Wars & Rumors of Wars
Matthew 24:3-14,
This is part of the Olivet discourse. It is called the Olivet Discourse, because that's where it was taught or preached by the Lord, He is on the Mount of Olives.
Last Sunday night we had our corporate in-house prayer meeting, and Pastor Mark mentioned that we have four upcoming ministries, and the nearest one on the calendar is April the 18th. Pastor Bart Carlson will be with us. He's from New Jersey, one of the pastors who has been a pastor there for 20-plus years. He will be speaking on the subject of the Christian worldview. And what that means is it will start with creation, and then the fall and redemption. Sometimes that's called the biblical plotline, but it's the big story of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In creation, we all know that it introduces us to a perfect world and God pronounces it good, and then on the sixth day He pronounces it very good. But it doesn't take very long before the devil and sin enter the picture. And Genesis 3 is the fall, so you go from creation to the fall and in the fall we see a broken world. Romans 8 tells us that creation itself groans, but the fall impacts creation. That's why we have earthquakes and hurricanes and floods. We also have sickness and disease; it impacts our hearts in terms of sin; it impacts our marriages and our callings in life.
But another very sad, grievous effect of the fall is conflict and war. James chapter 4 is a good text to go to. James 4:1, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within?” James is telling us, as one person put it,
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
This is part of the Olivet discourse. It is called the Olivet Discourse, because that's where it was taught or preached by the Lord, He is on the Mount of Olives.
Last Sunday night we had our corporate in-house prayer meeting, and Pastor Mark mentioned that we have four upcoming ministries, and the nearest one on the calendar is April the 18th. Pastor Bart Carlson will be with us. He's from New Jersey, one of the pastors who has been a pastor there for 20-plus years. He will be speaking on the subject of the Christian worldview. And what that means is it will start with creation, and then the fall and redemption. Sometimes that's called the biblical plotline, but it's the big story of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In creation, we all know that it introduces us to a perfect world and God pronounces it good, and then on the sixth day He pronounces it very good. But it doesn't take very long before the devil and sin enter the picture. And Genesis 3 is the fall, so you go from creation to the fall and in the fall we see a broken world. Romans 8 tells us that creation itself groans, but the fall impacts creation. That's why we have earthquakes and hurricanes and floods. We also have sickness and disease; it impacts our hearts in terms of sin; it impacts our marriages and our callings in life.
But another very sad, grievous effect of the fall is conflict and war. James chapter 4 is a good text to go to. James 4:1, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within?” James is telling us, as one person put it,
"External wars grow out of internal wars."
External wars grow out of internal wars. It starts with the heart. Personal conflict leads to global war and the Bible is not quiet when it talks about war. There are at least 100-plus references to the fact of war. That word war is used that many times, especially in the Old Testament.
And Jesus also uses that word war, at least on one occasion here in Matthew chapter 24, the Olivet Discourse. It's not the most detailed, but one of the most detailed passages on eschatology, in terms of what's going to happen as we move more and more closer to the end of history. And He tells us what is going to characterize this present age. It gives us a list of calamities or cataclysmic events under the analogy of birth pangs. When a woman is having a baby, her birth pangs increase, it gets progressively more painful, and Jesus is letting us know it will get worse. He mentions here famines and earthquakes and diseases. But notice verse 6 of Matthew 24. He starts off by mentioning that you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. And then Jesus seeks to comfort our hearts by saying, “See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass, they must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Every time you hear of a war, or of a rumor of a war, it reminds us that we are living in this present age, waiting for the age to come in its fulfillment and its glorious consummation. And that comes when Jesus comes back again, that's the final day when He comes back. The new age has already been inaugurated when Jesus came, but it will be consummated or fulfilled when He comes back again riding on a chariot of clouds with who knows how many angels; some think all the angels from heaven will accompany him. But until that day, there will be wars. If you study the subject of war over the last 500 years, there is at least 400 to 600 wars. Great Britain had 78 major wars; France, 16; Spain, 64; and the United States back however many years this was written, maybe 18 to 20.
