Sermon for Sunday October 5th, 2003
Are You A Survivor?
(Prophecy) by Frank Gallagher
Matthew 24:21-22
ARE YOU A SURVIVOR?
(Matt. 24:21-22)
[HTML formatted version of this sermon is located at
http://members.aol.com/abidingitw/survivor.html]
Jesus Himself tells us in John 8:31-32:
31 "... If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. " NAS
In John 15:7, He also tells us:
7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it shall be done for you. NAS
Let’s take a moment to quietly confess our sins to God, so that we are in
fellowship with Him and led by the Holy Spirit when we study God’s word. 1
John 1:9 promises us, that if we name our known sins to God, He always forgives
us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness, even from the unknown sins we
forgot or didn’t even realize we committed. Let’s pray.
Thank you, Father, for always restoring your children when we admit our sins to
you. May your Holy Spirit teach us your word as we study it now. We ask these
things in Jesus Name. Amen
INTRODUCTION
A popular television show that debuted in the Fall of 2000 was called
"Survivor". Referred to as "reality television", it starred
sixteen "ordinary" people who were "stranded" on a South
Seas island. They were then divided into two teams and pitted against one
another in various challenges. Each week of the show, the participants would
vote someone off the island. The last person to "survive" won a
million dollars. Personally, I didn’t want to watch any of the episodes.
The very premise of the show was ridiculous and offensive. But due to
circumstances, I saw a little bit of a couple of shows, and the last one as
well.
Now this might anger some of the shows most ardent fans, but I thought this was
one of the phoniest and nastiest shows I ever saw, and was a real low point in
TV history. It showed people at their worst---maligning one another, conspiring
with selected people to vote others off (they called such a group an
"alliance"), eating rats, and one guy who chose to walk around naked.
The two "teams" took the names of tribes, and sometimes danced around
a bonfire with spears.
It reminded me of scenes from "Lord Of The Flies" (the translation of
"Beelzebub" by the way), without the violence, of course, because the
television network oversaw and controlled much of what did and didn’t happen.
That’s exactly why I call the show phony! These people were NOT really
"survivors". They were NOT really "stranded" on a
"deserted island". They knew it was a show, and the possibility of NOT
SURVIVING was never present.
Real "survivors" have to face the possibility of serious illness,
injury, and even death. The participants on this show knew that the network
wasn’t going to let such things happen to them. There were hundreds of film
crew there, and a network presence that orchestrated lots of what did or
didn’t occur. In real life, this bunch of greedy attention-seekers couldn’t
survive losing their bottles of Zima or their designer headbands.
There were lots of examples of despicable behavior that remind us as Christians
that people are basically evil, born spiritually dead with a sin nature. I’ll
just mention one of the worse. On the last show, a woman named Sue who had just
been voted off the island, showed what a rotten loser she was. Sue told the
remaining woman who had voted against her, that if she saw her laying somewhere
dying of thirst, she wouldn’t give her a drink of water, and would let the
vultures eat her. A real class act! Now I’m naive enough to think that
acting like that on network television might hurt you, but did it hurt Sue? You
tell me, if you happen to see one of her many current TV appearances on shows
like Hollywood Squares.
Now that same network, in its arrogance and lust for even more ratings, has
given us "Survivor 2". This is about a new group of
"ordinary" exhibitionists, NOT REALLY stranded in the Australian
Outback, and NOT REALLY in danger from crocodiles, snakes, and of course, those
"killer" koala bears. Viewers get a chance to watch sixteen new people
who AREN’T REALLY in any danger. They merely have to "survive" some
challenging outdoor exercise, not being able to go to the spa for several weeks,
and being on TV.
Today, I’d like to talk about REAL survivors, who will face and escape REAL
dangers. In response to the apostles’ asking Jesus about the end times, He
makes a number of disturbing prophecies. One of these is found in Matt.
