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Beginning on Sunday, December 8, 2024, our Pastor began using the LSB version of the Bible in all of his teaching and preaching. This is the newly updated version of the NASB, which he has been using for a number of years. Here is some information on the LSB for those who would like to learn more. It also explains why Pastor Alan is now using this version of the English Bible.

The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).

THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION

1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. They shall be grammatically correct.

3. They shall be understandable.

4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.

PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.

The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION

Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.

There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.

In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.

Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.

Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.

THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation

For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-lsb/

A WORLD OF BETRAYAL

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB & NKJV

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to begin today’s sermon by thanking You for the gift of Your Word. As we open our hearts to receive the message You have for us today, I ask for the Holy Spirit to direct every thought, word, and revelation. Let nothing be spoken outside of Your will. Give our minds clarity as we listen to the proclamation of Your truth, and help us to hear Your Word with discernment. May this message not just inspire us, but move us to spiritual action, repentance, growth, and maturity. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: The man strolling through a public park in Fairfax County, VA, didn’t look like one of the world’s most dangerous spies. He was middle-aged, middle-class, and a bit out of shape. But look more carefully. That plastic bag in his hand? Now you see it. Now you don’t.

Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent with top security clearance, had been betraying his country for twenty years as a double agent. Starting in 1979, he sold thousands of US classified files to the Russians, including detailed military plans for responding to a nuclear war. He betrayed American operatives, some of whom were executed by the Russians. He even told the Russians about a secret multimillion dollar eavesdropping tunnel under the Soviet Embassy. Unknown to Hanssen, the FBI was watching on that day – February 18, 2001 – when he made a dead-drop delivery beneath the bridge in Foxstone Park. As they swarmed and cuffed him, Hanssen asked one question: “What took you so long?”

Between 1979 and 2001, Hanssen betrayed his country time and time again. The FBI’s official statement reveals the depth of his treachery: A betrayal of trust by an FBI Agent, who is not only sworn to enforce the law but specifically to help protect our nation’s security, is particularly abhorrent. This kind of criminal conduct represents the most traitorous action imaginable against a country governed by the Rule of Law. It also strikes at the heart of everything the FBI represents – the commitment of over 28,000 honest and dedicated men and women in the FBI who work diligently to earn the trust and confidence of the American people every day.

What a bitter phrase … a betrayal of trust. A man like Robert Hanssen makes the headlines and history books, but acts of betrayal happen every day in politics, in business, and in life. Introduction. Perhaps you’ve been damaged by someone who broke trust with you and, in the process, broke your heart. But what does this have to do with the Olivet Discourse?

Well, Jesus included betrayal in His list of trends that would intensify before His coming. Like all the other items on His list, we’re likely to experience this one in greater measure as we move toward the end of history. Let’s look closer.

[READ Mt. 24:10]

Jesus said,
10 And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.

I. THE PAIN OF BETRAYAL (1 Sam. 25:3)

Few things in life hurt us worse than personal betrayal. If you asked me if anyone has ever betrayed me, I’d answer with a cautious, “Yes.” Would you? Betrayal is one of the strongest words on the emotional scale. We don’t use it lightly. What makes betrayal so raw and painful is that it doesn’t come from our enemies but from those we believed to be our friends. Even our family.

People can’t betray us unless we’ve allowed them through our grid of defenses – unless we’ve let down our guard and trusted them. Betrayal exposes and exploits our vulnerability. It wounds us because it makes us subject to a double-cross. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the name Les Parrott. He is an American author of Christian self-help books, a professor of psychology at Northwest University, and an ordained minister. He and his wife Leslie have been frequent guests on Focus on the Family broadcasts. He writes, “[Backstabbers] put on a front that appears accommodating, loyal, and yes, even sacrificial. Then, without warning, they raise their knife, and by the time you see the glint of the blade, it’s almost always too late.”

Perhaps you’ve shared your most private thoughts with someone only to discover they betrayed your confidence and told someone else. Maybe you paid someone in advance for work or equipment without getting what you’d bargained for. Far more painful is discovering your spouse is cheating on you or a sibling has lied to you. Many people feel betrayed by a dad or mom who failed to love or respect them or by a business partner who did them dirty.

Phil Waldrep, another frequent guest of Focus on the Family said, “Honestly, I don’t know of any other pain in life that is worse than being betrayed by someone close to you. It changes everything. After such an experience, the world is simply a different place – one far darker and crueler than you ever thought possible before.”

You may be surprised to know that “Dear Abby” is still around. This daily newspaper column was started in 1956 by Pauline Phillips, who used the pen name Abigail Van Buren. She chose the name Abigail from the Bible – “a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance” (1 Sam. 25:3). Abigail gave David good advice, and “Dear Abby” sought to do the same. Pauline’s daughter, Jeanne Phillips, now writes the column.

The following letter appeared in “Dear Abby” and it’s indicative of thousands of problems that have appeared in advice columns over the years.

DEAR ABBY: Several years ago, my parents betrayed my son and me. They took in and supported my ex-husband, who walked out on us for a coworker he was cheating with. My son and I lost our home, our car, and the life we knew without support from any family. My son was still in high school, and it was a dark time in both of our lives.

My parents are both older now and have been diagnosed with life-threatening conditions. They are reaching out to us. To say the least, I am apprehensive ….. I don’t know if I should reconsider a relationship with my parents. Losing my father’s support was harder than losing my husband, and I don’t want to experience that pain again. Can you advise? – Burned in Tennessee.

How would you have answered? You see, this isn’t hypothetical. Every evening, people all over the world go to bed with the feeling they were burned by someone, and the pain lingers for a long time. Many of them seek to forgive and move on, but it’s a hard and painful process.

II. PORTRAITS OF BETRAYAL (Ezek. 28:14; Gen. 37:18-36; Ps. 55:12-13; Lk. 22:3-4; Mt. 10:4; Lk. 6:16; Jn. 13:2)

Let me tell you, there’s nothing new about being burned by someone. The sin of betrayal goes back to a cryptic point before the beginning of human history when the archangel Lucifer turned against his Creator.

[READ Ezek. 28:14, NLT]

The Lord told him,
14 I ordained and anointed you
as the mighty angelic guardian.
You had access to the holy mountain of God ….

But this mighty angel deserted his God and led a host of angels in rebellion against Him. Ever since that event, betrayal has proliferated through the human story.

Adam and Eve were seduced by Satan. Cain betrayed his brother Abel. Jacob double-crossed his brother Esau. Think of how Joseph felt when his own brothers stripped off his colorful robe, threw him in an empty well, and sold him into slavery (see Gen. 37:18-36). Delilah betrayed her husband, Samson, and the psalms of David are filled with anguish over various acts of betrayal – including an attempted coup by his own son Absalom.

[READ Ps. 55:12-13]

David said in this psalm,
12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me,
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who has magnified himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man my equal,
My close companion and my familiar friend; ….

There are many more examples of betrayal in the Bible, but only one matches the horrendous betrayal of Satan against God the Father that I mentioned earlier; and that’s the betrayal of God the Son by Judas Iscariot.

[READ Lk. 22:3-4]

3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, who belonged to the number of the twelve. 4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.

When we study the character of Judas in the Bible, almost every reference includes his act of betrayal. Matthew introduces him as “Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him” (Mt. 10:4). Luke describes him as “Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor” (Lk. 6:16). John says, “And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him” (Jn. 13:2). To this day, the name Judas is a synonym for a traitor.

Now put yourself on the Mount of Olives as the sun descends in the western sky. Jesus knew that within hours He would experience the most infamous act of betrayal in history. He must have known even as He quietly warned His disciples that a spirit of betrayal would engulf civilization as we move closer to the end of the world and the Lord’s return.

III. THE PROPHECY OF BETRAYAL (Mt. 24:10)

This brings us to our next key verse in the Olivet Discourse and its three layers of severity.

[READ Mt. 24:10]

10 And at that time many will fall away (be offended, NKJV) and will betray one another and hate one another.

Have you noticed how many of Jesus’ prophetic promises in the Olivet Discourse are connected to emotional wounds? Prophecy is about more than earthquakes, pestilence, and heavenly signs. It’s also about offenses, betrayal, and hatred. Every word of Jesus is intentional, so let’s trace this trio of terms.

• A World of Offense (Mt. 24:10)

“Fall away” or “be offended” in verse 10 is a translation of the Greek term skandalizō, from which we get our modern words scandal and scandalized. This term is used 30 times in the NT, and it refers to a hidden foot-trap in the ground that causes someone to stumble and fall.

I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve been walking along and didn’t see a broken piece of pavement, or a root in the ground. It tripped you up and sent you sprawling. That’s the picture Jesus is painting with the term skandalizō. The idea has to do with Satan using other people around us to set traps for us. The Lexham English Bible translates this as, “And then many will be led into sin.”

For example, when a Christian engages in some particular habit of sin, he or she tends to take others down the same road. When preachers begin departing from the sound teaching of Scripture, others will be tripped up. When a well-known Christian personality transgresses morally, it causes some to become cynical. When a Christian institution is exposed for ethical failure, it sends some believers stumbling forward, with their arms flailing in the air. When a preacher, a church, or a denomination begins to minimize a sinful trend in society, it gives weaker believers a license to engage in that sin or even to exult in it. That’s what it means to trip others up – to be a stumbling block.

Now, there’s a vital distinction that must be made regarding what is often referred to as “the scandal of the cross.” Preaching the gospel may offend people who don’t want to hear it. As Christians, our biblical worldview may be offensive to those who reject it. I don’t want to be personally offensive, and neither do you. Yet regardless of how kindly or lovingly or graciously we explain the Scriptures, some will be offended by biblical truth. However, that is not what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 24:10.

To offend someone in the biblical sense of skandalizō means to allow spiritual failures to accumulate in our lives in ways that trip up weaker believers. Jesus warned that this trend would continue to increase leading up to the time of His return. Many will be tripped up, stumble, or fall.

• A World of Betrayal (Mt. 24:10; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 4:10-16)

The Greek word for “betray” is paradidomī. It is a relatively common word in the NT, used on 121 occasions. This term is translated into several English words, including “deliver,” “betray,” and “give over.” In the context of Matthew 24, it paints the picture of Christians attempting to escape persecution or justify themselves by delivering or handing over other Christians to be judged, punished, or even put to death.

The saddest part of Matthew 24:10 is the phrase “one another.” Christians will betray Christians. Or perhaps more accurately, people who claim to be Christians will betray those who really are.

Earlier I shared with you some of the infamous examples of betrayal in the Bible, but there’s one more I want to tell you about that often gets overlooked, so it is not as well-known as the others we’ve looked at today. It is the story of Alexander the coppersmith. Many commentators believe we first meet this fellow in 1 Timothy 1, where he was spreading lies about God among the congregation at Ephesus.

[READ 1 Tim. 1:20]

20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

What happened next isn’t certain, but many commentators believe Alexander harbored a deep bitterness toward Paul and, at some point, betrayed Paul’s whereabouts to Roman authorities who were searching for the apostle. This led to Paul’s final arrest, possibly in Troas. All of this took place during the most dangerous days the church had yet experienced, when Emperor Nero declared Christians to be public enemies of the Roman government.

If this scenario is correct, Alexander’s betrayal led to the imprisonment, trial, and execution of the greatest evangelist and missionary in Christian history. In the final chapter known to be written by Paul he tells Timothy …

[READ 2 Tim. 4:10-16]

10 for Demas, having loved this present age, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. 12 But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the scrolls, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith showed me much harm; the Lord will award him according to his deeds. 15 Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our words. 16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them.

Is there any evidence today of Christians being betrayed by family members, neighbors, or even by so-called Christian brothers and sisters? Yes. As we learned last week, terrible persecution is afflicting the church in many lands. Intense pressure is sometimes placed on believers to give up the names of other Christians. Most resist, but some cannot withstand the strain.

Perhaps you are familiar with the name Richard Wurmbrand, the author of the widely read book called Tortured for Christ. Born into a Romanian Jewish home, Wurmbrand received Christ as his Savior as a young man. During World War II, he preached in bomb shelters and rescued Jews from capture. When the Soviet Union took over after the war, Wurmbrand began working in the Romanian underground church and among secretly Christian soldiers in the Russian army. It was dangerous work.

Wurmbrand later wrote, “We had our ‘Judases,’ too, who told and reported to the secret police. By beating, drugging, threats, and blackmail, the communists tried to find ministers and laymen who would report on their brethren.”

He told of a pastor name Florescu who was tortured as authorities tried to compel him to betray his brothers and sisters. The man withstood the pain. Then the officers brought his 14-year-old son in and began to whip the boy in front of his father. Pastor Florescu couldn’t take it and shouted he would tell the police all they wanted to know. But the son shouted, in effect, “Father, don’t do it! I don’t want to remember my father as a traitor. Withstand it! If I die, I’ll be with Jesus.” The boy died praising God, “but our dear brother Florescu was never the same after seeing this,” said Wurmbrand.

This sounds like what will happen during the Tribulation, when raw evil will operate on steroids. The machinery of the Antichrist will seek to track down all new believers and force them to give up the names of other converts. But as we’ve seen, the birth pains are already occurring.

• A World of Hatred (Mt. 24:9-10; 1 Jn. 2:11)

As appalling as betrayal is, hatred is even worse. People may be tricked into betraying you, or they may do so out of weakness. But when people harm out of hatred, they’ve reached a new level of evil.

[READ Mt. 24:10, NIV]

Jesus said …
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.

This is the second time Jesus has mentioned hate. In verse 9, He warned that the world would hate us, which is a hatred coming from outside the church. But in verse 10, he warned that Christians (or so-called Christians) would “betray one another, and … hate one another” – which means Jesus is warning us of hatred from within the church.

John Wycliffe understood this type of hate. As an Oxford scholar who loved God’s Word, Wycliffe felt a keen burden to help others to read and engage with Scripture. But the Bible was only available in Latin during Wycliffe’s day, which meant only scholars could read the text. Those scholars then taught the “common people” what they needed to know. Wycliffe upended this system by spending years of his life translating God’s Word from Latin to English. And the church leaders of his day hated him for it.

Listen to the church’s official position regarding Wycliffe’s efforts: By this translation, the Scriptures have become vulgar, and they are more available to lay, and even to women who can read, than they were to learned scholars, who have a high intelligence. So, the pearl of the gospel is scattered and trodden underfoot by swine.

Wycliffe responded: “Englishmen learn Christ’s law best in English. Moses heard God’s law in his own tongue; so did Christ’s apostles.”

As the conflict intensified, Pope Gregory XI issued five papal “bulls” (edicts) against Wycliffe with a total of eighteen different charges, labeling the gifted scholar as “the master of errors.” Wycliffe was arrested many times, accused of heresy, placed under house arrest, and regularly threatened with death. He died of natural causes before the church could burn him at the stake. However, 43 years later, church leaders exhumed Wycliffe’s corpse, burned the remnants, and scattered his ashes in the River Swift.

Beloved, that’s hatred! And that kind of extreme loathing will become commonplace in the end times world, even within the established church. Some Christians or fraudulent Christians during that time will fulfill the words of John:

[READ 1 Jn. 2:11]

11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness blinded his eyes.

We need to realize that genuine followers of Christ – those who are abiding in Christ and growing in Him – are not the sources of hate but the objects of it. Institutionalized religion and apostate Christianity, however, will be vengeful against true believers. This is why we need to keep all forms of hatred, resentment, and bitterness out of our hearts. It really bothers me when I see those claiming to follow Jesus harassing other believers over issues of secondary importance. Christians verbally abusing other Christians over their political beliefs, their financial expenditures, or their worship styles. Denominational affiliations can cause conflicts. Church fights always cause collateral damage.

Not all of Christ’s followers are equally mature. Seasoned Christians should set the example for those who are still babes in Christ. We shouldn’t let divisive topics of secondary importance break the bond of fellowship between members of God’s kingdom.

IV. THE PREPARATION FOR BETRAYAL

I don’t need to convince you that betrayal is painful or persuade you that backstabbing is commonplace in our world. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it. The real question is, what can we do about it? How do we respond to the reality of betrayal both now and in the future? How do we prepare for it? The answer is we must be faithful!

Let’s think through some steps to take right now as we seek to shine the light of God’s goodness and grace into a world struggling with disloyalty.

• Choose Your Friends Carefully (Job 2:11-13, 16:2, 19:21, 42:9-10; Prov. 12:26, 17:17, 27:6) 

Ashley Garlett grew up in Western Australia, where he and his friends began trying to find ways to have fun. They jumped on and off trains that chugged slowly through their town. They hitched rides on other vehicles too. One night, Ashley and his friend were joyriding on the back of a truck when the vehicle picked up speed. They couldn’t get off, and his friend fell to his death. Ashley was only thirteen, and he dealt with the tragedy by smoking, drinking, and hanging out with a bad crowd of friends. By age nineteen, he realized he was not living the life he wanted to be living.

The answers began to come when he started attending his mother’s church. “Eventually I came to know that Jesus died for us,” he said. “And He gave his life for us to forgive us of our sins. So, one day I decided I wanted to respond to the Lord’s call and started a new journey for me.”

At first, Ashley struggled with how to interact with his old gang. He wanted to share his faith, but he was no longer any fun to them. Even as his old friends rejected him, he began to develop new friends. Now Ashley says, “I want to commit my life to following Christ by helping others come to know Him personally and get alongside other brothers and sisters who are passionate and dedicated to serving God.”

It’s amazing how we’re influenced by the friends we choose when we’re thirteen – or nineteen, or any other age. How easily we’re drawn into unhealthy relationships! Our needs can overcome our judgment, and our feelings can overrule common sense. Before we know it, we’re in a relationship that is self-destructive.

In the Bible, Job had a set of friends who came to comfort him in his distress. At first, they wept with him and sat with him in empathetic silence (Job 2:11-13). But when they started giving their opinions and sharing their advice, they upset him so that he finally cried out,

[READ Job 16:2, 19:21]

2 “I have heard many such things;
Troublesome comforters are you all.

21 Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has smitten me.

Despite it all, Job remained loyal to God and to his friends. Even more surprisingly, his friends remained loyal to God and to him. We often rightly criticize Job’s friends for their bad advice, but we should remember that at the end of the story they took God’s rebuke humbly, offered sacrifices for their sins, and made things right.

[READ Job 42:9-10]

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Yahweh told them; and Yahweh accepted Job. 10 And Yahweh restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends ….

Job’s story teaches us many important principles, but this is one of them: friendships may go through ups and downs, but we need friends who will remain loyal to God and to us when all is said and done.

[READ Prov. 12:26]

26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked makes them wander about.

Do your friends help you draw closer to God, or do they push you away from God? That simple question can go a long way toward filling your life with positive relationships.

Another verse in Proverbs says,

[READ Prov. 17:17]

17 A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

Take a moment to recall a recent time of pain or difficulty in your life. Who was there to help? Who was present with you? And with whom have you stood during their time of struggle? We need friends who will be honest with us, telling us the truth and keeping us from mistakes or missteps.

[READ Prov. 27:6]

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

The best way to avoid people who are stumbling blocks or betrayers or hateful is to nurture a handful of rich friendships with people who are sold out to God. If they are loyal to Him, they will be loyal to you. And they will lift you up, not tear you down.

• Stay Focused on Your Purpose (Jn. 14-17; Heb. 12:2)

When you find yourself cheated or betrayed in some way – likely despite your efforts to cultivate solid friendships – how should you respond? Like Jesus.

