Participants: Geoff Youlden
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000001
|
00:27 A science fiction story that was written
00:29 some years ago tells of a very, very intriguing idea. 00:35 An editor invented a printing press 00:38 and using Einstein's theories of time and space 00:42 he invented this printing press 00:44 that instead of printing the news 00:46 that happened in the last 24 hours, 00:49 invented a printing press 00:50 that was going to tell the news 00:52 that was going to happen in the next 24 hours. 00:56 And so this frantic editor as this printing press 00:59 began to print and tell things 01:01 that were going to happen in the next 24 hours. 01:03 This frantic editor tried to warn people 01:06 who were involved in car accidents 01:08 and other tragedies 01:10 and things that were terrible in their lives. 01:13 He tried to tell them about it before it happened. 01:15 But they wouldn't listen to him. 01:16 And they thought he had gone crank. 01:18 And finally in desperation he destroyed the printing press. 01:25 Now of course no such printing press 01:27 has ever been invented nor ever will be 01:29 because there's one thing that human beings can't do. 01:33 And that is foretell the future. 01:37 I mean if we could tell the future 01:39 all we would have to do, 01:41 the next horse race that takes place. 01:44 All you'd need to do is put all your money on the horse 01:47 that you know is going to win 01:48 and you could become a very rich person. 01:50 Isn't that right? 01:52 And it wouldn't seem to be very difficult to me 01:54 if someone claims that they can read the future 01:56 to be able to tell which horse 01:57 is going to win next race. 01:59 Because you haven't got 02:00 to tell her the long way in advance, 02:01 only what half an hour before the horse race. 02:06 Or if you don't like horse races what about lotto? 02:10 Pick six numbers 02:12 and you could become a multimillionaire. 02:15 And once again if you can read the future 02:17 if human beings can read the future surely. 02:20 It shouldn't be very hard to do that. 02:22 But the trouble is nobody can do it. 02:24 Now every now and again someone backs the right horse 02:26 and they get the right numbers 02:28 but get them to do at the next week 02:29 or the next week or the next week. 02:32 Impossible, because nobody can read the future. 02:36 But I wanna tell you this. 02:37 God actually guarantees He can read the future. 02:42 And He has written it down, so that we today can read 02:46 what was written thousands of years ago 02:49 and as it comes to pass before our eyes today 02:53 it gives us tremendous confidence 02:54 that we're not following some made up story or fairytale. 02:59 And that written material its called prophecy 03:03 has actually been written in the Bible. 03:06 Now I know that there maybe some of my friends here today 03:09 who maybe, have got 03:13 some very skeptical views about the Bible. 03:15 I wonder whether the Bible is true, 03:17 whether it's just full of fairy stories. 03:21 Story of Adam and Eve 03:22 and all that just a fairy story. 03:25 Well, I want to assure you over these series of programs 03:29 that I'm going to give you evidence 03:31 that this book is indeed God's book. 03:36 Matthew 16, it says, 03:37 "Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, 03:40 and testing Him asked that He would show them 03:43 a sign from heaven. 03:45 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 03:48 it will be fair weather, for the sky is red," 03:51 and in the morning, 03:52 "It will be foul weather today, 03:53 for the sky is red and threatening." 03:56 Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, 04:00 but you cannot discern the signs of the times." 04:07 Now, Jesus, called these men hypocrites, 04:10 that is the religious leaders of the day 04:12 because they could go out at night 04:14 and they could see a red sky. 04:17 And what does usually a red sky suggest 04:19 when you see it in the evening? 04:22 That shows it's going to be, what, good weather tomorrow? 04:24 On the other hand, if you get up in the morning 04:26 and you noticed a red sky in the east. 04:28 What does that usually suggest? 04:30 Not so good. 04:31 We have a saying, aren't we? 04:32 Shepherd's delight and a shepherd's warning. 