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Matthew 24:1-30

Taught on | Topic: Second Coming | Keywords: Olivet discourse, second coming, rapture, judgment, abomination of desolation, end times

In this passage—the Olivet Discourse— Jesus provides a summary of end time events: the future of the world. We look forward to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus, but those found outside of Christ face unparalleled suffering and judgment. Let's contemplate the wrath of God that's in store for this world—and share the hope of the gospel with those who don't yet know Him.

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8/1/2012
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Matthew 24:1-30
Matthew 24:1-30
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
In this passage—the Olivet Discourse— Jesus provides a summary of end time events: the future of the world. We look forward to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus, but those found outside of Christ face unparalleled suffering and judgment. Let's contemplate the wrath of God that's in store for this world—and share the hope of the gospel with those who don't yet know Him.
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40 Matthew - 2011

40 Matthew - 2011

From its opening genealogy through its careful record of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled, Matthew's gospel forms a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In this in-depth study by Pastor Skip Heitzig we'll consider Jesus' ancestry, birth, public ministry, death, and resurrection, and we'll gain a clearer understanding of Jesus as both Messiah and King.

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Study Guide

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Matthew 24:1-26

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:21 (NKJV)

PREVIEW: In Matthew 24:1-26, Jesus begins to answer the disciples’ questions about the signs of the end of the age and His coming as He describes the events of The Tribulation.

Matthew 24:1-26 Outline:
The Temple to Be Destroyed - Read Matthew 24:1-2
The Disciples’ Two Questions - Read Matthew 24:3
The Tribulation - Read Matthew 24:4-26
The Temple to Be Destroyed - Read Matthew 24:1-2

1. Jesus' disciples pointed out the buildings of the temple (v. 1). What about the temple were they showing Him? (See Mark 13:1-2 and Luke 21:5-6.)




2. What did Jesus say would become of the buildings of the temple (v. 2)? Why would this happen? (See 1 Kings 9:7, Micah 3:12, and Luke 19:44.)



The Disciples’ Two Questions - Read Matthew 24:3
3. Jesus left the temple area (v. 1) and went to the Mount of Olives. From there, He answered the disciples’ two questions; His answer is referred to as the Olivet Discourse. What were the two questions the disciples asked Him (v 3)?



4. Which disciples were privately asking Him these questions (See Mark 13:3)?



The Tribulation - Read Matthew 24:4-26
5. When Jesus answered the disciples’ questions, He began with a stern warning. What did He caution them about (v.4)?




6. What other warning did Jesus give His disciples (v. 5)?




7. Matthew didn’t record Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ first question, but Luke did. What did Jesus say would be seen that would cause them to know that the destruction of Jerusalem was at hand? (See Luke 21:20-24.)



8. What did Jesus say would be seen and heard during the Tribulation (vv. 6-8)? What should the response be to these things?




9. During the Tribulation, the Antichrist, who will have risen to power, will break his agreement with Israel (Daniel 9:27). He will bring great persecution upon the believing Jews (Daniel 7:25). What did Jesus say will happen to the believing Jews during this time (vv. 9-10)?




10. One noticeable sign during the Tribulation is false prophets rising up. What is the result of the false prophets’ messages (v. 11)?




11. During the Tribulation, lawlessness abounds. What is lawlessness? What is the result of the lawlessness (v. 12)? (See also 1 John 3:4 and2 Thessalonians 2:7-12.)




12. What becomes of those who endure to the end (v. 13)? (See also Revelation 7:9-17.)




13. Preceding the end of the Tribulation, what is proclaimed? What is one way it is proclaimed? (See Revelation 14:6-7.)




14. Jesus warns to take action when the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet is seen. What is the “abomination of desolation”? (See Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11.) Where is it seen (v.15, see also 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)? What action is to be taken (vv. 16-20)?



15. The abomination of desolation marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the last three and a half year period of the Tribulation. How does Jesus describe that period of time (v. 21)? What two reasons are given for those days being shortened (v. 22)?




16. Jesus warns again of false christs being on the scene during the Tribulation. What will false christs begin showing (v. 24)? (See also Revelation 13:13 and 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)




17. During the Tribulation, what should the response be if someone says, “Look, here is the Christ!” or “Look, He is in the desert!” or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” (vv. 23-26)?

Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. Land of Israel is at the center of the world; Jerusalem is at the center of Israel, and the Temple is at the center of Jerusalem.
    2. Setting
      1. Jesus with disciples on the Mount of Olives
      2. Overlooking Jerusalem
        1. No Dome of the Rock
        2. Jewish Temple stood
        3. From east side across the Kidron valley
      3. Jerusalem packed with millions there for Passover
      4. Realize Jerusalem is the center of God's prophetic program
    3. Jerusalem, Israel the center
      1. Geographic center of the earth biblically; "This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her." (Ezekiel 5:5)
      2. Salvation center spiritually
        1. God purchased our salvation outside the Damascus Gate at Golgotha, Calvary
        2. "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22)
      3. Storm center prophetically
        1. "And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples;" (Zechariah 12:3)
        2. World's desire to get rid of Israel: roadblock to peace
        3. For thus says the Lord of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye." (Zecharaiah 2:8)
        4. What happens elsewhere is important; not as important as what happens in Jerusalem
      4. Glory center ultimately: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it." (Isaiah 2:2)
    4. Looking at end times through a Jewish lens
    5. Olivet Discourse
      1. Jesus message to disciples on the Mount of Olives
      2. Discuss the future
        1. Jews
        2. Jerusalem
        3. World
        4. His future coming
  2. The Temple
    1. Disciples in awe (see Mark 13:1)
    2. Evidence to them of God's blessing and presence
    3. Construction
      1. Began in 20 BC
      2. Completed in AD 64
      3. 18,000 men, 80 years
      4. Some believe it wasn't completed when it was destroyed
    4. Mountain with complex
      1. Peak of mountain leveled
      2. 36 acre complex
      3. Retaining wall
        1. SE corner 158 foot up from Kidron valley (pinnacle)
        2. Where Satan tempted Jesus to jump: "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " (Matthew 4:6)
    5. Temple proper
      1. 90 feet up from foundation
      2. White marble with gold cornice
      3. "He who has not seentheTempleofHerod, has never seen a beautifulbuilding."  –Babylonian Talmud
      4. Individual stones weight up to 400 tons
      5. Destruction in AD 70
        1. Roman guard threw a torch; burned vestments and veil
        2. Gold melted into marble
        3. Roman soldiers overturned every stone to get gold, fulfilling Jesus prophecy
        4. Destruction so complete, one would never know anyone inhabited the place or where the Temple stood (according to Flavius Josephus)
        5. Artifacts can be found, but still debate about where the Temple stood
  3. Disciples inquire about Jesus coming and end of the age
    1. "Coming"
      1. Παρουσία; parousia- appearing, personal presence
      2. We think of the Second Coming
      3. Disciples thought of His first coming
        1. Glorious appearing of Messiah
        2. "When" suggests immediacy (a day or two, the end of Passover)
        3. His presentation of Himself as Ruler, King, Messiah
        4. "Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately." (Luke 19:11)
        5. The Triumphal Entry a signal to them of the Glorious Appearing
    2. Jewish Eschatology: scenario of last day events that lead to culmination of all things
      1. Time of Turmoil: Romans in control
      2. Elijah-like forerunner: John the Baptist
      3. Messiah appears defeating enemies
      4. Scattered Jews return to Israel; Jerusalem restored
    3. Our vantage point
      1. Jesus comes toward the earth for His church (Rapture)
        1. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 caught up
        2. Taken up to meet the Lord in the air
        3. A period of tribulation
      2. Jesus comes to earth with the church (Second Coming)
        1. Comes to Mount of Olives
        2. "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)
    4. Jesus presented events principally  in Jerusalem for end time Jewish believers
  4. Antichrist
    1. "The Antichrist"
      1. Ruler who emerges during tribulation
      2. World-dominating
      3. Persuasive, powerful, energetic, charismatic
    2. Not one, but many
      1. "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." (1 John 2:18)
      2. Proliferation of antichrists in the future
      3. Whenever God works, Satan works
      4. Confuse people with false ideas
  5. Wars
    1. War marks human history
      1. Only 8% of human history has been peace
      2. Since 3600 BC
        1. About 14,500 wars
        2. Over 3.6 billion killed
        3. Total property damage equal to a solid gold bar around earth, 100 feet wide, 33 ft tall
    2. Wars increase with Tribulation in view
      1. Daniel predicted a broken pact with Israel
      2. "And till the end of the war desolations are determined." (Daniel 9:26)
      3. Revelation 6 John predicts the four horseman
        1. Second on a red horse
        2. "Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword." (Revelation 6:4)
        3. Wars increase to a fever pitch
        4. Culminate in the mother of all wars: Armageddon
          1. Ἃρ  Μαγεδών Har Magedon; mountain of Megiddo
          2. Historic battleground
          3. Kings of the earth gather to fight against the Lord (See Revelation 16)
  6. Beginning of Sorrows
    1. Wars, famines pestilences earthquakes
    2. Sorrows of birth, birth pains (NIV)
      1. Frequency increases
      2. Intensity increases
    3. Judgments in Revelation
      1. Seven seals
      2. Seven trumpets
      3. Seven bowls
    4. Armageddon, Jesus returns, Kingdom Age
  7. Tribulation
    1. Who?
      1. Not disciples
        1. Never saw the end of the age (v. 13)
        2. Never saw worldwide evangelization (v. 14)
        3. Never saw the abomination of desolation (v. 15)
        4. Never saw stars fall, sun darkened, moon no light (v. 29)
      2. End time believers who see the tribulation
        1. Believers raptured
        2. God Saves more
    2. Endure to the end
      1. Not saved from sin by enduring
        1. Only Jesus saves from sin
        2. Proof of salvation
      2. Ability to endure trials and suffering is produced by trials
        1. "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)
        2. Pray for stronger backs rather than lighter loads
        3. Sometimes only way out is through: "Through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4)
  8. Evangelism
    1. Wrong belief: we can usher in the Kingdom through evangelism
      1. Not up to us to schedule His return
      2. He'll come back at the appointed time
    2. Despite war, deception, persecution, disease, God has witness until the end
      1. Tribulation the greatest mess
      2. The greatest message still preached
    3. How will people be saved if believers are gone?
      1. Two witnesses
        1. Miraculous power
        2. Some think Moses and Elijah
      2. 144,000 Jewish believers
        1. Saved and sealed for service
        2. Jewish believers have a powerful testimony
        3. Twelve disciples "turned the world upside down"
      3. Enumerable Gentiles
      4. Angel in heavens preaching the gospel
        1. Every person will see and hear (Revelation 14:6)
        2. No excuse
    4. Then the end will come
  9. Abomination of Desolation
    1. Daniel spoke of it three times
      1. Taking away the daily sacrifice in the Jewish Temple
      2. Replacing it with an abomination
    2. Alexander the Great
      1. Dream: spread Greek culture and language throughout the world
      2. Died young
      3. On deathbed: To whom will the kingdom go? The strong
    3. Kingdom Divided
      1. Cassander: Macedonia and Greece
      2. Lysimachus: Thrace and Asia Minor
      3. Ptolemy: Egypt
      4. Seleucus: Asian Provinces (including Syria)
    4. 8th King of Seleucid Empire: Antiochus IV
      1. Antiocus Epiphaneous
        1. The illustrious one
        2. God made manifest
        3. The embodiment of Zeus
        4. Demanded worship
      2. Surrounded Jerusalem 168 BC
        1. Killed 80,000
        2. Enslaved 40,000
        3. Plundered the Temple
        4. Took down the Altar of Sacrifice
        5. Proclaimed the Temple of Zeus
        6. Put up an image of Zeus
        7. Took away the daily sacrifices
        8. Took a pig and sacrificed it
        9. Spread its juices all over the Temple
    5. Jesus spoke of a future Abomination of Desolation
      1. Fulfilled in part
      2. Yet future
      3. Future temple
      4. Last world ruler will reenact what Antiochus did to the Jews
      5. "He opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
    6. Future Temple: Temple institute in Jerusalem
      1. Believe in God given right to the Temple
      2. Trained priests
      3. Vestments
      4. Instruments
      5. Sanhedrin in place
    7. Localized flight
      1. Geo specific: Israel, Judea, Sabbath
      2. Center in the Middle East, Jerusalem
      3. The Temple will be Ground Zero
      4. "Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:7)
      5. Not all who flee succeed (See Zechariah 13)
        1. 2/3 are killed
        2. 1/3 protected east of Israel for 3 ½ years (See Revelation 12:6)
  10. Great Tribulation
    1. Great Tribulation compare with tribulation (v. 9)
      1. Tribulation generally 7 years, first 3 ½ years
      2. Second 3 ½ years of tribulation
      3. Demarcated by the Abomination of Desolation
    2.  God's wrath poured out
      1. Seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments
      2. Satan's hatred and man's rebellion
      3. God's supernatural, direct involvement
      4. "And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time" (Daniel 12:1)
      5. 1260 days, then the wrath is over
      6. Worse than Dark Ages, World Wars, Holocaust
    3. False christ on the white horse (Revelation 6)
  11. Second Coming
    1. Every eye will see Him (see Revelation 7:1)
    2. Stand on Mount of Olives
    3. We will be with Him
    4. A shock to unbelievers

Hebrew terms: Ἃρ  Μαγεδών Har Magedon; mountain of Megiddo
Figures referenced: Flavius Josephus; Cassander ; Lysimachus; Ptolemy, Seleucus, Antiochus Ephiphanes
Cross references: Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 30:7; Ezekiel 5:5; Daniel 9:26; Daniel 12:1; Zecharaiah 2:8; Zechariah 12:3; Zechariah 13; Matthew 4:6; Mark 13:1; Luke 19:11; John 4:22; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:4;  1 John 2:18; Revelation 6:4; Revelation 7:1; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 14:6; Revelation 16

Transcript

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Father, as always, we are surrendered to the work of your Spirit. We believe that the Spirit of God uses the word of God in the hearts of the people of God so that we might become mature. Give us ears to hear as Jesus so often said, "Him that has an ear, let him hear." And so, Father, we pray that we might be among those who hear in Jesus name. Amen.

A word about she presses on conference. It's going to start in a couple of days. We do a lot of conferences around here and they're big events. It's sold out. There's no more room left. This whole place, every seat is going to be taken, so I wanted to get that out. My staff suggested that I make that announcement so that there wouldn't be a last minute rush. There's no room. It's sold out. It's going to be a great event. I believe it's going to be a life changing event. I believe it's one of the things that could spark real revival. I know what the speakers are going to be dealing with and it's going to be powerful.

Mathew Chapter 24. If you've ever taken a tour to Israel -- and by the way, how many of you have gone to Israel? Could you just raise your hands up? Wow! That's awesome. A lot of you have. Well then, you know that one of the highlights of the trip is when we take the bus to the Mount of Olives and from the Mount of Olives, you look over the City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, like the picture that showed Joel Rosenberg just a moment ago, that was in the background. It takes your breath away. You see that picture and it's just "Whoa! That's it. It's in front of me. That's where the temple stood."  It's an amazing sight.

In some of the rabbinical writings known as the Midrash, there's a saying that goes like this, "The Land of Israel is at the center of the world. Jerusalem is at the center of the Land of Israel and the temple is at the center of Jerusalem." In other words, it was the rabbinical way of saying the very center of the earth, the center of God's program on the earth is the temple in the City of Jerusalem, in the Land of Israel. Jesus was with His disciples on the Mount of Olives overlooking the City of Jerusalem. At that time, there wasn't a golden dome called The Dome of the Rock, there was a temple that stood, the Jewish Temple, and they were overlooking from the eastern side across the Kidron Valley. They were looking over the City of Jerusalem packed with millions of people who had been there and were there for the Passover Season and they are realizing this is the center of God's prophetic program.