What did Jesus do when He knew Judas had left the upper room to inform officials of His whereabouts? Jesus still had work to do before His arrest, and in John 14-16 He gave His disciples the greatest sermon of His life. Then, in the Kidron Valley, Jesus offered His longest prayer recorded in the Bible – John 17. In the middle of betrayal, Jesus remained focused on His purpose.

Even later, after He was arrested because of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus remained steady in the awful work before Him. He didn’t let that betrayal derail Him. Instead, He continued forward, even to the cross.

[READ Hebrews 12:2]

says that Jesus,
2 … Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Here’s the lesson for us: betrayal can be so painful, so agonizing, that we are unable to focus on anything else. We can’t let go. Our hearts become bitter. We chew on the possibility of revenge. All this does nothing except create greater harm.

When you face betrayal, choose not to focus on yourself but on your purpose. Just like Jesus, choose to live above the mindset of bitterness and revenge by pouring your life into the work God has called you to do. Staying focused on your purpose will allow you to keep the pain in perspective.

• Pursue Loyalty (1 Cor. 4:2; Gal. 5:22; Rev. 2:10)

Walter Orthmann was 15-years-old when he landed his first job. On January 17, 1938, he began working at the Brazilian textile company ReneauxView. He started working as a shipping assistant and was quickly promoted to sales before shifting to management. He was still working for the company on April 19, 2022 when he turned 100-years-old. A short time later, he was awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest career in a single company – 84 years!

When asked about his record, Orthmann replied, “When we do what we like, we don’t see the time go by. You need to get busy with the present, not the past or the future. Here and now is what counts. So, let’s go to work!”

By the way, he was still working there when he turned 101. He passed away on August 3, 2024 at the age of 102. There aren’t many Walters around anymore who tackle life with that attitude. Loyalty and commitment are often unpopular because they require us to think of others rather than ourselves. But the beauty in loyalty counterbalances the bitterness of betrayal. We see evidence of that beauty in Scripture:

[READ 1 Cor. 4:2]

2 … Moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found faithful.

[READ Gal. 5:22]

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ….

[READ Rev. 2:10]

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

In a world of betrayal, let’s pursue the kind of loyalty that inspires others to remain faithful in their commitment to Christ.

• Do Good to Those Who Hate You (Prov. 25:21-22; Mt. 5:43-44; Rom. 12:14, 17-19; 1 Pet. 3:9)

We know from Jesus that people will betray us – even people who call themselves Christians. This will happen. We can count on it. With that in mind, how should we respond? This is one of those questions to which the Bible gives a simple answer. We are called to show love and do good to those who harm us. Even to those who betray us. The Bible couldn’t be any clearer on this matter:

[READ Prov. 25:21-22]

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And Yahweh will repay you.

[READ Mt. 5:43-44]

Jesus said,
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ….
[READ Rom. 12:14, 17-19]

Paul writes,
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. … 17 Never paying back evil for evil to anyone, respecting what is good in the sight of all men, 18 if possible, so far as it depends on you, being at peace with all men, 19 never taking your own revenge, beloved -- instead leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

[READ 1 Pet. 3:9]

Peter cautions
9 … Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but giving a blessing instead, for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

Alfred Lord Tennyson is said to have made this comment about Thomas Cranmer, who was archbishop of Canterbury in the 16th century: “To do him a hurt was to beget a kindness from him. His heart was made of such fine soil that if you planted in it the seeds of hate they blossomed love.”

We have been called to do the same. Yes, Jesus has warned us about the potential of betrayal. But that same Jesus also commanded us to go as far as possible to show goodness and grace. Jesus gave us the Olivet Discourse so we wouldn’t be surprised by the hatred around us. He was preparing us to be light in the darkness because that’s when the light is most impressive, which in turn, makes God look even more glorious.

As I began today’s message, I told you about Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand. He to, was betrayed by a friend, resulting in 14 years of imprisonment and torture. Long afterward, a missions leader named Dale Rhoton was walking with Wurmbrand down a street when they saw a man coming their way. Wurmbrand greeted the man with kisses in typical Romanian style, and he introduced the man to Rhoton.

As they walked on, Rhoton said, “Pastor Wurmbrand, that’s interesting. The name of that man is the same name as the man who betrayed you.” Without missing a beat, Wurmbrand replied, “Rhoton, we all make mistakes.”

Dale Rhoton later said, “If anybody has injured me at all, I need to compare that with what Richard Wurmbrand went through, and I should be able to forgive people pretty easily …. He must have been totally convinced of the sovereignty of God.”

Beloved, we’re all going to need Richard Wurmbrand’s attitude and grip on God’s sovereignty because betrayal is on the rise in this world.

• Count on the Character of God (Gen. 50:19-20; 2 Tim. 4:17-18)

And that brings me to my final suggestion: In the midst of betrayal, count on the character of God. Lean on the love of God. This was the conclusion Joseph came to after years of processing his brothers’ betrayal.

[READ Gen. 50:19-20]

19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive.

When Paul was sold out by Alexander the coppersmith, he pressed on to write his final book, 2 Timothy, with the resolution of finishing his race and keeping the faith. That final epistle contains this beautiful testimony to God’s faithfulness:

[READ 2 Tim. 4:17-18]

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the preaching might be fulfilled, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save me unto His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Perhaps the key to processing the betrayal we experience as followers of Jesus is reckoning that for every person who deserts us, God has blessed us abundantly more with His never-ending faithfulness. Friends will fail us and foes assail us, but our Savior will never leave us nor forsake us. His loyalty is as immeasurable as His love. His overruling sovereignty will eventually turn our moments of bitterness into occasions for praise. Count on it!

V. IN CONCLUSION
In 1850, John Gray arrived with his family in Edinburgh, Scotland. Though he was a gardener by trade, there was a shortage of work in the city. So, John joined the Edinburgh police force as a night watchman. Every evening, he walked the streets to ensure their safety. But John Gray didn’t walk alone. His constant companion was a little Skye terrier named Bobby. No matter the temperature or the weather outside, John and Bobby could be seen walking together through the streets at night, alert for any trouble or any cry for help. After many years of performing his job with dedication, John died from tuberculosis. He was buried in a cemetery called Greyfriars Kirkyard within the city.

Bobby, the terrier, refused to leave his master’s side. Every day he came to spend long hours lying by John’s grave. At first, the churchyard gardener attempted to shoo the little dog away. But after months of witnessing Bobby’s faithfulness, the gardener made a small shelter so that little dog could be out of the weather while continuing his silent vigil.

The dog was later nicknamed Greyfriars Bobby, and he visited his master’s grave every day for 14 years until he also passed away. The residents of Edinburgh erected a granite fountain outside the cemetery with a statue of Bobby on the top. You can still read his headstone today: “Greyfriars Bobby – died 14th January 1872 – aged 16 years. Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.”

My friends, let’s learn the value of loyalty in an age of treachery. May it always be said that as followers of Jesus we were faithful and true – even in a world of betrayal. Don’t let this world trip you up or drag you down. Instead, be faithful.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are days on this earth when we yearn for Jesus come, now. This hope reigns paramount in our hearts and plays as an anthem to our souls. The compassion and grace of Christ’s presence in our lives causes us to crave Him more and more. And on those days, Father, when the world is . . . well, the world . . . we pray for Him to come soon. I’m not complaining Lord, for in the midst of it all Your creation is majestic, and Your miracles manifest in our lives in gloriously faithful ways. In fact, Father, Your faithfulness amazes us, as well as Your perfect love and personal care for every one of us. Thank You for going before us. Thank You for being our Protecter, the Breaker of every chain, and Forgiver of all our sins through Jesus. The fact is, Lord, the more we know You - the more we want to be with You. The most blessed life on this earth is hardly an inkling of the joy we will experience in heaven. Some days, just imagining that initial embrace when we arrive in our heavenly home helps us to keep breathing. We trust in Your will and pray for Your will to be done above all else and everything we desire. Father, I pray, that You will send Jesus soon to bring us home. Amen.

Invitation # 43: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” (vs. 1 & 3)
Benediction: Beloved, take heart from these words by the apostle Paul: I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. (Rom. 8:38-39)

A WORLD OF BETRAYAL

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 6) - October 12, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Perhaps you’ve been damaged by someone who broke trust with you and, in the process, broke your heart. But what does this have to do with the Olivet Discourse?

Jesus included betrayal in His list of trends that would intensify before His coming. Like all the other items on His list, we’re likely to experience this one in greater measure as we move toward the end of history.

I. THE PAIN OF BETRAYAL (Mt. 24:10; 1 Sam. 25:3)

II. PORTRAITS OF BETRAYAL (Ezek. 28:14; Gen. 37:18-36; Ps. 55:12-13; Lk. 22:3-4; Mt. 10:4; Lk. 6:16; Jn. 13:2)

III. THE PROPHECY OF BETRAYAL (Mt. 24:10)

* A WORLD OF OFFENSE (Mt. 24:10)

* A WORLD OF BETRAYAL (Mt. 24:10; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Tim. 4:10-16)

* A WORLD OF HATRED (Mt. 24:9-10; 1 Jn. 2:11)

IV. THE PREPARATION FOR BETRAYAL

* CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS CAREFULLY (Job 2:11-13, 16:2, 19:21, 42:9-10; Prov. 12:26, 17:17, 27:6)

* STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR PURPOSE (Jn. 14-17; Heb. 12:2)

* PURSUE LOYALTY (1 Cor. 4:2; Gal. 5:22; Rev. 2:10)

* DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU (Prov. 25:21-22; Mt. 5:43-44; Rom. 12:14, 17-19; 1 Pet. 3:9)

* COUNT ON THE CHARACTER OF GOD (Gen. 50:19-20; 2 Tim. 4:17-18)

IV. IN CONCLUSION

In a world of betrayal, let’s learn the value of loyalty – first to Christ, and then to others.

A WORLD OF PERSECUTION

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB & NKJV

Prayer: Gracious God, we acknowledge how easily our minds wander and our attention drifts. In these sacred moments and before the message from Your Word begins, we ask for a supernatural focus. Quiet the noise of the world, silence our inner anxieties, and fix our eyes on Jesus -- the author and finisher of our faith. Help us to resist all temptations or distractions so we can receive Your truth with full attention. We not only want to hear with our ears but also with our hearts. Create in us a posture of stillness that welcomes Your voice. May the seeds of Scripture be planted in fertile soil today, where it may grow and bear fruit. May we focus on what You are doing here at this moment. May our minds be alert, our hearts receptive, and our spirits ready for the divine encounter You have planned for us today. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Introduction: Andrew and Norine Brunson were relaxing at a Turkish retreat on the Aegean Sea when the phone rang. “Andrew,” said the voice, “the police have just been here looking for you.” The call was from the small church Andrew had pastored for 24 years in Izmir, which is actually the renamed NT city of Smyrna, in modern day Turkey. That phone call was the beginning of a nightmare that lasted 735 days. As he later recounted in his memoir, God’s Hostage, Andrew was kept for a time in a small cell with no chair, the only piece of furniture was a low bunk. This meant he had to either be standing, walking, or laying on the bed all the time. The toilet didn’t flush. His Bible and glasses were taken away. Later, Andrew was transferred to Sakran Prison and accused of terror crimes. His cell was filthy – “the floor, the sheets on the bunk bed, the bag of bread covered in thick, green mold … the squat toilet covered in human filth.” Sometimes, Pastor Brunson was housed in overcrowded cells and unable to sleep because of suffocating fear and stifling heat. A third of the way into the ordeal, he sobbed to the prison doctor, “I can’t handle it. I have constant panic, I don’t sleep. I have lost fifty pounds. I have fought for eight months to control myself, and I can’t handle it anymore.” More than once, he said, “I was afraid I was going insane.”

But the Lord didn’t forsake His servant. “Each day I focused on fighting through my fear to reach a place where I surrendered myself to whatever God had ahead for me.”

“I had to learn the lesson of Isaiah 50:10,” Brunson wrote after his release and return to America.

[READ Isa. 50:10]

10 Who is among you that fears Yahweh,
That listens to the voice of His Servant,
That walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of Yahweh and rely on his God.

“God was teaching me to stand in the dark, to persevere apart from my feelings, perceptions, and circumstances.”

Pastor Brunson warned of persecution ahead for the Western church, saying, “I believe the pressures that we’re seeing in our country now are going to increase, and one of these pressures is going to be hostility toward people who embrace Jesus Christ and His teaching, who are not ashamed to stand for Him …. My concern is that we’re not ready for this pressure. And not being prepared is very, very dangerous.” This is quite sobering given the recent murder of Charlie Kirk for his Christian witness.

Therefore, Beloved, I want us to be ready! One of the best ways of preparing is to study the next item in Christ’s remarkable list of coming signs for the world prior to His return – the sign of persecution.

[READ Mt. 24:9]

9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

I. THE RECORD OF CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION (Acts 7; Rev. 1:9)

Persecution against Christians started with the sufferings of Christ Himself – rejected, scourged, crucified, a Man of Sorrows. Then the earliest disciples were arrested, whipped, and forbidden to preach in Jesus’ name, though they would not be silenced. Stephen became the first person to die for his faith in Christ, and the Bible devotes an entire chapter, Acts 7, to that event.

Eleven of the twelve apostles perished violently, all except John, who was banished to the island of Patmos in his old age (Rev. 1:9). Peter and Paul died during the reign of Nero, who falsely blamed Christians for the fire that ravaged Rome in AD 64. During that period, Christians were crucified, torn apart by savage beasts, dragged by wild bulls, and burned at the stake to illuminate Nero’s gardens at night.

From Nero until now, no generation of Christians has escaped the sword or whip, the prisons or dungeons, the tortures, threats, intimidations, and the scorn of the world around them.

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, published in 1563, is a record of the sufferings of Protestants in England and Scotland. For generations, many Christians kept a copy of this book alongside their Bibles. People didn’t want to forget the stories of the heroes of the faith who suffered for Christ. Though filled with gruesome tortures, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs inspired millions of readers to remain true to the Lord.

The reason the Pilgrims came to America in 1620 was to escape religious oppression – to worship freely and speak the gospel openly. The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights encompasses religion in the United States. So, by now, you might think we’d see a decrease in persecutions of people for their personal faith, right? We’re no longer living in Roman times or during the Dark Ages. Think again!

In many parts of the world today, the persecution of Christians exceeds any period in history. According to Dr. Todd M. Johnson of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, more than 70 million Christians have been martyred throughout history, and more than half of these deaths occurred in the twentieth century. He also estimates one million Christians were killed between 2001 and 2010, and another 900 thousand between 2011 and 2020.

John L. Allen, Jr. is one of the most respected journalists in America. In his book The Global War on Christians, he wrote, “Christians today indisputably are the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often the new martyrs suffer in silence.”

II. THE REALITY OF CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION (Mt. 24:9)

Each year the Christian charity organization Open Doors International releases a “World Watch List” highlighting the fifty places where faith in Jesus costs the most.  chart This year in 2025, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan topped the list. Furthermore, they estimate that 360 million Christians in the world today experience extreme persecution because of their faith. That is one out of every seven believers worldwide.

Jesus foresaw all of this! Let’s look at Matthew 24:9 again and I want you to notice the precision of Jesus’ words.

[READ Mt. 24:9]

9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

Each phrase in this prophecy is important. Let’s look more closely at the three specific stages Christ predicted: tribulation, death, and hatred.

• Tribulation (Jn. 16:33; Rev. 6:9-11)

First, Jesus foresaw tribulation. The Greek word translated as “tribulation” is thlipsis, which describes a grinding pressure or crushing from which there is no escape. Think of how people ground grain in the ancient world. The kernels were pulverized into powder between two millstones with no chance of relief. That’s tribulation.

[READ Jn. 16:33]

Jesus said …
33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

At this point, Jesus wasn’t speaking exclusively about the seven years of intense suffering at the end of the world and the period we often call “the great tribulation.” He was speaking about the growing buildup of opposition as we move toward those final days. Throughout the future of the church, Christians will experience greater levels of grinding pressure, which will increase in intensity the closer we get to Christ’s return.

As we’ve learned, all the Matthew 24 signs will reappear after the rapture with greater intensity than ever before. That’s why the first seal of Revelation 6 is persecution and martyrdom. It follows deception, war, famine, and death (vv. 9-11). But in the build-up toward the rapture, there will be increasing tribulation for God’s church. That’s where we are now.

For example, the Communist government of China has been tightening the screws on the flourishing Christian movement. The Chinese website Jona Home (as in the prophet Jonah) served readers for more than 20 years by faithfully posting Christian teaching and other helpful content. Then, in April 2022, Jona Home updated its website with a final post: “Due to reasons known to everyone, from now on our site can no longer serve brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks to all for your company and support in the past 21 years.”

The website had been shut down by the government. The site administrators were among the first people to experience the effects of a new law established by the Chinese Communist Party in March 2022: the Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services. According to this law, any religious group desiring to disseminate information online would need to apply for and receive a special license, available only to religious groups that have already been legally approved by the CCP. Effectively, the Chinese government has restricted online biblical teaching, curriculum, or devotional content that doesn’t “promote socialist values and support of the party.”

May I remind you that this didn’t happen in AD 22, but in the modern days of 2022 – and in a nation with almost 1.5 billion citizens.

The loss of a website may seem of little importance compared to the martyrdom of millions as I mentioned earlier. Yet we must understand what’s involved with persecution. Enemies of Christ and His church don’t always begin with murder and death. Instead, they lay a groundwork of harassment, provocation, and confrontation designed to tyrannize those deemed unacceptable. They label Christians as undesirables. Then, once followers of Jesus have been marginalized, our enemies escalate their efforts toward destruction. This process is playing out now all of the world. For example:

* In Kaduna state, Nigeria, a group of Fulani herdsmen attacked four villages, killing 18 Christians and burning down 92 houses. The victims were specifically targeted because of their faith in Christ.

* In Eastern Uganda, the head teacher of a private Islamic school converted to Christianity. When teachers heard him praying in Jesus’ name, they beat him, scarred him with third-degree burns, and fired him from his position.

* In Vietnam, officials stripped a family of their citizenship after 3 years of trying to coerce them to stop practicing their Christian faith.

* In Uttar Pradesh, India, a pastor was arrested and tortured by police for 24-hours. His crime was singing out loud to Jesus with his family.

* On the other side of the globe, four Christians in Venezuela were overpowered, beaten, and forced to eat pages from the Bible. Each man was stripped and had a cross slashed across his torso with a knife. The four were workers in a church-run drug rehabilitation center, and their attackers were reportedly members of a drug cartel.

• Martyrdom (Mt. 24:9; Acts 22:20; Rev. 2:13, 17:9)

[READ Mt. 24:9]

9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

Before Jesus returns for His church, the world will see a dramatic increase in the rise of martyrdom and religious killings – not only in regions of the world dominated by Islam, Hinduism, or socialism, but everywhere.

The Bible uses the word martyr to describe someone who is slain for their faith in Jesus. Let’s take a minute to look at a few of examples.

[READ Acts 22:20, NKJV]

20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

[READ Rev. 2:13, NKJV]

Jesus reminded the church in Pergamos …
13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

[READ Rev. 17:6, NKJV]

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

In each of these examples, the Greek word martus is used, which actually means “witness.” Throughout the NT, we see references to those who witness for Christ by announcing the good news and the facts of the gospel. When these witnesses were killed for their message, the English translators of some versions (like the NKJV) rendered the word as martyr.

Kayla Mueller was a modern-day martyr for the cause of Christ. As a Christian, she believed it was her responsibility to join in God’s work of relieving suffering in the world. “I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine,” she once wrote. Addressing God, she added, “If this is how You are revealed to me this is how I will forever seek You.”

