The Signs of the Times and the Beginning of the End | Part 2

Probably were fighting studios in Memphis Tennessee umpiring Tyler here with the CEO of love are finding Carrie Vaughn today we are going be looking at the signs of the times in the beginning of the end. This is part two with Adrian Rogers in a message with our Bibles. Turn to Matthew 24 verses one through three. Carrie, this is a brand-new series were kicking off challenges to the cross grade series and what a great message for today. We are living through these times as we read through this and see what's happening him. It's existing now yeah yeah mankind has always been fascinated with knowing the future and the most reliable source that we have is God's word but so many look to fortune-telling.

They look at their their ugly little stars will sure they look to other people and other resources, but I think we go back to the truth and we go back to God's word as the measuring stick right. That's what we compared two we see that it's really just playing out perfectly. What is we kick off this brand-new series again challenges to the cross. Let's hear from Adrian Rogers and our world today. There are all kinds of thoughts and ideas and philosophies that are challenging our faith.

And yet, on the other hand, the Lord is greater than all of these but God's people need to be forewarned, then they need to be equipped to face these challenges to the cross so true, so true, and I think when we face things like conflict or we face things like consequences and and other things that he talks about in this message. We should shy away from that right. We need to embrace it and stand on the word of God and move forward. The temple was the center for the Jewish life spiritually, and socially, and no one could believe it. When it was desolated. Jesus prophesied that in its destruction. And it did come to fruition. And so you know the things were seen now in time for the Bible says are going to happen. It's going to happen going to happen. So I think when you see things like earthquakes and fires and tsunamis and floods again and you know those things are heartbreaking and it's a disaster in and people have to Reno regroup from that. But at the same time we know that God is in control is working all things together for good to those who are called to him according to his purpose. You know, we need to embrace it and we do need to embrace it and we appreciate our listeners embracing the opportunity to let us know what they think about the ministry we enjoy so much hearing from our listeners, and we have a list right now from Facebook and that is one of the many ways you can communicate with us here that love are funny, but this listener says Pastor Rogers was a gifted deliver of the gospel is intellect, wit and simple straightforward teaching of God's word is just as relevant today as ever and we hear that so often timeless truth right profound truth. Simply stated, that is the ministry of love were funny and so we want to get out into the hands of the people into the hearts of the people so they can use it here.

We been having a great time on Tuesday nights with conversations that matter and it matters and we want you to tune into that right but every week we have a guest pastor.

We cover a great sermon and so be a part of that 7 o'clock on Tuesday nights. That's all available from our labor funding Facebook page. Also on YouTube and you can go to her lover finding website@lwf.org and join us for conversations that matter with the signs of the times in the beginning of the end. Here's Adrian Rogers back in chapter 24.

Let's read the first three verses Emmett 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 is saying the temple before, why would the disciples be showing Jesus the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said in the them, see ye not all these things, verily, I say to you, there 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 Telus 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 notice the subject of the prophecy look in verse three and is a set up on the Mount of olives, his disciples came in him privately say Telus number one, when shall these things be number two. What shall be the sign by coming number three what should be and of the end of the world. The disciples asked three questions. First of all, when will this be, when will the temple be destroyed.

Number two. What will be the sign of thy coming toward 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 are you going to take over and rule and reign and the last of all, what, what is the sign of the end of the world. The word world that 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 now what Jesus does here, Jesus looks 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, now here they are.

First of all, Jesus said, 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. A Jesus that will 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 warns us not to be to see any given ancillary scripture first John chapter 4 verses one through three. Here's what the apostle John said and 11 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-Christ 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 false 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 divisions of continuing conflicts when you think that in 2000 years man would've solved 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 all these things must come to pass, but the in is not yet now the world from the time that 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 in intensity since world war one at least every month.

There has been an attempt to bring about political, economic, racial or religious chain. More wars have been seen by this generation to generation which we live than any other generation, terrorism, hijackings, bombings, assassination, sabotage law, 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 they shall be here the cataclysms famines and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. Now Jesus looking down through time said there would be 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 cannot get the food to the people who need the but before long we will not have the food we are now living on planet Earth from feel the mouth. Famine is coming here upon this earth. But not only does did Jesus make a famines. Jesus spoke of play that I can remember when I was a kid.

They said we conquered polio and I thought with that wonderful won't be long before every disease, like smallpox, and these other things will we will know how to be with those and then along comes a and then along comes SARS and along comes Ebola and along comes this thing and that and then to All of that off 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 caving in pain. Jesus said that in the in the ensuing age before he comes, there will be earthquakes now number four there is that going to be the defamation of committed Christians, we are going to be defamed if we love the Lord Jesus.

This 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 line religion but it does resent the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there's going to be a persecution of believers in the last days, and it's going to separate those who true believers from those who are cultural Christian number five the distortion of priceless cults look if you will.

Now in Matthew 24 verse 11 and many false prophets shall rise and deceive many. CPK 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 and mold society into its thinking, and they will deceive many.

It's like it was in the days of no one that the Bible says God saw the imagination of men's hearts with evil continually. The word imaginations that is not mean daydream, but it it speaks of carefully crafted philosophies that it's a word that was used to describe the molding of a piece of pottery.