Now, let me give you sort of a fourfold or four-pointed outline of the city itself. Jerusalem is the geographic center of the earth biblically, the geographic center. Now, I know we grew up in American schools and so we thought America was the center of the world. That's what the map shows. When you see a world map, America is right in the middle. But the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel Chapter 5 Verse 5, God speaking, God says, "See, I have set Jerusalem in the midst of all of the nations roundabout." God said it's the center. It's the center of the earth biblically, the geographic center.

Number two; it's the salvation center of the world spiritually. There's no other place in the world where God purchased the salvation for the world except Jerusalem right outside the Damascus Gate at a hill called Golgotha Calvary is where Jesus cross stood and it was there in Jerusalem where God made that transaction of salvation. That's why Jesus could say to the woman at the well of Samaria, "You don't even know what you worship." We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews.

Number three; Jerusalem is the storm center of the earth prophetically.

The Prophet Zachariah says that God will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all of the nations of the world. There's coming a point and Jesus will speak about it in this chapter and we're seeing signs of it today where the world is starting to understand that maybe the real roadblock for peace is to get rid of Israel because if Egypt, and Syria, and Iraq, and Iran, and -- you name all of the nations around, are having trouble with Israel. If the roadblock is Israel, let's get rid of it. Let's not side with it. And that's an unfortunate position because the same prophet said, "Whoever comes against Israel," God says, "Israel is the apple of my eye. I will come against them as a nation."

So I'm always concerned when I hear policy makers sort of backhand Israel. Let's not support Israel. It's because of our foreign policies in the Middle East that cause 911 and caused the world to hate us, et cetera. Every pundit in the world knows that what happens in Brussels, or London, or Rome, or Washington D.C. is important, but not as important as what happens in Jerusalem.

But finally, fourth; Jerusalem is the glory center of the earth ultimately. Isaiah the Prophet in the second chapter of his book said, "It will come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house, the Temple Mount will be established above all of the mountains, all of the nations, and all nations will flow into it for out of Zion will go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

We are in Jewish ground in Matthew 24. We have to see it through Jewish lands, not a Baptist lands, not a Presbyterian lands, not a Calvary lands, a Jewish lands. You're going to read thing like Judea, Sabbath, the inhabitants of the city. It's all about what is going on in Judea, Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. It is called the Olivet Discourse simply because Jesus tells His disciples this chapter on the Mount of Olives, hence, Olivet Discourse. He is speaking of the future, the future of Jerusalem, the future of the Jews, the future of the world and His future coming.

So in Verse 1, Jesus went out and departed from the temple and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. Now, Mark tells us in his gospel that the disciples were just like dropping their jaw, like flying over the temple, like, "Check this out. Look at these stones. This is enormous. It's monumental. It's beautiful." I'll tell you why in a moment. And then, Jesus said to them, Verse 2, "Do you not see all these things, these stones, that gold, this structure, this layout? Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down."

Understand something. Two thousand years ago, in the Jewish mind, the temple was the evidence of God's blessing upon them. As long the temple stood, it was to them a sign that God was on our side. He is still with us. His presence is here. And they saw the temple that way. Now, get this. They began building the temple in Jerusalem around 20 BC and it wasn't finished till about 64 AD. Over 80 years, it took 18,000 men over 80 years to build.

Imagine, for some people, their entire life and their son's lives were building this temple. Some believe that the temple never really was completed when it was eventually destroyed. When we speak of the temple, we're speaking of a mountain with a complex. The mountain that has a peak was leveled off with a retaining wall field dirt was put in to make a 36 acre complex, 36 acres.

Now, I mentioned that retaining wall on the southeast and I could show it to you today, the southeastern part of the Temples Mount, there was a 158 feet from the very top called the pinnacle of the temple to the bottom of the Kidron Valley and it was in that area where Satan took Jesus and said, "Jump." Because the scripture says He will give His angels charge over you to burry you up unless you dash your foot against the stone. That's the pinnacle of the temple area, an enormous complex.

Now, you have this 36-acre flat area that levels off a top of a mountain, Mount Zion. And then, you have the temple itself which was 90 feet taller. If you look up and see the pinnacle of the ceiling, you're looking at about 32 feet. Go three times the peak of this building, about 90 feet and that's how tall the temple itself was above the Temple Mount. It was made of white marble and a gold cornice was placed on the very top of it.

The Babylonian Talmud says, "He who has never seen Herod's Temple has never seen a beautiful temple." It was absolutely magnificent. Some of the stones and I could show you some of them that are left in that retaining wall, not the temple, it's gone. That way, 400 tons. There's always a mystery to people, "How did they move that stone there?" You see this huge cranes and the capacity is a ton, two tons, five tons, but 400 tons. Some of these stones were enormous.

And yet, in 70 AD, the temple proper was destroyed because a Roman guard threw in a torch that cut some of the vestments, the clothing, the veil of the temple on fire, the gold around the cornice melted into the cracks of the marble and the greed of the Roman soldiers drove them to take every single stone and overturn it to get the gold that had melted in between it. Fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus, not one stone that you see would be left upon another. They will all be thrown down.

So complete was the destruction of the temple proper that the historian, Flavius Josephus says, "Somebody visiting Jerusalem after the destruction would never have guessed the city had ever been inhabited or where the temple even stood. Even though there are archeological artifacts there today, there's still debate as to where the Temple of Herod, the temple that was there at the time of Jesus actually stood.

So He makes this prediction, Verse 3. Now as He sat on the on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? What will be the Zion of your coming and at the end of the age?" Boy, am I glad the disciples asked that question because the answer to that question is the 24th chapter. I always like it when people ask questions and they go, "Well, this maybe a dumb question. There's no such thing." If you don't know the answer, it's not a damp question, it's a legitimate question. It was a legitimate question and Jesus will spend the remainder of the chapter answering it. They said, "What is the sign of your coming?" You see the word coming. It's the Greek word Parousia. It means your appearing, your personal presence.

Okay. Today, when we hear that question, you know what you and I think of? His future coming, His second coming. What the disciples were thinking of however was the first coming, the glorious appearing of the Messiah. When they said, "Tell us, when will these things be and what would be the sign of your coming?" The when to that question, the expected answer that they wanted from Jesus was a day, two days, probably by the end of Passover at the latest. They weren't thinking of years and years into the future, they were thinking of something immediately, that Jesus would gloriously, personally present Himself as the King, as the Ruler, as the Messiah. So when they asked the question, they are not thinking of second coming, they're thinking of first coming which should happen any day now.

Here's a little insight. In Luke's gospel, Luke tells us when Jesus approached Jerusalem, He told them a parable -- listen -- because they though the Kingdom of God would appear immediately, immediately. You see a couple of days ago, Jesus had been on this cool donkey ride coming in to Jerusalem and everybody said, "Hosannah to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel."

Now, that to them was the signal that something is going to come down, something is going to happen. He is going to make His glorious appearing at any moment. Hence, they asked this question, "Okay. So, the donkey ride was cool, but when are you going to make the glorious messianic appearance?" This will help you. In the mind of the disciples, they had an eschatology. Now, some of you know what that means, some of you don't. An eschatology is a scenario of last day event. What's going to happen? What are the events that lead up to the culmination of the end of everything? That's eschatology.

The disciples had a fixed eschatology. Number one on the list, there would be a time of turmoil in the Jewish nation. They saw that as already fulfilled by a Roman occupation. The Romans were in control. Check, world is in turmoil, especially our world. Number two on their list, a forerunner, a herald, an Elijah like full runner will come heralding, predicting, announcing the coming of a Messiah. No wonder, people had flocked to the Jordan River to hear and see John the Baptist. Check, the forerunner had come. Number three, the Messiah will appear defeating his enemies. Number four, the scattered Jews from around the world will return to Israel, Jerusalem will be set up. The kingdom will be brought in geocentrically from the City of Jerusalem. The disciples were thinking there is somewhere in between number two and number three. Turmoil has happened, the forerunner has come. We're waiting for the Messiah to set up his kingdom.

