The World

This morning we come to the last of these studies entitled The Christian, The Future And ... And this morning it is "The World". Where is the world going? The futurologist Samuel Huntington argues that world affairs were determined in the 19th century by the clash of nation states. They have been determined in the 20th century by the clash of ideologies (like Nazism, Fascism, Marxism and free democratic capitalism). But in the 21st century they will be determined by the clash of civilizations related to religions. The coming world order will be one of clashing Confucian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian powers. But what does the bible tell us about the future of the world at large? At best futurologists give you wise guess-work. The bible gives you truth. So to find out, I want us this morning to look at Matthew 24.3-14. And my headings are, first, "WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS"; secondly, "MANY WILL TURN AWAY"; and thirdly, "BUT ... " - there is a great "but" to all of this. By way of introduction look at Matthew 24 verse 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?

Jesus has just been talking about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. The disciples then wanted to know about two things: one "when will this [the destruction of the temple] happen"; and two, "what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" The disciples may have thought that the end of the temple was the end of the world. Jesus wants to deny that. He wants the disciples to have wider horizons. Jesus wants his disciples to realize that it was perfectly possible for God's purposes to continue to the end of the age without the Jewish cult and all that went with it. But what Jesus doesn't want to deny is the fact that one day he will come again and there will be "the end of the age". That is the number one fact about the future of the world. Christ is coming again. This world will not go on for ever. There will be a judgment day. Are you ready for that? That is what this life is all about - getting ready for heaven. It is like the close football season of these past months. Oh! yes, there are the friendly training matches. But they are all preparation for the big day yesterday and the start of the new season. Some players couldn't make it yesterday. There were some at St James' Park like Alan Shearer who failed the test through injury. There were others on the bench yesterday who were not judged good enough to be on the pitch. It is going to be like that at "the end of the age" and God's judgment. You can be famous and other people can think you are good. But God says "being famous or being better than others won't guarantee you a place in heaven [that is God's pitch]" There is a narrow gate that you have to get through. And there is a narrow road that you have to travel - that is what Jesus has been teaching earlier in this great Gospel of Matthew. And that gate is the cross of Christ. There by faith you can receive forgiveness for your sins and new life - resurrection life - from the Holy Spirit. These things are so vital. Who needs to go through that narrow gate this morning? So Jesus denies that the end of the age is the same thing as the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. And he denies that we can ever know the date or hour of the end. ut he doesn't deny that the end will come. It is going to come. So what is going to happen in the world in the mean time? That brings us to our first heading this morning, "WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS". Look at verses 4-9:

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. {5} For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. {6} You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. {7} Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. {8} All these are the beginning of birth pains. {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.

Jesus teaches us that in the world at large you can expect four things. First, you can expect deception. Verse 5: "many will come ... and will deceive many". Who are these people who will deceive? Answer: the "many who come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ.'" They are claiming the role of "the anointed one" - that is what "Christ" means. They are claiming that they are special, they are the answer, they have the secret of happiness and the good life. Before the Jewish War and the sack of Jerusalem there were many of this sort of person, Acts 5.36-37:

Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. {37} After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

Those men got nowhere. No doubt they seemed nice and plausible. That is why a deceiver deceives. But they influenced only a few hundred people. But think of some of the other people since those early centuries who have deceived millions. In the last two centuries there have been Marx, Hitler and Stalin with terrifying consequences. Or people like Darwin, Freud and others who may have drawn attention to real problems but their conclusions have been disastrous. And they have lead people away from Jesus Christ as the only way, and the only truth and the only life. Jesus warned that in this period before the end of the age "many will come ... and will deceive many." Secondly, you can expect "war". Verse 6: "you will hear of wars and rumours of wars." There are conflicts today going on all over the world even if they are not full scale wars, in Asia, in Africa, in Europe - in Bosnia - and in the Middle East. The notion that the end of the Cold War is going to bring in an era of peace and prosperity is folly. Yes, you should work and pray for peace. But you must be ready for war. It is only when Christ returns that (Isaiah 2.4) ...

... they will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks" and "nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.

And if Huntington is right, sadly the next century will see even more wars based in terms of culture and religion. The fiftieth anniversary of Indian independence and the terrible conflict between India and Pakistan at the time of partition reminds us of such religious-based wars. Thirdly, you can expect natural disasters. From the volcano in Monserrat, to flooding in central Europe, to accidents caused possibly by bad weather or human error like the Korean Airlines 747 crash with over 200 dead this week, you know that is so true. Fourthly, you can expect the persecution of believers. Verse 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.

That was true in New Testament times. It is true today. A new book by Paul Marshall is Their Blood Cries out: The Growing World-wide Persecution of Christians. World-wide there is the abuse of human rights. But he argues, the murder, torture, imprisonment and victimization of Christians because they are Christians constitutes "the largest pattern of persecution in the world." And what is the reaction? Answer: apathy among believers and bias among intellectual elites. So this epidemic of persecution, he says, "is allowed to pass in a 'deafening silence.'" In the Islamic world you've got the Sudan. There "Islamization through genocide" has led to the deaths of between 1.5 - 3 million Christians. In Iran there is "religious apartheid." In Saudi Arabia "Christian worship is banned" and it is "illegal to wear a cross or to utter a Christian prayer." In Egypt "militant Islamic groups are targeting Christians for murder, assault, theft, and destruction of property." In Algeria, violent attacks on Catholic clergy are routine. And in Pakistan blasphemy laws allow "a reign of private terror against Christians." In the former Communist world there is still hostility and opposition to Christians in Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea and, especially, China. Then there is India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Bhutan, Burma and Cambodia. Jesus says you can expect persecution. Some Christians are experiencing far worse than we can ever imagine. So when you suffer at work or somewhere else for being a Christian, this is only what Jesus said would happen. How then should you react to all this that's going on in the wider world - deception, war, natural disasters and the persecution of believers? Jesus says four things: one, verse 4:

watch out that no one deceives you.