04:36 And these men were as good as the weather bureau. 04:39 They knew what type of weather 04:42 because they studied the signs in the sky 04:44 but they knew nothing about the signs of the times. 04:48 And, Jesus said, that they ought 04:51 to have understood the signs of the times. 04:55 In fact, on one occasion, the disciples came to Jesus 04:58 while He was on His own, separate from the crowds. 05:02 It's recorded over here in Matthew 24. 05:04 If you'd just come over a little further 05:05 to Matthew 24. 05:07 And they asked Him the question 05:09 because they had heard, Jesus, speak so often 05:11 about the signs of the times. 05:14 That they got, Jesus, alone by themselves one day 05:17 and this is the question they put to Him. 05:20 "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives." 05:23 This is verse 3 down the bottom see. 05:26 "The disciples came to Him privately, saying, 05:29 "Tell us, when will these things be? 05:33 And what will be the sign of Your coming, 05:37 and the end of the age?" 05:40 And so the disciples wanted to know 05:45 the answer to this question from Jesus. 05:47 How will the world end? 05:48 What will be the sign of Your coming 05:50 and the end of the world? 05:51 And it's interesting to notice what, Jesus, said. 05:54 You would expect for Him 05:56 immediately to say, well, the first sign will be 05:59 and then to start listing them off. 06:00 But He doesn't do that. 06:02 Have a look at verse 4 as to what He says. 06:05 Jesus, answered and said to them, 06:07 "Take heed that no one," what, "deceives you." 06:14 So He starts with a warning. 06:16 Because He said there's going to be an awful 06:18 lot of deception regarding my coming. 06:22 Because there is going to be 06:23 lots of people claiming to be this 06:26 and claiming to be that. 06:27 And what proportion of the population is the many 06:30 when it says they will deceive many. 06:33 What proportion of the population would many be? 06:39 Not all, would it? Many is not all. 06:43 The majority, that's right, the majority. 06:45 So it has to be at least 51 percent, 06:47 isn't that right? To be the many. 06:51 So at least we would say half the population 06:56 is deceived regarding, the coming of Jesus, at least. 07:00 Many are going to be deceived. 07:02 And He says here that they, as it says in verse 5 07:09 "For many will come in My name, 07:10 saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many." 07:15 That's the vast majority. 07:18 And so that's why when we go out to talk to people 07:21 about the coming of, Jesus, we have to recognize that 07:24 the vast majority of people are deceived. 07:27 They do not know. 07:31 That's why we must go to the Bible 07:32 to find out what, Jesus said. 07:34 Not to ask this one or that one 07:36 because they may be amongst the group that are deceived. 07:40 We must go to what, Jesus said. 07:42 And here in Matthew Chapter 24, 07:44 Jesus, gives us five great signs 07:48 that are going to take place before He returns. 07:51 First of all, signs in the religious world. 07:55 Then He talks about signs in the political world. 08:00 Then He talks about signs in the natural world. 08:04 Signs in the economic world 08:06 and finally signs in the social world. 08:09 Let's have a look first of all at the signs 08:11 that He spoke about in the religious world. 08:13 Verse 5, "For many will come in My name 08:19 saying, I am the Christ." 08:22 Now when it says that they will come in My name 08:25 what does that mean? 08:28 Does that mean that they are the atheists? 08:30 They are the soothsayers? 08:34 And those dabbling in witchcraft? 08:36 Is that what it's talking about? 08:38 Not necessarily at all. 08:39 It's talking about those who claim 08:43 to be followers of Christ, that is the religious world. 08:48 The Christian world. 08:50 They are the ones Jesus said to be careful about 08:53 because they--in what they teach. 08:56 They're going to deceive many. 08:58 The vast majority and so the very first thing 09:01 that we noticed about His coming is a warning. 09:05 Be very careful Jesus said. 09:07 There is a lot deception and so that ought to 09:09 put us on full alert as we study the subject 09:12 to be very, very careful in our study 09:15 and that's the reason why we've gone to the expense 09:17 of giving you all a Bible 09:18 because I don't want you to go home 09:20 from this meeting saying, well, 09:21 that's what, Geoff Youlden teaches. 