These Present Rumblings

These Present Rumblings

Matthew 24:1-31                    May 17, 1998

Introduction:

Matthew 24:1-3

Before there can be a reordering, there must be a disordering (Mt. 24:2).  God is going to downsize His corporation and initiate some massive layoffs.  Only those who are worth their hire will remain employed.  Many will go through job stress and will not remain loyal to the company.  But those who believe in the Chief Executive will not be deceived by what He is doing.  Rumors from those in competition with the Chief Executive will abound and disturb.  Those who remain loyal will be distrusted.  Even some who initially believed in His program of corporate renewal will become disillusioned, get shaken out, and not survive the job cut.  This will cause tension even between those who are destined to remain.  Will you survive the shake-up?  Even now there are rumblings to be heard.  Lift up your eyes and perk up your ears and take notice of God and realize that these things must come.  Let us be strengthened by them and not destroyed.  Let us increase our allegiance the the Chief Executive and His Corporate Manager.  The Chief Executive is God Himself and the Corporate Manager is His Son, Jesus Christ.

I.       Keep your eyes on the times.  (vv. 4-14)

II.      Keep your eyes on Jerusalem.  (vv. 15-22)

III.     Keep your eyes on Christ.  (vv. 23-31)

Conclusion:

Heb 12:25  See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

26  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."

27  The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken-- that is, created things-- so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

29  for our "God is a consuming fire."

“The Good Days,” a short story by Adam Blumer (taken from Today’s Christian Preacher, vol. 5, no. 4, spring 1998).

Backbone (def.):  “It’s the bone that your head sits on at one end and you sit on at the other.  If you don’t have a backbone, you’re nothing - you’re a zero with the ring rubbed out.”  When you stop to think about it, most of the Bible is about developing backbone.

Difference between prewrath rapture and pretribulation rapture - for the church fathers, the danger to the Church was not in being left behind, but in being CAUGHT OFF GUARD.

Re 13:10  If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Re 13:18  This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

Re 14:12  This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

Re 17:9  "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.