17 “But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;”
Hebrews 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”
1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”
5. Christ gives these signs for a very specific purpose. He is preparing His disciples to endure and to keep their hope for His return alive. He is strengthening their faith in God and in the world to come, the new heavens and earth.
What is our IMPORTANT MISSION for our CHURCH ON MISSION? Reaching the lost. Time is short and what are you gonna do with your time?
Pastor Andy Lambert
Call/Text: 205.642.8744 ext 101 // pastorandy@cvcog.church