The Signs of the Times and the Beginning of the End | Part 1

Is this the beginning of the end. Listen to Adrian Rogers and the 6000 year recorded history of man is estimated that 600 million people have been killed in war, but friend O have died since typing all wars have been seen by this generation which we live than any other generation, terrorism, hijack bombings, assassination, sabotage, all I've heard so many promises of wars to end all wars and bring in safety to make the world safer, more but Jesus said that whatever happened will give love find pastor, teacher and author Adrian Rogers said the gospel was not given the same civilization from breakage, but to save men from the wreckage of civilization.

Mankind is always been fascinated knowing the future are only reliable source of prophecy is God's word in Matthew chapter 24. Jesus prophesied his literal physical return to earth, offering signs of the times in the beginning of the end. So what can we expect when we looking forward to.

If you have your Bible turn to Matthew 24 will begin in verse one again. Here's Adrian Rogers and God always wants to look into the future. We have the prognosticators, the guessers, the pungent sleep so called profits without divine inspiration.

The only book the only book that has a batting average of 1000 is the word of God and the next great event that we're looking for is the return the literal visible bodily return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And may I tell you that this episode the coming of Christ is a major doctrine in the word of God.

It is mentioned no less than 1200 times in the Old Testament, and then again 300 more times in the New Testament God is telling us that this same Jesus, who has come is coming again, and we go to study today.

The words of Jesus as he leads us on a journey of prophecy.

As we look to our age and then through our aged is coming and we're going to see from the word of God. The fate of our that's important for our age because those of us living in this age can say it and mean it.

The future is here and I want you to notice the setting of the prophecy that we can agree.

Matthew chapter 24.

Let's read the first three verses and Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. I don't you think Jesus had seen the temple before, why would the disciples be showing Jesus the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said in the CU. Not all these things, verily, I say to you, that shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat up on the Mount of olives and by the way, the Mount of olives looks down upon the temple, the disciples came to him privately say tell us, when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age.

Now when you keep this prophecy in mind. Remember, this is the setting. Now the temple was absolutely magnificent.

The temple was the center of Jewish life spiritually, and socially. All of their hopes were based there and that temp and it set their own Mount Moriah the Temple Mount. Like a mountain of gold. That's what Josephus said are like a mountain of snow there is. It dazzled in the sun as the sun rose from the East coming over the Mount of olives why the disciples come out and said look at this temple, and the stones that why were they showing him this.

What if you go backward in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus had made a prophecy and Matthew 23. Look at Matthew 23. Beginning in verse 37 Jesus coming down the Mount of olives begins to wait great salty copious tears coursing down his cheeks as he looks at Jerusalem, and there is the temple right before him.

He's coming down the Mount of olives and he sees Jerusalem and the Temple. Here's what he says oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kills the prophets and stones them, which assented to the how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but he would not behold, your house, he was talking about the temple, behold, your house is left unto you desolate pricing to you.

You shall not see me henceforth to you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord they could not believe that this temple would ever be desolate and it didn't look like it would ever be desolate, but to make matters worse, Jesus said of this temple, not one stone would be left upon this if you have seen, even the remnant of the temple. The great stones that have been tossed off into the valley you see these massive stones and it it makes sense to these disciples of all, they said, Jesus you using this place is going to be desolate, not one stone is going to be left upon another. Jesus look at the stones, ladies and gentlemen, I've seen some of those stones even in the foundation wall how they even move the stones in the place. I cannot conceive because they did not have the tools of modern construction that we have and they said, Jesus, look at this. What these stones now Jesus had prophesied destruction evidencing reasonable.

The Romans were going to come and destroy Jerusalem and there was already this fomenting their rebellion against Roman rule. Jesus also prophesied that is matter fact in Luke chapter 21 verse 20 Jesus said when you see Jerusalem can pass with armies know you that the desolation thereof is not that is the temple is going to be desolated are you going to know when this going to happen when you see the temple compressed about with armies well. 40 years after Jesus said that the Roman army under Titus came and ate from past Jerusalem, just like Jesus said, with armies all the way around the city. They said we don't need to waste their lives going in there and waste in Roman soldiers live we just go to circle around the city. They won't be able to come in they won't be able to go out they will be able to get any food starvation stop. The city will just wait them out.

Jesus prophesied all of this it all happen. The Romans were not destroyers of temples.

The Romans were preservers of temples and Titus had given orders that the temple that Josephus described like a mountain of snow was to be left untouched, but somebody shot a flaming our or something happened one of the mishaps of war and those great cedars of Lebanon begin to burn in this building went up in flames and it was layered with gold and it was rumored that there were kidney and subterranean chambers with triceps. All of this just melted together and caved in on itself. The plunderers went in there with their mighty crowbars and equipment and begin to try apart those stones one at a time looking for treasure collecting melted gold in the scenes of those crimes and why Jesus said that so many people thought was unthinkable. He said Clark is just unthinkable installed look at this to understand what you said. Jesus knew exactly what he was saying and ran. I've been there many times the Temple Mount and if you look for Herod's Temple. You can find other tempers I see the ruins of other temples, you will not find listen to me one stone left upon one exactly as Jesus said that'll teach us something we don't live by reason we live by revelation. Don't try to explain away the prophecies of the word of God that this is the setting of this prophecy concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ. The setting is they were questioning.

