Sunday, December 29th, 2024
The Second Advent of Christ
Speaking This Week
Pastor Jerry Ghirardo
Today’s Verses Matthew 24:3-14, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Isaiah 66:8, Ezekiel 36:24-28, Ezekiel 39:27-28, Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 24:29-31
Verse of the Week
14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
~ Matthew 24:14
1. Jesus informs his disciples about many important signs that would take place immediately prior to his return.
Matthew 24:3 – “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’”
Matthew 24:4-5 – “Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many.’”
Matthew 24:6 – “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
Matthew 24:7 – “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
Matthew 24:7 – “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”Matthew 24:8 – “All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Matthew 24:9 – “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
2. Prior to the return of Christ, Jesus and the apostles prophesied about tremendous moral decline in society at large and a loss of love by many.
Matthew 24:12-13 – “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 – “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
3. Another sign prior to the second coming of Christ is the increasing deception of Satan and the widespread apostasy in the Church.
Matthew 24:10-11 - “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3 – “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
I Timothy 4:1 – “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
4. Another unique sign is the re-emergence of Israel as a nation and God’s hand of protection over the promised land as the Jews are surrounded by those who would destroy them.
Isaiah 66:8 – “Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”
Ezekiel 36:24-28 – “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
Ezekiel 39:27-28 – “When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.”
5. Prior to the return of Christ, the gospel will spread to the farthest parts of the globe.
Matthew 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 28:18-20 – “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
6. There will be incredible signs in the heavens at the return of Jesus.
Matthew 24:29 – “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
Matthew 24:30-31 – “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
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