So, they're a bit puzzled. They have a problem. If Jesus just predicted the temple, which is at the center of everything, it's going to be destroyed. They're going "Uh, we don't get this. How can you be our Messiah, our deliverer if the temple is going to be destroyed? Why would you predict that? We don't get that. What will be the sign of you coming, your parousia, your glorious appearance as the Messiah? You take over the world. You ruled and reign from Jerusalem in the temple. You're predicting the temple is going to be destroyed. We don't get it." That's in their minds as they're asking this question.

Okay.  Now, let's fast forward to our day and age because the problem we have as we read Matthew 24 and other eschatological books like Daniel in Revelation from our viewpoint, not from a Jewish viewpoint. But from our viewpoint, from our modern day vantage point, we are looking forward to two events on our horizon. Event number one, Jesus coming toward the earth for His church. Event number two, Jesus coming all the way to the earth with His church. There's a difference. The first is what we call the Rapture of the Church and the second event is the Second Coming, His parousia, His glorious appearing. According to the Bible, Jesus had sometime in the future, I believe at any moment will come out of heaven toward the earth and we will be ruptured -- that's the word, 1 Thessalonians 4 -- taken up into heaven to meet the Lord in the air.

But after a period of tribulation, which is largely written about in Matthew 24, Jesus will come all the way to the earth with His church to rule and to reign. And guess what, He's going to come back on the Mount of Olives. That's why when the disciples were looking up into heaven, Jesus was ascending into heaven, the angel appeared to them and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?" For this same Jesus will come back in like manners. You've seen Him leave into heaven. He's coming back from heaven to the earth. He's coming back to the Mount of Olives and He's coming back this time with his church.

So the focus of Matthew 24 is not the rapture, but the Second Coming and the events that happened in Jerusalem principally, but all the way around the world, but principally in Jerusalem for those end time believers, Jewish believers that culminates in the Second Coming of Christ after the tribulation period. So, Verse 4, Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."

Notice the word "many will come," not "one will come," but many will come.

We often talk about the anti-Christ. That's the ruler who will emerge in the tribulation period at the end times who will be a world dominating ruler, very persuasive, very powerful, very energetic, very charismatic. And we talk about him as, "That's the anti-Christ," and you're right. But here, it says many will come. Now, we know that in the end of days, Satan's masterpiece, the anti-Christ will be unleashed in the world.

But listen to words of 1 John, I'm reading 1 John Chapter 2 in Verse 18, "Little children, it is the last hour and as you have heard that the anti-Christ is coming even so, now, many anti-Christ have come by which we know it is the last hour." There have been many and there will be a proliferation of false teachers, anti-Christ, in the future tribulation period that will deceive people. Whenever God works, Satan works. When you turn on your light in your front porch, the bugs come. When God turns on his Gospel light, Satan lets the bugs loose. They mock things up. They're sent to confuse people with false ideas and false teachings, so everybody goes, "I don't know. Everybody has their own way. Who knows what is the right way. Let's just embrace and accept them all." "Many anti-Christ will come, many will deceive, many will come in my name saying, 'I am the Christ.'"

Verse 6, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not trouble for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will famines, pestilences which are typically the result of wars and earthquakes in various places." Now, we've always had war. That's nothing new, only 8% of world history has been. Historians tell us 8% has been a time of peace. The rest has been times of war. Since man was on the earth, they fought. Their weapons were primitive, but they fought in wars whether it was the fist, or the stick, or the stone, or the club, or a spear, or a javelin, or a knife, or bullets, or bombs. Now matter the technology, mankind has fought and there have always been wars.

Since 3600 BC, it's estimated that about 14,500 wars have occurred upon the Earth in which 3.6 billion people have been killed. Here's something sobering. If you were to tally up the property damage of all of those wars that I just mentioned, the property damage due to all of the wars of history would pay for a belt of solid gold that would go around the entire Earth, that's about 100 feet wide and 33 feet thick. It is the nature of the human. There have always been wars. However, toward the end, the wars will escalate and in the final chapter of world history, the tribulation period, the wars will increase. Daniel the Prophet gives us some insight. He says that there will come this ruler who will make a covenant, a pact with Israel and break the covenant and because of that, wars will increase and desolations are determined until the end.

Now, you don't have to do it, but you may want to write in your notes or in the margin of your Bible or put a marker in Revelation Chapter 6 where the tribulation is also foreseen by the Apostle John. And in Chapter 6, he sees Four -- do you remember what they were -- Horsemen, called the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse. The second horse is a red horse and it's a horse that brings in war.

"And a rider sat upon that red horse --" says John "-- and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the Earth and that men should kill one another. So, during that period of tribulation that Jesus is describing in this chapter that John and Daniel write about in detail. Wars will increase, increase, increase to a fever pitch until a final battle occurs, the mother of all battles called the Battle of Armageddon, because it takes place in the Valley of Har Megiddo, the Mountains of Megiddo, the valley or the plain that huge landmass in Israel that has been a historic battle ground and the last battle of the world will take place there. Revelation says, "All the kings of the earth and the nations, the kings of the nations gather to fight against the Lord in that battle." Verse 8, "All these --" says Jesus "-- all of these, all the things He has just described, the deception, the war, the pestilence, the famine, et cetera, all these are the beginning of sorrows." The literal translation is, "All these are the beginning of the sorrows of birth." If you have a new international version, it says, "All these are the beginning of birth pains."

My mind goes back to May of 1986 when our son was about to be born. I didn't know much about birth, except for my medical background, my book reading and I've been around. But when it's your son and your wife is having a baby and you're wondering, "Is this it? " You discover that all pregnancies have certain amount of pain and certain amount of contraction. But when the pain and the contractions become more frequent and more intense, they're timed, right? You time them and then they become shorter and shorter. That is the signal. Those birth pains, those contractions, the frequency and the intensity, that's the sign, "This is it." And so you get all excited when the beginning of birth pains happen and the doctor says, "Come to the hospital." The contractions have been timed. I think this is it. You're dilated, come on in. You're going to have birth soon. So the birth of the new coming kingdom age will be preceded by the pain and the sorrow and the contractions of the birth pains of the tribulations. And though we've always had wars and we've always had deception and we've always had earthquakes and we've always pestilence and we've always famine, when those things become more frequent and more intense, you know the time is very, very short.

So you read the book of Revelation and you see the contractions. You see judgements, Seven Seal judgments, Seven Trumpet judgements, Seven Bowl judgments and then after that, it's' that mother of all battles and Jesus comes back to the Mount of Olives and He brings in the glorious kingdom age that is predicted. Verse 9, "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation." Mark the world. "They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my namesake. Then many will be offended, will betray one another, will hate one another and then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many."

Now, I have a question for you. When Jesus says in Verse 9, "They will deliver you up to tribulation," who is the "you" that He is speaking about? It can't be the disciples. He can't refer at all to the disciples because they never were around to see the things Jesus speaks about in Matthew 24. They don't see for example, "Enduring through the end of the age of the tribulation," Verse 13. The disciples that Jesus was addressing at this moment, they never saw a worldwide evangelization as mentioned in Verse 14. The disciples that Jesus was speaking to never saw the abomination of desolation predicted in Verse 15. Those disciples that heard this message, they never saw the stars fall out of heaven and the sun lose its light and the heavens go dark as predicted in Verse 29.

So when He says you, he's not speaking to those disciples, he's speaking the you are referring to the end time believers who will see the events in the tribulation period.