This memo is the subject of the prophecy look in verse three and as he sat up on the Mount of olives. His disciples came in him privately say tell us number one, when shall these things be number two. What shall be the sign by coming number three and at the end of the world. The disciples asked three questions for small windowless me when will the temple be destroyed. Number two. What will be the sign of thy coming word coming here is a great word Perugia and it means is coming in power and glory that is when are you going to set up your kingdom, Lord, when you want to take over and rule and reign and the last of all, what is the side of the end of the world. The word world literally means the end of the age they thought they were coming to the end of an old age and the new age.

The messianic age was about to begin. So they asked Jesus this question. Now these were Jewish Christians who were asking him this question and were going to see here the signs of the times as they deal with Israel and with the church that what Jesus does here, Jesus looked down through the tunnel time and Jesus gives them the signs of the times the intervening days and ages between the time that they existed and when Jesus Christ is going to come again, and he gives them seven marks and that's what we'll talk about today. Okay, I hear they are first of all, Jesus said the first Mark is going to be the deceptions of counterfeit Christ the deceptions of counterfeit Christ. Now look in verses four and five and Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name say I am Christ, and shall deceive many. I Jesus have all the marks of the last days the end of the age and the continuing age will be a time of great deception and so many people have been deceived though the Bible wonders not to be to see me give you an ancillary scripture first John chapter 4 verses one through three is what the apostle John said in beloved, believe not every spirit, but prior test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world, thereby know ye the Spirit of God.

Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God in every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist. Where have you heard that it should come, even now already is in the world 2000 years ago the spirit of antichrist was in the world. The word anti-price takes the word Christ and puts the prefix anti-AMTI in front of an anti-means against our instead of it can mean anything and it means really both the Antichrist comes against the true Christ and presents himself instead of Christ and therefore there many false Christ in many bolts missiles in the past 50 years no less than 1100 people have professed to be Christ. I'm amazed at what people will believe.

Not only is there going to be the deceptions of counterfeit Christ number two. There will be the division's of continuing conflicts when you think that in 2000 years, man would solve the problem of war and make the world safe I've heard so many promises of wars to end all wars in and to bring in safety and make the world safer, more but Jesus said, that will never happen. Look in verses six and seven and you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.

See that ye be not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the in is not yet now the world from the time of Jesus made the statement to this present day, has been plagued by the specter of more and wars are growing in number and wars are growing in intensity since world war one at least every month. There has been an attempt to bring about political, economic, racial or religious chain you think about what's going on in our day and in our age.

Think of the conflict in the Middle East and the 6000 year recorded history of man is estimated that 600 million people have been killed in war, but Fran half of those half echoes have died since 1900. Now we seem to find these things coming together and a climax wars have been seen by this generation, the generation which we live than any other generation, terrorism, hijackings, bombings, assassination, sabotage law and all of this seems to center ultimately in Jerusalem. Does the Bible have anything to say about that. It does indeed Zachariah 12 verse two behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling under all people around about when they should be in siege against both Judah and against Jerusalem, and in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people, all that burden themselves with.

It should be cut in pieces, though all the peoples of the earth together together against continuing conflicts divisions number three.

The disasters of cataclysmic consequence, skip on down that Matthew 24 for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All days of the beginning of sorrows.

Now Jesus looking down through time said there would be Mammon. You would think that perhaps a man with increased agricultural skill and genetic engineering would be able to solve the problem of famine. But the problem of famine in our world is really to follow. Number one, there is the failure of agriculture itself. A number two there is the bottleneck of distribution even when we have the food we can I get the food to the people who need the but before long I we will not have the food we are now living on planet Earth from feel the mouth.

We don't have granaries fill with food like we use to a well-known biologist and sociologist are said and I quote planet Earth is no longer a sustainable society with world population doubly twice in the past century, the world's land is being worked so hard for food that one quarter of the soil is turning sterile and eroding away.

The Bible teaches that in the tribulation, which may be just a few years away.

Revelation chapter 6 verse six that you would pay for a quart of wheat $80-$100 to make about two loaves of bread.

Famine is coming here upon this earth.

But not only did Jesus make a famines. Jesus spoke of claims that he would've thought that in 2000 years we would do something about plagues. I can remember when I was a kid.

They said we conquered polio novel was not one of them won't be long before every disease like polio and smallpox and these other things will will know how to deal with and then along comes a and then along comes SARS. Along comes Ebola and along comes this thing and that and then into All about all biological and chemical warfare is a specter that we face.