09:25 Or that's Geoff Youlden's opinion. 09:27 In all honesty friends, what my opinion is 09:30 and with all due respect to you what your opinion is 09:33 really in the bottom line doesen't count. 09:35 Because the only opinion 09:37 that really matters is what God says. 09:40 And that's why we want you to see it 09:42 with your own eyes. 09:43 We want you to study this book. 09:45 Because by the time the series finishes 09:47 I want you to feel 09:48 that you're very comfortable with the Bible. 09:51 And that you are finding your way round it. 09:54 And so Jesus said, "Be very, very careful, 09:58 there is going to be a lot of deception 09:59 regarding My coming." 10:01 Then He began to talk about signs in the political world. 10:04 Have a look at verse 6. Matthew 24, now verse 6. 10:10 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. 10:15 See that you are not troubled, 10:16 for all these things must come to pass, 10:18 but the end is not yet. 10:20 For nation will rise against nation, 10:23 and kingdom against kingdom." 10:25 When you say, we've always had wars. 10:28 Absolutely, we have always had wars. 10:31 Wars in themselves are not a sign of Christ coming 10:34 because as we all admit there's always been wars, 10:37 well, it is human nature until 10:38 human beings' on the world 10:40 there's going to be wars and unrest and unhappiness. 10:46 But what we are facing as we study the Bible 10:49 is an increase of the signs 10:53 as we get closer to the coming of Jesus. 10:55 That's what we're going to notice. 10:57 For example, let me give you some history. 11:00 Historians estimate that up until the, First World War, 11:05 there have been about 900 major wars in the world, 900. 11:11 But in the First World War, 11:16 over seven million men and women died. 11:20 In fact, up until the, First World War, 11:24 there were seven times more people killed in that war 11:30 than historians estimate than all the human wars 11:34 put together, seven times. 11:38 But Jesus said, these things were only going to be 11:40 but the beginning that was 11:41 followed by the, Second World War. 11:43 And since the, Second World War, 11:45 in which millions more died, 11:47 we've hardly had a year of peace. 11:51 And when we think of, Korea, and, Vietnam, 11:53 and, Cambodia, and Afghanistan, 11:55 and Ethiopia, and Angola, and Lebanon, and Iraq 11:59 and Kurdistan, and Armenia, 12:01 Nicaragua, and El Salvador, Burundi, Bosnia, 12:05 Anglia, Angola, and the list goes on and on and on 12:08 and we'll continue to go on and on and on. 12:13 We're going to see 12:14 an intensification of these things 12:16 the closer we get to the coming of Jesus. 12:18 That's what, Jesus, was talking about here. 12:21 In fact if you'd come over 12:22 to the book of Luke now, the 21 Chapter. 12:25 Now Luke is recording exactly the same sermon 12:29 that Jesus preached, 12:30 that's recorded in Matthew 24. 12:32 You understand that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 12:36 really are covering the same history 12:39 that was regarding the life of Jesus. 12:44 And so there are some similarities 12:45 between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 12:48 Now Luke 21 is Luke's recording of the same sermon 12:52 that Matthew recorded in Matthew Chapter 24. 12:55 Only that Luke gives some aspects that Matthew didn't 13:00 and Matthew gives something that Luke didn't. 13:02 And you'd expect that with eyewitnesses 13:03 because we all have a different perspective. 13:06 We might see the same event but we will describe it 13:08 a little differently, isn't that right? 13:10 And so you find some slight differences 13:13 that helped to round out the full picture. 13:16 And here in Luke Chapter 21 and verse 25, 13:19 Jesus, also added in that same sermon. 13:22 "There will be signs in the sun, 13:25 in the moon, and in the stars, 13:28 and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity," 13:37 Now what does that mean? 13:39 What does it mean 13:42 that the nations would be perplexed? 13:47 Well, let me illustrate. 