End Of Days

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New! Added 4/23/05

HOW IT'S REALLY GONNA HAPPEN

(Sermon: April 24, 2005)

If you could please turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24. ******* I want to read beginning at v. 37 of Matthew chapter 24. ******* Do you have it yet? ******* Notice then now at v. 37, it says...

"24:37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 24:38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving inmarriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 24:39 and they did not understand until the flood came and rook them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be."

And skipping ahead to v. 42 now - notice, my friends...

"24:42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming."

(Parallel passage to Matthew 24:37-39 is Luke 17:26-27. Luke is written to Romans/Gentiles/non-Jews VS Matthew is written to Jews.)

(Last week you preached on 3 verses in Acts and went long until 12:01-ish. You joked: "Can you just imagine if it was 4 verses?" This week it is 4 verses! Ahhhhh!) *******

There's a new 6-week television series on NBC that started on April 13th. I don't know if you've heard about it or maybe you've watched it. It's called "Revelations." Have you heard about that show anybody or watched it? (It's on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m.)

If you have happened to watch the show you'll know it's about the end of days (they coin the phrase!) and events leading up to and including the end of the world. "Revelations." I'm not sure the theologians (or, should I say, non-theologians?) behind it. But ultimately, it's quite the interpretation of future events surrounding our Lord's return and judgment day, etc.

For those of you that have seen the show, I'd be curious to hear your interpretation of it.

CROSS BETWEEN DA VINCI CODE BOOK, THE X-FILES TV SERIES, THE OMEGA CODE MOVIES & LEFT BEHIND BOOKS.

I couldn't help but think it's a cross between The Da Vinci Code book and the excitement of The Da Vinci Code...

The X Files TV series of a few years ago and the phenomenon and mystical, "out of this world" side of the The X-Files, "Revelations" has it...

The Omega Code movies sponsored by TBN and Paul Croach as Bible verses flash to the screen introducing certain scenes in "Revelations" similar to The Omega Code movies...

And finally, there's definitely a capitalizing going on on NBC's part on the spiritual that the Left Behind book series (Tim LaHaye and Larry Jenkins) and The Passion Of The Christ (Mel Gibson) showed there was a whole different audience out there interested in spiritual things with a lot of money that Hollywood was oblivious to.

And now Hollywood's gonna exploit it! Where the money is Hollywood goes (and NBC, too!). How many of you know it's true? Thus, you have "Revelations."

And my thoughts and assessment of it, my friends.

I'd be curious to hear yours.

SCENE FROM "REVELATIONS."

The bottom line, and what I really wanted to highlight as a lead in to my message this morning - it's one of the scenes in the first show of "Revelations" that I want to mention.

No, it's not the scene that includes the cross that appears mysteriously on a mountainside in shadow form. And Jesus turns to the crowd in acknowledgment from the cross in shadow form. And then it disappears! *******

Neither is it another scene with the demon-possessed kidnapper/criminal/murderer in prison who says he doesn't bleed. And then he proceeds to prove it by cutting off one of his fingers. (Depict by holding up your hand?) *******

And if you thought those scenes were weird, wait'll you hear this other scene from "Revelations." It's really the one I want to mention. Do you know what scene I'm talking about?

There's this rescue boat/ferry far out in the Aegean sea that comes across the wreckage of another ship. There seems to be no survivors. But wait! What's this? There's a piece of wreckage floating out there. I can barely see it because of the fog. But wait! Whats this? On the piece of wreckage, there seems to be - a baby? There's a baby unhurt and unfazed by it's newfound predicament. (Just like it would happen in real life?) But the impression, my friends, is that it's Jesus. (Or is it? The radio trailer says: "Is he good or is he evil?" Could it be antichrist?) ******* And, of course, Jesus has to be a pure and unadulterated Caucasian! Right? And only in America! (You might remember a couple of weeks ago I talked about how Christianity is not a white man's religion. It's for all people! After all, Jesus was a Jew!)