24:21-22:
Matt 24:21-22
21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the
world until now-and never to be equaled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake
of the elect those days will be shortened. NIV
Jesus is talking about the events of the 7-year period known as the Great
Tribulation. This period of time immediately follows the sudden and complete
removal of all Christian believers from the entire earth, an event called the
Rapture. To put the 7-year Tribulation in perspective with all of the remaining
Bible prophecies, let’s look at those events which must still take place.
BIBLE PROPHECY STILL TO BE FULFILLED:
1. THE RAPTURE - The next event to occur in Bible prophecy is the Rapture of the
Church. Jesus Christ will return to meet the Church in the air. Believers who
have died during the Church age will be raised first, then those who are alive
will be suddenly transformed, all receiving resurrection bodies. The Rapture
will occur suddenly and at any moment. There is no further prophecy to be
fulfilled before this event can occur. (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor 15:51-52; Phil 3:20;
1 Thes 4:13-18; Tit 2:11-14)
2. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST - Immediately following the Rapture, each
believer appears before Jesus Christ in heaven, and his deeds (not sins) are
judged. Those deeds done while the believer was filled with (controlled by) the
Holy Spirit (spirituality) are rewarded as divine good ("gold, silver, and
precious stones"). Those done while the believer was under control of the
old sin nature (carnality) are burned as human good ("wood, hay, and
stubble"). (Eccl 12:14; Rom 14:10-12; 1 Cor 3:8, 11-15, 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10)
3. THE TRIBULATION - The Rapture of the Church will be followed on earth by the
fulfillment of Israel’s seventieth week, during which the Church as the body
of Christ will be in heaven. This seven-year period will be a time of judgment
upon the whole earth. The latter half of this time period is called in Scripture
"the time of Jacob’s trouble," the great Tribulation. (Dan 9:27; Jer
30:7; Matt 24:15-21; Rev 6-19)
4. SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST / MILLENNIUM - The great tribulation will be
climaxed by the pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to set
up His kingdom. Christ will return with power and great glory to introduce the
millennial age, a one-thousand year period of perfect environment. Jesus Christ
will also at that time bind Satan and place him into the abyss, lift the curse
that now rests upon all creation, restore Israel to its own land to fulfill
God’s covenant promises, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God.
(Deu 30:1-10; Isa 11:9; Ezek 37:21-28; Zech 14:4-11; Matt 24:15-31, 36-46; Acts
15:16-17; Rom 8:19-23, 11:25-27; 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-5; 2 Thes 1:7-10; Rev
20:1-3, 6)
5. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT - At the end of the Millennium, all
unbelievers will appear before the Great White Throne of God, where they will be
judged according to their works (not sins). At this time, all unbelievers will
be ultimately condemned based upon their unpardonable sin of rejecting Jesus
Christ as Savior. Having in effect made the decision to stand on their own human
merits, God will judge their human good and find no righteousness. (Rev
20:11-13)
6. THE ETERNAL STATE - At death, the soul and the human spirit of Church Age
believers in Jesus Christ immediately pass into God’s presence, to remain in
conscious bliss until the Rapture. At that time, the soul and spirit are united
with a new resurrection body to be associated with God in glory forever.
However, the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until
the Great White Throne Judgment at the close of the Millennium. At that time,
the soul and body are reunited to be cast into the lake of fire and will not be
annihilated, but will be punished with everlasting destruction away from the
presence of the Lord. (Luke 16:19-26, 23:42- 43; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; 2 Thes
1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev 20:11-15)
THE TRIBULATION
As stated above, the Rapture of the Church occurs first, at any time.
Following the Rapture of the Church, the 7-year Tribulation will begin. This
period is the last "week" (7 years) of the 70 "weeks" (490
years) that were prophesied to Israel in Daniel chapter 9. The first 69
"weeks" (483 years) began with Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the Temple
of Jerusalem in 444 B.C., and ended with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This
is when the Church Age began, interrupting the Age of Israel and leaving 7 years
remaining of the original 490-year prophecy.
