The FIRST ADVENT AND END TIME SIGNS

SERMON STARTER

Mayan Apocalypse Predicted December 21st

          Last year when Harold Camping predicted the end of days for planet Earth, on May 21st and a revised October 21st, many gullible people did ill advised things to prepare for the end of the world. Camping followers did all sorts of goofy things:

like selling all their possessions and giving the money to the Camping ministry, quitting their jobs, and being evangelistic about the message of the false prophesy.

          God’s standard for accuracy is 100%, and this eliminates even the world's most revered soothsayers as Nostradamus, Jean Dixon and Edgar Cayce who at best have a 20% record for accuracy. Any false prophet in biblical times was taken to the outskirts of the city for a rock concert.  See Deut. 18:20

"But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.'"

          Besides, if 12-21-12 really was the end, why be concerned about a fiscal cliff? One knows the only things for sure are death and taxes. One astrobiologist writes,

"What apocalypse? I don't anticipate anything unusual on December 21. The Earth has been here for more than 4 billion years, and I expect it to continue rolling along just fine for billions of years in the future."

"Debunking the 2012 End of the World Doomsday Hoax"

http://www.2012hoax.org/

          Jesus first advent came with strange predictions, gullible superstitious people listening to false Messiahs in public squares. It seems that we have the same things occurring in our time as we anticipate Jesus Second Coming, His Second Advent.

          Each time we read the Great End Time Prophesy of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 24, we are struck and convicted about how Christ’s prophesies are like the daily current event newscasts.  Tim LaHaye’s “Left Behind” series has electrified Christian readers about the immediacy of Christ’s return.

          Some believers are ready to go.  Their bags are packed. They have a good relationship with Christ.  Others are not so confident.  The thought of Christ’s any moment return fills them with guilt, anxiety and dread.

          In this teaching I outline TEN clear signs Jesus predicted would occur at the time of His return.  These signs are reminders that we are to walk in hope and great anticipation that His return is about to happen.

          There are so many things happening in our midst that are signs of His Return: 9/11, national calamities, hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, world-wide earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, terrorism with its anti-Christ spirit, irrational fear, proliferation of evil, mass murderers abounding so that little children are no longer safe in their classrooms.

We join with believers of all the ages and cry out,

“Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

“Maranatha!”

 

Pastor Phil  <><<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil Roland

Third Sunday of Advent - December 16, 2012

 

The FIRST ADVENT AND END TIME SIGNS

2 Peter 3:1-10 - Matthew 24:1-31

"Know the times and seasons given to us by the Lord.  Surely His Return is closer than the day before.  We who love Him and long for His appearing do not have long to wait.”                Pastor Phil

HIS FIRST ADVENT ANNOUNCED BY ANGEL:

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."                                     Luke 2:11-12 (NKJV)

TEN SIGNS = shmeion = “SAY-MEION” =  Sign, Mark or Symbol

 

I.    RAMPANT DECEPTION - vs. 4,5, 11

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
            A. Alan Langstaff's Four Tests of a Prophet/Prophesy

                        1. Conformity to Scripture

                        2. Inner Resonance of the Holy Spirit

                        3. Do predictions/events actually take place?

                        4. Does the prophesy bear Good Fruit?

            B. Bored, Gullible people are everywhere

                        1. Easily swayed by every word of doctrine

                        2. Vulnerable kids today susceptible

                        3. September 11, 2011 Isabel Taylor hung herself

                        4. She believed Mayan Doomsday Rumors, "If true, why live?"

5. People are more susceptible to FEAR than to HOPE

 

II.   INCREASE IN INTERNATIONAL WARFARE - vs. 6

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
            A. Arab Spring is Arab bloodshed: Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iran, Afghanis

            B. Power Grabbers are always ready to exploit through War

 

III. ADVERSARIAL SPIRIT LOOSED - v. 7a

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."

            A. Wars on Christianity within our own nation

                        1. BEN STEIN's confession

                        2. Inclusiveness

                        3. Embracing Cultural Diversity

                        4. Citing Political Correctness

            B. Partisan politicians deliberate divide our country to get elected

                        1. Rich vs. Poor

                        2. Black or Brown vs. white

THE FIRST ADVENT AND END TIME SIGNS, p. 2

 

                        3. Nation's Motto: Latin, "e pluribus unum"

                   5. "Out of Many One"

 

IV. INCREASE IN ADVERSITY & PESTILENCE - vs. 7b

"And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places."
            A. Hurricane Sandy and the East Coast pestilence

            B. Floods, Volcanoes, Natural Pestilences/Disasters Plague

 

V.  PERSECUTION OF THE SAINTS - v.9

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake."
          A. "Martyr in English is from the Greek word, "MAR-TUR-IUS"

                        1. Appears in Acts 1:8

                        "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon

                         you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all

                         Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

                        2. Literally means God's power to give the Gospel witness

                                    to the point of death

                        3. Jesus predicts the Gospel to be spread w/ the blood of                                                 martyrs

          B. Present World-Wide Martyrdom of Faithful

                        1. Fox's "Book of Martyrs"

                        2. Richard Wumbrandt, "Tortured for Christ"

                        2. "Voice of the Martyrs"

3. Website: http://www.persecution.net/

            B. Hatred and Betrayal Common

                        1. World is NOT inclusive when it comes to religion

                        2. Wahhabist Muslims enjoy murdering Jews and Christians

 

VI.  FALLING AWAY OF THE SAINTS - vs. 10,11

"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many."
          A. Apostasy, Unbelief will abound - 1 Corinthians 11:18, 19

            "For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are

             divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be

             factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized

             among you."