And the point here is and as a lead in to what I want to discuss with you today, beloved: there are people who watch a show like "Revelations" and it becomes their total belief of the future and end times events, etc. "This is the way it is! Jesus is gonna arrive on a plank of wood!" ******* And we can think, who understand the Scriptures, it's just crazy that anybody would think like that. But still people do! *******

And they'll tell ya - won't they? - "'Revelations,' after all, it's a book in the Bible!," they'll say. Right? "'Revelations.'" And so that must be the way it's gonna happen since "Revelations" is a book in the Bible! And now it's on TV. And so that must be the way it's gonna happen! *******

But it's not a book in the Bible - "Revelations." But you knew that? The book in the Bible is "Revelation." It's not plural! Even some Christians get messed up on this point! *******

And then secondly, Revelation - the book in the Bible - (VS "Revelations" the TV series) says nothing about a sole survivor and Caucasian infant who just happens to be the Lord and that's how He shows up on earth in the end of days.

It's what I want to spend the next few minutes speaking to you about this morning, my brothers and sisters, and as a play off of this recent television show - I want to talk about: "The End Of Days: How It's Really Gonna Happen" and the conditions that will be present on our planet just prior to and at the end of the world.

"The End Of Days: How It's Really Gonna Happen."

It's not gonna happen like NBC says, how many of you know? It's gonna happen like the Word of God says.

And I want to look to Christ's words now about the end of days, and for the rest of today, beginning with Matthew chapter 24 and v. 37.

If you'll notice with me Matthew chapter 24 and v. 37 reads again - notice...

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah."

And let me just read it one more time...

"For the coming of the Son of Man (and so NBC got that part right in "Revelations" - the end of days is all about Jesus' return - they just got His way of returning wrong!) - For the coming of the Son of Man (the first part of v. 37 says again - and now it's the second part of v. 37 that I want to focus your attention on) For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah - will be just like the days of Noah."

Underline it if you can. *******

NOAH'S A PERSON WHO REALLY LIVED.

And I was thinking, first of all, Noah is a person who really lived. He's not just a myth. Neither is Noah's story - the whole thing about him building a boat for a hundred and twenty years and then forty days and forty nights of rain and Noah floats around in the boat he built with a boat-load of animals along for the ride - it's not a myth either. Did you hear that? Noah's story's a true story. Jesus confirms it.

We live in a day of revisionist history ******* where people are trying to rewrite history and what happened in the past. ******* Like the holocaust of 6 million Jews by Hitler and the Nazi's - it didn't really happen, my friends. ******* We live in a day of revisionist history. *******

And then there are those who would have you believe certain stories in the Bible - they would like you to look at them through the revisionist lens - like they are just allegories. They didn't really happen like the Bible says they happened. They were just made up to teach and represent truth, but they aren't real. "I mean, come on. Are you foolish enough to think the Red Sea parted when Moses' raised his rod ******* or that Jesus, when the wine ran dry at a wedding, turned water into more wine ******* or - or that He fed five thousand people on a mountainside one afternoon with a boy's sack lunch made for him as he ran off to school by his mother? You mean to tell me. You're foolish enough to think . . . ?" And there are people - liberal theologians - who talk and speak like this and would have you believe like they do when it comes to the stories of the Bible, my brothers and sisters. (These usually get the interviews on the networks when there's a spiritual issue to be discussed, by the way!)

But faith stands in stark contrast to false teachers. (We believe the Bible is the Word of God.)

And Jesus stands in stark contrast to false teachers and when He confirms the story of Noah isn't made up. Our Lord's mere mentioning of Noah in v. 37 is testimony to it's validity.

And as regards the end of days and how it's really gonna happen now - well, it's gonna happen just like it happened in Noah's day.

There were certain conditions in Noah's day that'll be equal to the conditions in end of days prior to the Second Coming is the first point and answer to the end of days and how it's really gonna happen. The end of days will include conditions that existed in Noah's day.