13:48 Say, you're going home from this meeting this afternoon 13:53 and as you rounded your straight corner 13:57 suddenly you see your house going up in flames. 14:05 The feelings that would come over you at that stage 14:09 that's how the Bible describes 14:10 it is being perplexed. 14:15 There's just no way of resolving the problem. 14:21 And Jesus said here, 14:22 "The nations will be perplexed." 14:25 For example, let's consider for a moment the Middle East. 14:28 How you're gonna solve the problem 14:30 between the Jews, and the Arabs? 14:33 You know, I've been in the Middle East 14:34 many, many times. 14:35 I'd spoken to both Arabs and Jews. 14:37 And I want to tell you this 14:38 that when you speak to the Arabs 14:40 you feel that they have watertight case. 14:41 When you speak to the Jews, 14:44 you feel that they've got a watertight case. 14:50 And when in 1948 this line was drawn 14:52 and if you happened to be on the wrong side 14:55 and if you are an Arab you had to leave your farm 14:59 that had been in your family 15:01 for hundreds and hundreds of years 15:02 and get over to the other side. 15:04 And when you got over to the other side 15:06 they didn't provide you with a nice alternate farm. 15:09 They put you into camps. 15:13 And many of those families have been 15:16 living in those camps ever since 1948. 15:22 And you can imagine the feelings 15:24 that are in those peoples' hearts. 15:26 You imagine the feral thugs came in 15:28 and took you-- push you out of your house 15:30 and then put you in some camp 15:32 with hardly running water and so forth. 15:34 You wouldn't feel too, 15:36 you know, magnanimous toward them, would you? 15:39 Now, I am not excusing the Arabs 15:41 but I wanna tell you that many of the suicide bombers 15:45 that's where they come from, from these camps. 15:50 Because they've got nothing to live for 15:51 and the hatred that has been built up in their hearts, 15:55 the resentment against the interferences 15:59 taking place in those countries. 16:03 And particularly against the Jews, is something 16:06 which is very hard to describe but it go so deep. 16:11 And they live for one thing and one thing only 16:13 and that is to drive 16:14 every Jew into the Mediterranean Sea. 16:17 That's what they live for. 16:19 And if they die in the process, so be it. 16:22 But as long as they can advance the cause 16:24 that there-- they're joining. 16:26 How you're gonna solve them? 16:28 I don't know and I don't know any other political leader 16:31 that has any idea how to solve it. 16:33 And that's why Jesus said, 16:34 the nations will be absolutely perplexed 16:38 as they see what's happening in the world. 16:41 In fact, notice the next verse, verse 26, 16:44 "Men's hearts failing them from fear 16:48 and the expectation of those things 16:50 which are coming on the earth." 16:53 The more people know of what's happening in the world 16:55 and the more educate you are today. 16:57 The more widely you all read. 16:59 And the more exposed you are 17:01 to what's happening in the world 17:02 the more fear comes into your heart. 17:05 Because when the, Soviet Union, for example was broken up 17:09 some of the nuclear weapons 17:10 that the, Soviet Union, had have gone missing. 17:14 And world leader still don't know where they all are. 17:17 Many believe today that there is a great, 17:20 a high probability that some of those 17:23 maybe in the hands of a terrorist organization. 17:27 Now you imagine if that is true. 17:30 Imagine if, Osama Bin Laden, had in his hands 17:36 the possibility of exploding a nuclear weapon. 17:45 And not only are we fearful today about terrorism 17:48 of course that's only thing. 17:50 What about now 17:51 the possibility of the tsunamis. 17:56 And I'll tell you most of us in, Australia, 17:58 and around the world think that the most 18:01 ideal place to live is on the water. 18:07 And we all thought that, Australia, was 18:09 going to be pretty well protected from tsunamis 18:12 until very recently one hit up there 18:14 in the, Solomon Islands, and they all got panicked. 18:16 All down the eastern coast of Australia 18:19 right down to, Sydney. 18:23 And they were on high alert for a great tsunami 18:28 or tidal wave coming in. 18:30 And the Bible is saying here 18:32 that men's hearts are going to fail in 18:35 from fear in the expectation of those things 18:39 which are coming on the earth." 