While serving as a relief worker in Syria, Kayla was taken hostage by members of an ISIS terror cell. She remained a prisoner for 18 months, enduring abuse of every kind along with several other female captives. She eventually became a personal prisoner of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS at the time.

When a group of young women planned to escape their captors, Kayla refused to join them. “I am an American,” Kayla explained. “If I escape with you, they will do everything to find us again.” Those young women did escape, and they took with them a letter smuggled from Kayla to her parents. Here’s a portion of what that amazing young woman wrote during one of the darkest circumstances imaginable: If you could say I have “suffered” at all throughout this whole experience it is only in knowing how much suffering I have put you all through … I remember mom always telling me that all in all in the end the only one you really have is God. I have come to a place in this experience where, in every sense of the word, I have surrendered myself to our Creator [because] literally there was no [one] else …. By God [and] by your prayers I have felt tenderly cradled in free fall. I have been shown in darkness, light [and] have learned that even in prison, one can be free. I am grateful.

Kayla Mueller was a millennial Christian who died at the hands of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Yet she is victorious today because her story has proven once again the power of light over darkness, freedom over tyranny, and love over hate. Kayla’s witness will forever reveal the power of the gospel – a power that endures even in the face of death.

• Hatred (Mt. 24:9; Jn. 15:18, 20)
[READ Mt. 24:9]

9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
…
For some twisted reason, the world system has always hated the simple Savior from Galilee. I can’t really explain the hostility directed against the greatest Man who ever lived and His believers. The true workers of Christ on this planet have done more good than society realizes. Without fear of contradiction, I can say that the genuine church of the Lord Jesus Christ has been the greatest humanitarian force in history. Yet  for 2,000 years, the world has raged against us – seeking to disband the movement Jesus began, ban the Bible He gave, disrupt the ministry He started, and destroy the souls He saved.

Christian persecution at the end of history will not be clinical or detached. It will be fueled by intense emotions. Beloved, we will be hated. In the past, our ancestors sometimes responded to persecution by fleeing to a new place geographically. The first Christians relocated to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth to escape the fierce backlash of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Christians fled the wrath of the Roman Empire during the first centuries of the church by pushing ever outward. The Puritans sailed across the ocean to evade persecution and seek religious freedom. Yet Jesus said, “You will be hated by all nations.” Escape from persecution will no longer be an option. For you see, in the last days, there will be no place left to run.

Why must we experience such intense animosity? Look at the last part of verse 9:

[READ Mt. 24:9]

9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

The reason Christians experience persecution now and in the future is because we’re aligned with Christ – and the world hates Him.

[READ Jn. 15:18, 20]

Jesus said …
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you … 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you ….”

This raises an important point of clarification regarding this topic of persecution. Many people are mistreated in the world today. Some experience prejudice because of their race or gender or age. Others are mistreated because of their financial class or physical characteristics. Cruelty and vindictiveness are part and parcel of a society that has been corrupted by sin. Yet when we speak of persecution both now and in the future, we’re talking about people who experience harm or harassment specifically because of their belief in Jesus Christ and their connection to His name.

Let me ask you, then: Are you connected to His name? Are you aligned with Him? I’m not asking about your salvation specifically. I’m asking whether you’ve publicly identified yourself with Jesus Christ in such a way that those who know you also know what you believe. Let me phrase the question a little differently: If our country were to begin actively targeting followers of Christ for persecution, would you be targeted? Or would you slip under the radar because there’s little visible difference between your life and the lives of those who don’t follow Christ.

These are the kinds of questions we need to consider, and answer, as our culture moves closer to the return of our Lord. Make no mistake about it: sooner or later, you and I will need to take a stand.

III. THE RESPONSE TO CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION

So, how do we do this? Coach Joseph Kennedy has inspired many Americans by his example. Kennedy watched the movie Facing the Giants, in which a struggling football team was uplifted to physical and spiritual success when the coach began praising God. “I was crying my eyes out,” Kennedy said about the film, which he watched while considering a coaching job at Bremerton High School near Seattle. “It was a clear sign that God was calling me to coach. I had never experienced that kind of effect in my entire life. I said, “I’m all in, God. I will give you the glory after every game right there on the 50 where we fought our battles.”

As a coach, he would always take a moment to kneel in prayer on the fifty-yard line after the game, win or lose. Sometimes members of his football team joined him for the prayer. Sometimes even players from the other team joined in. But whether in a crowd or alone, Coach Kennedy prayed after every game for seven years.

Then in 2015, an opposing coach noticed what Coach Kennedy was doing and reported it to Bremerton High School’s principal. Soon after, the school athletic director instructed Kennedy to stop praying after games, citing the school district’s policy regarding religious expression.

The coach tried to do as he was instructed. He skipped his weekly prayer after one game – and immediately regretted his decision. In fact, before he even got home after the game, Kennedy turned his car around, drove back to the empty stadium, and tearfully returned to the fifty-yard line to express his regret to God.

Kennedy resumed his ritual of postgame prayer the following week – and the week after. That’s when school officials placed him on leave and then declined to rehire him for the following season. Joseph Kennedy had spent 20 years serving his country as a United States Marine and was fired for 20 seconds of prayer.

Still, the coach had always been a fighter. He sued the Bremerton School District in 2015, claiming they violated his religious freedoms and constitutional guarantee of religious liberty. Seven years later, in January 2022, his case was taken up by the United States Supreme Court. In a six-to-three decision, the Supreme Court ruled in the coach’s favor! Praise the Lord!

Whenever possible, we must kindly but bravely stand up for the freedoms that allow for the expression of our faith.

Of course, in some places there is no concept of religious liberty. In those situations, followers of Christ will have to determine the best way to handle specific instances of persecution based on the direction of the Holy Spirit in their individual circumstances. God will always guide us, if we ask Him.

Now let’s see if we can glean several principles from God’s Word that empower us in the face of persecution, whenever and however it comes.

• Recount Your Blessings (Mt. 5:10; Ps. 56:11)
First, count and recount your blessings! In the Beatitudes, Jesus said ...

[READ Mt. 5:10]

10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Does this sound confusing to you?

Being persecuted by the world reminds us that we’re not part of the world. We’re members of God’s kingdom. We’re children in His family. We can minimize the importance of what we experience in the world because it doesn’t matter very much in light of eternity.

[READ Ps. 56:11]

As the psalmist wrote …
11 In God I trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Todd Nettleton, who has studied persecuted Christians around the world, described what happened to a woman he simply identified as “Sister Tong.” She hosted an unregistered church in her home in China. As a result, she was arrested and sent to prison for 6 months. Communist authorities tried to “reeducate” her.

Later, when asked about her experience in prison, Sister Tong said, “Oh yes. That was a wonderful time.” Those around her expressed surprise, but she explained that prison was wonderful because God had been there with her in a special way. Nettleton wrote, “It was like He paid extra attention to her during that time, and her heart was warmed daily by His exceptional presence and touch. She felt so close to the Creator of the universe in prison that it was hard to think of that time as anything other than wonderful.”

Furthermore, Sister Tong had effectively shared the gospel with many women in prison and had the opportunity to lead several cellmates to Christ.

In some ways, her experience stands in contrast to that of Andrew Brunson, whom I told you about at the beginning of today’s message. But, as I’ll show you, God gave both of them remarkable grace and showers of blessing when they most needed it. The Lord was equally at work in and through both of them.

We all respond differently to the pressures of society, but there’s never a time when we can’t name our blessings and count them one by one.

• Respond with Worship (Acts 16:23-25; Jn. 4:23)

This will lead us to worship! If anyone in history understood the reality of persecution, it was the Apostle Paul. From the moment he accepted Christ as his Savior, he was forced to deal with haranguers and harassers who were after his life. He scaled city walls in a basket. He endured beatings and stonings. He was arrested and accused. He was shipwrecked and snakebitten. All because he refused to let go of Christ.

On one occasion, Paul and his partner Silas were beaten with rods and tossed into jail. Acts 16:23 says, their persecutors “inflicted them with many wounds.” It’s impossible to imagine how painful this kind of beating would be. I think we can safely assume the rods badly bruised or cut through Paul and Silas’s skin, because later the text talks about their wounds.

[READ Acts 16:23-24]

23 … They threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely, 24 who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

In those days, stocks were not just for security purposes. They were an additional form of punishment: a square log split in two with holes drilled for the prisoner’s ankles. The top half of the log was removed, the prisoner’s ankles were positioned in the bottom half of the holes, then the top half of the log was laid down on top of the ankles and fastened. The prisoner might be left in this position for days, seated and unable to move his legs at all. Sometimes the holes for the legs were stretched far apart to increase the discomfort, and there are examples of the wrists and even the head being immobilized as well. How did the two men respond? Let’s look at the text:

[READ Acts 16:25]

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Here’s how R. Kent Hughes explained what at first glance seems baffling: “Paul and his Gospel companions sang because they knew God had called them across the expanse of Asia Minor. They sang because they believed rightly that they were prisoners of Christ and not Rome.”

I agree, but I still can’t explain how Paul and Silas could have processed the pain and trauma quickly enough so that by midnight they were singing. Regaining our emotional bearing after that kind of ordeal takes time. Ah, but don’t discount the power of worship.

True worshipers of the true God cannot help themselves. They have to worship in all the conditions of life. They worship on sunny days and rainy ones. They worship in the palace or in the prison. They worship when uplifted by circumstances, and they worship when all seems lost.

[READ Jn. 4:23]

Jesus said …
23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

The people who know God find healing in worship. They learn to turn their attention from their misery to their Master. It’s supernatural. It’s of the Holy Spirit! If we’re worshiping God with resolution today, we can worship Him in persecution tomorrow. When we learn to worship God at noon, we’ll know how to worship Him at midnight.

There’s something miraculous in worship. For many years, the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria has shocked the world, yet the believers there will not be overcome. One man, Pastor Selchun, was seized by terrorists who cut off his right hand. As it fell to the ground, he raised his remaining hand and began singing, “He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” The Lord definitely imparted supernatural grace to that dear pastor at the moment of need, and He will do the same for us in every incident.

So, banish shame and sorrow. Let’s hold high the gospel in one hand and the cross in the other. The best way to prepare for the coming days is by taking seriously the great opportunities we have for private and public worship. Fill your heart and mind with Scripture and with key songs of the faith.

• Reevaluate Your Suffering (Rom. 8:18)

Sometime after his experiences in that Macedonian prison, the apostle Paul wrote these words to the Christians in the city of Rome.

[READ Rom. 8:18]

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Suffering and glory – two concepts that seem totally opposed to each other! Yet here they appear as friends. When Paul used the word consider, he was indicating something stronger than a mere opinion or expression. In paraphrase, he was saying, “I have decided to consider the sufferings of the world unworthy to compare with the glory that will be revealed. I’ve thought it through, and that’s my biblical view.”

Based on his experiences, Paul determined that the sufferings of the present time are a slight thing in comparison with the glory he will experience one day in heaven. The same is and will be true for you and me. One day in eternity, our sufferings will reveal God’s glory because we’ll look back at these moments that seemed so terrible, so large, and so unbearable – and we will realize they were nothing in comparison to the wonders of God and all the blessings He has in store for us.

There’s one way we can reveal God’s glory now, even in the midst of persecution. As I’m sure you’ve discovered, our world is built on the principles of reciprocity and escalation. If you hurt me, I’m going to hurt you worse. And then I’ll expect you to hurt me back, which will give me the green light for even more retribution – and the cycle continues.

As Christians, we reveal God’s glory when we break this cycle. We glorify Him when we respond to persecution not with more rage or more vengeance but with the peace of God that passes all understanding.

That’s the testimony of a man in Laos simply known as Boun. He was imprisoned for his faith. “They put me in stocks,” he said, recalling what had happened to Paul and Silas. “The stocks spread my legs apart, and they also put handcuffs on me …. They even put smaller [cuffs] on my thumbs. Then they put me in a black room without food for seven days.”

For an entire year, Boun was locked in a concrete cell by himself. The only ventilation came from a small rust hole in the metal door. He would put his nose to that hole to breathe. He begged for a Bible but wasn’t given one.

During his second year, Boun was given more freedom and permitted to go outside and gather firewood for the camp. When a strong flood brought lots of wood and debris into the camp, the guards let Boun work for hours unnoticed.

One day he saw his chance, swam across the stream, and escaped. He went home, gathered five Bibles, and swam back.

The guards never realized he had been gone. He hid four Bibles in the forest and began studying every day and night in his cell. He shared what he was learning with the other prisoners whenever he could.

Six months later, he again escaped and returned, bringing small radios back with him to listen to gospel programming. He gave the Bibles and radios to the other prisoners, and a work of grace began in that prison. One day a guard saw the Bible, and Boun was hauled before the prison authorities who wanted to know what he was studying. Boun opened his Bible and started reading it. After reading a long time, he said, “Oh, I cannot finish it all in one day, but if you want to know more, I will tell you.”

The prison warden said, “Your family is so strong in their faith that Christianity has spread everywhere.” Shortly afterward, Boun was released. While he was overjoyed to be back with his family, his perception about persecution had changed. He valued His service to God more than His freedom among men.

When we reevaluate what God is doing and why, we realize the sufferings of this present world aren’t worth comparing to the opportunities confronting us and the glory awaiting us. The important thing, then, is not what we’re going through – but who we’re ministering for and whom we’re ministering to.

• Receive Your Reward (Jas. 1:2-4; Rev. 2:8-10)

Finally, I want to remind you what the apostle James wrote about suffering.

[READ Jas. 1:2-4]

2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. 4 And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Persecution produces the reward of personal growth, and the strengthening of our character.

Also, let’s remember the historical results of persecution. When the Jewish leaders attacked the leaders of the early church, its members spread across the known world, and God’s kingdom grew. When the Romans burned Christians at the stake, the slaves and servants in that empire saw the faithful witness of God’s people. They believed, and the kingdom grew. All throughout history, whether in Europe or Africa or China or, yes, even America, the persecution of Christians has again and again fueled the expansion of the church.

Persecution produces the reward of an increasing harvest in God’s kingdom. Even as the signs Jesus spoke of grow in frequency and severity, God’s kingdom will continue to advance.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus dictated seven letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. One of those churches, Smyrna, was enduring extreme persecution at the time of John’s vision. Here’s what the Savior had to say to these believers in their suffering …

[READ Rev. 2:8-10]

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: This is what the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says: 9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

As you consider what we will experience as human beings and as the church during the prelude to our Lord’s return, I encourage you to remember Jesus’ words: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” Do not fear harassment. Do not fear the grinding, crushing promise of tribulation. Do not even fear the possibility of suffering and death. Instead, stand strong. Be firm. Endure. In the words of Jesus, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Before the end, the world will be a place of persecution for God’s people, yet we don’t have to be afraid. We have before us Jesus, our Savior, whose wondrous works allow us to face that persecution by recounting our blessings, responding with worship, reevaluating our suffering, and receiving our reward. Persecution is not a time for us to run and hide; it’s an opportunity for us to stand firm and be faithful for our Savior.

For Andrew Brunson, the day finally came when he was placed on trial before a Turkish court that was determined to condemn him. He was terrified, yet he was resolved to remain true to Christ. After one accusation after another and a host of false witnesses, the judge asked Brunson if he had anything to say in his defense. By now, the eyes of the world were upon him, for his case had garnered global publicity. Brunson stood up, looked the judge in the eye and said:

Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of salvation to everyone and make disciples. This is why I came to Turkey – to proclaim this:
There is only one way to God: Jesus.
There is only one way to have our sins forgiven: Jesus.
There is only one way to gain eternal life: Jesus.
There is only one Savior: Jesus.

For 23 years I did it by choice, and the last 2 years I have been forced to do it from prison, but my message is the same.

The Lord moved the levers of leadership and diplomacy, and Brunson was released to return home to the United States – but he left behind that final word. Jesus!

IV. IN CONCLUSION

In a world of persecution, we must be vigilant, and we must be ready. Don’t be anxious about the future; God will give you grace for the moment. Don’t be unaware of the dangers; God will turn them into opportunities. The devil cannot win, and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, whether we live or die, the gospel is still true. Whether we are free or behind bars, our message is the same. It’s Jesus! And Jesus is Lord! So, in a world of persecution, be prepared.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come to You now on behalf of our church family and believers throughout the world as we prepare for or are already enduring persecution because of our faith in You and our belief that Your Son Jesus Christ is the Savior of all who believe in Him. I ask You to remind us all of the eternal rewards for the faithful and bless us with courage and peace. Help us to remain steadfast as we walk in Your footsteps. Grant us patience to endure and boldness to proclaim Your truth. Allow our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ to experience the depth of Your love in their trials. Surround them with assurance that nothing can take away Your presence. When persecution comes, may our suffering testify of Your strength and bring others to salvation. I beseech You, Father, to replace fear with bold faith and remind us that You will never leave us nor forsake us. Grant us all endurance, and help everyone of us to hold fast to our faith until the end, when we will receive the crown of life. In the merciful name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Invitation # 101 & 102: “His Name Is Wonderful” into “There’s Just Something About That Name” (1 vs. each)

Benediction: Beloved, let us rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Amen. (Rom. 5:3-5)

A WORLD OF PERSECUTION

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 5) - October 5, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: I want us to be ready for the persecution to come. One of the best ways of preparing is to study the next item in Christ’s remarkable list of coming signs for the world prior to His return – persecution.

I. THE RECORD OF CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION (Acts 7; Rev. 1:9)

II. THE REALITY OF CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION (Mt. 24:9)

* TRIBULATION (Jn. 16:33; Rev. 6:9-11)

* MARTYRDOM (Mt. 24:9; Acts 22:20; Rev. 2:13, 17:9)

* HATRED (Mt. 24:9; Jn. 15:18, 20)

III. THE RESPONSE TO CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION

* RECOUNT YOUR BLESSINGS (Mt. 5:10; Ps. 56:11)

* RESPOND WITH WORSHIP (Acts 16:23-25; Jn. 4:23)

* REEVALUATE YOUR SUFFERING (Rom. 8:18)

* RECEIVE YOUR REWARD (Jas. 1:2-4; Rev. 2:8-10)

IV. IN CONCLUSION

In a world of persecution, we must be vigilant, and we must be ready. Don’t be anxious about the future; God will give you grace for the moment. Don’t be unaware of the dangers; God will turn them into opportunities. The devil cannot win, and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ.

A WORLD OF DISASTERS

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we will learn from Your Word today, increasing natural disasters will grow in strength and number as we hasten towards the day of Jesus’ Return. Bolster our faith as we face these coming disasters. When we feel weak, remind us that You are our Rock and Fortress, our ever-present help in times of trouble. Lord, I ask You to wrap Your people in a blanket of protection and love. As Jehovah-Jireh You are the only One who can provide what we need in the wake of disaster and destruction. In Your Word You have promised to provide for us so that we can give something to others who need encouragement, hope, or practical help. Show us how to use our God-given gifts to bless others who are in desperate need. Breathe life into hopeless situations, and give courage to those on the brink of giving up. Protect victims from those who would take advantage of their situation. Turn away evil, and cancel the plans of the enemy who wants to cause havoc and destroy people’s faith. O Lord, when we don’t understand, help us to cling to You anyway. Enlarge our love and trust in You, and show us all the lessons we need to learn which will help us now and in the future. Father, we praise You for Your track record of faithfulness. Help us to trust You to bring good out of disaster, turn regrets into gratitude, and allow us to see Your purposes in all things. Speak to us now from Your Word. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction: Have you ever wanted to visit a distant planet? Or to feel like you’re on one? Then you would probably like to take a vacation to Yellowstone National Park. The terrain is otherworldly, and in places you’ll feel like you’re on the set of a science fiction movie. More than ten thousand hydrothermal spots bubble up in Yellowstone – geysers, mud pots, steam vents, fumaroles, and hot springs. The Grand Prismatic Spring is a scalding, multicolored pond larger than a football field. At the center you’ll see deep blue hues encircled by green and yellow bands, with lots of orange along the outside edges. The colors are caused by different species of heat-loving bacteria. Steam rising from the pond produces an eerie feeling. The ground around the pool resembles a piecrust.