TRANSPARENCY POINT #1: Conditions that existed in Noah's day will be present in the end of days. *******

And so we need to know what was taking place in Noah's day if we want to know how it's really gonna happen in the end of days - if we want to know how Christ is really gonna come back. (Not as a sole survivor Caucasian infant on a plank of wood!)

And we don't even have to turn a single page in our Bible to find out about what was taking place in Noah's day and the conditions because Jesus has made it easy for us. Jesus has done the work as He pinpoints now in the next verse - 38 - I want you to notice again, the conditions in Noah's day that we need to know about.

By the way, I don't think Christ's speaking about a high obesity rate and divorce rate here! (Though, isn't it interesting, these things are at the top of the news in our day and prevalent, it seems!)

But let's just read v. 38 again - at least the first part - and I'll comment as we go. Notice again, Jesus says in the first part of v. 38...

"For as in those days which were before the flood (and so the flood happened, too!- do you see that there? - - the flood happened, too, just like Noah is a person who really lived! - take that liberal theologians again - no mercy!--slap your hand back and forth, one, two, three or more like your slapping somebody who needs to be slapped!) -

For as in those days which were before the flood (and the verse continues on now to speak about the conditions in Noah's day and all the way up, the last part of v. 38 says - and all the way up "until the day that Noah entered the ark - For as in those days which were before the flood - For as in those days which were before the flood" (v. 38ad) . . .

First of all, people were "eating" in Noah's day, Jesus says. People were "eating." "[T]hey were eating." ******* They were getting in their cars and driving over the Buckhorn Grade past Summerville High and down Tuolumne Road and further to Perko's. ******* Or maybe - just maybe - they turned on Highway 108 instead, but it's changed to Mono Way after the bypass was put in - and so the turned on Mono Way instead and went to "Your Place" Restaurant instead. Or maybe it was to the new Mike's Pizza. ******* Or maybe they didn't even leave Tuolumne, but went over to the Casino to enjoy the low-priced buffet that's over there. People were "eating" in Noah's day, Jesus says. They were buying groceries so that they could eat at home: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Because ya can't eat out every meal, you'll go broke! People were "eating" in Noah's day, Jesus says, first of all.

It's what was taking place in Noah's day that we need to know about it because the end of days and prior to the Second Coming will be just like it was in Noah's day - like this.

They were also "drinking," Jesus says, secondly now in v. 38 in Noah's day. ******* And I guess the first thing that can come to mind is alcoholic beverages. ******* But what about the others who maybe didn't drink alcohol in Noah's day? Can you just see them making that quick run on a hot summer's day from Valley Oak Drive across from Soulsbyville to Spanish Grant to Longeway and over to the Crystal Falls Mini-Mart (it's only a few minutes!) to pick up a slurpee or coke? People were also "drinking" in Noah's day, Jesus says. They were purchasing, not 1 or 2 or 3, 4, or 5, but 6 gallons of milk every Friday afternoon so they didn't have to go back down the hill again until the next Friday for milk. ("Why didn't they just buy a cow?," some people would ask them. "Why didn't they just buy a cow if that's how much milk their kids drank?" / them out of house and home!) And, by the way, they used to buy their 6 gallons of milk at the Pak n Save Supermarket, two for one, but the Pak n Save Supermarket, in Noah's day, raised their prices. So now they buy it at Albertsons instead. (It used to be Lucky's, but now it's Albertsons instead.) Two for one is cheaper at Albertson's than at Pak n Save. Did you already know that? People were also "drinking" in Noah's day, Jesus says, secondly in v. 38.