18:40 And I believe as days and weeks 18:44 and the years roll by, we are beginning to see 18:47 more understanding of this verse 18:49 than we've ever understood in the past. 18:52 And Jesus said here, "Be very, very watchful." 18:55 Signs in the political world. 18:59 And sometimes people say to me. 19:00 Well, Geoff, does the Bible say 19:03 anything about nuclear war? 19:04 Well, just come over to Revelation Chapter 11 19:06 and verse 18. 19:07 Revelation Chapter 11 and verse 18, 19:10 its page 1,182 at the back of the Bible, 1182. 19:17 And verse 18 is half way down the outside column, 19:20 and this is what it says. 19:21 Revelation Chapter 11 and verse 18, 19:25 "The nations were angry, Your wrath has come, 19:31 And the time of the dead, that they should be judged 19:34 that You should reward Your servants the prophets 19:37 and the saints, And those who fear Your name, 19:39 small and great, And should destroy those who," what? 19:44 "Destroy the earth." 19:45 I'm gonna suggest to every person 19:51 that its only the generation that has lived 19:54 since the, Second World War, 19:56 that has had the possibility of destroying this earth. 20:01 We have got the possibility now with the bomb 20:03 and of course more recently with pollution. 20:08 And the Bible says that God is going to destroy 20:11 those who attempt to destroy the earth. 20:15 And once again this is just another sign 20:18 that, Jesus is coming and coming soon. 20:22 And I wanna assure you this 20:24 that this world has cost God far, far too much 20:28 that He is going to allow some terrorist organization 20:31 or some person here or there to destroy the earth. 20:34 God is going to write 20:35 the last sentence on the earth. 20:37 And He is going to write it 20:39 when He comes back the second time. 20:41 Now that doesn't mean that in between now and then 20:45 that there's going to be not some--great turmoil 20:49 and men's hearts are going to fail in from fear 20:52 in the expectation of those things 20:54 which are coming on the earth. 20:57 Let's go back to Matthew 24 because Jesus now talks about 21:00 signs in the physical world, or the natural world. 21:03 Come back to Matthew Chapter 24. 21:06 Matthew Chapter 24 and verse 7. 21:11 And this is what it says. 21:12 Matthew 24 and verse 7, 21:14 "For nation will rise against nation, 21:17 and kingdom against kingdom," 21:19 then it says, "And there shall be," what 21:23 "Famines," yes "pestilences, 21:27 and earthquakes in various places." 21:30 Now look I don't have to prove tonight 21:33 or today what I'm gonna share with you 21:36 because you notice as well as I. 21:38 You watched the news. You're intelligent. 21:40 You see what's going on in the world. 21:42 All I am doing today is I want to point out 21:46 that the Bible was written 2,000 years ago 21:48 at least this part of the Bible 21:49 was written 2,000 years ago. 21:53 And what gives me tremendous confidence 21:56 is as we see these very events 21:59 happening before our eyes today 22:02 it gives us confidence 22:04 that we were not following a fairytale, get the thought? 22:08 And so Jesus mentions pestilences. 22:10 Now what are pestilences? 22:14 Well, I guess here in, Australia, we call them pests. 22:17 You know we like to shorten everything pests. 22:21 You know the amazing thing is this. 22:22 That while all the amazing discoveries 22:26 have been made in the medical world 22:28 it seems that the germs and the bugs 22:30 are always one step ahead of us. 22:34 And it seems to me 22:35 that while the doctors have been going to college, 22:38 the bugs and the pests have been going to university 22:42 because they always seem to be 22:43 just that much further ahead, don't they? 22:47 And Jesus mentioned pestilences. 22:49 And those of us who come from a farming background 22:51 realized today that we are spraying for things 22:53 that we never had to spray for in the past. 22:58 And the tragic thing is today is that the very things 23:03 that mankind has discovered in the last hundred years. 23:09 I'm thinking of things like penicillin 23:12 that have been made to protect us. 23:14 These very things because many of these antibiotics 23:18 have been over prescribed now 23:22 the human organism is building up 23:23 an immunity against it and so the very things 23:25 that were once there to save us 23:28 are no longer providing that strong barrier. 