When touring Yellowstone, it’s important to remember that you’re walking across the top of an active super-volcano that has erupted several times in the past. Every moment of every day, teams from different universities, geological societies, and federal agencies are monitoring the area’s seismic activity.

In 2021 alone, 2,773 earthquakes were recorded in the Yellowstone area. As reporter Brad Plumer explained, “Lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park is a reservoir of hot magma five miles deep, fed by a gigantic plume of molten rock welling up from hundreds of miles below.” What would happen if the volcano blew? Plumer wrote that a major eruption “could spew ash for thousands of miles … damaging buildings, smothering crops, and shutting down power plants.” The states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado would be buried in three feet of volcanic ash, which is “a mix of splintered rock and glass.” Such an eruption would make Mount St. Helens look like a hiccup! Some geologists believe clouds of poisonous ash could spread across the United States and Canada with the force of a hurricane. The ash could shred lungs, collapse roofs, take down transformers, and threaten the nation’s power grid. It could create a super-winter that would last a decade.

I’m not trying to discourage you from visiting Yellowstone. Scientists aren’t predicting eruptions any time soon. Yellowstone is a great and amazing example of what God has wrought in this stunning corner of Wyoming.

And yet … when I read descriptions from God’s Word about what will happen one day, and when I remember that there are at least twelve other super-volcanoes around the globe, I can’t help but be reminded of scenes from the book of Revelation. Natural disasters will be part of the tribulation, but they aren’t confined to the end of history. According to our Lord’s message on Olivet, these elements – earthquakes, famines, plagues, disasters – will continue to increase in intensity and frequency as we move closer to the day of our Lord’s return.

This brings us to our Lord’s next prediction in Matthew 24. As we’ve already seen, the world before our Savior’s return will be a difficult and dangerous place – one defined by destruction, deceit, and war. Jesus’ prophecy makes this clear. As we move to verse 7 in His Olivet Discourse, we see repetition of Jesus’ earlier promise about wars and rumors of wars: “Nation will rise against nation,” He reiterated, “and kingdom against kingdom.” But it’s the second half of verse 7, coupled with verse 8, that should really cause us to sit up and take notice.

[READ Mt. 24:7-8]

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

In other words, the signs of the times include increasing devastation and disasters along with all the confusion, desolation, and ruin that follow in their wake.

I. GLOBAL DISASTERS ARE UNAVOIDABLE (Mt. 24:6-7)

Some of you may be like, “Wait a minute, there have always been natural disasters in human history. Every century has endured famine, pestilence, and earthquakes.”

So how can natural disasters be a prophecy or a sign of the end? The answer lies in the birth-pains principle, I discussed in the first lesson of this study. None of Jesus’ prophetic promises from the Olivet Discourse will be unique to the end of history. What will be unique is the frequency and intensity with which those events will impact our world. The closer we get to the final chapter of human civilization, the more we’ll experience the inescapable dangers Jesus predicted in Matthew 24.

• Famines (Mt. 24:7; Jer. 14:12; Rev. 6)

Standing on the Mount of Olives, Jesus used a frightening word – one that, to His disciples, caused them to recall many OT stories: “There will be famines” (Mt. 24:7).

As they listened to our Lord’s message, perhaps Peter, James, John, and Andrew recalled the famine that sent the Israelites to Egypt at the end of Genesis. Or the famine that drove Naomi and her family to Moab in the book or Ruth. They might have thought of the famine triggered in Elijah’s day when God withheld rain from Israel for 3½ years.

The prophet Jeremiah anticipated the signs of the times when he linked war, famine, and plague together.

[READ Jer. 14:12]

12 When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine, and pestilence.”

Once again, Jesus’ words dovetail seamlessly with the seal judgments recorded in Revelation 6. In John’s prophetic vision, the fiery red horse of warfare is followed by the black horse of famine, and the pale horse of death.

Jesus and the writers of the Bible understood the recurring patterns of history: sword, famine, and pestilence. So do today’s humanitarians. The Global Hunger Index, which is compiled and published by European humanitarian organizations, actually used language from Revelation 6 to describe current conditions in our world. In an online report called “Armed Conflict and the Challenge of Hunger,” the Index revealed that “war and famine, two fearsome horsemen, have long ridden side by side. Armed conflict disrupts food systems, destroys livelihoods, displaces people, and leave those who do not flee both terrified and unsure when they will eat their next meal.”

The report continued: Today’s famines are “complex humanitarian emergencies,” caused mostly by armed conflict and exacerbated by natural disasters or international policies …. These “new wars” … involve not only state armies and insurgents, but also paramilitaries and ethnic militia, criminal gangs, mercenaries, and international forces. Most new wars are civil wars, which increasingly spill over borders, disrupt livelihoods and food systems, and force people to flee.

The writers of this report then made this keen observation: “Hunger is somehow different from other human stresses. Food and famine strike a deep emotive chord, even among people who have never personally faced starvation. Around the world, people believe that a government that cannot feed its people has forfeited is legitimacy.”

One example, staring us in the face every day is Ukraine. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, those two nations together produced about 30% of the world’s supply of grain. The war has disrupted Ukraine, threatening to push another forty-seven million people into extreme hunger. I read a recent report warning that this crisis will go on for years.

I realize that most of us have food in our pantries, and few of us miss any meals. But hunger does lurk near the surface even in America; many children go to school each morning with empty stomachs. One organization found that nearly 1.5 million New York City residents face food insecurity, including one in four children. According to another report, about 14% of America’s military families are food insecure. Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said something relevant to today’s subject: “The anxiety about access to food at a reasonable price globally is hitting the roof as food prices continue to go up, up, up.”

While these developments have surprised the leaders of our day, they didn’t escape Jesus’ notice, He saw them coming. We can trust what the Bible says about the future, including the increase in famines as we approach the Lord’s return.

• Plagues (Mt. 24:7 NKJV; Deut. 32:24; 2 Chr. 20:9)
[READ Mt. 24:7, NKJV]

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, and pestilences ….

Jesus said, “And there will be … pestilences.” The Greek word Matthew used is loimos. This term doesn’t describe minor maladies or seasonal sicknesses. Rather, the pestilences Jesus predicted are huge in scale and impact. They will sweep over large regions of the world and be difficult to control.

It's interesting that there’s a strong connection between famine and pestilence in Scripture. For example:

In describing the curses that would befall the nation of Israel if they rejected God, Moses wrote …

[READ Deut. 32:24]

24 They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague
and bitter destruction;

Threatened by their enemies, King Jehoshaphat of Judah declared his faith in God by saying ...

[READ 2 Chr. 20:9]

9 ‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and save us.’

This isn’t a random connection. War results in food shortages. Whenever food is scarce, people become nutritionally deprived. Their health suffers, which creates an environment for disease to flourish.

Global pandemics have been relatively rare in history. The plague of Justinian likely killed between 30 to 50 million people in the 6th century. The bubonic plague resulted in approximately 200 million deaths in the 14th century. And there were other, lesser plagues that ravaged different regions of the world throughout the centuries that followed. But large-scale episodes of pestilence have been few and far between.

In our lifetime, however, the world has become interconnected. The 20th century began with the Spanish flu which killed more than 40 million people around the world. The Asian flu and the Hong Kong flu both resulted in more than a million deaths in the 1950s and 1960s, respectively. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought an additional 35 million deaths and is still raging. In the 21st century, we have already seen swine flu, SARS, MERS, Ebola – and yes, COVID-19. After our experience with the coronavirus, none of us knows what may escape from a laboratory somewhere in the world or what disease may sweep across the globe next.

Had we been with Jesus and the disciples on Olivet when He delivered this prophetic sermon, we might have thought advancing medical progress would eradicate disease, given enough time in history. But He knew differently. In a world of increasing medical miracles, disease has not been eliminated or eradicated. Instead, sickness is more prevalent than ever, and the trend lines are terrifying.

• Earthquakes (Mt. 24:7 NKJV; Rev. 16:18; Isa. 2:19; Mt. 27:50-54; Ex. 19:18-19; 1 Kings 19:11-12; Zech. 14:5; Ps. 18:7; Job 9:6)

The next sign Jesus predicted seems out of order. We see the connection between war, famine, pandemics, and death. But earthquakes? They’re random. Unlike war, they aren’t caused by human means. Unlike famines, they seldom offer warnings or explanations. Unlike pestilence, earthquakes come suddenly, demolish in an instance, and leave only aftershocks.

When God created the world, He designed it with a molten core made of boiling magma, covered by a mantle near two thousand miles deep. On top of that, our surface lands and seas rest on tectonic plates, which sometimes shift. Scientists are still working to understand these shifts and how they impact our world. But God has understood these forces from day one. More than that, He is in control even of our earth’s chaotic core.

One day an ultimate global earthquake will bring down the cities of the world, including Babylon, the city of the Antichrist. This will occur as Jesus returns at the end of history.
Revelation 16:18 describes what it will be like when the angel pours out the final bowl of God’s wrath on the world …

[READ Rev. 16:18]

18 And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.

[READ Isa. 2:9] says

19 Men will go into caves of the rocks
And into holes of the ground
Before the dread of Yahweh
And the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.

When Jesus died on Calvary, the ground throughout Jerusalem quaked (Mt. 27:50-54). But that was nothing compared to what will happen when He returns. For now, we’re suffering only early birth pains, but we never know when we’ll awaken to news of a major earthquake in some part of the world.

In Scripture, earthquakes are associated with God’s power and judgment. When the Lord descended to Mount Sinai prior to giving the Ten Commandments, the mountain …

[READ Ex. 19:18-19]

8 … was all in smoke because Yahweh descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 And the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder; then Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.

When the Lord appeared to Elijah on the same mountain centuries later ….

[READ 1 Kings 19:11-12]

11 … He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.” And behold, Yahweh was passing by! And a great and strong wind was tearing up the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. 12 Then after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a thin gentle whisper.

In the days of King Uzziah, there was an earthquake that came as a rebuke to Judah and Israel (Zech. 14:5).

[READ Ps. 18:7]

David wrote …
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.

[READ Job 9:6]

Job wrote …
6 The One who shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;

Winds come and go seemingly at random. So do waves. Much of the natural world is flexible and transitory – but not the earth itself. Mountains rise and fall over the course of eons, not hours or even centuries. What is more stable than rock? What is more grounded than the ground? For these reasons, earthquakes are a specific sign of God’s power and the Creator’s control over creation. And that sign will increase as we move toward the end of history.

For quite a few years now, scientists have been warning about the possibility of “super-quakes,” which are earthquakes with incredibly high magnitudes. Having been through a couple of earthquakes in California, I’ve thought a lot about this. It is quite unsettling when the earth moves under your feet – and the ones I experienced were minor ones.

Kenneth Murphy of FEMA is deeply concerned about a large-scale earthquake along the Cascadia fault line in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. If this earthquake happens, FEMA projects that nearly 13,000 people will die as a result of the earthquake and following tsunami. Another 27,000 will be injured, and the agency expects it will need to provide shelter for a million displaced people. “This is one time that I’m hoping all the science is wrong, and it won’t happen for another thousand years,” Murphy said.

Government officials can’t predict earthquakes, but Jesus did. He told us the very globe itself would shake as it prepared for His return.

II. GOD’S DECREES ARE UNCONDITIONAL (Acts 2:25; Heb. 6:19)

If we’re not careful, all this will make us shake as well. But be encouraged ...

[READ Acts 2:25]

25 For David says of Him,
‘I saw the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.

The way to combat the fear of natural disasters is by supernatural discipleship, which allows the Holy Spirit to flood our lives with encouragement, conviction, and hope.

[READ Heb. 6:19]

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and confirmed and one which enters (the Presence) within the veil ….

Even in a world defined by disasters, our lives can be defined by confidence. Not in ourselves, of course, but in God. Specifically, there are four elements of God’s nature and character that will fill us with confidence as we focus on Him and seek His face.

• Confident in God’s Protection (Gen. 15:1; Ps. 27:1, 46:2, 90:1-2; Zech. 9:15; Heb. 12:28)

From Genesis to Revelation, God is revealed as someone who watches over His people, keeping them safe in the midst of danger. Throughout the Bible He is described as our Shield, Fortress, Hiding Place, Keeper, Refuge, Rock, Shade, Shelter, and Stronghold.

[READ Gen. 15:1]

1 After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”

[READ Ps. 27:1]

The psalmist said,
1  Yahweh is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the strong defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

[READ Zech. 9:15]

The prophet wrote,
15 Yahweh of hosts will defend His people.

Over a hundred years ago, Anna Kay Scott was on a primitive mission field when an earthquake occurred. In her autobiography she wrote: Sunday, January 10, 1869, we experienced a very severe shock of earthquake. I had just closed my Bible class of young men and was sitting quietly reading letters from the dear home people when I heard the rumbling as of a distant freight train …. Soon the house began to rock and the frail bamboo walls to bend. Then there was crash after crash as cupboards, wardrobes, and mirrors were thrown down.

Anna rushed from the house to find the villagers standing paralyzed with fear. They were shaking uncontrollably and begging their Hindu gods to stop the elephant. They “believed that the earth stood on the back of an elephant and an earthquake was caused by the shaking of the elephant!” The quake became so intense everyone fell to the ground. Anna recalled, “The clocks stopped and the river set upstream for half an hour or more. The earth opened in huge cracks and the yard where we all sat rose in apparent wavelets.”

Anna and the other believers immediately pulled out their Bibles and began reading from Psalm 90.

[READ Ps. 90:1-2]

1  Lord, You have been our dwelling place from generation to generation.
2  Before the mountains were born
Or You brought forth the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

The power of those words brought calmness to the village and actually paved the way for more evangelistic work to be done.

The earth doesn’t rest on an elephant’s back but in the omnipotent hands of God who tells us that ...

[READ Heb. 12:28]

28 … Since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.

When we realize the eternal God is our dwelling place and that we’re surrounded by His very real, very powerful, and very comforting presence, we are encouraged, and our hearts are full of hope.

[READ Ps. 46:2]

As the psalmist said,
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea;

• Confident in God’s Pardon (Joel 2:12-14; Acts 16:30-31)

Earlier in today’s message, I made the claim that disasters can produce encouragement and even hope. If that strikes you as unlikely, let’s look at a few examples from Scripture that reveal that this is true.

In the book of Joel, a plague of locusts devastated the land of Judah. Joel used that tragedy as an opportunity to warn people of their sins and turn their hearts toward God.

[READ Joel 2:12-14]

12 “Yet even now,” declares Yahweh,
“Return to Me with all your heart
And with fasting, weeping, and wailing;
13 And tear your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to Yahweh your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,
And relenting concerning evil.
14 Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For Yahweh your God?

Do you remember the story of the Philippian jailer? It was an earthquake that brought him to Christ. In great fear, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The apostle Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your house” (Acts 16:30-31).

This progression from hurt to hope can still be found in our day. According to Bethany DuVal with TEAM, a global alliance of churches and missionaries, something similar happened to a Mexican woman named Gaby, who had married and had children while very young. She liked the streets and had no interest in her mother’s Christian faith. When Hurricane Odile devastated La Paz in 2014, Gaby’s makeshift home was obliterated. But a local ministry reached out, provided food, and started helping survivors rebuild their homes. Soon Gaby found herself helping too, making tortillas alongside a girl named Emily. When Emily invited her to a Bible study, she decided to go. As the two studied Scripture and worked in the kitchen, the Lord dealt with Gaby’s heart. Emily later said, “I really got to see how she was giving her life to Jesus … and how God was transforming her …. We spent many, many days crying in my kitchen and just praying through things.”

After she found Christ as her Savior, Gaby continued growing spiritually. Today she leads a high school diploma program and works in the kitchen of the same relief agency that reached her with the hope of Christ. “Knowing God and then living in Him is the best gift I have ever received,” she said.

This kind of sweet, simple story has been repeated hundreds of thousands of times. I don’t quite understand how it all works, and I don’t have all the solutions to the crises we face. But I do know that natural disasters bring out supernatural discipleship and that God allows His people to serve those who are hurting even as we share the gospel. In this way, the Lord turns curses into blessings. Never underestimate how God can use you when difficulty descends on your community or on someone you know.

• Confident in God’s Perspective (Mt. 24:27, 30; 2 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 21:3-4)

Geraldine “Gerri” Schappals was a remarkable woman. She survived the Spanish flu as a baby in 1918. She lived through World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Iraq War, and the war in Afghanistan. She survived breast cancer in her sixties and colon cancer in her seventies. In 2020, Gerri contracted COVID-19 at the age of 102 – and survived. “It wasn’t bad,” she said.

When asked how to stay strong in the middle of difficult times, Gerri said, “One thing that helps is to tell yourself you’re not going to fret about it for an hour – it’ll still be there at the end of the hour – and go do something enjoyable.” She added, “I’ve found that little breaks can give a fresh perspective and remind you that no matter how dark things are, there are still some little lights.”

A fresh perspective is a wonderful gift. And aligning ourselves with God’s perspective can produce a huge surge in our confidence. Why Because His gaze extends from first to last, and He has already told us about the end of our collective story in this world.

For example, near the end of His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said, “As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” He will come “on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Mt. 24:27, 30). Peter told us to be “looking forward to these things” (2 Pet. 3:14).

In the final chapter of God’s Word, we find another superlative text:

[READ Rev. 21:3-4]

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.”

Not only have we been given this good news, but we are called to share it. Indeed, one of the best ways we can communicate hope during times of disaster is to remind others that such times are temporary. They are fleeting. God’s promise of eternal life is grounded on His return and His eternal home for His people – a place where there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain. What a privilege is ours to offer such a wonderful perspective!

D.A. Carson wrote, “Genuine spirituality cannot live long without an attitude that is homesick for heaven, that lives with eternity’s values in view, that eagerly awaits Jesus’ return, that anticipates the day when Christ Himself will bring everything under His control and will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

Natural disasters reflect the fallen nature of our world; they are evidence of the corruption of sin. Yet it’s also true that disasters reflect the temporary nature of this world. Famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and all manner of catastrophes offer concrete proof that God doesn’t intend to leave us in this broken place. Even now, He is preparing a perfect home for all who follow Him.

• Confident in God’s Provision (Mt. 6:1; Gen. 22:8; Phil. 4:19; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; 2 Cor. 9:8)

Finally, in times of natural disasters, we can find confidence in God’s supernatural provision. He has promised to “give us this day our daily bread” (Mt. 6:11).

Do you remember the OT story about the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17? She used her last bit of flour and oil to make bread for Elijah, but from that moment there was always flour in her bin and oil in her jar. God kept her in bread until the famine ended.

Well, Daniil Kiriluk lives in the region of Luhansk, Ukraine, one of the areas hit hardest by the Russian invasion. He’s the pastor of a small church made up of his large family and about twenty others.

Pastor Kiriluk and his wife have ten sons and nine daughters. They decided to make bread to share with those affected by the war. In one night, they baked thirty loaves. As people came to get the bread, others brought flour. The more bread they made, the more flour they had.

