Understanding Jesus' Teachings on End Times

Changing things up from the things that mothers have said, to the dumb things people say,

• I slept like a baby. (So you wake up every couple of hours needing to eat and screaming)

• We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. (can you cross it before?)

• It is what it is. (you mean it isn’t something else?)

• I could care less. (at least you care a little)

• Or you can overemphasize it. “I literally could care less”

• Youth is wasted on the young. (Uhmmm what?)

• It is always darkest before the dawn.

• Always be yourself. (Who else would I be)

• Gone missing (how in the world do you go missing)

• We’re pregnant (Austin stand up) (Macy) who is pregnant?

• When we worked at Rameys…Mr. Bob if you are in the store, you have a phone call. (what if they ain’t in the store, do they still have a phone call or does it go to the next customer?)

• My all-time favorite dumb thing people say, “It was in the last place I looked” (Really? You stopped looking after you found it?)

Has anyone ever really wanted to do something one way, but you felt like God was telling you to go another way? When I was reading through our chapters in Luke. I really wanted to do a continuation of our measuring stick. And talk about the widow’s offering found in the first 4 verses of chapter 21. How people can judge you by the offering that you give, the rich give more, but this lady gave a small amount and it was a big deal. So, if I give a small amount, then it is a big deal…. No! If you give all that you have to live on, then it is a big deal.

I felt God leading me to speak about this topic that we find later in the same 21st Chapter of Luke. Let’s read and see what Jesus has to say. Starting in verse 8.

Jesus gives a lot of information about the end. He says some really interesting things about the end, and people will get caught up in the wrong thing about what Jesus is talking about.

Let’s break this down together and see what we can learn about what is REALLY important. Point one tells us…

1. The end is near.

Luke 21:5-11

When I think of people that dwell on whether or not the end is near. I think they live like the end is fear. Why do people get so wrapped up in what will happen in the last days? I mean for one, no one knows if they will make it to the end of this service let alone when Jesus returns. And another thing is we are not going to make it happen sooner, nor can we delay it. Why oh why worry about it?

I have worked with people that get so wrapped up in the end of times that they forget to live in the now. Is the end near? Absolutely. It could be today, it could be 1000 years from now. I mean to God 1000 years is like a single day to God. There is only One that knows when Jesus will come back. It is not anyone on earth, not the angels, and not even Jesus. It is God. Only God knows, but from time to time we think we can figure God out when it comes to this. I have heard pastors say for years that the signs are all there and Jesus will be coming back soon.

I did a little research on different dates that were supposedly the end of time…

• December 21: 2012 – The end of the first “Great Cycle” the end of the Mayan calendar. The calendar tracked time for over 5,000 and when the calendar ran out of time… so did the world.

• May 21, 2001 – a day that was calculated to be 7000 years after the flood, the same man changed his date 12 times in total, because…

• 1989 – it was predicted that God would appear on US. Television on channel 18 on March 25 1988 and the end would be sometime in the next year.

• 1814 – In 1791, Joanna Southcott reported that she heard voices telling her about future events like famines and major crop failure. In 1813, she announced that she would be giving birth in 1814 to the second messiah. She was 64 and died before a baby could be born.

• The Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted, several times, the end of time. 1874, 1878, 1881, 1910, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, and 1984.

• Multiple different people from different areas predicted 1988.

• 1991 – the Gulf War was the “war of Armageddon”

• Every year from 1986 – 2002 had a prediction of the end of time.

There are so many more predictions about when the end of time will happen. The bible says that no man knows the day or the hour. When you read verses 12-17 it can get a little scary if you let it.

12 “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. 13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! 16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.

A lot of people will stop right there and freak out about it. Here is the great part, that people leave off…. 18-19 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls. Maybe the end is near, but so what! Because point #2 tells us…

2. The Kingdom of God is near.

Luke 21:29-34

What is the Kingdom of God? It is one of those church sayings that most of us take for granted that everyone knows what the Kingdom of God is. God is sovereign (He has absolute rule, supreme authority, and total control over all creation.)

God is sovereign but He does not use his sovereignty to force us to do anything we don’t want to. Unlike our government that uses its rule to make you pay income tax, sales tax, gift tax, property tax, inheritance tax, gas tax and dividend tax.

The kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Those that deny and defy God’s authority are not part of the kingdom of God, spiritually speaking.

When we see things that lead us to think that the end is near, it should also lead us to know that we feel as see God’s presence close to us. Fear is the opposite of what we should feel. We should have a strong faith that God will never leave us nor forsake us. He ain’t going no where and He ain’t gonna forget about us.

Isn’t it awesome to know that the creator of the universe, the all-powerful, all-knowing God is not only on your side, but when times get tough, He gets closer to us, if we allow Him to and that we can be a part of the Kingdom of God if we surrender our will to His, and by doing that, point #3 tells us that…

3. Our salvation is near.

Luke 21:25-28

Anyone know who this man is? His name Arland Williams, Jr. At the time of his death, he was a bank examiner. He died on January 13, 1982. He was a passenger on Air Florida flight 90 when it crashed into the Potomac River. The weather was horrible and it made rescue efforts very difficult. Out of all the passengers on the plane Williams and 5 others somehow survived the crash, but the weather was such a factor that rescuers feared the survivors of the crash might not survive because the Potomac River was all but frozen.

It took a few hours before a helicopter made it to the crash site to start evacuating survivors. The helicopter lowered a life ring down and then airlifted one person at a time to safety, come back for another and start the process all over again. The life ring was grabbed by Williams and he gave it to someone else. The helicopter would take that person to safety, then another and then another. Every time Williams would give the life ring to someone else until he was the only one left. When the helicopter returned, Arland Williams, Jr. had already died.

All those survivors of the crash had salvation come to rescue them, by means of the helicopter and Arland. They were taken away from the tragedy to a place of safety and security.

And when the end times come, Salvation is there for us too. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

When Jesus returns, salvation will not be for everyone. It will be for those that endure till the end. Jesus said, those that endure till the end will be saved. And in verses 34-36 Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

The _________ is Near