They were also "marrying" and "giving in marriage" in the next part of the verse. I'll put those two together. It's easy enough! "Do you take this man (or woman) to be your lawfully wedded husband (or wife), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Some people need to be reminded of their wedding vows that they promised to do for their spouse and they've somehow forgotten their promises. I know there's none of those kind here! ******* People were also "marrying" and "giving in marriage" in Noah's day, Jesus says next in v. 38. *******

It's what was taking place in Noah's day that we need to know about it because the end of days and prior to the Second Coming will be just like it was in Noah's day - like this. *******

And the best way I can sum it up now, our Lord's words regarding the conditions of Noah's day that'll be equal to the conditions of the end of days and prior to His return in v. 38 - these people in the time of Noah were going about their daily lives and they were just doing the things that people do.

And people will be going about their daily lives doing the things that people do in the end of days just like it was in Noah's day, my friends.

TRANSPARENCY POINT #2: People will be going about their daily lives doing the things that people do.

And it'll be true up and until, we already read again the last part of v. 38, the exact moment of Christ's return. It'll be true up and until the exact moment. People will be going about their daily lives doing the things that people do in the end of days.

"[T]hey were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark" (v. 38bcd). *******

NOAH'S ARK, A PICTURE OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.

And "Noah's ark" (the story!) is a picture of the rapture of the church, by the way. I don't know if you knew that. (Mention it and ad lib comments off the cuff, whatever comes?)

Which brings us to v. 39 now.

And there's going to be a lack of expectation on the part of many men and women in the end of days is the next thing I want to talk about and brought up by our Lord.

TRANSPARENCY POINT #3: There's gonna be a lack of expectation in relation to what's coming down the pike.

This lack of expectation will have as it's basis a lack of understanding. We read in the next verse - 39 - I want you to notice now, it was the state the men and women were in in Noah's day - not the state of California or Nevada or Texas! - but a state of ignorance - a state of ignorance (turn to the person next to you and say: "a state of ignorance")...

"[A]nd they did not understand (do you see that there in the first part of v. 39) - [A]nd [the men and women of Noah's day] did not understand until the flood came and took them all away" (v. 39ab). *******

These were in a state of ignorance. They were oblivious to the things that were just about to overtake them - the men and women in Noah's day. And as they were going about their daily lives doing the things that people do, they had no idea or concept or clue. You know anybody that hasn't got a "clue"? You know a person like that? *******

THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WHEN PEOPLE LEAST EXPECTED IT.

And I was thinking and wondering about some of the things that have happened especially in our nation that we're familiar with and we had no clue. And these things took place when we least expected it. We - or the people involved at the time - had no idea what was awaiting them just around the bend.

But it was there! Can you think of anything that's happened especially in our nation? And it was like a freight train barreling down the tracks with nothing to stop it until - Whammo! Impact! (Slap your hands as a demonstration of impact!)

I'm talking about things that have happened when we least expected it. *******

(1) Pearl Harbor (Dec 7, 1941).

Did you think of that one?

(2) The Loma Prieta earthquake during the A's and Giants World Series - was it Game #2? (Oct 17, 1989).

And then, of course...

(3) The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center in New York & Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (Sept 11, 2001).

And just because we just marked their anniversaries earlier this week (what a coincidence!), I have to mention these:

(4) The 1906 Great San Francisco earthquake (April 18, 1906).

(5) The Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing by Timothy McVeigh (April 19, 1995).

(6) The Columbine High School shootings in Colorado (April 20, 1999).

And my point here is that it's happened before in the past. Things have taken place when we (or others!) least expected it.

"[A]nd they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away," v. 39 says again.

And so it will be with the end of days and how it's really gonna happen.

TRANSPARENCY POINT #4: Jesus will arrive unexpectedly without warning.

Look at the last part of v. 39...

"[S]o shall the coming of the Son of Man be," it says (v. 39c). (Repeat part of verse)

When it's least expected - Whammo! (Slap your hand!) Impact! Like getting hit by a freight train. ******* What do they say? "Ya ain't gonna know what hit ya!" *******

And so we need to be ready for the train, my friends! We need to be ready for it. It's barreling down the tracks!

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming" (v. 42).