All the children and grandchildren in the Kiriluk family pitched in, bringing the total number of workers in the home to thirty-three. Even the youngest son helped as he learned how much yeast, flour, and salt to mix. The youngest daughter kneaded the bread. Soon the church was producing 160 loaves per day, and more than a ton of flour was donated. A ton of bread – and counting!

But it wasn’t only bread that was distributed. Gospel newspapers went out with every loaf, and one couple in the church with a distinct gift of evangelism shared the message of Jesus – the Bread of Life. Let me show you the picture of this family lined up by size, girls on one side and boys on the other. Praise God for such people whose hope overflows in kindness and evangelism in times of great danger – all aided by God’s provision.

We’ve all felt a pinch on money and resources in recent years. We’ve felt the pressure of a world on the brink. Even now, we’re facing scarcity, inflation, shortages, and financial upheaval. But beloved, don’t doubt God’s ability to provide for you. The Bible says, “God will provide” (Gen. 22:8). Paul wrote, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

Of course, such gifts are not intended to benefit you and me alone, but to be shared with those in need. Remember these timeless words:

[READ 1 Tim. 6:17-19]

17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

This is not a time for followers of Jesus to cling to our possessions, grasping what we’ve earned with tight fingers. Instead, living in a world of disaster gives us the opportunity to open our hearts and open our hands toward those who are struggling – to those who need a boost of hope.

Let’s find confidence in God’s provision. First, in God’s provision for us. God has promised to grant us everything we need, even in times of disaster.

Second, let’s build confidence in His provision through us to others. The more God blesses us, the more opportunities we have to extend His provision outward toward others.

[READ 2 Cor. 9:8]

8 And God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything at every time having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

People are hungry in the world today, but you and I can feed them. People are sick in the world today, but you and I can minister to them and meet their needs. People have been shaken in the world today, but followers of Christ can offer the encouragement of Christ. We can offer shelter to those who have no shelter. We can support those organizations that are serving displaced and disgraced populations. We can offer hope when life feels hopeless.

In short, you and I have the chance right now to be generous with our resources – and in doing so, to confidently pour out the love of Christ exactly where people need it most. As the author of Hebrews said: “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded” (Heb. 10:35).

III. IN CONCLUSION

Speaking of confidence, I want to end by telling you about a remarkable young man named Jacob Smith. At just 12 years old, Jacob stood atop an 11,000-foot mountain in Big Sky, Montana. He was about to freeride a triple-black-diamond-rated slope. If you’re not familiar with the term, freeriding is when a skier tackles a mountain without following a defined path or run. Just a person gliding through the trees and the rocks and the ridges.

Now, a 12-year-old boy hurtling down a professionally rated ski slope without a trail is impressive enough. But there’s something else you need to know about this story that takes it to another level. Jacob Smith can’t see. His vision is technically 20/800, which is four times the level at which a person is declared legally blind. Nevertheless, on a chilly morning in Big Sky, Montana, Jacob became the first legally blind skier to complete that legendary run. And he hasn’t stopped breaking barriers.

How does he do it? Well, Jacob has a secret: his father, Nathan. On every run, Nathan speaks to his son over a two-way radio. When Nathan describes the terrain, Jacob visualizes it in his mind. And when Nathan tells his son to make a turn or to move in a new direction, Jacob obeys. Instantly.

One interviewer asked Jacob how much he trusts his dad. He answered, “I mean, enough to turn right when he tells me to.” It’s this secret weapon – confidence in his father’s perspective and his father’s direction -- that has allowed Jacob to achieve incredible things. When asked what lesson he has learned from his skiing adventures, he replied, “Honestly, no matter what gets thrown in front of you … [and] takes you off-guard a little bit, there is always a way to conquer it. To adapt. To make it happen and still do what you wanna do.”

I think you see where I’m going with this. As children of God, we have a similar opportunity to navigate the twists and turns of life with confidence, even in the midst of disasters. Why? Because that confidence is based not in our abilities but in the nature and character of our heavenly Father. Not only does He see what’s coming in our world, but He has told us in advance how everything will end. For that reason, and that reason alone, you and I can navigate this world of disaster and still be confident in our Lord!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You with eager hearts, seeking Your divine protection and comfort in times of natural disasters. Lord, we ask for Your mercy upon those who even now are affected by these calamities. Grant them courage and hope to face the challenges ahead. Surround them with Your love and provide for their needs through the kindness of others. We pray for the safety of all rescue workers and volunteers. Give them strength and wisdom as they work tirelessly to save lives and restore communities. May Your guiding hand be upon them. Father, help us to trust in Your plan, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. Remind us of Your promise to never leave us nor forsake us. Fill our hearts with peace and our minds with clarity as we navigate these difficult times You have warned us of. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Invitation Slides: “Til the Storm Passes By” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, do not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam. The Lord of hosts is with us; and the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Amen. (Ps. 46:1-2, 7, Selah)

A WORLD OF DISASTERS

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 4) - September 28, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: As we’ve already seen, the world before our Savior’s return will be a difficult and dangerous place – one defined by destruction, deceit, and war. Jesus’ prophecy makes this clear. As we move to verse 7 in His Olivet Discourse, we see repetition of Jesus’ earlier promise about wars and rumors of wars. But it’s the second half of verse 7, coupled with verse 8, that should really cause us to sit up and take notice.

I. GLOBAL DISASTERS ARE UNAVOIDABLE (Mt. 24:6-7)

* Famines (Mt. 24:7; Jer. 14:12; Rev. 6)

* Plagues (Mt. 24:7 NKJV; Deut. 32:24; 2 Chr. 20:9)

* Earthquakes (Mt. 24:7 NKJV; Rev. 16:18; Isa. 2:19; Mt. 27:50-54; Ex. 19:18-19; 1 Kings 19:11-12; Zech. 14:5; Ps. 18:7; Job 9:6)

II. GOD’S DECREES ARE UNCONDITIONAL (Acts 2:25; Heb. 6:19)

* Confident in God’s Protection (Gen. 15:1; Ps. 27:1, 46:2, 90:1-2; Zech. 9:15; Heb. 12:28)

* Confident in God’s Pardon (Joel 2:12-14; Acts 16:30-31)

* Confident in God’s Perspective (Mt. 24:27, 30; 2 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 21:3-4)

* Confident in God’s Provision (Mt. 6:1; Gen. 22:8; Phil. 4:19; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; 2 Cor. 9:8)

III. IN CONCLUSION (Ps. 90:2)

As children of God, we have a similar opportunity to navigate the twists and turns of life with confidence, even in the midst of disasters. Why? Because that confidence is based not in our abilities but in the nature and character of our heavenly Father. Not only does He see what’s coming in our world, but He has told us in advance how everything will end. For that reason, and that reason alone, you and I can navigate this world of disaster and still be confident in our Lord!

A WORLD OF WAR

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for hope in a world that’s full of hatred and strife. Your Word tells us that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and that there will be wars and rumors of wars. When these things happen, Lord, it causes anxiety and trepidation in the weak and defenseless. When fear and panic begin to infiltrate their hearts, I ask you to overwhelm them with Your peace. When they start to worry about the future, please remind them that You are the One who is in control and the future is in Your capable hands. Sometimes, Father, we’re prone to fret over these events ourselves. Forgive us for our weak faith. Fill us today with hope from the Scriptures, focusing our thoughts only on You and the assurance Your Word of truth beings to our hearts. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Introduction: The temple of Karnak complex in Egypt presents some of the oldest ruins in history, including decayed temples, chapels, and residences near Luxor. On the wall of one of the temples is a set of Egyptian hieroglyphics that provides a description of the first recorded war in the history of the world. This wasn’t the first conflict ever to occur, mind you, but it is the first known war to have been described in writing.

The battle described by these hieroglyphs took place on April 16, 1457 BC, between Pharoah Thutmose III and a large coalition of Canaanite tribes led by the king of Kadesh. Both armies boasted about ten thousand soldiers. The Egyptians routed the Canaanite forces, who retreated to their walled city, known as Megiddo. The Egyptians besieged the city and took it seven months later.

What’s interesting is the location of this war. The battle between Egypt and the Canaanites – the first recorded battle in world history – occurred in the Valley of Armageddon. This conflict is commonly known as “the Battle of Megiddo.”

Today, the Valley of Armageddon (also known as the Valley of Jezreel) is the breadbasket of Israel. It is a perfect agricultural plain that yields huge amounts of barley, wheat, oranges, beans, watermelon, chickpeas, and sunflowers. But throughout history, this area has been the scene of a myriad of conflicts – with as many as two hundred battles in all, so far.

It’s from this exact spot that the Antichrist will set up his forward operating base in the final war of history (Rev. 16:16). The name Armageddon comes from the Hebrew term Har Megiddo, or the “Mountain of Megiddo.” Interestingly, Megiddo was not originally a mountain. It’s an archaeological “tel,” or manmade hill, that gained its height from the repeated destruction and rebuilding of the city.

Our planet has a land surface of more than 57 million square miles, yet the first and last recorded battles in history were (and will be) fought in the same place. These two wars serve, in a way, as bookends to the history of warfare. Between them is volume after volume of the bloody battles that mar humanity’s story.

I. OUR CONFLICTS (Mt. 24:6-7)

In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus warned that dissension would in-
crease and that global warfare would envelop humanity in increasing measure. Standing on another high place – the Mount of Olives – He told His disciples …

[READ Mt. 24:6-7a]

6 And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7a For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, ….

These words provide a springboard for us to examine three important ways our world has been, still is, and will be influenced by war.

• The Curse of War

According to an article in the New York Times in 2003, the world at that time had been at peace for only 268 of the past 3,400 years. In other words, only 8% of that period of our history has been peaceful. No one knows how many people have perished in times of war. The Times speculated that at least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century alone. Some experts believe “a billion people have lost their lives during all the military conflicts that have pockmarked history like bomb craters.”

But casualties are only part of the story. Consider how many people have been bereaved by every single military death – mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children, and friends. Even in our own lifetimes, we’ve stood by flag-draped caskets and listened to the mournful bugle playing “Taps.” Most of the soldiers slain have been young men, leading to decreased birth rates and depressed populations. Also consider the maimed and wounded, those permanently traumatized, and all who have faced unspeakable atrocities. We can’t conceive of the terror that accompanies the triumph of evil or the despair of defeat when it befalls good people.

War also has terrible after effects, including famine and pestilence, as we’ll see in some future messages. When the Spanish conquistadors invaded the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan empires, they carried smallpox and measles that decimated local populations. Returning soldiers from World War I brought home the H1N1 virus, which infected a third of the world’s population and killed more people than the war itself.

Author and Christian theologian C.S. Lewis knew the curse of war. During World War I he served on the front lines in France and was wounded by an exploding shell. Years later, when World War II arrived, he wrote:

My memories of the last war haunted my dreams for years. Military service, to be plain, includes the threat of every temporal evil; pain and death which is what we fear from sickness: isolation from those we love which is what we fear from exile: toil under arbitrary masters … which is what we fear from slavery: hunger, thirst, and exposure which is what we fear from poverty. I’m not a pacifist. If it’s got to be, it’s got to be. But the flesh is weak and selfish, and I think death would be much better than to live through another war.

So here we are, a few billion souls occupying a small, spinning planet, surrounded by a stunning universe and inhabiting a world of unrivaled beauty. Yet our history is soaked with blood, saturated with sorrow, and dominated by massive armies that now have the potential to unleash worldwide carnage and destruction. Certainly, war is a horrible thing.

However, war produces heroes and brings out the best in those whose cause is right. Without just wars, evil cannot be obstructed; the Hitlers of history could not be stopped, and dictators would prevail.

Dr. Margaret MacMillan, an expert on the history of warfare, wrote: It is another uncomfortable truth about war that it brings both destruction and creation. So many of our advances in science and technology – the jet engine, transistors, computers – came about because they were needed in wartime. Penicillin, which has saved so many lives, was first discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming but the funds to develop it were not available until the Second World War. The Canadian doctor Norman Bethune pioneered blood transfusions on the battlefield. The practice of triage, now common in all emergency rooms, started in wars …. Surgery – for traumatic wounds or to rebuild shattered faces – made huge advances during the wars of the twentieth century.

Some of history’s greatest moments have reflected the courage of leaders in times of war. Who is not moved by Churchill’s stirring words that represent one of the greatest moments of leadership in the modern world? “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

The conflict between good and evil, which each of us feels in our own souls, finds its greatest field of operation on the battlegrounds of war. Human history, with all its triumphs and tragedies, has been ushered from one lurching moment to another by warfare.

• The Cause of War (Ex. 15:3; Ps. 144:1; Jas. 4:1; 1 Pet. 2:11; Rom. 8:37; 1 Tim. 1:18)

Because the curse of war is so great, philosophers have long searched for its cause. Why do people fight one another? Why does nation rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom? Dr. MacMillan also wrote, “The evidence seems to be on the side of those who say that human beings, as far back as we can tell, have had a propensity to attack each other in organized ways – in other words, to make war. That challenges us to understand why it is that human beings are willing and able to kill each other.”

Why indeed? The ancients believed the Trojan War started when Zeus concluded there were too many people on earth and prompted humans to fight and kill one another. Others point to Darwin’s theory of evolution and his concept of the survival of the fittest. But we can’t blame the reality of war on mythical gods or evolutionary schemes.

One of the most chilling books on this subject, Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning, describes how a unit of average, middle-aged, working-class German men became cold-blooded murders able to kill without remorse. Not only did these soldiers commit mass murder, but they also rounded up Jewish people for deportation to the death camps. Browning’s disturbing thesis is that almost any of us are capable of committing such atrocities if we’re caught up in an environment that alters moral norms, creates group dynamics, and defers to authority.

In short, the cause of war is the human heart, and we can trace the problem back to the moment Adam and Eve first disobeyed God. The vertical rupture sin caused in our relationship with the Lord produced a corresponding horizontal rupture between one person and another. First, Adam and Eve hid from God, then Cain killed Abel. From that day forward, history and the pages of the Bible have been marked by warfare. In fact, in the OT, the word war occurs more than 300 times. More than 200 times in the OT, Jehovah is called “the LORD of hosts.” After Moses and the children of Israel escaped the clutches of Pharaoh through the intervention of God, they sang this song of victory: “The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name” (Ex. 15:3).

Many of God’s great servants were military men: Saul, David, Moses, Gideon, and many of the kings of Israel. Listen to the testimony of King David:  “Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” (Ps. 144:1).

People often wonder why war is so common in the OT but is hardly mentioned in the NT. Actually, that’s not the case. The apostles used the language of war on many occasions to illustrate the believer’s journey. They spoke of “desires for pleasure that war in your members” (Jas. 4:1). They instructed their followers to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). They were told that through Christ, they could become “conquerors” (Rom. 8:37).
Timothy was encouraged by Paul to “wage the good warfare” (1 Tim. 1:18). These are just a few examples.

I think it is safe to say that because of the conflict between good and evil that originated in the garden of Eden, war has become a major theme in the human story – and will remain so up to and through the end of this world.

• The Course of War (Mt. 24:6-7a; Rev. 19:11-21)

Having looked at the curse and the cause of war, now let’s look at its course. As I have indicated, human conflict started with Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. Throughout history, the technology of war has advanced until this moment, when the world has produced enough firepower to kill everyone on earth many times over.

This brings us again to the words of Jesus …

[READ Mt. 24:6-7a]

6 And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7a For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, ….

Remember when I said earlier that there have only been a few years in world history without national and international conflicts? Some of those years occurred during the lifetime of Jesus, when the world experienced a time of relative tranquility. This was the golden age of Roman life, when the arts, literature, and technology advanced to heights not previously seen. The Roman Empire ruled a quarter of the world’s population.

In that season, few people would have predicted the return and acceleration of global conflict, but Jesus knew what was ahead. He unequivocally told His disciples, “You will hear of wars.” He also told them they would hear of “rumors of wars.” That word rumors is a translation of the original Greek term akoe. It can mean either “report” or “sound.” If Jesus intended the former, He was telling His disciples they would hear of actual wars and reports of others that couldn’t be verified. But many experts believe the better translation is “sound” or “noise.” In other words, you will hear about wars far away, and you will actually hear the sounds of wars close by. Those wars will come to you, to your gates, to your cities. One Bible translation puts it this way, “You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away” (Mt. 24:6).

Biblical scholars believe the phrase “wars and rumors of wars” actually represents the earliest description of a world war. “This expression is a Hebrew idiom for a world war. Jesus’ statement here is that when a world war occurs, rather than merely a local war, that world war would signal that the end of the age had begun.”

Whatever the case, the idea is there will be wars everywhere, which will increase in intensity, scope, and fearfulness as the age draws toward its God-ordained conclusion.

Right now, the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, and earlier this month Russia launched armed drones into Poland. In the Middle East there are almost daily reports of battles and skirmishes between Israel and her hostile Islamic neighbors.

It’s reported that Vladimir Putin has amassed the world’s largest collection of nuclear weapons and has threatened to “use them, if needed.” Experts on China warn that it now “poses a challenge unlike any the United States has ever faced.”

At the present, there are nine countries known to possess nuclear weapons; one wonders how many unknown powers have them. The global inventory of nuclear weapons is estimated at 13,000 devices. According to experts, “The warheads on just one US nuclear-armed submarine have seven times the destructive power of all the bombs dropped during World War II, including the two atomic bombs deployed in Japan.” In 2022, there were ten such American submarines prowling the world’s oceans. But the oceans are filled with submarines from other nations too, all carrying equal payloads.

As of 2022, China had an estimated 350 nuclear warheads, with approximately 100 of them assigned to missiles capable of reaching the United States. The United Kingdom had 120 nuclear weapons, with 40 deployed at any given time on Trident submarines. France had nearly 300 deployed weapons, most on submarines. North Korea had enough nuclear material for up to 40 weapons, and some experts believed that at the time half of them had already been assembled. Israel rarely discusses its nuclear capability, but it faces ongoing threats from the Islamic rulers of Iran who vow to destroy the Jewish state. So, you can be sure Israel is well-armed and ready to respond.

Beloved, it’s only the grace of God that has thus far prevented a terrorist group from detonating a nuclear device somewhere on earth. And I don’t even have time to tell you about biological weapons and other man-made terrors! Were all the weapons on earth deployed and detonated at the same time, it’s likely the earth itself would be reduced to a charred ball of burnt carbon.

I don’t believe that is going to happen, because the Lord has given us a glimpse into the future in Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation. Any time now, Jesus is going to come for His church, and the events described in Matthew 24 that have been growing in intensity and frequency will give birth to a series of wars unlike anything ever witnessed before in human history. Finally, they will reach their zenith at Armageddon. But the Bible tells us that war will be suddenly interrupted by the majestic return of Christ from whose mouth will proceed a sharp sword (Rev. 19:11-21). He will save His people from annihilation, He will save the world from total destruction, and He will establish a kingdom where peace and justice will reign supreme.

As terrifying as our current world conflicts may seem, we can take solace in the truth that the course of war will eventually lead us to Christ’s return.

II. OUR CONFIDENCE (Mt. 24:6)

Jesus summarized all these ideas when He warned of “wars and rumors of wars.” But it’s what He said next that seems the most surprising. We might have expected Him to say, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, so be prepared for trouble. Keep an anxious eye on the times. Expect to feel uneasy and prepare for the many foes and woes to come.” But no; that’s not what He said. Our Lord told us, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed” (Mt. 24:6).

The Greek word for “alarmed” means to be terrified, to cry aloud, to scream. Jesus tells us not to panic, even when we are surrounded by wars and rumors of war. How is that possible? The answer is wrapped up in the peace we can find from God’s promise, God’s presence, and God’s plan.