Watch out. Be alert. Use your mind. Don't follow the crowd. Check out what is being taught with the bible where you find Jesus' teaching and his apostles' teaching. Two, verse 6:

see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Life will be hard. Don't have false expectations. And don't panic. Some Christians think that all is going to be a pick-nick once they've been born again. Yes, it will be good. Yes, there is hope. But it is hope in spite of difficulties, not without them. Three, understand that all this is going to be quite regular. Jesus is not talking about what is exceptional. No! These things are, verse 8 ...

... the beginning of birth pains.

They are not the end; they are not just one spasm; but the beginning of a process. And four if you look on to Matthew 25 verse 36, Jesus says of genuine believers:

I was in prison and you came to visit me.

And of false believers verse 43:

I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.

It's good to visit prisoners who are in prison for crime. But this refers to Christians who are persecuted and in prison. How do you measure up to taking an interest - practically, prayerfully and politically - in your brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering persecution? That is a challenge to all of us this morning. So that is the future of the world outside the church. Secondly, what will be the future of the church - or the wider church - in the world? That brings us to our second heading this morning: "MANY WILL TURN AWAY" Look at verses 10 - 12:

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, {11} and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. {12} Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

Jesus here is not talking about the pagan wider world. He is talking about the visible Christian church! So what will you find in the church in this period before Christ returns? Answer: people turning away from the faith. That is the first thing to expect in the church. When you see people you once admired as fine Christians, or even fine Christian leaders, but now they are nowhere spiritually speaking, that is just what Jesus predicted. And this turning away will lead to mutual betrayal and hatred between Christians. That is obvious. Someone refuses to compromise doctrinally or morally and they are hated by those who do. Perhaps you have experienced that. The second thing to expect in the church are false prophets. Verse 11: "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." There will be false teachers and leaders in the church. So when you have bishops or clergy denying publicly parts of the bible and fundamental doctrines, yes, it is tragic; yes, you must oppose it; but this is only what Jesus predicted. And like the false leaders in the wider world, these false prophets will "deceive many people". If you are faithful to Christ and true to his word, you will not always be in the majority. Often you will have to be in a minority, even a minority of one sometimes. And what is the result of these false prophets? Answer - and this is the third thing you can expect in the church, verse 12: "the increase of wickedness". Isn't that what we are seeing in respect of homosexual behaviour, and sexual and marital morality in general? What is going on is wickedness in the church. And fourthly, in that context, you can expect, "the love of most will grow cold." Isn't that so true? You hear appalling things from some bishops and clergy or from some religious commentator on the Radio or TV or in the Press. They are condoning heresy or immorality. But unless you are careful, it can rub off on you. And your love can grow cold - your love for the Lord, your love for other believers, your love for those outside you should be evangelising, your love for prayer, and your love for bible study. All that is what Jesus predicted. Finally, "BUT ..." (verses 13-14):

... he who stands firm to the end will be saved. {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.

Verse 14 refers to being "saved". Christian salvation is by faith in Christ. That is all that is needed. But then you have to live out the life of faith. And what is required for that? Among other things there are two things mentioned here that Jesus says are necessary. First, verse 13 "stand firm to the end". That is the mark of true, saving faith. Standing firm won't save you. But if you have true faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord, then that will show itself in your standing firm. You will not be tossed around by every wind of doctrine. Who needs to remember that this morning? You know you are in the process of slipping or backsliding. You are not standing firm. Secondly, what is necessary is evangelism. Verse 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.

Before the end, Jesus predicts a massive evangelistic programme. And you and I are meant to be involved in that programme. Do you now see what you've got here? It is a twofold picture. One is negative - all that you see in verses 4-12. The other is positive and a picture of church growth and evangelism. You see that duality clearly today in China. On the one hand there is persecution or harassment of Christians. But on the other hand it is now reckoned that in China "there are more Christians attending regular church worship services ... than in all of Western Europe combined." The blood of martyrs has often been the seed of the Church. Who needs to remember that this morning - that "the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached in the whole world"? How are you going to help that come about? That is the challenge. I must conclude. Jesus says that with regard to the future of the world, you can expect in the wider world, deception, war, natural disasters and the persecution of believers - so be on your guard against being deceived; don't be alarmed; realise that these will not be "one offs" but regular; and be concerned for those who are persecuted in other parts of the world. With regard to the future of the church in the world, you can expect spiritual decline; false prophets; an increase in wickedness in the church; and "the love of most will grow cold." So positively "stand firm to the end" and be encouraged, Gospel preaching will grow. So help in the preaching of that gospel.