Nepal
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
I. v. 37 MAKE A COMPARISON
A. Jesus tells us that the last days will be like the days when Noah built the ark and the world was destroyed by the flood. To see the state of affairs in Noah’s day, we need to look at Gen. 6:5-13. When we read these verses, we can see that the days when Noah’s lived were days filled with wickedness and violence. Men lived for evil and gave no thought to God or His will.
The word “imagination,” Gen. 6:5, means “to fashion as a potter.” It means that men fashioned every form of evil and gave themselves over to every vile affection of the flesh. They were so wicked and so given over the pursuing the evils of sin that God was determined to destroy them from the face of the earth. The sin of man and the decision of the Lord literally stabbed God in the heart. The word “grieved,” Gen. 6:6 is “a love word.” We do not grieve for those we do not love. God wanted a relationship with man, but man had no desire for God and it broke the Lord’s heart.
B. Jesus tells us that the last days will be like the days in which Noah lived. We are seeing this prophecy come true before our very eyes.
What about abortion? 1,370,000 babies are murdered in this nation in the name of convenience and a woman’s right to choose.[2] That is over 3,753 babies murdered per day! And, that is just in America! World wide, there have been nearly 1 billion abortions since records began being kept
Add to these horrors the ungodly perversions of homosexuality and lesbianism. We are living in a day when a mere 1% of our population has an agenda; they want to force the rest of us to accept their lifestyle as legitimate, when God’s Word calls it an abomination, Lev. 18:22.”Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Romans 1:25-27 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie,”
We haven’t even discussed the twin tragedies of alcohol and drug abuse, which destroy lives by the millions. We haven’t mentioned the spiraling crime rate where murder, rape, theft and other crimes impact the lives of millions every day.
C. I think it is easy to see that we are living in days like those in which Noah lived. Truly, “the wickedness of man is great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually.”
II. MENTIONS COMPLACENCY
v. 38-39 “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, ”
A. When that flood came last week, they caught people off guard and unprepared. Folks were just going about their daily lives when tragedy came swiftly and without warning. Many were in those tropical locations enjoying a little vacation time; they never expected what happened to them. Many of the natives were doing what they and their ancestors had done for thousands of years. They never anticipated the flood that came and took them away.
Scientists say that a flood early warning system could have given the people time to flee the coast, thus saving thousands of lives. But, sadly, there was no such system in place. Such systems exist, but the 20 million dollar price tag seemed too steep for some the cash strapped nations to pay.
B. Jesus says that this was how it was in Noah’s day. God had an early warning system in place. The people were warned by Noah. For 120 years, as he built the ark, he was preaching about the coming cataclysm, 2 Pet. 2:5, but the people just ignored his warnings. They did the things they always did. They ate, they drank, and they married and lived it up. While Noah preached, the people partied! They ignored all the warning signs and they paid an eternal price for doing so! Verse 39 reminds us that they “knew not” until it was too late.
C. As we watch the end approaching, we are also living in the midst of a complacent people. God is still warning people to flee the wrath to come, but people are refusing to heed the warnings and the warning signs. Preachers are still preaching, but people are not listening. God still has His early warning system in place!
Why? People have plenty, they are entertained, they are contented and do not see their need of a Savior. They hear the Gospel and are warned to avoid Hell, but they do not see a reason to change their lives and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They have been blinded by Satan, 2 Cor. 4:4, and see no need to change. We are living in a day of spiritual complacency and moral apathy. People have great spiritual needs, but they cannot see them and they do not care! For most, life is about fun, entertainment and the quest for things. People are refusing to heed the warning signs and when the tsunami of God’s wrath comes, they will be washed away forever!
III. MENTIONS A CATASTROPHE
v. 40-42 “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” 42”Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
Matthew 24:6 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars:”
A. The phrase “took them all away,” is tragic. People were going about their daily business when the flood came and they were taken out of this life into a Christless eternity in an instant! They were wiped out with no hope and no more chances!
B. That is what happened in Nepal last week. People were living their lives one moment and many were in eternity the next, caught up in a terrible catastrophe from which they could not escape and from which there was no remedy.
C. Jesus tells us that His coming will be just like that. A cataclysm of unprecedented proportions is coming upon this world. Jesus is referring the Tribulation. During that time, 1,000 dead will be a drop in the bucket. Rev. 6:8 speaks of one-quarter of the earth’s population dying at one time. In today’s numbers that is 1.25 billion people.
We read of meteors falling to the earth, poisoning the waters, causing many to die, Rev. 8:10-11. We read of wars, pestilence, and death on an unprecedented scale during that awful time. Those are just some of the things that will come upon those who fail to heed the warnings to turn to Jesus for salvation.
The only way to avoid these events is for men, women, boys and girls to place their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Before these terrible events occur, Jesus is coming to take His people away, 1 Thes. 4:16-18. Those who are saved by grace have heeded the warning and will miss the tsunami of God’s wrath.
Conc: Did you notice that Jesus tells us that in that day “one shall be taken and the other left”? We saw the same thing as the flood unfolded last week.
Are you sure that you are ready to meet Him? Are you sure that you are doing all you can to sound the alarm and warn others of the dangers ahead? If God has spoken to your heart this evening, please come before Him and do whatever it is that He wants you to do.
Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
OUR PROMISE
1 Thess. 4:16-18. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
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