• Peace from God’s Promise (Ps. 46:9; Isa. 2:4)

First, we can choose to be “unalarmed” by the reality of war because God has promised that, one day, wars will no longer be a reality. Wars will cease. Like you, I feel grieved by the conflicts that harm and destroy so many, especially so many innocent people. We may ask good questions about why these things happen. But the day is coming when Psalm 46 will be fulfilled:

[READ Ps. 46:8-9]

8 Come, behold the works of Yahweh,
Who has appointed desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts up the spear;
He burns the chariots with fire.

Isaiah spoke of the days of Jesus’ coming kingdom when He will reign from Jerusalem, and all the tribes of the earth will hear His teachings and learn His ways.

[READ Isa. 2:4]

4 And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.

Dr. M.R. DeHaan wrote of this day: The Bible is replete with prophecies of a coming age of peace and prosperity. It will be a time when war will be utterly unknown. Not a single armament plant will be operating, not a soldier or sailor will be in uniform, no military camps will exist, and not one cent will be spent for armaments of war, not a single penny will be used for defense, much less for offensive warfare. Can you imagine such an age, when all nations shall be at perfect peace, all the resources available for enjoyment, all industry engaged in the articles of a peaceful luxury?

We haven’t reached that day yet, but God has promised that we will. In the meantime, though there is warfare in the world, there can be peace in the hearts of God’s children.

• Peace from God’s Presence (Deut. 20:3-4, 31:8; Josh. 1:5, 9; Isa. 43:2; Heb. 13:5-6; Mt. 1:23; Jn. 14:27, 16:33)

Nothing is more important, or more confidence boosting, than the promise that God will be with us during difficult seasons – including conflicts of all kinds. Here are just a few of these promises.

[READ Deut. 20:3-4]

3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near to the battle against your enemies today. Do not let your heart be faint. Do not be afraid, nor be alarmed, nor be in dread before them, 4 for Yahweh your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

[READ Deut. 31:8]

8 “And Yahweh is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

[READ Josh. 1:5, 9]

5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you …. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be in dread or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.

[READ Isa. 43:2]

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.

[READ Heb. 13:5-6]

5 … He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”

The promise of the presence of God in our lives is so important that when He sent His Son into our world to provide for our salvation, one of the names He was given celebrates His presence with us.

[READ Mt. 1:23]

23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

Jim and Marina Noyes were in Ukraine when Russia invaded. They spent the first ten days of the war in Kyiv, where they had planted a church. They wanted to stay in Ukraine, but they have two grandchildren, and one is a special-needs child. She is a little girl who uses a walker to move about. One day Marina heard the child talking to her baby doll in Ukrainian. She said, “Do not worry. Don’t panic, sweetie. All will be well. Mommy is with you.” From the lips of children!

Jim and Marina, their son and daughter-in-law, and the two children wound their way around the conflict to escape Ukraine. When Jim and Marina arrived in the United States, they shared their story.

“When the trouble comes, we cry,” said Marina, speaking on behalf of the Ukrainian people. “When it gets bad, we pray. When it becomes unbearable, we sing.” She said that Ukrainians have written thousands of songs since the war began. “Ukraine has always been religious,” she added, “but now Ukraine is really turning to God.”

Our peace amid conflict – our ability to sing in the storm – comes from the One who said …

[READ Jn. 14:27]

27 … Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

[READ Jn. 16:33]

We are reminded, He is the same Savior who told us,
33 ... In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

• Peace from God’s Plan (Mt. 24:6-7; Isa. 26:3)

Let’s look at Matthew 24:6-7a one more time:

[READ Mt. 24:6-7a]

6 And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7a For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, ….

For those things must take place. Don’t you just love it when Jesus says, “must”? It indicates the indisputable, inexorable decrees of Almighty God in things large and small that must and will be fulfilled. Because Jesus knows the things that “must be fulfilled,” we can rest in Him and abide in His peace – whatever our world may be doing and wherever it may be happening.

In late 2021, a two-man Youth for Christ team from Lebanon went to eastern Sudan to help organize the YFC work there and evangelize rural areas. John Sagherian was a 74-year-old widower. Elie Heneine, 27, was a newly married YFC worker. John and Elie met at the hotel early on their first day to begin their work. Noticing everyone gathered around a television, they learned the military had staged an overnight coup in the capital of Khartoum. Sudan was in crisis-mode, again. The airports were restricted, and the population was tense. Instantly, everything the two men had planned was up in the air. Elie’s wife back in Lebanon kept them up-to-date on the news she was hearing, and it seemed impossible for their mission to continue. But they determined to do their best.

Two days before the coup, John arranged to meet a man named Sabet, who showed leadership potential and had recruited others to help him in evangelism. So, John and Elie made their way to the meeting spot and found thirty people on plastic chairs in a three-walled, tin-roofed structure. John had a message he often preached, so he pulled out his Bible and preached it. The title was “Why Is God Doing This to Us?” He reassured the congregation that God had a plan, even in the midst of troubles and conflicts. Rather than becoming angry and bitter, we should look to see what God is doing. Our constant question to God, John said, is “What now, Lord?”

The day of the coup, Sabet took John and Elie in a three-wheeled auto rickshaw to meet thirty-five church leaders. The rickshaw was packed with five other passengers and a baby goat. The driver was fifteen. They navigated around riots and areas of protest. Finally arriving at their destination, John preached from Psalm 78 to the youth workers. Conditions in eastern Sudan worsened. The government cut off phone and internet service across the nation. Just as John and Elie decided to return home, the airports closed. “What now, Lord?”

Near them was a school in a poor village. Ninety-five percent of the students were Muslim, but the headmaster was a Christian, a man whom Sabet had led to the Lord 10 years earlier. This man had won a few others to Christ, gathered them into his home, and started a church. Now, in the middle of a national crisis, the same headmaster gathered all the students to a rally and told John to preach to them about Jesus.

Having been a Youth for Christ worker for decades, John was eager to speak – and to give an altar all. Based on his experience, he thought a hundred students would show up and perhaps five or so would be saved. Instead, over a thousand students showed up on the schoolyard grounds. John preached the gospel and explained the way of eternal salvation provided by Jesus. Then he asked anyone wanting to give their life to Christ to stand.

The crowd was nervous, but eventually one person stood. Then a second, a third, and a fourth. Before long, the entire student body was standing. Thinking they had misunderstood, John had everyone sit while he explained the importance of this decision. This time he asked those who wanted to follow Christ to raise their hands. Eighty percent of the students did so.

John and Elie finally made their way back to Lebanon. Here’s how Elie summed up the trip: “God moved circumstances and people, putting us in places we couldn’t have imagined. It was like a well-played chess match, and God won!”

On a certain level, all of human history appears to be a chess match between God and the devil, but there’s no question about who has won, is winning, and who will always secure the victory. That’s why Jesus told us we’d hear of wars and rumors of war – but not to be troubled or alarmed. The only way to do this is by faith – to trust in Jesus Christ.

[READ Isa. 26:3]

3 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace
Because he trusts in You.

I like the way Paul David Tripp explained this concept: Peace is found in trusting the Person who controls all the things that you don’t understand and who knows no mystery because He has planned it all. How do you experience this remarkable peace? … You experience it by keeping your mind stayed on the Lord. The more you meditate on His glory, His power, His wisdom, His grace, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His patience, His zeal to redeem, and His commitment to His eternal promises to you, the more you can deal with mystery in your life. It really is true that peace in times of trouble is not found in figuring out your life, but in worship of the One who has everything figured out already.

Trust the Lord Jesus Christ with your soul’s salvation. Trust the Lord Jesus with your struggles and sorrows. Trust Jesus with your service. He has work for you to do in these last days. And when you hit roadblocks, end up in rickshaws, and find yourself in the midst of conflict, just ask, “What now, Lord?” He wants to use you more than you know, and He can do far more than all you can ask or even imagine (Eph. 3:20).

III. IN CONCLUSION (Ps. 90:2)

So, yes, we will hear of dissension, of wars and rumors of wars, but don’t be troubled. These things must happen, but Jesus is coming – right on schedule!

Bruce Belfrage was an English actor who became a reporter and news reader for the BBC. As the Battle of Britain terrorized London during World War II, the German Luftwaffe bombed the city with unremitting air raids. The BBC headquarters were not spared either. On the evening of October 15, 1940, the BBC took a direct hit from a 500-pound, delayed-reaction bomb, which exploded during the nine o’clock news. Seven people were killed. Bruce Belfrage was reading the news at that very moment, even as plaster, soot, and smoke rained down on him. To everyone’s amazement, Belfrage didn’t miss a beat. He calmly kept reading the news as if nothing had happened. The only thing listeners at home heard was a dull thud and some whispering, “Are you all right?” Belfrage’s only comment was, “Carry on. It’s all right.”

That’s what Jesus is telling us in Matthew 24:6-7. Even in a war-weary world, we need to keep calm and carry on. Let me sum it up this way: we live in a world that will wage war from Armageddon to Armageddon, but we serve a Lord who reigns from everlasting to everlasting (Ps. 90:2). Let not your hearts be troubled! Trust Christ and carry on. Be calm.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the calm and quiet which You promise is accessible to us even in the middle of the world’s chaos. God, it often feels impossible for us to find peace when it seems that our planet is spinning out of control. So, help us, Father, to remember that when we feel overwhelmed by what we can’t predict or plan for, You already know the end of the matter and are with us every moment. Help us, Lord, to trust You. May the Holy Spirit steady our minds and hearts with Your promises. Father, thank You for being so good and kind to us. You are loving and faithful beyond measure. Thank You for the gift of faith. Thank You for reminding us that You are our Provider and that it is Your delight to care for us. You always demonstrate how much You love us. You shower us with Your peace and rest for our souls. May we seek You above all the cares of this world. Enable us to tune out every other voice so that we can hear Your sweet whispers of assurance. We thank You for the powerful work You’re doing even when we don’t understand it or can’t see it. May we trust in You at all times, in every way. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Invitation # 494: “Like a River Glorious” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, the Lord Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Amen. (Jn. 16:33)

A WORLD OF WAR

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 3) - September 21, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Our planet has a land surface of more than 57 million square miles, yet the first and last recorded battles in history were (and will be) fought in the same place. The two wars of Armageddon serve, in a way, as bookends to the history of warfare. Between them is volume after volume of the bloody battles that mar humanity’s story.

I. OUR CONFLICTS (Mt. 24:6-7a)

* The Curse of War

* The Cause of War (Ex. 15:3; Ps. 144:1; Jas. 4:1; 1 Pet. 2:11; Rom. 8:37; 1 Tim. 1:18)

* The Course of War (Mt. 24:6-7a; Rev. 19:11-21)

II. OUR CONFIDENCE (Mt. 24:6)

* Peace from God’s Promise (Ps. 46:8-9; Isa. 2:4)

* Peace from God’s Presence (Deut. 20:3-4, 31:8; Josh. 1:5, 9; Isa. 43:2; Heb. 13:5-6; Mt. 1:23; Jn. 14:27, 16:33)

* Peace from God’s Plan (Mt. 24:6-7a; Isa. 26:3)

III. IN CONCLUSION (Ps. 90:2)

So, yes, we will hear of dissension, of wars and rumors of wars, but don’t be troubled. These things must happen, but Jesus is coming – right on schedule!

That’s what Jesus is telling us in Matthew 24-6-7a. Even in a war-weary world, we need to keep calm and carry on. Let me sum it up this way: we live in a world that will wage war from Armageddon to Armageddon, but we serve a Lord who reigns from everlasting to everlasting (Ps. 90:2). Let not your hearts be troubled! Trust Christ and carry on; be calm.

A WORLD OF DECEPTION

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come before You this morning in pursuit of the truth. We know that You alone can reveal what is hidden in darkness and bring to light what is concealed. I ask that You would give us divine discernment to know what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. I pray that You will uncover any deception or lies that may be clouding our minds or leading us astray. Shine Your light on any hidden motives or agendas that are not aligned with Your will. May we remember that the truth is not just a set of facts, but it is a way of life. It is living in alignment with Your word and being guided by Your Holy Spirit. Help us, Lord, to always seek after the truth, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. I ask You to give me clarity of thought and the courage to speak truthfully and boldly to Your people today. I pray for these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.

Introduction: The end came swiftly – 4 p.m. local time on Christmas Day, 1989. Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, hands bound, faces defiant, stood before a firing squad of Romanian paratroopers. In an instant, their bodies were riddled with 120 rounds of ammunition, and one of the twentieth century’s most brutal reigns of terror came to an end. These executions also signaled the end of the Communist regimes knows as the Soviet Bloc.

Ceausescu was a master of deception. His face could be stern, happy, terrifying – whatever he wanted it to be. He and his wife kept an iron grip on Romania for 24 years, promising to turn the nation into a utopia, a country without oppression or poverty, and a place of plenty and prosperity. All the while, their cruel fists were crushing their own people and squeezing their nation dry.

Ceausescu presented himself as a man of unprecedented talent: “the supreme embodiment of good,” the “hero of heroes,” the “worker of workers,” and the “first personage of the world” (his words, not mine).

His wife, Elena, was an attractive woman from a peasant background who was determined to be as powerful as her husband. She became first deputy prime minister and the “mother of the nation.” The media hailed her as a model for women everywhere. Actually, she was more like a modern Jezebel. In fact, the Ceausescu’s story bears a striking resemblance to King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of OT infamy. It’s the story of an arrogant couple who were addicted to power and reigned through deceit, duplicity, and unimaginable cruelty – with a disastrous ending.

Many historians will tell you they were as evil and Hitler; they simply lacked the opportunity to work on as grand a scale. They deceived not only their own people but also the West. Queen Elizabeth II knighted Ceausescu. The United States granted his country “most-favored nation” trading status. Former Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin credited Ceausescu with successfully mediating Anwar Sadat’s peace mission to Jerusalem. This couple fooled the world for decades.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the last of the great deceivers. Counterfeit leaders are still proliferating like spores in the air, growing worse by the day. This trend won’t end until the Antichrist meets his doom.

Deception is a frequent topic in Scripture. It begins in the garden of Eden when Eve said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:13). At the other end of the Bible, we read something similar: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10).

Just think of it: the master deceiver – Satan – enters the picture three chapters into the Bible, and he is cast into the lake of fire three chapters from the end of the Bible. From Eden to the end, he’s been spinning webs of deception and smothering our world.

Jesus took keen notice of this theme in His Olivet Discourse. Deceit occupies a significant place in the prophetic passages of the NT, and this is actually where Jesus began His teaching about signs of the times. When the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him about the future, He began His response by saying, “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Mt. 24:4).

I. THE STATUS OF DECEPTION (Mk. 13:5-6; Lk. 21:8; Mt. 24:23-24; Rev. 6:1-2; Mt. 24:11, 36, 42, 44, Mt. 25:13; Mk. 13:32)

According to Jesus, disinformation will play a major role in the world during the last days. While we should always be on alert for lies and misdirection, the Lord warned us to be especially watchful for spiritual deceit as the day of His return approaches.

[READ Mk. 13:5-6]
5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

[READ Lk. 21:8]
8 And He said, “See to it that you are not deceived; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Do not go after them.

[READ Mt. 24:23-24]
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

As I mentioned last week, the judgments promised in Matthew 24:4-11 parallel the first five seal judgments of Revelation 6:1-11; with the very first seal depicting a false messiah.

[READ Rev. 6:1-2]
1 Then I looked when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2 Then I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out overcoming and to overcome.

This rider on the white horse is a counterfeit. He is a false christ. He will arise as a global champion, the person of the hour, to rescue the world from impending catastrophe. In short order, he will mutate into the Antichrist. But this personage won’t simply appear in a vacuum. Leading up to his appearance, many others will come and falsely claim to be the Messiah (1 Jn. 2:18). Our Lord specifically instructed His disciples not to fall for such claims.

Is this such a far-fetched idea? People actually claiming messiahship? Figures claiming the be the Savior? No! Even in the first century, several revolutionaries made that boast and are mentioned in the book of Acts (see the inside cover of today’s bulletin).

In every century after Christ’s death and resurrection, impostors have claimed to be the Messiah or some other sort of savior to their people or to the world. And every single one of them have been pretenders.

But it’s not only false messiahs that are the problem. For every impostor who has claimed to be the Messiah, at least ten others claim knowledge about the future that they simply cannot know. These are false prophets. Jesus warned us about these individuals as well.

[READ Mt. 24:11]
11 Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many.

I shared a little bit about one of these false prophets on Wednesday. In the 1800s, a New Englander named William Miller became enamored with determining the date of the imminent return of Christ, using dubious mathematical calculations. He collected mounds of data, analyzed it, and was certain Christ would return on March 21, 1843. The press went wild, and the news spread across the country. As March 21 approached, businesses closed, people stayed home, and Miller’s devoted followers donned their ascension robes, hiked into the mountains, and climbed towering trees to get as high as possible so they would have “less distance to travel through the air” when the Lord returned with a shout.

Well, the day came and went. The Lord didn’t return. The Millerites trudged home, accompanied by leers and jeers from their neighbors and friends. It was a confusing day for these disappointed men and women. Even worse, it made everyone who followed the news a bit more cynical about Christianity.

But Miller wasn’t a man to give up easily. He went back to the Scriptures and found a one-year “mistake” in his calculations. Exactly 365 days later, the Millerites once again robed themselves, climbed trees, and awaited the Lord’s return. And once again, they were disappointed -- and this time angry. Most of them abandoned their sincere but deluded leader. And infinitely more tragic, some of them turned their hearts away from God altogether. To his credit, Miller repented of his date setting and publicly admitted he had made a terrible error, not just in his calculations but in his foolish attempts to set the date of Christ’s return. But by then, or course, the damage was done.

Many other people have speculated on the day and hour of the Lord’s return, some of them making specific predictions about the end of the world. When I read about these false prophets, I wonder what Bible they’re studying. The Bible clearly says the date of our Lord’s return is unknown and unknowable by anyone on earth.

[READ Mt. 24:36]
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

[READ Mt. 24:42]
42 “Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

[READ Mt. 24:44]
44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

[READ Mt. 25:13]
13 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

[READ Mk. 13:32]
32 But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

Perhaps a couple of these verses confuse you. If Jesus is God, why didn’t He Himself know the time of His own return? Well, when Jesus spoke these words, He had divested Himself of the independent use of His attributes. He had taken the form of a man (Phil. 2:7), totally obedient to His Father and completely reliant on the Holy Spirit. In His humanity, He had temporarily relinquished some of the privileges of His deity. When Jesus rose from the dead and received His glorified body, He once again had access to His omniscience. Therefore, Christ now knows and looks forward to the day of His return.

Why, then, would some people claim to know the timing of Jesus’ return? If Christ Himself, in His humanity, didn’t know the details, why would anyone else boast of knowing? That’s the pull and power of deception.

Jesus strenuously warned us against being deceived in our spiritual lives. The NT epistles warn God’s people about the possibility of being deceived no fewer than 11 times! Just as brilliant people have been scammed and taken in by clever hoaxes, it’s also possible for Christians – even solid and mature believers – to be tricked. Without the wisdom and grace of God, we’re all vulnerable to deception. This danger will only accelerate as we move closer to Jesus’ return.

II. THE SOURCE OF DECEPTION (Rev. 12:9; Jn. 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13-14)

The spiritual deception Jesus warns us of isn’t mere coincidence. There is someone behind these deceptions. Satan, the enemy of our souls, is the ultimate deceiver and the father of lies. From the dawn of history, one of his primary tools has been deceit.

