THE REALLY BIG SHOW

MATTHEW 24:1-3

Pastor Rick Jackson

It is a well-known fact that people twist the Scriptures to their own destruction. They often take the plain words of the Bible and claim they say the exact opposite. There are those who say Jesus never claimed to be God. There are those that say the way of salvation is to keep the law. There are those who say we can know when Jesus is coming again with certainty. The certainty is... He's coming back and we cannot know when so we should be ready always!

I. THE BIG PICTURE [v. 4-12]

1. Expect Satanic Turmoil [v. 4-5, 11, 24] –unusual deceptions associated with religions and the name of Christ. Since 1950 more than a score [Jim Jones, David Koresh, Sun Myung Moon, some politicians called Savior]

2. Expect Global Turmoil [v. 6-8, 1 Th. 5:3]  in just the first 30 years after WW2 there were over 150 wars with over 25 million slain. There will be no peace until THE Prince of Peace comes

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child ; and they shall not escape.

3. Expect Religious Turmoil [v. 9-12]

II. THE BIG PROPHECY [v. 13-31]

1. The Bright Spot [v. 13-14; Rev. 11:3-12, 7:4-9, 14:1-7]

There is only one true Gospel [Gal. 1:6-12] but there are many designations-

THE Gospel of God, the Gospel of Christ, “my Gospel” –Paul, the everlasting Gospel, the Gospel of the kingdom-all the same Gospel but the emphasis will be “the King is coming, get ready, trust Him now [Ps. 2:10-12]

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

2. The Bad Spell [v. 15-21]

3. The Big Sign [v. 22-31]

III. THE BIG PATTERN [v. 32-51]

1. The Tribulation is Relatively Short [v. 32-34]

2. The Timing is Indistinguishable [v. 35-42, Lk. 17:28-30, 2 Pet. 2:5-9, 1 Th. 5:9]

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

3. The Thing is--- to be Ready! [v. 43-51]

JESUS IS COMING! v. 42-44

- A Thief comes Unannounced [v. 42, 2 Pet. 3:3-10]

- A Thief comes Unexpectedly [v. 43, 1 Th. 5:2-4]

- A Thief comes Uninvited [v. 43b-44, Ps. 2:1-3]