Those believers at the end time who will be around to see the events of the tribulation will go, "Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute, Skip. I thought you taught us that there is a rupture coming before the tribulation? So if believers are ruptured before the tribulation, how do you have believers in tribulation?" Answer. God will save more after the tribulation begins, that's how, and I'll show you how that works in just a moment, Verse 12, God bless you. "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to end shall be saved." Now, that doesn't mean that if a person endures the tribulation that he'll earn heaven, that by enduring the hardship of the tribulation that he'll be saved. It doesn't mean that. You're saved by Jesus and Jesus alone. It simply means the endurance of a person during that period is the proof of salvation. In other words, those who are saved will endure to the end. That's the idea. It's the proof of it. "He who endures to the end will be saved."

Now, let me give you a twist. There's an interesting thing about any kind of tribulation, any kind of suffering, any kind of trials that we all experience. It's interesting that your ability to endure trials, tribulation, pain and suffering, your ability to endure them is produced by the trials. You'd go, "Oh, I hate that. You mean that I have to go through suffering and trial and hardship to learn what it's' like to endure it?" Exactly, you can't just read a book and go, "Got all wired. I learned about it my quiet time, I'm ready to go." No, you have to go through the thick of suffering and tribulation and that experience gives you the ability to handle it. That's why Paul in the Book of Romans says, "Not only this, but we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces patience or perseverance, and perseverance produces character and character produces hope." So it's the tribulation that produces the ability to endure tribulation. Seasons you. Strengthens you.

I've always enjoyed the story of the young minister just starting out in the ministry who went to an older minister who preached that night and the young minister said, "Pastor, would you pray for me? I'm an impatient young man. Would you pray that God would give me patience?" The older gentleman smiled and paused. He said, "Sure, if that's what you'd like." Bowed his head and he said, "Father in heaven, I pray that you would send this young man hardship, tribulation, suffering and pain, in Jesus name." And the young man said, "Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, I didn't ask for that. I asked that you pray for patience." And then he quoted Romans Chapter 5, "Tribulation worketh patience. You want patience? You want perseverance? You go through suffering." Jesus predicted it.

Maybe we should be praying for stronger backs rather than for lighter loads. How about it? "Oh Lord, I hate this. Just take it away and make my ways smooth." Well, if your way was always smooth, you'd be the most worthless, flabby, have no root at all kind of a believer there was. It's when you go through it and you stick with it because sometimes the only way out is through. "Even though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death," said David. Now, we don't pray for that. We don't say, "Lord, take me through." We say, "Lord, airlift me from mountain to mountain top experience. I don't want to go through the valley." But the only way out is through. Go through.

Verse 14, "And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come." That verse has been butchered by more mission organizations than probably any other verse I have ever heard. I've heard preachers say, "We need to hasten the day of the Lord. We need to get Jesus to come back and we can bring Jesus Christ back." I've heard this preached, "By going out and preaching the Gospel in all the world, because --" said some of these preachers, "-- Jesus can't return until we the church get the Gospel into all the world." As if somehow, we by our power can schedule the coming of the Lord.

I have news for you. God is sovereign. He's going to come back at His appointed time, not because you ushered in His kingdom. It has nothing to do with God can't come back until you go out and preach it to every person. This is what it means. What this verse means in its context is that despite the deception, despite the war, despite the persecution, despite the disease, all the things Jesus has been talking about that God will have his witness in the world until the very end. He's always going have His witness and it's even going to be in the very worst time of history. The tribulation will be the greatest mess the world has ever seen and in the greatest mess, the greatest message will still be preached.

You know how it will be preached? That answers a question I brought up a moment ago. If believers are going to be ruptured before the tribulation, how is God is going to save people and how are there going to be believers in the tribulation because he's going to save more of them? So let's say the rupture happens today and then the seven-year tribulation is in front of us and there are no believers in that rest of the world, what will happen? Number one; the Bible predicts there will be witnesses who will come during that period of time with miraculous power. Some think they're the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah. Those two witnesses are going to have an impact on the Jewish nations so that a 144,000 Jews gets saved, according to Revelation Chapter 7. They're sealed for God's service in the tribulation period.

Now, think of this, 144,000 Jewish believers. Have you ever seen one Jewish believer? Have you ever seen somebody who was Jewish like a Joel Rosenberg get converted? Almost every Jewish believer I have seen, there's this great power that comes in knowing, "Here's my heritage. Here's my history. Part of it is fulfilled in my salvation. I believe in Christ as my messiah." I mean, you think of the 12 disciples. Those were Jewish believers. They turn the world upsidedown. Imagine a 144,000 of them, so two witnesses will prompt a 144,000 Jews to be saved during the tribulation period, 144,000 Jews will prompt an enumerable multitude of Gentiles to also be saved. Those are the souls under the altar in the Book of Revelation.

But here is the clincher and here is believe the fulfillment of the verse that you've just read. In the tribulation period, God is going to send an angel throughout the earth, in the skies, in the heavens to give one last final call. Have you ever heard somebody say, "Well, you know, like if an angel flew through heaven, then I believe, and like told it to me." God will send that angel to every tribe, every tongue, every single human on the Earth will see and hear the final everlasting Gospel preached through that angel. Listen to what it says in Revelation Chapter 14 Verse 6, John speaking, "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to those who dwell on the Earth, to every nation, every tribe, every tongue and every people."

We have a question that came in from Virginia, Shokat(ph) in Virginia. She has visited us before. Let's put it up on the screen and then we'll get back into this. She asked, "Will there be a forerunner to the anti-Christ since Satan usually mimics God?" It's a great question. The Book of Revelation tells us that there will be a false prophet who will be like the John the Baptist pointing to the anti-Christ saying that the world should worship him. There also be an image that this forerunner will point to, to worship as God that embodies the power of the anti-Christ. So just as there is a biblical trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, there's going to be a satanic trinity in the tribulation period, that time of deception, Satan, the anti-Christ and the False Prophet. The False Prophet will act as the forerunner and will deceive people and tell people to worship that anti-Christ.

So back to our text. Jesus said, "And the Gospel of the Kingdom will preached and all the world as a witness to all nations and then the end will come." There will be a final dramatic evangelization for every person on earth -- nobody has an excuse -- then the end will come and then Jesus will return, then all the wars will cease, then the saints will return with Him and God will rule over his creation.

Therefore, Verse 15, "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken up by Daniel the Prophet standing in the Holy Place --" that is at the temple "-- who ever reads, let him understand, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let him who is on the house not go down to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes, but woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days and pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath."

Okay. Now, are you still with me? Verse 15, "When you see the abomination of desolation as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the Holy Place." Three times in the Book of Daniel, he has mentioned this phrase, the abomination of desolation. Now, he describes what does means. Daniel describes it as the taking away of the daily sacrifice in the Jewish temple and replacing that sacrifice with an abomination. Some image of false worship.

Now, let me take you back in history. You've all heard of Alexander the Great. Do you know that Alexander had a dream? His dream was to spread Greek culture and language throughout the entire world and he really almost was successful. He basically conquered the known world during his life time. He died, however, at a young age in Babylon. He was drunk that night. He was crying out that he had conquered the world and that there was nothing left for him to conquer and he died. Before he died, a question was posed to Alexander the Great on his deathbed, "To whom shall your kingdom go?" His answer, "Give it to the strong."

So the kingdom of Alexander the Great was divided between four of his generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, Seleucus. Still with me? Cassander took Macedonia in Greece, Lysimachus took Thrace and Asia Minor, Ptolemy took Egypt, Seleucus took the Asian provinces, including Syria. Let's focus on that last one, Seleucus. From Seleucus the fourth general of Alexander came a kingdom called the Seleucid Empire, if you remember your history, if you took that. The eight king of the Suleucid Dynasty, the Syrian Dynasty was a guy called Antiochus IV. Antiochus IV gave a name to himself, Antiochus Epiphanes, the illustrious one or God made manifest. He believed that he was the embodiment of Zeus and he demanded to be worshiped.

