Introduction:

One day Jesus and his disciples were walking away from the temple. The disciples were noticing the magnificent buildings and beautiful temple. They brought this to their master's attention. Jesus told them that all these magnificent and beautiful buildings would be completely destroyed, not one stone left on top of another.

The idea of the temple being destroyed had to shock the disciples. They must have wondered if this would signal the end of the world. If God's temple would be destroyed, what would be left for the Jew? And so a little later they privately asked Jesus when the end of the age would come. In trying to put two and two together, the disciples may have thought that the destruction of the temple would mark the destruction of the world.

In 70 AD, the Roman Emperor Titus had finally had enough of the rebellious Jews. He sent his Roman legions into Jerusalem and they leveled the temple and its buildings. They literally threw down every stone. Jesus prophecy came true. But that was 1934 years ago. The destruction of the temple did not mark the end of the world.

Jesus did answer the disciples' question though. He didn't tell them exactly the day, the hour, or the minute. But He said they would see the signs of the last days. He urged his disciples to stand firm in the faith in the end times. Jesus also spoke about the preaching of the Word. The end is coming. May we also see the signs, stand firm in the faith, and preach the Word.

1. See the signs

Jesus began his answer to the disciples with, "Watch out!" As the end of the world approaches He wants all believers to stay alert, with eyes open, so that we can see the signs. Now Jesus doesn't give specific signs. Rather He gives general conditions which will abound in the world in the last days. As we go through these conditions, I want you to see the signs, not only in history, but today also.

First of all, Jesus said that there would be false teachers leading people away by claiming to be the Christ. The early church had seen this when Philip was preaching in Samaria. He ran across Simon the Sorcerer who claimed to be great and have divine power. Our country has seen it also. John Lennon of the Beatles proclaimed in an interview, "I am Jesus Christ." Later on in his life, he would say that he was bigger than Jesus. More recently than John Lennon, David Koresh from Waco, Texas claimed to be the Messiah. Sadly these false teachers, throughout the end times, have led many people astray just as Jesus prophesied.

The next signs Jesus encouraged his disciples to watch out for were wars and rumors of war. The Jews saw and heard of war almost daily. Throughout the end times war has raged all the way up to this present day. Some of you have seen the cruel realities of these wars firsthand. War is being waged right now in many countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan. But did you notice what Jesus said to his disciples. He informed them not to be alarmed. Jesus was urging them to think beyond the wars, because the end is coming. The end would be much more serious than any war.

Jesus also said that natural disasters would also be signs of the end. He said there would be famines and earthquakes. Jesus' disciples saw these things. In fact there would be a famine in Jerusalem in the near future. The disciples would take up collections for the Christians who were suffering through the famine. Famines and earthquakes are common yet today. As long as I can remember, there has been famine in parts of Africa. Recently there were earthquakes on our West Coast which rattled Mt. St. Helens. There were also earthquakes recently in Japan. God's Word explains these natural disasters as the world suffering in the bondage of sin and decay and groaning as if suffering the pains of childbirth

Jesus disciples were given the condition of the world in the days before the end. He warned them to see these signs. There were to always be alert, because the devil would be trying to grab them away from the Messiah. We too can see these signs of the end of the world. Watch out, your eternal life is at stake.

2. Stand firm in the faith

In our world today, it almost seems that standing firm on a conviction or belief is a sign of weakness. In the political world, a person is expected to give up certain stands in order to appease a greater number of people. People are ridiculed in our society for speaking in absolutes. In the Christianity today, many believe that you must not declare right or wrong so strongly. Our society has developed a love affair with gray area.

But Jesus told his disciples that when these signs of the end appear, they are not to cave in to pressure. Jesus told them to stand firm to the end. Jesus reiterated that there would be much tribulation in the church. Disciples of Jesus would suffer persecution for their faith. Christians would be hated their enemies. And Jesus made it a point to express one more time that false teachers would be spreading their lies.

The disciples of Jesus would suffer greatly. The apostles were put to death. Stephen was a martyr for his faith in Jesus. The Roman emperors routinely killed Christians in terrible ways. Throughout history there has been great tribulation for Christians. And it is true today. In places like Africa and China, many Christians are being persecuted. In America, Jesus' disciples are ridiculed and attacked for their faith.

Unfortunately Jesus said that many would turn away from the faith. But as the Savior urged his disciples on the Mt. of Olives that day, he urges us also. Stand firm in the faith. For it is faith that saves and nothing else. Our suffering in the present day is nothing compared to the suffering of hell. Because of our multitude of sins, that suffering should be ours. Sin made every single one of us God's enemy.

But faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior has made us God's children. Only faith in Jesus saves. God demanded payment for our sins and we had nothing to offer. And so God gave his only Son, true God and true man, to this world. That Son of God, Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life and suffered death on the cross to make the payment. Our sins are paid in full. Then Jesus Christ rose from the dead to seal our forgiveness. Only faith in God's Son saves us.

Stand firm in that faith until the last day. Stand firm by receiving the Word of God daily. Stand firm by receiving the Savior's body and blood in Holy Communion. God's Word and sacraments are the only things which will help us stand in our faith. If we neglect those gifts from God, we put ourselves in danger. We toy with eternal death in hell. Because of our faith, heaven awaits us when the Lord finally calls us or ends this world.

3. Preach the Word

As we see the signs of the end of the world, it is hard not to notice that things are getting worse, not better. The world is in decay in almost every way. People's attitudes toward each other are getting worse. It is not hard to see that there is very little empathy towards the sufferings of others. There is so much emphasis on "me, me, me." There is also a decline in the enthusiasm for the Lord's Word and his work.

But in spite of these difficulties, Jesus gave this last sign of the end times. "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." The gospel will go out to the ends of the earth and then God will end the earth. We don't know exactly when.

But Jesus told us the Gospel will be spread with or without us. Let's not be so arrogant to think that we in America will always have the truth of God's Word. The rain shower of the gospel may already be moving away from us as we speak.

But for the time being God has given us the tremendous honor and privilege to proclaim salvation through Jesus Christ alone to the world. Preach the word. You can tell people about Jesus. You can support missionaries to go in your place to preach around the world. Enjoy this blessed privilege of spreading the light of the gospel. It is the greatest mission ever given.

And always rely on the gospel message to do the work. God said the message will go, with or without us. And so the power lies in the Word of God, not the speaker. The Word is important, not the person. That is why we, as pastors, wear robes and stand behind the lectern and pulpit. It is to hide the man and emphasize the Word. It is not about us. It is the Word of God that is important. So if you are worried about what people will think, fear not. The Word works. If you feel that you are not up to the task, fear not. The Word works. Standing firm in the faith, preach the word until God calls us home.

Conclusion:

The end is coming. We don't know when, but Jesus has given us clear signs that we are living in the end times, the last days. Make sure you stand firm in the faith that Jesus Christ is your savior from sin. The gospel will go out into the entire world and we have the blessed privilege of being a part of that work. Preach the Word to lost souls. Tell them Jesus is the Savior. The end is coming. Amen.