These philosophers were trying to get 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 colonel 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 men's 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 aged, white lies is all right because you have taken away the thick standard of right and wrong and when you take away Morrow limits you destroy the fire and the glow of true love and you substitute that with the false fire of lots and theology turns to meteorology and the Bible says because the iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. When you have abounding iniquity when you have a crime wave and the word iniquity literally means lawlessness. What we do we get unfriendly somebody knocks at your door and says look can I come and use your phone. My battery is dead is an officer said you see somebody on the road with a thumb up, you have an empty seat.

You want to pick him up.

I'm afraid and you find yourself pardoning your heart because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold in our society is replaced godly love with selfish protectionism and lust. Number seven, and I love this one. The discharge of Christ's commission before Jesus left this earth. He gave us permission and the commission was that we were to take the gospel to all of the world and we would go in every nation with the gospel.

Nowhere has the Bible ever taught that we were going to win everybody to Christ. The gospel is not given to save civilization from wreckage, but to save men from the wreckage of civilization and and the Bible prophesies that that there is going to be the masters minority that little flock there's going to be say, but Jesus said we to take the gospel to the whole world will that be done absolutely.

It has been done.

Matthew 24 verses 13 and 14 but he that shall endure to the end of the same should be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be done as they ought to be.

He says shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the income and Jesus said that and in the ensuing time from the time that he left the time that he came back. There is going to be the proliferation and the preaching the gospel world wide worldwide has this happened.

Indeed, it has friend the gospel has been preached in all of the world.

Not every person but into all the world by radio, by television by books by Tate by leaflets and by crusades the world has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. This does not mean all every individual, but it means all nations have heard the gospel today.

What I'm saying what I'm preaching will be telecast around the world that the sun will not set on this message. It will go around the world through the Internet ever body on earth has access if they have a computer and hooked into the net. They hear the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now Jesus says something very interesting. He says that when all of these things begin to come to pass.

Look, if you will and in chapter 24 and verse eight he says all these things are the beginning of sorrows. Now what does he mean by that. All these things when you see all of the things that I mentioned when you say pastor. The Bozeman war always been famines, there's always been persecution, yes. But Jesus said when you see all these things all these things are the beginning of sorrows that you look at that word sorrows that word sorrows is the word for birth pains.

All of these things are the beginning of birth pains of those of us who are genuine fathers like I am. You know what it is when your wife begins to talk to you about those birth pains. You know you you see this thing happening so I said is your wife expect. I said no it's a sure thing you see this happening live at that that time happens when she says Adrian I think I felt something. Who in the she said yes. I felt something something stir and then you know that when those birth pains.

Do while when they multiply, and when they intensify you know something about them for that right when they multiply, and when they intensify you know something is about to come forth Jesus at all these things on the beginning of birth pains. Now we'll have to wait on any sign for Jesus to come he can come at any moment is always been willing to do that, but precious friend listen to me. The wisest thing anybody could do would be to give his heart to Jesus Christ if we knew Jesus Christ like coming in a thousand years. But when we know that our Lord may come at any moment the Lord has given us the signs of the times when our Lord is look down through the ages and help us to be aware. Don't you think the wise thing to do would be to give you a heart that Jesus Christ I love the Bible, we can trust the word of God.

You know when I see all of these things people save me. Well, if there's a God why their earthquakes. If there's a God why the wars if there is a God why the famines if there's a God why the planes will even if you don't know why I day one thing none of them put God by surprise.

No fine print in this guts, and there is Jesus said this was going to happen, then shall be in if you stand before God and say, you won't be able to say I never knew I never heard we reviewed all of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now you need to knowing Pastor Rogers that you are trying to frighten me would be God. I could if I could I would Bible says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning Winston Jesus said fear him who is able to destroy body and soul and hail, but I don't want to merely frightening. I want to encourage him to take it as a God that loves you so much that he sent his son to die for you and has promised to save you if you would trust. Are you ready to do that dumb people they been vaccinated with a mild form of Christianity and never catch the real disease you need to be saying church membership won't save you marl life safety believing the facts of the Bible.

Don't save this Jesus that saves you don't have them in your heart. I want you to pray this prayer dear God, I know that you love me and I know that you want to save me Jesus you died to save me and promised the same if I would trust you. I do trust you, Jesus. I give you my heart in line and I receive now my faith is my Lord and Savior come into my life will give me, cleanse me and save begin now to make me the person you want me to be.

Help me, Jesus would be willing to make it not to be ashamed your name on it. If you've accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord just now. We would love to celebrate with you and offer you insightful resource Center website.

It's are discovered, Jesus page to find answers the you may need about your newfound faith as well as a response section where you can share your decision and how this message is impacted your life go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab that says discover Jesus again LWF.org/radio and click Discover Jesus welcome to God's family can't wait to hear from you. Thanks for setting with us in God's word as these worldly sorrows multiply and intensify. We know we're nearing the return are you living like you are expecting his arrival. Be sure to tune in next time. The more profound truth. Simply stated, online were fine