So that means Jesus' prophecy is coming true. What He said is coming true, even as we talk right now. He wasn't exaggerating when He said there will be rumors of wars and wars until He comes back again. But that also means that all the politicians, all the peace treaties in the world have not stopped wars and never will. I remember Dr. John MacArthur saying this,
And Jesus also uses that word war, at least on one occasion here in Matthew chapter 24, the Olivet Discourse. It's not the most detailed, but one of the most detailed passages on eschatology, in terms of what's going to happen as we move more and more closer to the end of history. And He tells us what is going to characterize this present age. It gives us a list of calamities or cataclysmic events under the analogy of birth pangs. When a woman is having a baby, her birth pangs increase, it gets progressively more painful, and Jesus is letting us know it will get worse. He mentions here famines and earthquakes and diseases. But notice verse 6 of Matthew 24. He starts off by mentioning that you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. And then Jesus seeks to comfort our hearts by saying, “See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass, they must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Every time you hear of a war, or of a rumor of a war, it reminds us that we are living in this present age, waiting for the age to come in its fulfillment and its glorious consummation. And that comes when Jesus comes back again, that's the final day when He comes back. The new age has already been inaugurated when Jesus came, but it will be consummated or fulfilled when He comes back again riding on a chariot of clouds with who knows how many angels; some think all the angels from heaven will accompany him. But until that day, there will be wars. If you study the subject of war over the last 500 years, there is at least 400 to 600 wars. Great Britain had 78 major wars; France, 16; Spain, 64; and the United States back however many years this was written, maybe 18 to 20.
So that means Jesus' prophecy is coming true. What He said is coming true, even as we talk right now. He wasn't exaggerating when He said there will be rumors of wars and wars until He comes back again. But that also means that all the politicians, all the peace treaties in the world have not stopped wars and never will. I remember Dr. John MacArthur saying this,
"Peace times are simply time to reload. The one person who can stop war will be Jesus."
And you know where He starts, He starts with the heart, right? It has to start here. The Prince of Peace, He will bring universal peace when He comes back again at the end of the age. And that will be the greatest, the most momentous event in human history. The Bible says every eye shall see Him. When He first came, He came very quietly, He came by way of a baby in a manger; but when He comes again as the King of Kings, He will come in full glory and every eye shall see Him. But here's the reason why we should be praying, “Come, Jesus, come.” That's why we should be thinking of the Second Coming, “Come, Jesus, come.” When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we're praying not just that it will continue to come, but it will come in its consummation.
And in the meantime, I thought more about this over the last few years, we should be thankful for a government, a Romans 13 government that carries the sword. The sword is there to protect us. The main duty of a government is to protect its citizens, that's why it’s given a sword. That's why we have police. That's why you have armies. But remember this, it's often in the midst of war that Christians serve to be light and salt. Churches have, for the most part, been quick in their response, even other organizations like Red Cross and Samaritans Purse, they have their feet upon the ground very quickly and they're bringing the gospel to this lost world. It's sad to see people lose their lives, that should always grieve us, but even worse to see men, women, boys, and girls lose their souls.
And while Army generals and war commanders use the greatest of weapons, the greatest of bombs and missiles to destroy, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest of weapons to save. Martin Luther, one of the great reformers, said,
And in the meantime, I thought more about this over the last few years, we should be thankful for a government, a Romans 13 government that carries the sword. The sword is there to protect us. The main duty of a government is to protect its citizens, that's why it’s given a sword. That's why we have police. That's why you have armies. But remember this, it's often in the midst of war that Christians serve to be light and salt. Churches have, for the most part, been quick in their response, even other organizations like Red Cross and Samaritans Purse, they have their feet upon the ground very quickly and they're bringing the gospel to this lost world. It's sad to see people lose their lives, that should always grieve us, but even worse to see men, women, boys, and girls lose their souls.
And while Army generals and war commanders use the greatest of weapons, the greatest of bombs and missiles to destroy, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest of weapons to save. Martin Luther, one of the great reformers, said,
"I simply taught and preached and wrote God's Word and the Word did everything else. The Word did everything else. I just taught it, I just preached it and the Word accomplished what God said it would accomplish."
And so, when we hear of wars and rumors of wars, as we are hearing right now, let's keep praying that God would do what only God can do, save lost sinners by His powerful gospel. That could happen in Iran. We should be praying for people in Iran, that God would save them, that they come to know Jesus by faith.
Posted in Pastor Devotional