Jesus referred to this period as one of "great distress, unequaled from the
beginning of the world until now-and never to be equaled again". This will
be a time of the most suffering that mankind has ever seen, and will affect the
entire world (Rev. 3:10). The prophet Jeremiah calls it "the time of great
distress (Jer. 30:7)," and because it’s the last 7 years of Daniel’s
prophecy (Dan. 9), it will involve the nation of Israel the most. Disasters
will befall the unbelieving Jewish people who have returned to Palestine.
Gentile nations will face severe judgments from God for the sin they condone,
and for their histories of Anti-Semitism.
The book of Revelation (not "Revelations") describes horrific scenes
of what will take place. From the opening of the 7-sealed book in Rev. 5,
through Rev. 10, God shows us events that will occur during the first 3 1/2
years of this 7-year period, commonly referred to simply as "The
Tribulation". In chapters 11 through 18, we are told about wars,
cataclysms, pestilences, etc. that take place during the last 3 1/2 years,
sometimes referred to as "The Great Tribulation." These events are foreseen
in Psalm 2, and described in Matt. 24:15-51. Rev. 13:1 tells us about a cruel
ruler called the "Beast", who will make a covenant with Israel,
then break it when he demands divine worship from mankind. The Beast will be
given power by Satan, and the world will experience its greatest demon activity
(Rev 9:1-11; 16:13-16). Rev. chapter 16 describes horrible "bowl"
judgments that God will inflict upon the earth. The wicked men who are enemies
of God will be destroyed, and Jesus Christ will return and rule on earth for one
thousand years, a period known as the Millennium.
The Bible prophesies that these events will take place, just as the Old
Testament prophesies about Jesus were all fulfilled by His birth, life, death,
and resurrection. So what can you do to SURVIVE these terrible events which can
happen at any time if the Rapture of the Church were to suddenly occur?
Remember Jesus’ second statement in:
Matthew 24:22:
22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake
of the elect those days will be shortened. NIV
Jesus is telling His disciples then, and telling us now, that those days will be
"cut short...for the sake of the elect". What does "cut
short" and "for the sake of the elect" mean? Jesus is saying that
those people who are saved (the "elect") by believing in Him during
the 7-year Tribulation, will "survive" those catastrophes which He is
prophesying. The Tribulation will in some way be "shortened" for those
believers. Otherwise, "no one would survive" according to Jesus.
So, if you should realize one day that you are living during the 7-year
Tribulation that Jesus predicted back in Matthew 24, and you want to be a real
"survivor", all you have to do is simply what any person has ever had
to do --- "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved"
(Acts 16:31).
But there’s even a better way to be a "survivor", and that is to
make sure that you don’t enter the 7-year Tribulation in the first place! As I
explained earlier, the next event to occur in Bible prophecy is the Rapture of
the Church, which can happen at any moment. When it does, all believers in Jesus
Christ will be removed from the earth and be taken to heaven in resurrection
bodies.
CONCLUSION
So if you are not a Christian, why not do the smartest thing and believe right
now? Simply place your faith in Jesus Christ, that His suffering and death on
the cross paid for your sins, that He offers you salvation as a free gift.
Through the grace of God, simple faith alone in Christ alone can make you a real
"survivor" at this very moment.
Don’t wait for the Rapture to take place and the Tribulation to begin before
making your decision. There’s no guarantee that you will even see tomorrow’s
sunrise. The only true guarantee you have is God’s promise in:
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life".
Don’t perish. Be a real "survivor". Accept Jesus’ free gift of
salvation by praying and telling God the Father right now that you believe in
His Son, Jesus Christ. You won’t get a million dollars like the winner on a TV
show, but you’ll get blessings from God worth far more, and that are
everlasting. Pray with me to believe in Jesus right now.
Father, I want to be a true "survivor". I believe that you sent your
Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in my place, to pay for the sins that
I’ve committed. I accept your free gift of eternal life, and know that it is
not because of anything that I’ve earned or deserve. Jesus did all of the work
on my behalf, and I thank you for it right now. Help me to begin to grow in
grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I pray these things in Jesus Name,
amen.
Copyright © 2001, Frank J. Gallagher,
Abiding In The Word,