Jesus said plagues are going to be a sign of the day in which we live, and then he mentions earthquakes. It seems that mother Earth itself is evening in pain. Jesus said that in the ensuing age before he comes, there will be earthquakes now number four there's going to be the defamation of committed Christians, we are going to be defamed if we love the Lord Jesus is one of the marks of the age. Look at Matthew 24 verses nine and 10, then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my namesake and then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Jesus said that religious persecution will increase. At the end of the age and is going to be centered on Christianity.

Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

This world is not mine. Religion but it does resent the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know that more Christians have died for their faith in the past century that all of the other centuries since Jesus Christ hung on the cross is estimated that more Christians were tortured and slain in twelve-month of World War II than died on the Rome and all of the early centuries we think about those Christians who died in when Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. Christians were persecuted on the Rome. More people have died for Christ in our generation NRA.

Some authorities claim that over 50 million Christians were slaughtered in Russian and other communist countries because they name the name of Christ. Since the ascension of Jesus Christ. No generation has seen such a worldwide persecution as is now in progress.

Open your eyes and look around Bible believing Christians are the whipping boy Christian bashing has become the favorite sport in newspaper, radio and television is sad to see what is happening. But this persecution the last days will be turned all white-hot. He and I wonder how many Sunday morning benchwarmers will vacate themselves from Bible believing churches.

Now there's going to be a persecution of believers in the last days and is going to separate those who are true believers from those who are cultural Christians.

Number five the distortion of crisis calls.

Look, if you will.

Now in Matthew 24 verse 11 and many false prophets shall rise and deceive many. CTK justice and is pointed out that when a man ceases to believe in the one true God. It doesn't mean that he believes in nothing. It means that he will believe in anything. Now when the Bible speaks of a prophet here doesn't mean a person who is even religious.

The word here means somebody who speaks with authority could be a philosopher to be a college professor could be a scientist.

He could be a statesman but these are people today who want to shape the end of mold society into his thinking, and they will deceive many. Is like it was in the days of knowing that the Bible says God saw the imagination of men's hearts with evil continually.

The word imaginations. There does not mean daydreams it speaks of carefully crafted philosophies. It's a word that was used to describe the molding a piece of pottery. These philosophers were trying to fit society into their mold and what all of this comes down to really is new age humanism when new age humanism just takes the teaching of all the religions of the world and tries to synchronize them into its mystical system K what one of them said we honor the truth and beauty of all the world's religions, believing that each has a seed of God, a kernel of the spirit that unites us and the new agers believe that God revealed himself in Jesus, but he also revealed himself in Buddha, Krishna, and a host of other people. Now let me give you the basics sign that Jesus spoke about and it is good disposition of carnal coldness, people are going to be coldhearted. Notice again in Matthew 24 verse 12 and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Now what brings about this coldhearted mix. It's the teaching of these false prophets. These false prophets take away the moral base when you have no moral base. What is all right to kill babies when it's all right to perform homosexual marriages. When it is all right to take away life from a person who has lost consciousness are euthanized.

The agent wives is all right because you have taken away the thick standard of right and wrong and when you take away moral limits, you destroy the fire and the glow of true love and you substitute that with the spire of last, and theology turns to missiology and the Bible says because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. We need to pause the message right here. What a powerful quote from GK Chesterton when men choose not to believe in God. They do not believe in nothing. They didn't become capable of believing in anything will hear the conclusion of this message tomorrow maybe right now you have questions about God, about who Jesus is about what he means to you. If you go to our website LWF.org/radio and click Discover Jesus you find resources and materials that can answer questions you might have about your faith again. Click Discover jesus@lwf.org/radio for a complete copy of today's message which we haven't had time for today. Call us at 1877 love God and order the signs of the times in the beginning of the end. This message is also part of the powerful series challenges to the cross with complete collection. All six insightful messages: number 1877 love God or go to LWF.org/radio or rightists to order at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 thanks for setting with us on today's program you know. Knowing Jesus could return at any moment. The wisest thing to do is to follow Jesus and spend time in his word today and be sure to tenant tomorrow for the conclusion of the signs of the times in the beginning on the word listener in Texas wrote to us recently with a word of inspiration. I want to share with you, Lisa Dr. Rogers teaching is such an encouragement to us every evening. He always seems to be speaking about just what we need to hear this year's been a challenging one for us and I'm grateful for how God has used your ministry to speak to our hearts.

Thank you so much for that kind word you know we love providing resources to help brothers and sisters in Christ, stand boldly in their faith through some difficult times this month as a thank you for your generous support. We want to send you our critical issues booklet collection are your thoughts on New Age thinking is there a choice in pro-choice Adrian Rogers explains how to combat the critical issues that were facing in this five booklet collection request the bundle when you call the gift right now at 1877 love God, forgive online@lwf.org/radio