1. Schisms and Heresies are both expected and necessary

                        2. Workers of darkness more easily revealed

            B. Love for God Will Grow Cold - Many will be “Offended”

 

VII.   WICKEDNESS WILL INCREASE  - v.12a

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."
            A. Jesus prophesied that Noah in his generation would be a sign

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the (second) coming of the Son              of Man be." Matthew 24:37

            B. Genesis 6:5,6

            "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,

THE FIRST ADVENT AND END TIME SIGNS, p. 3

 

             and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

             6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was

             grieved in His heart."

 

 

VIII.  GOSPEL WILL GO FORTH TO ALL NATIONS - v.14

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
            A. First, it was Newspapers, beginning in the Reformation

                        1. First newspapers were religious tracts

                        2. Feud between Luther and the Vatican

            B. Radio / Television / Telephones in this past century

            C. Computers / Internet / Cell Phones / International networking

                        1. This past year HNI tried out "Webnars"

                        2. Facebook - World-Wide webs

                        3. Websites

                                                 

IX. ABOMINATIONS IN JERUSALEM - v.15

"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),"
          A. Abomination of Desolation - Daniel 11:31

“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and wil

              abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that

             causes desolation.”

1. 167 B.C. Greek Ruler, Antiochus Epiphanies set up an altar                                to Zeus over the burnt offerings in the Jewish Temple in

                           Jerusalem

                        2. Sacrificed a pig on God's Altar

                        3. Also, murdered/executed Jewish males

                        4. Human Blood and Animal Blood Mingled on Sacred Altar

B. Second Destruction happened 70 AD - v. 24:2

            "And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say

             to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be

             thrown down."

X.  TRIBULATION BEGINS - v.21

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
          A. Unprecedented Great Distress

            B. Even Greater Deceivers

                        1. Even the Elect Could Be Deceived - v. 22

                        "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved;

                         but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."
                        2. False Christs and False Prophets

            C. Then Christ will come again in His Second Advent - v. 27

            "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also

             will the coming of the Son of Man be."

The FIRST ADVENT AND END TIME SIGNS

2 Peter 3:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),
2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

 

 

 

Matthew 24:1-31 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEN STEIN'S CONFESSION

 

The  following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS  Sunday  Morning  Commentary.

My confession:  
Here at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart. I have no clue who Nick (Lachey) and Jessica (Simpson) are.  I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I'm buying my dog biscuits. I still don't know. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores who they are. They don't know who Nick (Lachey) and Jessica (Simpson) are, either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they've broken up? Why are they so darned important?
I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I don't care at all about Tom Cruise's baby.
Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I'm a subversive? Maybe. But I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. Is this what it means to be no longer young? Hm, not so bad.

Next confession: I am a Jew and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish, and it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautifully lit-up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees.
I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they're slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. I shows that we're all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year.

It doesn't bother me one bit that there's a manger scene on display at a key intersection at my beach house in Malibu.
If people want a creche, fine. The menorah a few hundred yards away is fine, too. I do not like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.

I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way. Where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and aren't allowed to worship God as we understand him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we used to know went to.

End-Time Signs

CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:

 

THERE WAS AN Irish woman who had a son named Jack. He drank. One day while under the influence of drink he was shanghaied aboard a ship going to Australia. After the ship dock he went into the interior. He discovered a gold mine and became very rich. Jack loved his mother and wrote her regularly, every two weeks. He told her how rich he was, about his wife, about his two children, his automobiles, his homes. The mother grew old and tired, but the son could not leave his business to see her. She finally became too feeble to work. The priest and the people of the parish decided that she must be sent to the poorhouse. The priest went to speak to her about it. They sat over tea and cakes, talking. The priest had befriended her for many years and knew she was a devout Catholic.  This mission pained his heart. Finally, he spoke.

"DAUGHTER, I always wanted to ask you what became of your son. He left home. What happened to him? Do you ever hear from him?

“WHY, DIDN'T I ever tell you?” she asked.

“NO,” he replied.

“HE WENT to Australia,” the woman related.

“HE is very rich now. He has a wife, and two children.”

THE PRIEST asked,

“How often do you hear from him?”

“EVERY TWO weeks regularly.”

“BUT doesn't he ever ask about your condition what you are doing, how you are getting alone if you need any help?”

THE WOMAN SHOOK her head,

“No. He has never asked, and I never mentioned it. I did not want to worry him.”

"Hasn't he ever sent you anything?”

“No, except for some small presents on my birthday and on the holidays.”

“I can't understand it,” said the priest.

“He loves you. He has written you every two weeks during all these years. Yet he has never sent you a thing.”

Old Irish Lady, cont.

THE WOMAN replied,

"No, except that in every letter there is a little greenish-blue slip of paper.”

The Catholic Priest was no fool.

“What did you do with these slips of paper?” he queried surmising what they were.

“They looked so pretty. I have pasted them up in my bedroom.”

They walked into the room. Pasted neatly from one side of the wall to the other, from the ceiling to the floor, were money orders covering hundreds of thousands of dollars. The woman did not know what they were, so she plastered the wall with them!

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS LIKE THAT WOMAN!

God has plastered the walls of our lives with these mighty end time SIGNS as a reminder of His spiritual riches that will be soon coming our way.

Are you ready to receive Christ in a brand new way this morning?

Are you ready to walk in the light of the evidence of His soon-coming?

MARANATHA!

Even so, come Lord Jesus!