In 168 BC, Antiochus IV, Antiochus Epiphanes surrounded Jerusalem and attacked it, killing 80,000 Jews, selling 40,000 Jews as slaves. He went to the temple. He tore down the altar of sacrifice. He proclaimed this temple as a temple to Zues. He put an image of Zeus in the temple and demanded he'd be worshiped. He took away the daily sacrifices. He took a pig, a swine, the unclean meat of the Jews would -- you know what that is to them, unclean. He killed a swine, a pig in the temple and spread its juices all over the temple. When that happened, the Jews knew that that is what Daniel predicted or at lease impart. That was the abomination that causes the temple to be desolate, desolation. The sacrifices had been replaced with an abomination. They call that the abomination of desolation.

Okay. Stop there. That's been fulfilled. But Jesus, after it was fulfilled, long after it was fulfilled says, "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken up by Daniel the Prophet." So from Jesus' perspective, though it had been fulfilled in part historically, there was greater fulfillment in the future. It was yet future. "When you see --" future tense "-- the abomination of desolation."

Now, I have a question for you. Has there ever been since Jesus predicted an abomination of desolation?

No there hasn't. Yes, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, but they did not put an idol in it and demand before they destroyed it that the people worship it. But Jesus predicts that there will stand in the future a temple and the last world ruler according to Daniel will reenact in those temple courts what Antiochus Epiphanes or Antiochus IV, the eight Seleucid king of that dynasty did to the Jews in times past. How do I know it's yet future? Because listen to what Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Verse 4 concerning the anti-Christ, the man of sin, "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." So in the future, expect at some point a temple to be built in Jerusalem so that the anti-Christ, the man of sin in the future, in the tribulation will perform on a greater level a worldwide level what Antiochus Epiphanes did in 168 BC.

Now, here's what's interesting. There hasn't been a temple since the Muslims, or since it was destroyed by the Romans, the Muslims have a golden domed shrine of the book on top. But there's an interesting group of people that are called the Temple Institute in Jerusalem and if you were there with us on our tours, we've taken you there. The Temple Institute believe in the God given right of the Jews to build a temple. They're just waiting for the right time. They already have priest that have been trained for the priesthood. They have the vestments of the priesthood. They have many of the implements ready to put in the temple made to spec. They already have a Sanhedrin in place, a Jewish governing body, and they're wanting for the right time for the temple in the future to be built not knowing that they'll be fulfilling the scripture of Daniel and Jesus and Paul that it will be the anti-Christ temple that he will make desolate. But it's all coming. You can see it happening before your very eyes.

Then Jesus says, Verse 16, "Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the house top not go down to take anything out of his house. That him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes, but woe into those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days, pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on Sabbath." Transportation virtually shuts down even today in Israel on the Sabbath. It's not a good day to get around. You notice that the language here is localized; it is geo-specific. It's speaking about Israel, about Judea and about the Sabbath. In other words, the catastrophes that are coming to world will center in the Middle East and specifically Jerusalem. Even though the anti-Christ will affect the world ground zero, will be the temple, the temple mount, the City of Jerusalem, the area of Judea, the Nation of Israel. That is going to be ground zero. That is why Jeremiah the Prophet, when he looks to the future, he writes also about the tribulation. He says "Alas, for the day is great, there is none like it, it is the time of Jacob's trouble." Another name for Israel. Jacob's trouble.

Now, let me throw in something else because I want to tie loose ends together. According to Zechariah, Jesus says, "Flee, get out of town. Don't even look back. Get out of town." According to Zechariah, those that flee, not everyone will succeed. Zechariah says two-thirds of those tried to flee will be killed and one one-third will be left. But John says, "Of those who are left, they will be protected by God in a special place east of Israel for three and a half years." Supernaturally sealed and protected by God, Revelation 12 Verse 6. John sees a woman identified as the Nation of Israel who fled into the wilderness where God has prepared a place for her to be cared for 1,260 days or three and a half years. Okay?

Now, let's move on. I only have a few moments left. "For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no nor ever shall be to." Okay, stop. Compare what you just read with Verse 9.

Verse 9, "They will deliver you up to tribulation. You will be killed." Compare that to this verse, "Then there will be great tribulation." Because of these two verses, scholars will often differentiate between "the tribulation" generally. They usually call that the seven years. Some get specific and say that's the first three and half of the seven years and the second half, the last three and half years, is the great tribulation. It's demarcated by the abomination of desolation. So you have three and half years or turmoil, but relative piece in comparison to the last.

Then in the middle of it, you have the abomination of desolation. The anti-Christ sets up the image, demands to be worshipped, breaks the treaty with the Jews, people flee from Jerusalem, wars break out and the great tribulation begins. What is the great tribulation? It's a confluence of God's stored up wrath on the Earth, port out by seals, trumpets and bowl judgments. It is the rebellious nature of men and it's the hatred of Satan all wrapped up in one short period of human history. It is a time when God will supernaturally but directly indefinitely intervene in human affairs. And at the end, that will be the end of all judgment, there will be never anymore judgment. Jesus will come back and usher in the kingdom age.

So then there will be a great tribulation as it has not been since the beginning of the world until this time nor ever shall be. Daniel says there will be a time of trouble such as never was since the beginning of nations. Look at Verse 22, "And unless those days were shortened, there would no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake, those days will shortened." What does that mean? There's only 1,260 days and it's over. No more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, no more judgment. It's over. All the wrath of God will be summarized and finalized in three and a half years with a final bowl judgments being port out. The battle of Armageddon and Zeus and then Jesus comes.

So there's a storm coming, but there's a light at the end of that tunnel. There's a silver lining in those dark clouds that are coming. That's quite a statement, isn't it? The worst time in human history. Think back to some of the bad times in history, dark ages, medieval times, no progress, World War I, World War II, the Holocaust. Those were all child's play in comparison to what is coming. And there would no flesh be saved unless those days were shortened.

If you read the Book of Revelation and you realized the enormous amount of people on the earth that will be completely obliterated. You understand the meaning of this? Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ or there." Do not believe it for false Christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive it, possibly even the elect. You can check out Revelation 6, the rider on the white horse who pretends to be Christ, but is not. "See, I told you beforehand, therefore, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the desert.' Don't go out. Or, 'Look, he's in the inner rooms.' Don't believe it. For as lightning comes from the East and flashes to the West, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

In Revelation 1, John the Apostle sees Jesus Christ as sort of the prologue of the book. It's really good to have Jesus show up at the beginning before he talks about all the bad stuff and then Jesus shows up at the end. But he sees the glorified Christ in this vision and he says, "He is coming and behold, every eye shall see Him." As lightning comes from the East to the West, Jesus will be seen at His second coming.

Now, that's different from the rupture. At the rupture, nobody is going to see the Lord except believers because He's not coming to the earth, he's coming toward the earth, in the air. We meet the Lord in the air. We go up to meet him, but at his second coming, he comes to the earth, sets his foot on the Mount of Olives. Zechariah says the Mount of Olives will split in two and we'll be with Him. I always like to think about that as I fly over Israel and I look down if I can on the Mount of Olives. That's the view we're going to get. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Whenever there is a decaying corpse, a corrupting carcass, the birds at the air swarm around it.

There will be the corruption on the earth because of the wrath of God, the hatred of Satan, the rebellion of man, and God's judgment represented here by the eagles circulating around.

Verse 29, "Immediately, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be dark and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven. The powers of the heavens will be shaken." We're talking about the end of the very end before the kingdom age, the millennium. "Then the sign of son of man will appear in heaven --" that's Revelation 19 "-- and all the tribes of the Earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." It will be the ultimate, "Oops," the ultimate, "Uh-oh," the ultimate, "Oh, man." The second coming of Jesus Christ will be a shock to the unbelieving world. You know why? Because when He comes back the second time, He's not gentle Jesus, meek and mild. He's giant Jesus, mighty and wild. He comes in judgment with a sword to execute vengeance and judgment on a world that rejected him after numerous years of preaching and mercy and grace and their refusal to repent, even an angel proclaiming God's Gospel. So He will bring the end and He will come on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And there's more, but it's going to have to wait until next time.