[READ Rev. 12:9] John describes Satan this way …
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.

[READ Jn. 8:44] Jesus describes Satan this way …
44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Spiritual deception may be Satan’s most insidious weapon against those of us who follow Christ and belong to His church. Jesus and His apostles spoke of it nearly 30 times in the NT. Satan is a liar. He is the Serpent. He is the deceiver. But he masquerades as something else, and so do his followers:

[READ 2 Cor. 11:13-14]
3 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

When this deception becomes full-blown in the period surrounding the rapture, it will be unlike anything that has ever happened before on earth. Just as clouds gather before a storm, we are experiencing the pull of apocalyptic deception. It is all around us. It’s in the air! What we’re sensing are the birth pains of deception, which will intensify around the globe before the rapture occurs. We feel it when politicians regularly fail to follow through on campaign promises. We feel it when media personalities tell us that up is down and dark is light. We feel it when scientists make outlandish claims about basic biology that don’t stand up to the scrutiny of common sense. We feel it when governments practice censorship in the name of protection, and persecution in the name of peace. We feel it when social media entraps our children with its lies.

In short, we’re already seeing an erosion of trust in the foundations that have held our cultures and civilizations together for millennia. That erosion will intensify as we approach the Lord’s return.

III. THE STRATEGY OF DECEPTION (2 Cor. 2:11)

About 2,400 years ago, a man in China by the name of Sun Tzu wrote a book called The Art of War. It remains popular even today with leaders in business, entertainment, education, law, politics, government, sports, and many other fields who study and apply Tzu’s principles in modern contexts.

Tzu wrote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Based on this paragraph, Sun Tzu is credited with coining the phrase, “Know your enemy.”

This is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he told the Corinthians not to be “ignorant of [Satan’s] devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). As followers of Christ, we need to know our enemy so we can stand against his schemes – including the scheme of deception. The best way to learn about Satan’s strategies is by studying God’s Word. The strategy Satan implemented in the garden of Eden is the same he uses today, and the same he will utilize in the last days. Unfortunately, many Christians have never analyzed his strategy, which is one reason they’re victimized by false prophets and deceptive doctrines running rampant. What is Satan’s universal strategy? It’s presented in detail in the third chapter of Genesis.

• Satan Disputes God’s Word (Gen. 3:1)
Satan began tempting Adam and Eve by disputing God’s Word.

[READ Gen. 3:1]
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

Satan tried to water down what God had said. To change it just a little. He whispered in Eve’s ear that perhaps she didn’t hear God correctly.

The devil tries something similar on us today. We open the clear, plain Word of God in front of us and read a verse that tells us we shouldn’t do something we’d really like to do. The next thing we know, someone shows up to give us an alternate interpretation of the text that will allow us to do what we know God has forbidden. That is a moment of decision. We must choose to accept the truth of God’s Word and act accordingly – or allow ourselves to be deceived.

• Satan Denies God’s Word (Gen. 3:4, 2:17)
Next, Satan told Adam and Eve, “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). The road from doubt to denial is not very long. When Satan said, “You will not surely die,” he was brazenly contradicting what God had said. See for yourself:

[READ Gen. 2:17]
17 … But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.

You can’t miss the sequence! Doubt opens the door to denial. If Adam and Eve had not listened to Satan in the beginning, they would have never denied God in the end.

• Satan Displaces God’s Word (Gen. 3:5; Isa. 5:20; 1 Cor. 10:13)

After Satan disputed God’s Word and then denied it, he displaced it. He told Adam and Eve: “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). Satan was putting into their minds the same disturbing thought that had once entered his own mind – the same impulse that had transformed him from the anointed cherub to the devil of hell.

One of the easiest ways to see Satan’s plan at work in the world today is to observe how our culture treats sin. How easily we seem to push aside the pure truth of Scripture when doing so suits our purpose. Lying doesn’t seem bad if we’re trying to spare another person’s feelings or when facing a case of situational ethics. Adultery doesn’t feel as wrong when we describe it through doublespeak – just an “improper relation-ship” or even “true love.” Or gluttony and addiction aren’t the result of personal choices but genetic disorders or chemical imbalances.

Soon we find ways to dispute what God’s Word actually says. We say, “Those restrictions may have been true in the culture of Paul’s day, but things are different now. A sophisticated modern person such as myself can handle a bit of gray instead of treating everything as black or white.” When we allow Satan to sow seeds of doubt in our minds about the significance of sin, we’ve opened our hearts to the devil’s deception. How easily we justify our behavior! Right and wrong are turned upside down in the twinkling of an eye.

[READ Isa. 5:20] Isaiah wrote
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness,
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

That can easily happen if we allow ourselves to be deceived. But it doesn’t have to. We don’t have to let Satan control our lives. The apostle Paul’s promise to the Corinthians still stands:

[READ 1 Cor. 10:13]
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

• Satan Discounts God’s Goodness (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:2)

There’s another link in the chain of deception. The devil wants us to discount the Lord’s goodness, mercy, and grace. Notice God’s original instructions for humanity:

[READ Gen. 2:16-17, NKJV]
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Do you see God’s generosity? An abundance of goodness was offered “freely,” with only one restriction. Yet Eve reframed God’s original command when she spoke with Satan.

[READ Gen. 3:2, NKJV]
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; …”

Do you see what’s missing? Eve omitted God’s gracious provision that she and Adam could “freely” eat of every tree in the garden. In other words, her comprehension of God’s provision wasn’t nearly as magnanimous as God had intended. Satan got her with his evil insinuations about God. When you start questioning the grace and goodness of God, you’re on the road to deception.

Have you been tempted in that way? Why did God let this happen? You might wonder. If God is so good, why are these things taking place? Will He not answer my prayer? Where is He?

Let me give you some advice that has helped me in these situations. Stop and ask yourself a few questions to get reoriented. Is God good? Has He been good to me? Does His Word light the path ahead of me? Are His grace and provision sufficient for all my needs? Has He met my needs in the past? Has He given me promises to bear me through the difficulty? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!

Don’t let Satan push you into thinking God has abandoned or failed you. When you open the door to those kinds of thoughts, you’re allowing Satan to sow seeds of deception in your heart.

• Satan Dramatizes God’s Restrictions (Gen. 3:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:15)

Adam and Eve not only discounted God’s goodness, but they also dramatized God’s restrictions, or they added to them.

Nowhere in Genesis 1 and 2 do we find that God told the first humans not to “touch” the forbidden tree. But Eve said to the serpent …

[READ Gen. 3:2-3, NKJV]
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

You might wonder, well what difference does that make? It makes a big difference. When you handle God’s Word carelessly, you give Satan an inroad to your life. You’ll soon be thinking less of the grace of God and more of the law of God. You’ll be focused on what you can’t do rather than what you are privileged to do.

That’s how the Serpent deceives us. Throughout my pastoral ministry, I’ve seen this demonic process played out. It happens to young people and older people, to new Christians and individuals who have been in the church for years, to the rich and the poor, to the highly educated and to high school dropouts. When we overemphasize the boundaries in our lives, we are prone to misrepresenting God and His Word, and we fall into Satan’s trap.

[READ 2 Tim. 2:15] The Bible tells each of us to …
5 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

• Satan Diminishes God’s Penalty (Gen. 2:17; 1 Pet. 5:8; Jn. 10:10)

Adam and Eve discounted God’s goodness, they dramatized God’s restrictions, and finally they diminished God’s penalty. Eve said, “Lest you die.” But that’s not what God said. Let’s look again at Genesis 2:17.

[READ Gen. 2:17]
17 … But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Eve left out the “surely die” part and changed it to a simpler “lest you die.” The latter sounds like death is something that might happen – that it might be a possibility. The former makes it clear that death is inevitably connected with sin.

It’s easy for modern Christians to start reading the Word of God in this fashion – to see “maybe” when the text says “definitely,” or to hear “consider” when Scripture says “obey.” It opens the door to the deception of Satan.

For example, have you ever noticed how the devil comes to a young person and whispers, “You know how you’ve got all these drives within you? God put them there. He never meant for you to be frustrated all the time. After all, everybody’s doing it. We live in a sexually free environment, and yeah, I know you’re a Christian, but you’re also human. God expects you to be happy.”

Are you listening? The devil doesn’t want to help you! He wants to harm you. He wants to destroy, not build. He wants to enslave, not liberate. The Bible says, “The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He seldom does this in an obvious or obnoxious way. He does it deceptively, by sowing little seeds of doubt about the Word of God.

[READ Jn. 10:10]  Jesus said …
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; ….

We must understand this reality as we look toward Christ’s return. Satan is conducting an onslaught of deception designed to destroy you and me. If we’re not aware of it, we’ll be victimized by it. And the momentum seems to be on his side because evil is accelerating to warp speed as we hurtle toward the tribulation.

IV. THE SOLUTION TO DECEPTION (Jn. 14:6)

I recently read a story about an author named Mack Stiles who described leading a young man to faith in Christ. This particular young man, Andreas, was from Sweden, and the conversation got started when he voiced a common misconception about who Jesus is and what He offers.

Andreas said, “I’ve been told that if I decide to follow Jesus, He will meet my needs and my life will get very good.”
“No, Andreas,” said Stiles.
Andreas blinked with surprise.
“Actually, Andreas, you may accept Jesus and find that life goes very badly for you.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Well, you may find that your friends reject you, you could lose your job, your family might oppose your decision – there are a lot of bad things that may happen to you if you decide to follow Jesus. Andreas, when Jesus calls you, He calls you to go the way of the cross.”
“Then why would I want to follow Jesus?”
“The answer, Andreas, is because Jesus is true.”

Amen to that! Jesus is the solution to our world being driven deeper and deeper into deception. He’s the only needed answer to Satan’s strategy of deceit. Jesus is the truth, and He tells the truth. He is always, only, and forever true.
If you grasp the truth and it grasps you, it will set you free (Jn. 8:32). That’s the answer we need, and that is the answer Jesus provides. We know because He told us,

[READ Jn. 14:6] 
6 … “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

Jesus is utterly dependable and trustworthy. You can take Him at His word. When you meet Him, you move from false to true, from deception to reality, from relative confusion to absolute knowledge.

Now, let’s think as practically as we can. What can we do in our everyday lives to lift up the voice and value of truth to a world drowning in deception?

• Seek the Truth (Ps. 119:160)

First, make up your mind to seek the truth wherever it leads.

Dr. Michael Guillen was a professor of physics at Harvard and science editor for ABC News. He was an atheist, but the complex precision of the universe shook his faith in atheism. He became fascinated with Buddhism, Islam, and Chinese mysticism. But they didn’t satisfy him intellectually or emotionally.

One day his girlfriend, Laurel, asked him, “Have you ever actually read the Bible?” For the next two years, Michael and Laurel read the Bible cover to cover. That led to a longer study of Scripture and a reevaluation of his worldview in light of the person of Jesus Christ. Michael was especially impressed with the prophetic portions of Scripture. “Among the hundreds of OT prophecies are ones that foretell the coming of a Messiah,” he wrote. “Those were fulfilled in Christ, and the logic of the NT became unassailable.”

Dr. Guillen continued: One day it finally became clear to me what that conclusion had to be. It wasn’t an emotional experience for me. Rather, it was the culmination of an intellectual dawning, a gradual awakening, that had begun two decades earlier at Cornell when I – an unkempt, malnourished scientific monk – asked myself a simple but pointed question: How did this amazing, mostly invisible universe of ours come to be? … The answer, I now concluded … had everything to do with the loving God who spoke them into being, and the resurrected Jesus who brought this loving but remote God down to Earth, making it possible for me – for you, for anyone – to know Him personally.

[READ Ps. 119:160a]
160a The sum of Your word is truth, ….

I ran across a little maxim this week: The Bible: need it, read it, heed it, and speed it on its way to others. In other words, seek the truth.

• Speak the Truth (Col. 3:9-10; Prov. 12:22)

Second, speak the truth.

[READ Col. 3:9-10]
9 Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new man who is being renewed to a full knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.

Let’s be honest with one another. Many people feel comfortable with little lies. White lies. Minor misdirection.

* “Yes, the check’s in the mail.”

* “No, officer, I wasn’t aware I was speeding.”

* “I didn’t think my friend would mind my using his account for that streaming service.”

* “I didn’t mean to.”

As a culture, we’ve convinced ourselves dishonesty is only dangerous if it actively harms another person. But we’re only fooling ourselves.

[READ Prov. 12:22]
22 Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,
But doers of faithfulness are His delight.

For this very reason, let’s speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

• Show the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10; Prov. 23:23)

I recently read a story about a 67-year-old woman who was caught shoplifting in Stockholm, Sweden. Now, here’s the really strange part: this woman was one of the justices on Sweden’s Supreme Court!

How should we process this news? On the one hand, her crime was relatively minor. For many around the world, shoplifting is not a big deal (which is another deception, by the way). Yet, because of her status – because of her identity as a representative of the law in her nation’s highest court – she had to resign from her position.

The solution to the devil’s deception is for followers of Jesus to seek the truth, speak the truth, and, most important, show the truth through the witness of our everyday lives. Why? Because we are representatives of our Lord, who is the truth! Of course, representing Christ as the truth can be difficult when we live in a world that doesn’t value or believe in “truth.”

In his book Time for Truth, Dr. Os Guinness argued that the concept of truth in our modern world is dead: “Truth in any objective or absolute sense, truth that is independent of the mind of the knower, no longer exists. At best, truth is relative – it’s all a matter of interpretation and it all depends on the perspective. At worst, truth is ‘socially constructed’ – merely a matter of human convention and a testament to the community that believes it and the power that established it.”

This is satanic! The devil has effectively inserted a false definition of truth into our culture, our schools, and yes, even our churches. But you cannot be a genuine follower of Christ if you embrace a diluted form of truth.  Dr. John MacArthur wrote, “Every true Christian should know and love the truth. Scripture says one of the key characteristics of ‘those who perish’ (people who are damned by their unbelief) is that ‘they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved’ (2 Thes. 2:10).”

Instead of diluting what is true, let’s take Solomon’s advice: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Prov. 23:23).

V. IN CONCLUSION (3 Jn. 3-4)

In closing, let me share another insight from Os Guinness: All truth is God’s truth and is true everywhere, for everyone, under all conditions. Truth is true in the sense that it is objective and independent of the mind of any human knower ….

Let me put it another way, Christian faith is not true because it works; it works because it is true. It is not true because we experience it; we experience it – deeply and gloriously – because it is true. It is not simply ‘true for us;’ it is true for anyone who seeks to find it, because truth is true even if nobody believes it and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. This is why truth does not yield to opinion, numbers, office, or sincerity – it is simply true and that is the end of it.

[READ 3 Jn. 3-4] The apostle John wrote …
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Beloved, let’s be the truth. Let’s stand against the things that are false by standing up for the things that are true. Let’s stop posturing and actually be the people we want others to think we are. This is what I know: as we move into the deceptive days Jesus told us about in Matthew 24, the world is watching. It’s time for us to be honest!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to You seeking discernment and wisdom. Enable us to see through the falsehoods and deceptions of this world, as well as the lies and manipulations from the enemy of our souls. Keep us alert and vigilant, not only for ourselves, but for those around us. Give us courage to speak the truth and share Your Word in the face of opposition and adversity. We pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us in path of truth, leading us towards righteousness. O Father, give us the strength to resist temptation and stand firm in our faith. We ask You to protect us and our loved ones from the schemes of the enemy. May we be lights in the darkness, shining Your love and goodness for all to see. I ask this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who has defeated the enemy and given us the victory. Amen.

Invitation Slides: “This Is the Threefold Truth” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, set a watch over your lips; let no corrupt words come out of your mouths. Rather, speak what is true and good for edification, so that it will impart grace to those who hear it. Amen. (Eph. 4:29)

A WORLD OF DECEPTION

Olivet Discourse (Lesson 2) - September 14, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Unfortunately, counterfeit leaders are still proliferating like spores in the air, growing worse by the day. This trend won’t end until the Antichrist meets his doom.

Deception is a frequent topic in Scripture. Jesus took keen notice of this theme in His Olivet Discourse. Deceit occupies a significant place in the prophetic passages of the NT, and this is actually where Jesus began His teaching about signs of the times.

I. THE STATUS OF DECEPTION (Mk. 13:5-6; Lk. 21:8; Mt. 24:23-24; Rev. 6:1-2; Mt. 24:11, 36, 42, 44, Mt. 25:13; Mk. 13:32)

II. THE SOURCE OF DECEPTION (Rev. 12:9; Jn. 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13-14)

III. THE STRATEGY OF DECEPTION (2 Cor. 2:11)

* Satan Disputes God’s Word (Gen. 3:1)

* Satan Denies God’s Word (Gen. 3:4, 2:17)

* Satan Displaces God’s Word (Gen. 3:5; Isa. 5:20; 1 Cor. 10:13)

* Satan Discounts God’s Word (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:2, NKJV)

* Satan Dramatizes God’s Restrictions (Gen. 3:2-3, NKJV; 2 Tim. 2:15)

* Satan Diminishes God’s Penalty (Gen. 2:17; 1 Pet. 5:8; Jn. 10:10)

IV. THE SOLUTION TO DECEPTION (Jn. 14:6)

* Seek the Truth (Ps. 119:160a)

* Speak the Truth (Col. 3:9-10; Prov. 12:22)

* Show the Truth (2 Thes. 2:10; Prov. 23:23)

V. CONCLUSION (3 Jn. 3-4)
Beloved, let’s be the truth. Let’s stand against the things that are false by standing up for the things that are true. Let’s stop posturing and actually be the people we want others to think we are. This is what I know: as we move into the deceptive days Jesus told us about in Matthew 24, the world is watching. It’s time for us to be honest!

THE PROPHECY

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Prayer: Gracious Father, You know we live in times of uncertainty, so today I ask that You remind each of us of Your promises. Help us to trust in Your plan and have faith that You are in control. Today, as we study this poignant and power message from the holy Scriptures concerning how things will be in the days just before our Savior’s return, I pray the Holy Spirit will strengthen our belief in Christ’s second coming and the fulfillment of Your kingdom. In the meantime, impress upon us the importance of watching, waiting, and working for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Introduction: “And that’s the way it is ….”

Sitting behind his desk at CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite delivered that iconic sign-off for the last time on March 6, 1981. That moment wrapped up his incredible journalistic career spanning 46 years, 3 major wars (4 if you count the Cold War), the civil rights movement, the Kennedy and King assassinations, the Watergate scandal, and thousands of nightly broadcasts. At the peak of his career, Cronkite spoke to 29 million viewers every night. He shared the news of the day with honesty, impartiality, and a cool level-headedness that helped his views remain calm even in the most uncertain of circumstances.

What is perhaps the most remarkable thing about Walter Cronkite is that he understood the position he occupied within the culture, and he took it seriously. He often described his role as someone asked to “hold up the mirror – to tell and show the public what has happened.” That was it. No flooding the airwaves with opinions. No strong-arming the public to move in one direction or another. He simply spoke the truth about the world, and in doing so he helped millions find their place in it. Given that reality, perhaps it’s not surprising that he was often identified as the most trusted man in America.

Regrettably, there are no Walter Cronkites today – no voice or team of voices the majority of us trust to tell us what we need to know. Instead, our world is filled with innumerable prognosticators and prediction-makers ready to share their opinions. That includes millions of podcasters, hundreds of thousands of journalists, hundreds of 24 hours news networks, and countless ministers all clamoring for your attention and all claiming accuracy and authority on what’s happening today and what may happen tomorrow.