"Therefore be on the alert" (v. 42a). *******

And if you knew your house was gonna be broken in to, what would you do? Well, you'd bar the windows and add extra deadbolts to the doors and make sure the locks on them were in good working order. Right? *******

And then what else would you do? Maybe if you were real serious, you'd go even further. You'd go down to the local gun shot and pick out a nice weapon (is it a 45? - is that a good gun?) to protect yourself and protect your family (and get a gun license, of course!). And then you'd come home and put it in safe keeping in a drawer and so that you knew where to find it when the thieves arrived.

And then maybe if you were real serious beyond that, and you're home again now, you'd go even further. You'd go out into the yard and make an assessment - "Hmm?" - and come up with a strategy for your yard. Maybe you'd set out some barbwire across the front and sides of the house. And then maybe you'd add those types of metal stakes that you see in the movies that criss-cross that make it harder for intruders to navigate and move. And then maybe (if you're me and crazy enough to think like this!) - maybe you'd lay down some land mines (that's what I'd do!) being careful to remember where they were so that when I went out to get the mail and newspaper I'd come back in one piece afterwards so I can read the mail and the paper. *******

And if that isn't enough. Do you think anyone could get through all that? But maybe they still could. So then maybe you'd have to add searchlights around the yard - you know the kind that come on when the slightest movement is detected. ******* And it's usually the deer that cause 'em to go off! Right? *******

And I know it's a nutty scenario what I'm saying. But I'm - But I'm deadly serious, my friends. I really mean it. I really do! And as I'm trying to communicate with this crazy Fort Knox (Kentucky?) picture(where they keep all the gold in this country?), this is the type of alertness we need to have in relation to Christ's return.

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming" (v. 42). *******

This is the type of alertness we need to have in relation to Christ's return - my crazy Fort Knox picture! *******

And some people - their lives - a thief can just walk right in, wreak havoc and take everything. Because they're not ready. They're not expecting it. They're not alert. I'm talking about in the area of spiritual things. *******

But they go to church. ******* But that's not enough. ******* But they said the "sinners' prayer." ******* But that's not enough. *******

Being alert is more. *******

TRANSPARENCY POINT #5: Being alert is more than just going through the motions.

It's my last point today.

Being alert is more than just going through the motions.

It's protecting your house/soul like Fort Knox which takes effort. It takes investment. It takes diligence. It takes commitment.

I've run out of time.

Right before we pray, ******* I don't know if you've ever looked at the second page of the Union Democrat newspaper during the week - the obituary page. (People joke: Maybe to make sure you're not there?) ******* But I look at it almost every day at various things there - I'm struck by. And at how young some people are who die (and how old, too!). But the other thing I'm struck by when I look at the obituary page in the Union Democrat newspaper is when I see the statement: "So-and-so - they died suddenly." Or, "He (or she) - they died unexpectedly." (That's how Kim's dad went last summer - July 27, 2004. I remember the day. I remember the call.)

But I'm always struck by that in the paper. How 'bout you? And then I always check to see what the person's obituary says. (I check 'em all, but I especially check the sudden and unexpected ones). And what do I check for? I check to see if they knew the Lord or not. And sometimes you can tell by the kind of funeral or memorial service planned and where it is. Or sometimes you can tell by the church they're a part of or went to if they knew the Lord or not.

And I check these things, beloved, because their passing came suddenly. Because this man or woman stepped into eternity and it was when they least expected it. Here they were one minute. And then in very next minute (snap your fingers!) they were before Jesus. Christ appeared! Were they ready for it? Were they prepared? Were they alert? *******

God help us, whether we meet Him at the Second Coming, like we've been talking about today, or in an untimely death when we least expected it to happen - God help us to not be just going through the motions. Being alert is more than that. It's protecting your house/soul like Fort Knox which takes effort. It takes investment. It takes diligence. It takes commitment.

And I've really run out of time now, my brothers and sisters!