Father, we anticipate, we look forward to your coming and even before the coming of Christ to the earth, we look forward as your church to your coming for the church where we meet the Lord in the air and so we will ever be with Him. And the words of Paul ring true today when he said, "After that, wherefore comfort one another with these words." The comfort for us is that your plan includes us and we look forward, the blessed hope of the coming of our glorious God and saviour Jesus Christ for us.

It doesn't mean that we're going to go through life unscathed. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation, but we know there's a difference between the tribulation of the world and the tribulation that comes from heaven, from you in terms of judgment. Give us grace, Lord, to face the suffering, to have the patience and the perseverance. Sometimes, Lord, we feel the trials are too much, but we know that you won't give us more than we can bear. You will give us a way of escape and sometimes the way out is through. Give us strong backs. We pray not for a lighter load as much as the strength to endure. Give us a steady hand as we hold a full cup of trial and suffering. I know many in this fellowship are hurting, struggling, dealing with deep issues. You know all about them. Bring your comfort, bring your hope.

And finally, Lord, we would pray for those who maybe have said no to you for a long time. They've heard the message. They know about Jesus. They've been to church services. They've seen all their calls, but they themselves haven't yielded or surrendered their life to Christ. I believe there are some who are here tonight. To them, it's all a bit about, "Well, I have a Bible and I go to church and I'm a pretty good person." But they haven't surrendered their life to you yet.

Lord, when we hear from Joel the things that are going on in this world and we read your word about what Jesus said, and Zechariah said, and Daniel said, and John said, Jesus said, that there's coming a time of unparalleled suffering and judgment before the final end of the world. We see what's happening as predicted by the prophets. I pray that you would wake some up. Wake us up.

To be right with you, to walk in holiness, in righteousness with you, to come to the cross and be forgiven by you, to not play church any longer, to not hide in the shadows any longer, but to give their lives to Christ and we pray that you would do that right here, right now as your head is bowed and your eyes are closed as we're closing this service. If you're here, if you've never really personally surrender your life to Christ or maybe you had some religious experience, but you're not walking with him, you're not walking in obedience to him and you want to turn from that. Get right with God, have your sins forgiven and have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life and be ready for him to come.

I want you to raise your hand up. Just raise it up so I can see it. I love to pray for you. I need to know who I'm praying for. God bless you right toward the middle. Anyone else? Raise it up. Yes, to my left. I see your hand. Raise your hand up. Anybody else? Right there toward the front in the middle. Anyone else? Hand up. In the balcony, thank you for waiving your hands around. I see your hand like into my left. Anybody else and anybody in the family room?

Father, we pray for those who have that raised hand a moment ago and we pray that you change their heart, change their life forever in Jesus name. Amen.

Would you stand to your feet, please? We're going to do this quickly. As we sing this final song, I'm going to ask you to get up from where you're seated, in the balcony, in the middle, in the front. Find the nearest isle and stand right up here. I don't want to be labor this or make it long as we're singing this final song. You get up and stand right up here. I'm going to lead you and further receive Christ. If you raise your hand or you almost did or you didn't quite have the time or I didn't see you, get up and come right now. Jesus called people publicly.

I'm calling you out right here, right now publicly. Get up and come as we sing. Come on up right up in the front. We'll wait for you. Come down from the balcony. Come out from the middle of the row. Make a stand for Christ tonight. Come on. Make a clean break. Anyone else? Come quickly. Don't wait any longer. He's called you for a long time. He is saying He want to give you everlasting life. Those of you who have come forward, I'm going to pray with you right now. I want you to say this out loud after me. Say these words from your heart. Say these words to God. Let's do business.