We hear so many voices. So many arguments. So many speculations. Everyone has a theory or an idea. Everyone is pushing some slant on the world – including what’s in store for the future. The clamor is louder than ever because we all have the feeling we’re living in a sudden-death overtime. Not until our own generation, has technology provided so many potential ways for humanity to end. If you do an online search for “the end of the world,” it’s not sermons and preachers you’ll find. It’s scientists, statesmen, physicians, physicists, and secular sages.

In the midst of all of this noise, let me suggest that there is one slant we should trust more than any other, one agenda we ought to prefer above all others, and one opinion we ought to value more than all the voices on earth. Amid the thousands of messages screaming for our attention, there’s only one voice we need to hear. It’s the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Mirror that can show us not just what is happening in the world but why it’s happening – and what will happen next.

What does Jesus have to say about the future? A lot! It may surprise you to discover that one of the longest messages of Jesus recorded in the NT is all about the future. Our future. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include a section often referred to as the Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24, Mk. 13, Lk. 21). It is called this because Jesus answered the questions of four of His disciples – Peter, James, John, and Andrew – while sitting on the Mount of Olives (Mk. 13:3). Also known as Olivet, this area is a ridge east of Jerusalem that overlooks the city. It is a place Jesus often visited for rest and refuge.

Fewer than 50 days after His sermon on Olivet, Jesus ascended to heaven from that same mountain – perhaps from the very spot where He had preached. And it’s to this same spot He will soon return to earth (Acts 1:12; Zech. 14:4).

Interestingly, many of the slopes of the Mount of Olives are now covered with concrete tombs. Faithful Jews want to be buried there so they’ll be close at hand when the long-awaited Messiah arrives to enter the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem. No one knows how many people are buried there, but the number may be as high as 150,000, including the late Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin.

In our Lord’s day the hillsides were covered with olive trees, and the message Jesus gave His disciples on that historic day is – like the olive tree – ancient, sturdy, fruitful, and badly needed. The Olivet Discourse is our Lord’s second-longest recorded sermon in Matthew. The only one longer is the Sermon of the Mount (Mt. 5-7) which was a public sermon given at the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. By contrast, the Olivet Discourse was a private message at the end of His earthly ministry.

While the Olivet Discourse is the second-longest sermon of Jesus in Matthew, it ranks first in another category. It occupies more space than any other message by Jesus in the entire Bible, when you consider it is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It occupies two chapters in Matthew alone.

Dr. Tim LaHaye said, “The Olivet Discourse … is the most important single passage of prophecy in all the Bible. It is significant because it came from Jesus Himself immediately after He was rejected by His own people, and because it provides the master outline of end-time events.”

I. THE SETTING OF THE PROPHECY (Mt. 24:1, 21:9, 23:37-39, Mk. 13:1)

Matthew introduces us to Jesus’ prophecy with these words:

[READ Mt. 24:1]

1 And coming out from the temple, Jesus was going along, and His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

Let’s enter the time machine of our imaginations and travel back to the time and place of Matthew 24. The Passover week would have fallen in early April, before the temperatures reached their oppressive summertime highs. Jesus and His disciples had traveled with crowds of pilgrims from Galilee, and everyone felt exuberant. Everyone except, perhaps, Jesus, who had “set His face to go to Jerusalem” for this final trip (Lk. 9:51).

Along the way He tried to prepare His disciples for the impending trauma of His arrest, trial, torture, death, and resurrection. But it was more than their minds could absorb. Who can blame them? A crucified Messiah wasn’t part of their worldview. Instead, they expected to soon be sitting at His right hand and left hand as He fulfilled the OT promises of God’s coming kingdom (Mt. 20:21).

The Lord and His companions walked through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, where He healed two blind beggars and gave them sight (Mt. 20:29-34). Then they ascended the old Jericho Road, hiking upward toward the backside of the Mount of Olives. When they arrived in Bethany, Jesus visited with His friends who lived there. Mary and Martha prepared supper, and Lazarus undoubtedly thanked Jesus again for restoring His life. Mary anointed His feet with oil, and the house was filled with its fragrant perfume (Jn. 12:1-7). Our Lord now had less than a week to live.

When the Galilean guest awoke on Sunday morning, they trudged up the eastern side of Olivet to the crest, and then Jesus asked His disciples to fetch Him a colt. In stark contrast to the Jerusalem crowd that would reject Him in just a few days, large crowds of Galilean pilgrims welcomed Him by singing,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt. 21:9).

Jesus entered the temple briefly before returning to Bethany for the night.

On Monday morning, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree on His way back into the Holy City (Mk. 11:12-14). Later that day, He caused a stir in the temple as He overturned the tables of the money changers (Mk. 11:15-18). The chief priests and scribes were angry enough to kill Him. Monday evening, He returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples for the night.

And that brings us to the day of Jesus’ great prophecy. On Tuesday morning, Jesus returned to the temple. There He delivered a blistering rebuke to the Jewish leaders and the nation of Israel. Have you ever been in a public place when a violent argument broke out – the kind in which conversations cease and everyone’s attention is glued to the conflict? Today people would be pulling out their cellphones to record the scene. Matthew didn’t have a cell phone, but you can’t read his account without picturing it in your mind and feeling the tension. Jesus words are recorded in Matthew 21-23. The same Lord who began His teaching ministry with a series of beatitudes (“Blessed are …”) in Matthew 5, concluded His public ministry with a series of curses (“Woe to you …”) in Matthew 23. Jesus spoke with righteous anger, and His fiery words condemned the Jewish leaders and their nation for rejecting Him. At the same time, His heart was breaking. These were His people! He loved them and the city of Jerusalem. Looking out over the houses, streets, and buildings covering the hills and deep ravines of that ancient Jewish capital, He wept, saying:

[READ Mt. 23:37-39]

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it. 38 Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

The last thing Jesus did before He left the temple on Tuesday evening was to sit opposite the temple treasury and watch people give their tithes and offerings. He watched as the rich gave much but a poor widow only her two mites (Mk. 12:41-44). Tuesday drew to a close. Only three days left. Then perhaps with a passionate backward glance, Jesus departed from the temple, symbolizing the withdrawal of God’s presence from that sacred place (Mt. 24:1). He sadly descended the staircase, leaving the mount where His people should have received Him. They would see Him no more until they were ready to say,
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Mt. 23:1).

That’s when the disciples remarked to Jesus, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls” (Mk. 13:1). There’s been a lot of speculation about why the disciples chose this moment, of all times, to become so infatuated with the temple buildings. I confess, I have no idea what the reason could have been. Maybe it was because the barrenness of their inward lives had been exposed. In other words, their spiritual lives might have been empty, but they sure were proud of the beautiful building their ancestors had built. Or, perhaps, the disciples wanted to distract Jesus and themselves from the emotional exhaustion they had gone through that day. Maybe as the evening sun sank low in the sky, it sent cascades of gold across the stones and through the columns, and they were simply awestruck by the beauty of what they saw.

We might not know exactly what the disciples were thinking about the temple that Tuesday evening, but it’s pretty clear what Jesus thought about it. It is remarkable that Jesus spent the entire last week leading up to the cross focused on the temple and the corruption taking place there. The temple had become a place of financial greed where false religion and hypocrisy abounded and where poor widows were being robbed. God’s people had made a mockery of the temple and its purpose – and for that, judgment was coming soon. Jesus had had enough.

II. THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPHECY (Mt. 24:2, 3-8; Lk. 19:42-44; Mt. 24:3, 4-8)

From their vantage point on the Mount of Olives, Jesus and His disciples had a staggering view of Jerusalem and the temple complex. It was there, at that place and moment, that Jesus made a stunning prediction about the future.

[READ Mt. 24:2]

2 And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

What was Jesus doing when He predicted the utter destruction of the temple in Jerusalem? We dare not miss the significance of this! His words were breathtaking and definitive because He intended to show us His infallibility as a prophet. He said something so profound it could hardly be believed, yet so historic that later it could not be denied. Jesus was giving a specific prediction that would be fulfilled to the exact letter, so not even our modern historians can dispute it. He foresaw the soon-coming total destruction of everything they were gazing at – all of the edifices on the Temple Mount.

This wasn’t the first time Jesus had predicted the destruction of the temple. When He rebuked the Jews for their unbelief a chapter earlier, Jesus told them, “Your house is left to you desolate” (Mt. 23:38). He was also speaking about the city of Jerusalem, and particularly the temple, when He said this on the day of His triumphal entry:

[READ Lk. 19:42-44]

42 “If you knew in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

The Jewish historian Josephus described the temple complex as “the most admirable of all the works that we have seen or heard of, both for its curious structure and its magnitude, and also for the vast wealth bestowed upon it, as well as for the glorious reputation it had for its holiness.” The temple was one of the most expansive, majestic, and important buildings in the world. But not for long. In a few brief words, Jesus made a profound prediction that must have stunned the four disciples who heard it and the three disciples who recorded it for us in their gospels.

Fast-forward to AD 70. Less than 40 years after our Lord’s message, the temple was gone. Here’s how it happened. Responding to a Jewish uprising throughout Judea, the Roman general Titus built large wooden scaffolds around the walls of the temple buildings – a tactic never before used. He piled the scaffolds high with wood and other flammable material and set them on fire. The intense heat weakened the temple structure, and the Romans were able to dislodge the giant stones, prying them off one by one and casting them into the valley below. Afterward, soldiers sifted through the rubble retrieving any gold that had melted into the smoldering ruins. All that remained on the site was flattened down to the retaining walls – exactly as Jesus had predicted.

What are the odds that Jesus could accurately “guess” about a huge and highly honored temple being destroyed within a few decades? What is the likelihood that His “guess” would be so accurate? The statistical probability boggles the mind. But when Jesus speaks, odds mean absolutely nothing. What He predicts always comes true. What He prophesies happens – precisely as He says it will. So, less than 40 years after our Lord’s message, the temple was gone.

My reason for telling you all this is because one of the keys to understanding Jesus’ words about the world at the end of history is to understand that His prophecies were fulfilled exactly as He said they would be. They are precise. And nothing illustrates that truth more powerfully than Jesus’ prophecy concerning the destruction of Herod’s temple. This prophecy is the prelude to the Olivet Discourse, proving that we can fully depend on the accuracy of the rest of what He said about the future. We can have every confidence in their precise fulfillment.

Probably stunned by Jesus’ blunt promises, the disciples responded by asking Him two questions:

[READ Mt. 24:3]

3 Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

In Matthew 24:48, Jesus began to answer by describing the initial group of what we often refer to as “the signs of the times” – the things that will happen just before He returns. We’ll devote the rest of this series to studying this revelation in detail.

[READ Mt. 24:4-8]

4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it 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 are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

III. THE SECRET TO THE PROPHECY (1 Thes. 5:1-3; see also Rev. 6:1-17, 8:1-5, 9:21, 11:15-19, 16:1-21)

The secret to understanding our Lord’s prophecy is found in the final word of the verse, which is sometimes translated as “sorrows.” The Greek term used in Matthew 24:8 is odin, which literally means birth pains – the contractions that begin and increase during the birth of a baby.
The contractions occur when the muscles of a woman’s uterus tighten and release, which prepares her body to give birth. At first, these contractions may be rather mild and irregular. But as the delivery draws closer, the contractions become stronger, closer together, more regular, and more painful. When the contractions are coming quickly and intensely, you’d better get to the hospital or you’ll be giving birth in the back seat of the car.

The apostle Paul used the same figure of speech when he discussed the return of Christ with the believers in Thessalonica, saying:

[READ 1 Thes. 5:1-3]

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman who is pregnant, and they will never escape.

The time period Jesus describes in Matthew 24 is also pictured in the book of Revelation where the seal judgments unfold over a period of probably years (6:1-17; 8:1-5), the trumpet judgments over a much shorter period of time, perhaps weeks (8:6-9:21, 11:15-19), and the bowl judgments over the period of maybe just a few days or even hours (16:1-21).
What Jesus wants us to know as we unpack the rest of His sermon is this: the things that are going to happen in the future will not take place all-of-a-sudden. They will be like birth pains, with the frequency and intensity of each gradually increasing. When we observe this pattern in the world, then we’ve discovered the secret to understanding the signs of the times.

IV. THE SCOPE OF THE PROPHECY (1 Thes. 4:17; Mt. 24:4-14)

Some who have written about the subject of the end times have buried this sermon by Jesus deep into history. In other words, they want us to believe everything Jesus said to His disciples was fulfilled in AD 70 when Titus destroyed Jerusalem. Several of these writers have even tried to convince us that the second coming of Christ happened in AD 70!

Others believe that Jesus’ words have nothing to do with today’s world. They take a two-pronged approach: (1) What Jesus said about the temple being destroyed has already happened, and (2) The remainder of the Lord’s prophecy won’t be triggered until the church is removed during the rapture. Over the years, I have come to believe that these words of Jesus are for us today. They are for me, and they are for you.

Here’s what respected theologian Dr. John Walvoord wrote about the Olivet Discourse (and this aligns with my own convictions today):

The words of Christ to His disciples on the Mount of Olives delivered not long before He died have dramatic contemporary significance. In this discourse, Christ answered their questions concerning the signs of the end of the age and of His second coming. The revelation becomes increasingly vital to understanding the meaning of events that are occurring today …. A study of these prophecies will help one to understand the headlines of our newspapers today.

In his book Prophecy Made Plain, Carl G. Johnson wrote, “As I have studied this chapter, I am convinced that we have in the first eight verses a picture of this present age.”

The signs Jesus promised are like birth pains. They are occurring now, increasing in frequency, and pointing toward the rapture of the church. But the moment the church is gone, those signs will become much more severe and will throw the post-rapture world of the tribulation into a state of seizures and spasms such as we see described in the book of Revelation. In fact, the signs of Matthew 24 line up perfectly with the seals of Revelation 6. It is uncanny how accurate the Word of God really is.

However, none of this means we’re exempt from the buildup of these birth pains today. Jesus’ prophecy applies to us at this critical hour of history. While it does not tell us when the rapture will occur, it does describe what life will be like during the season of the rapture. Yes, after the rapture these signs will be solidified and fully realized during the first half of the tribulation. Yet they will not appear out of nowhere. They will represent the continuation and intensification of what was already unfolding on the world stage.

When Christ comes in the air for His church (1 Thes. 4:17), every single Christian on earth will be removed – and with the Christians, the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the restrainer of all evil. At that point, all hell is going to break loose on earth, and the signs given in Matthew 24:4-14 will accelerate to tribulation speed.

V. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPHECY

What Jesus shared in His Olivet Discourse is not some ivory-tower speech with no impact on our lives. He spoke each word carefully and precisely, and each one is meant to help you and me on a personal level. They are just as relevant to us as His Sermon on the Mount.

I never want to impart biblical information without making sure we see the spiritual lessons in every page and verse. There are three things that strike me about our current life – the day-to-day activities, and attitudes lived out by the followers of Christ.

• Jesus Wants to Teach Us About the Future

First, Jesus wants us to study the future. Our Lord was in the habit of preparing His disciples for upcoming events even during His days on earth. As we’ve seen, He made a point of telling those around Him some of the things they could anticipate in the days ahead. So, don’t let anyone tell you Jesus didn’t bother about the future or was uninterested in prophecy, because the facts say otherwise.

Also, Scripture says otherwise. J Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy lists 1,239 prophecies in the OT and 578 prophecies in the NT for a total of 1,817. These encompass 8,352 verses out of 31,102 – or more than a quarter of God’s Word!

The Olivet Discourse was one of the ways Jesus warned His disciples, including you and me, about the end of history. He showed us the signs to watch for and how to live. The question is: Will we listen? Will we respond? If we do, we won’t be surprised by the future. We will recognize the signs of the times, and we will properly handle the strains of everyday life as we anticipate His return and strive to live for Him in the last days.

• Jesus Wants to Transform Us for the Future (Jn. 16:1, 4)

Second, Christ’s prophetic ministry also transforms us so we’ll be able to meet the demands of the future. Jesus said:

[READ Jn. 16:1, 4]

1 “These things I have spoken to you [about the future], so that you may be kept from stumbling …. 4 But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

Jesus was saying, “If you grasp what I am telling you about the future, you won’t fall all over yourself. You won’t fall into the trap of running around in panic mode when you can trust Me instead. You won’t be blown off course because you will have a sense of what God is up to.”

If you’re looking for a manual to the future that places no demands upon you today, or a guidebook for the days to come that has no bearing on the times we are living in, you’ve come to the wrong place. I believe God intends knowledge of future events to help us live in our world with a sense of urgency until the Lord returns.

Paul Benware wrote, “A believer who gets out of bed in the morning thinking my Lord Jesus could return today will probably not let sin take root in his or her life. But Christians who rarely, if ever, reflect on the realities of the future life, the Lord’s coming, and the judgment seat of Christ are far more vulnerable to temptation and sin. And perhaps that explains something of the sin and apathy seen in much of the church today.”

• Jesus Wants Us to Trust Him with the Future (Rev. 1:17-19; Isa. 46:9-11)

Finally, as human beings, we often get things wrong when we try to predict the future. For example, during a 2007 interview with USA Today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer forecasted, “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.” Ballmer based his conclusion on the notion that iPhones would be interesting to technology nerds, but not to the general public. “I want to have products that appeal to everybody,” he said. Eighteen years later, with more than 2.6 billion iPhones sold, it’s safe to say Ballmer was wrong.

So, what about Jesus, then? Why can we be sure that His prophecies will come true? Why can we trust that He is telling us the truth about the future?

In his introductions to the book of Revelation, the apostle John answered these questions by giving us one of the most profound reasons imaginable for listening to the prophetic words of Jesus. John was on the Isle of Patmos when he saw the One to whom we should listen, and this is how he described the encounter:

[READ Rev. 1:17-19]

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

Who else do you know who has one foot planted in eternity and the other planted in time? Who do you know who actually lives in the present and in the future and says to us today,

“This is what you should expect as you await My return”?

No one ever grasped the future as firmly and completely as the Lord Jesus Christ. He sees it all, and He knows it all. As the eternal God, He sees the whole parade of humanity from beginning to end, from Adam to the Antichrist. We only see little bits and pieces of it, but Jesus alone is the Alpha and Omega.

[READ Isa. 46:9-11]

9 … I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My counsel will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’…. 11 Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have formed it, surely I will do it.

The lesson is clear: you can trust our Savior with the future! And not just with “the future” generally, but with your future specifically.

VI. WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM GOD’S WORD (Phil. 2:15-16)

Now we can understand why Jesus didn’t answer the disciples’ two questions in great detail. In fact, He didn’t even answer one of their questions at all – the question about the timing of the destruction of the temple. Instead, He gave them a series of signs of what the end of the world would look like. Jesus was reminding His disciples that they didn’t have to figure out how all the pieces of the end-times puzzle would fit together. Instead, their responsibility was to trust Him with the future and remain faithful to Him until the end.

Beloved, that’s going to be the focus of the rest of this study. Jesus gave us this prophecy to prepare us for what’s to come and I want to share His advice with you. He didn’t give us this information so we would be afraid of what’s to come or be over-whelmed by it. He knows what’s ahead, and He wants to make sure we can face it with confidence and hope. He wants us to be:

[READ Phil. 2:15-16]

15 … blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life ….

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may the Holy Spirit take the words of Jesus we have heard today, and help us apply our hearts to wisdom. As the sands of time run down to the end of this wicked world, keep us blameless and innocent, help us to never lose our grip on the word of life, and use us to light the way to Christ’s salvation, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Invitation Slides: “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, keep looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven – Jesus Christ our Lord, whom God the Father raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. Amen. (1 Thes. 1:10)