(pt. 8)
INTRO:
What do you wish you could know about your immediate future?
In the Master-teacher’s “Olivet
Discourse” the Good Shepherd let’s his beloved sheep know:
A) What to expect?
B) What signs to look
for?
& C) What they/we
ought to do with this head full of knowledge?
This morning we’ll zero
in on what Jesus' disciples ought to do” in view of
the revealed truth that is Matthew 24:15-28
1) UNDERSTAND THE PROPHETIC SIGNS
(Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9-11; Rev. 11:2; 13)
2) RUN FOR YOUR LIVES
(Matthew 24:16-19)
3) PRAY FOR PROVIDENTIAL MERCIES
(Matthew 24:20-22; Genesis 6 Psalm 67;
Isaiah 64)
4) EXERCISE BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT
(Matthew 24:23-28; 1 Thess. 5:21-22; 1
Chron. 12:32)
For Further Reflection/Application:
We
must be doers of the Word and not
merely hearers
What do you wish you
could know as it relates to your immediate future?
Why are we so often
tempted to not think long and hard about what matters most (in the present, but
especially, as it relates to the future)?
How should the future Tribulation impact the present?
How did the sermon
introduction today address these questions (note also 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Col.
3:2-4; and 1 Thess. 4:9-5:11)?
Jot down a concise
timeline of Revelation 6-22. How does
Matthew 24-25 fit into this end times chart?
What does the sheer
length of Jesus’ answer (Matthew 24:4-26:1) to a very short two-pronged
question (Matthew 24:3) suggest concerning the relevance and importance of
prophetic details? Many Christian
preachers today act as if details related to eschatology aren’t that important. Do you agree? Why or why not?
We must understand the
prophetic “signs.” What are the 6 signs
that the end of this present age is near (see Matthew 24:3-15)?
What is “the abomination
of desolation” and how does it fit into Jesus’ end times instructions? When
this event take place during the later days of the later days? (study Daniel 9-11 against the backdrop of
Revelation 11:2 and 14).
Are you wholly prepared for what may happen in this world in the next
5-10 years?
Have you sought refuge in the One who alone can
keep you from “the hour” of great testing that is going to come upon this evil
world? (Rev. 3:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18)
List the last three times you prayed for
“providential mercies.” What was going
on in your life and in the world at that time? If God isn’t sovereign and omnipotent why
bother? But thankfully He is!
How does knowing the prophetic Word (2 Peter 1)
and exercising biblical discernment help you better understand the times (present
and future)? For example, how does
biblical eschatology help you make sense of the current situation in the Middle
East? See also Wed. PM summer series on
“the Plight of Israel: A Historical, Biblical, and Theological Study.”
How does the horrific
tribulation set the stage for the glorious reign of Christ? (Matthew 24:1-28 sets the world stage for
Matthew 24:29-25:26 as Revelation 6-19 does for chapters 20-22)
What
is the relationship between our understanding the many details of biblical
eschatology and the passion in which we worship our Sovereign Lord and
Messianic King?
Related Praise Songs: Theology
fuels Doxology! We dig deeply in order
that we may go high!
O
God, Show Us Mercy- hymn based on Psalm 67
I
Wish We’d All Been Ready- DC Talk
Whom
Shall I Fear (the God of Angel Armies)- Chris Tomlin
A
City Called Heaven- Jubilant Sykes
Related Biblical Texts: Search
the Scriptures to see if these things be so.
Genesis 6; Daniel
9-12; Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 13:34-25; Revelation 6-20
Related Biblical Terms: Search
the Scriptures to see if these things be so.
The Abomination of Desolation- Daniel
9:24-Daniel 12; Matthew 24:15. “The
phrase ‘abomination of desolation’ refers to Matthew 24:15: “So when you see standing in the holy
place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet
Daniel—let the reader understand.” This is referring to Daniel 9:27, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the
middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing
[of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the
end that is decreed is poured out on him.” In 167 B.C. a Greek ruler by the
name of Antiochus Epiphanies set up an altar to Zeus over the altar
of burnt offerings in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He also sacrificed a pig
on the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is known as the abomination
of desolation.”
“Whatever the
future abomination of desolation is, it will leave no doubt in anyone’s mind
that the one perpetrating it is the person known as the Antichrist. Revelation 13:14 describes
him making some kind of image which all are forced to worship. Turning the
temple of the living God into a place of worship for the Antichrist is truly an
“abomination.” Those who are alive and remain during the tribulation should be
watchful and recognize that this event is the beginning of 3 1/2 years of the
worst of the tribulation period and that the return of the Lord Jesus is
imminent. “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all
that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of
Man” (Luke 21:36).”
The Tribulation- This future 7-year
Tribulation period (Dan. 9:24f) is called many different things. The “day of the Lord” (Amos 5:18-20). The
“time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:17).
“The day of the Lord’s anger” (per Zeph. 2:2-3) and many more.
The “Great Tribulation” period- “The
Tribulation is a future time period when the Lord will accomplish at least two
aspects of His plan: 1) He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel (Daniel 9:24), and 2) He will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the
earth (Revelation 6 - 18). The length of the
Tribulation is seven years. This is determined by an understanding of the
seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27).The Great Tribulation is the last half of the Tribulation period,
three and one-half years in length…. The wrath of God will greatly intensify
during this time. Thus, it is important at this point to emphasize that the
Tribulation and the Great Tribulation are not synonymous terms. Within
eschatology (the study of future things), the Tribulation refers to the full
seven-year period while the “Great Tribulation” refers to the second half of
the Tribulation."
