Jesus explains terrible times await his disciples yet his word stands forever (Matthew 24:1-35)

AIM: knowing what's ahead helps us in hard times Matthew 24

A) Jesus explains signs of the end of the age marked by deception, wickedness, dying love

1-3) Jesus "not one stone will be left on another", when, what sign of your coming end of age

4-8) Watch out, deceivers in my name (leaders/saviors), wars, rumors, don't be alarmed, such must happen, famines, earthquakes beginning of birth pains

9-10) disciples persecuted, put to death, hated by ALL nations, many turn away from The Faith, betray, hate each other

11-12) Many false prophets appear, deceive many people, increased wickedness love of MOST grow cold

B) Jesus encourages us to live the Gospel of the kingdom in spite of hardships

13-14) Stand firm to end will be saved, this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, testimony to all nations - then the end will come.

 - Gospel only twice in Matthew 24:14 and alabaster jar woman Matthew 26:13 while Mark has it 5 times, additionally "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35)", "Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:28-29)

 - Dying to Self, being made alive for God (Luke 9; Gal 2:20,5:24; Romans 6, 12; 1 Peter 4)

C) The end is so much worse than now

15-21) see standing in holy place abomination that causes desolation, run for the mountains, great distress unequaled from the beginning of the world (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11)

22-25) those days not short, no one would survive, false messiahs, false prophets appear, great signs and wonders to deceive, even elect - told ahead of time (John 16:1) so that you will not fall away

 - We have been given the Holy Spirit to decern what is true (John 16:1,8-15;Romans 6:1-23; 8:12-13; Ephesians 4:22–5:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7)

26-28) there wilderness, here inner rooms - don't believe. Like lightning is visible so will the coming of Son of Man. Carcass, vultures gather (devour widow's homes Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47)

29) after those days, sun-darkened, no moonlight, stars fall from the sky, heavenly bodies shaken (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)

30-31) then sign of Son of Man in heaven, ALL peoples mourn seeing Son of Man on the clouds, trumpet gather elect 

• Zechariah 12:10, Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on[b] me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
• Revelation 1:7, Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”;    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.

32-35) lesson from fig tree, this generation not pass away until all these happened. Heaven/earth pass away, but my words will never pass away