Lord, I give you my life. I know I'm a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe in Jesus that He died on the cross and that He rose from the dead and that He did it for me. I turned from my sin. I turn to you as my saviour. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Give me power to live for you in Jesus name. Amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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9/7/2011
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Matthew 1:1-18
Matthew 1:1-18
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
As we turn our attention to the New Testament, Pastor Skip explains what transpired during the 400 years of silence since the Old Testament. Our firm grasp of the political setting, language, and Matthew's purpose and perspective establishes a solid foundation for understanding his gospel. In Matthew 1, we see Jesus revealed as the royal Heir to the throne of David—the Messiah, Immanuel: God with us.
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9/14/2011
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Matthew 1:18-2:23
Matthew 1:18-2:23
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Every year people around the world recognize the birth of a poor Jewish child born in an insignificant city. The birth of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures, beckons us to worship and obey the King of the Jews. Let's examine Matthew's account of the miraculous circumstances of the nativity and the prophecies it fulfilled.
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9/21/2011
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Matthew 3
Matthew 3
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Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man among those born of women. John saw himself in the light of who Jesus is: not even worthy to loose His sandal. From the womb, he was filled with the Spirit, continually pointing people to Christ. Let's consider this powerful prophet, his ministry, and the message he preached.
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9/28/2011
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Matthew 4:1-17
Matthew 4:1-17
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Prior to the start of Jesus' public earthly ministry, He was led up to be tempted by the devil. As we review His encounter with Satan, we uncover important principles of spiritual warfare. We consider not only when and how Jesus was tempted, but also how He fought—and the ministry that began on the heels of the battle.
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10/5/2011
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Matthew 4:18-5:4
Matthew 4:18-5:4
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Leaving life as they knew it, the disciples followed Jesus and became intimate witnesses of Jesus' teaching, preaching, and healing. As we dive into this portion of Matthew, we turn our attention to their calling and listen in as Jesus begins the greatest sermon ever preached.
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10/19/2011
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Matthew 5:5-16
Matthew 5:5-16
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The economy in God's Kingdom is quite different from that of the world: it's paradoxical; it's progressive. Let's consider the Beatitudes and discover what kingdom living looks like, and how it impacts those around us.
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10/26/2011
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Matthew 5:17-32
Matthew 5:17-32
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The multitudes listening to Jesus teach were undoubtedly shaken by His powerful statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). How, then, could one be saved? As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we remember that salvation is not available through human achievement--only by divine accomplishment.
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11/2/2011
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Matthew 5:33-6:8
Matthew 5:33-6:8
Skip Heitzig
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As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we'll grow in our understanding of the contrasts between the world and the kingdom of heaven. Followers of Jesus are called to a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees—a righteousness based on our genuine relationship with Christ, rather than mere outward obedience.
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11/9/2011
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Matthew 6:9-34
Matthew 6:9-34
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Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this manner: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we learn that when we make God's kingdom our focus, He provides everything we need.
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11/16/2011
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Matthew 7
Matthew 7
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Jesus calls His followers to live differently from the world -- to live a kingdom lifestyle. In this study from the Sermon on the Mount, we consider what kingdom living looks like in both our relationships with others and our relationship with God.
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12/7/2011
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Matthew 8:1-26
Matthew 8:1-26
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Throughout his gospel account, Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah. Building upon the foundation of fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' identity is authenticated by miraculous signs. As we examine Matthew chapter eight, let's consider the compassion and grace Jesus demonstrates.
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1/18/2012
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Matthew 8:23-9:9
Matthew 8:23-9:9
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Matthew carefully crafted his gospel to speak directly to the hearts of his Jewish audience. Through his detailed record of Jesus' genealogy, fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' actions, instructions, and miracles, Matthew proves that Jesus is Messiah. Let's take a close look at several of those miracles, and gain a firm grasp of His Deity.
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1/25/2012
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Matthew 9:10-31
Matthew 9:10-31
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To the Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners were part of a lower, unpleasant class. But Jesus longed for fellowship with all people. He shared intimate meals with them, ministered to their needs, and reached out to the unlovely. As we study this passage in Matthew 9, we learn how we are also called to be heralds of the good news that brings spiritual health and enduring joy.
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2/1/2012
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Matthew 9:32-10:31
Matthew 9:32-10:31
Skip Heitzig
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The Lord calls His followers to proclaim His message to the world—we are appointed to carry out a divine purpose. We learn in this study that we, like the apostles, find abundant life only in letting go of our own ambitions, plans, and comfort.
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2/8/2012
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Matthew 10:32-11:19
Matthew 10:32-11:19
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In His second major discourse of Matthew, Jesus equips and instructs His apostles about going into the world and reaping the spiritual harvest. In this passage, Jesus expounds on the courage needed to complete the mission and warns His followers of certain persecution. He reminds us that while not all who hear will believe, God's wisdom is powerfully demonstrated in changed lives.
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2/15/2012
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Matthew 11:16-30
Matthew 11:16-30
Skip Heitzig
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In order to truly worship God, you must know Him. Speaking clearly and openly in this passage, Jesus proclaims some of His strongest warnings and makes some of His most intimate promises. He reveals the Father to His followers and assures us that life lived under His rule yields peace and rest.
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2/22/2012
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Matthew 12:1-21
Matthew 12:1-21
Skip Heitzig
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Though God intended the Sabbath to be a day of rest, keeping the Sabbath became difficult work by New Testament times. The oral traditions of the Pharisees had become weighty burdens-burdens the Lord did not mean for His people to bear. In this passage, Jesus demonstrates mercy and the true intent of the Sabbath as He and His disciples meet physical needs in the face of strong opposition.
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2/29/2012
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Matthew 12:22-42
Matthew 12:22-42
Skip Heitzig
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Though our current culture embraces a form of spirituality, the biblical view of God, Satan, and good versus evil has been dismissed by most. Ignorance and indifference cause them to relegate Satan to the stuff of fairy tales and myth. In this study from Matthew 12, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the devil and his minions--giving us a glimpse into the supernatural and a reminder that, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
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3/7/2012
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Matthew 12:43-13:17
Matthew 12:43-13:17
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Jesus consistently brought His message of hope to the common man: He spoke in parables to bring revelation to His followers and to conceal heavenly truth from the hard-hearted. In this message, we examine parables of our Master Teacher and Holy Judge, and discover that truth can be a blessing, but also a curse--we must be diligent to understand and apply God's Word to our lives.
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3/14/2012
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Matthew 13:18-52
Matthew 13:18-52
Skip Heitzig
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Jesus often used parables to explain spiritual truth to His followers. In Matthew 13, His seven kingdom parables are recorded--word pictures which explain the beginning, opposition, expansion, and culmination of His kingdom. Let's consider His teachings and apply these lessons, so that we may be fellow workers with Him in spreading the good news.
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3/21/2012
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Matthew 13:53-14:36
Matthew 13:53-14:36
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In this passage from the gospel of Matthew, we see powerful examples of the results of both faith and the lack of it. Those who might have known Jesus best failed to trust in Him and missed out on His work in their lives, while others were carried through the storm in His care. As we consider our own trials, we should rest in His hands, knowing He has power to change us and use our lives for His glory.
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3/28/2012
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Matthew 15
Matthew 15
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God is less concerned with the outward appearance than He is with the inward attitude. In this passage, Jesus boldly proclaims truth in a confrontation with the Pharisees, warning his followers to avoid hypocrisy. We also witness His tender response to the persistent faith of a Gentile woman, and His mercy for the multitudes. As we study Matthew 15, let's consider our own approach to Him: Do we recognize that we cannot live without Him?
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4/11/2012
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Matthew 16:1-20
Matthew 16:1-20
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Through stern rebuke, gentle prodding, and powerful teaching, Jesus instructs those around Him about who He is and how we can know and serve Him. Matthew 16 records several lessons in faith - warnings and wisdom which encourage us in our own spiritual journey.
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4/25/2012
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Matthew 16:21-17:27
Matthew 16:21-17:27
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Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. From this passage, we gain a clearer understanding of what it means to exalt Him as King in our lives and also get a preview of His future glory, when He will reign over all the earth.
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5/2/2012
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Matthew 18
Matthew 18
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How should sin be dealt with? As we examine Matthew 18, we learn not only to deal radically with sin in our own lives, but also the steps toward reconciliation with a sinning brother.
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6/13/2012
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Matthew 19
Matthew 19
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In the U.S., the lifestyle of Christians often mirrors that of unbelievers--divorce, self-indulgence, misaligned priorities. Using God's Word to teach lessons about divorce and eternal life, Jesus exhorts his followers to enter the kingdom of heaven--to live in wholehearted faith and obedience to the Him. Let's consider what Scripture says about godly living and the reward Jesus promises to His faithful followers.
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6/20/2012
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Matthew 20
Matthew 20
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As followers of Christ, what awaits us in eternity? In this study, we consider not only our eternal home but also our eternal reward. Saved by grace through faith, we must see beyond the circumstances and status of this world, and look toward our future glory.
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7/11/2012
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Matthew 21:1-32
Matthew 21:1-32
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In this intriguing passage, Jesus enters Jerusalem in a precise fulfillment of prophecy. It's an exciting study, where those who know they need forgiveness find refreshment and hope—and those who rely on their own righteousness receive a stern rebuke.
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7/18/2012
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Matthew 21:33-22:22
Matthew 21:33-22:22
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Jesus taught with complete authority, denouncing the misconceptions of the religious leaders of the day. With skill and precision, Jesus uses parables and their own words to silence their challenges and expose their motives. Let's consider His words, heed His warnings, and remember that He alone is righteous and worthy of praise.
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7/25/2012
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Matthew 22:23-23:39
Matthew 22:23-23:39
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In dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus speaks wisely, uncompromisingly, and with the authority of heaven—His Words shoot straight to the heart. Though many try to fit Jesus into their pre-conceived mold—to accept Him and His Words only as far as they are comfortable—we learn here danger of that the perilous position.
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8/8/2012
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Matthew 24:31-25:46
Matthew 24:31-25:46
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In this section of the Olivet Discourse, we consider Jesus' Warning Parables. As we examine the text, let's remember that while the church escapes judgment, many are left to suffer the Great Tribulation. We must be righteous, be ready, and be responsible.
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8/15/2012
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Matthew 26:1-30
Matthew 26:1-30
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As Jesus gathered with His disciples to observe the Passover one last time, He brought fresh meaning to a festival which had been celebrated for thousands of years. Rather than a memorial to their physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the meal represents His broken body and shed blood—and spiritual deliverance from sin for those who believe.
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8/22/2012
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Matthew 26:31-75
Matthew 26:31-75
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Following the Last Supper, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane and willingly surrendered Himself to the will of the Father: Jesus was crushed for our sin, abandoned to the Cross, so that we might have fellowship with Him. As we study Matthew 26, we consider the spiritual battle before us, the choices we make, and the ultimate victory that is ours through Jesus Christ.
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8/29/2012
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Matthew 27:1-50
Matthew 27:1-50
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In this message, we see the ultimate demonstration of God's love—the cross. Jesus, the King of the Jews, was betrayed, falsely accused, illegally tried, scourged, and ultimately crucified. As we consider the details of His crucifixion and death, how could we be anything except amazed and humbled?
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9/19/2012
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Matthew 27:50-66
Matthew 27:50-66
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As He hung on the cross, betrayed by his friends and separated from His Father, Jesus declared "It is finished!" Victorious, not defeated—He completed the work the Father gave Him to do. In that dark hour, the grave gave up some of her dead, the earth quaked, and in the temple, the curtain that separated men from God was torn from top to bottom. As we study this text, let's consider the price Jesus paid to redeem us and the personal, intimate fellowship with God now available.
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9/26/2012
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Matthew 28
Matthew 28
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Jesus' resurrection: great news for His disciples—troubling news to his enemies. As the chief priests grappled with a cover up, the disciples met with the risen Lord and were commissioned to "Go and make disciples of all the nations." As we consider our text, we discover the good news for ourselves: Jesus is not dead—He's alive and has all authority in heaven and earth.
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There are 36 additional messages in this series.
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