23:32 And Jesus mentioned pestilences. 23:35 I picked up a book recently written by Laurie Garrett 23:38 that's a lady. 23:39 And she maintains that in the world today 23:44 there are superbugs. 23:47 She wrote the book, 23:48 the title of the book is "The Coming Plague." 23:51 And she talks about HIV and Ebola 23:54 and Marburg and the virus that killed that horse trainer 23:58 up in Queensland, a number of years ago 24:00 which they still haven't worked out 24:01 what killed him and the horses. 24:03 It's a mystery. 24:06 And she's been writing all these up 24:07 and she is saying that the viruses 24:11 and so forth that are starting 24:12 to break out in the world now 24:14 are due to the transmission of disease 24:18 because of aeroplane travel. 24:21 You know disease can be taken to one part of the world 24:23 to the other in a very short amount of time 24:25 and the sexual revolution. 24:28 Once again if Jesus doesn't come soon 24:32 the very things that we felt 24:35 secure about could destroy us again. 24:41 And then Jesus mentioned after 24:45 famines and then pestilences, 24:48 He mentioned earthquakes in various places. 24:52 Now once again I don't have to remind you 24:55 about earthquakes. 24:58 And while it's true that we have always 25:00 had earthquakes nobody is suggesting 25:02 that earthquakes are a phenomena 25:04 of the 20th and 21st Century not at all. 25:07 There have been major earthquakes in the past 25:10 but let me tell you very few. 25:13 If you pick up the internet or the encyclopedia 25:16 you check back through on to the subject of earthquakes. 25:19 And you will be surprised at the intensity 25:22 of the number of earthquakes 25:24 that are taking place in the world now. 25:26 They believe over 6,000 every year. 25:29 Fortunately all of them aren't number 6 25:31 on the Richter scale and above. 25:34 Otherwise the world would be really in a mess. 25:37 But we are seeing sufficient 25:39 of those earthquakes to realize 25:43 that there is an increased in the intensity. 25:45 And that tsunami that killed, 25:47 well, over three hundred thousand people in Asia. 25:52 That is nothing more or less than 25:54 an earthquake, isn't it? 25:55 That's what it is. 25:57 And it's an earthquake underneath the sea. 26:01 And that's why we have no control. 26:05 And no country really is immune 26:08 from the possibilities of being wiped out. 26:14 We've already seen New Orleans. 26:18 And that all give us a clue as to what can happen. 26:25 And who knows what's going to happen in the future 26:27 but, Jesus, mentioned earthquakes along with famines 26:31 and along with pestilences and along with earthquakes. 26:34 The three seem to go together. 26:37 And when it comes to famines that we were talking about 26:40 I can assure you this that in this country 26:42 and in the western world we don't understand 26:44 what it means to go to bed starving. 26:47 In fact, many of us here in the western world, 26:52 we have a problem the other way. 26:56 But I can tell you they don't have 26:58 weight loss classes in India or in some of those countries. 27:02 And in Africa where people can hardly get any food. 27:06 If they get a little food one meal per day 27:09 they are doing very, very well. 27:11 If you've been watching what's happening 27:12 in Northern Africa like Sudan 27:14 and so forth terrible things. 27:15 I mean it's just any parent that has a child 27:18 and sees those poor mothers 27:20 with their little children dying in their arms. 27:22 Just imagine the feelings that are going through 27:26 those poor peoples' hearts. 27:28 And that's not just happening in one case 27:31 that's happening in millions. 27:34 We live in such a wonderful country. 27:35 We feel immune. 27:37 We don't even feel part of that same world. 27:41 But anyone who has travelled around the world 27:43 knows that famines, the lack of food 27:46 for a large percentage of the world's population today 27:51 is something which is tragic, tragic. 27:56 Then Jesus went on to say in Matthew 24, 27:58 and made a statement in verse 15. 28:01 I want you to notice what Jesus said here 28:03 in Matthew 24 verse 15. 28:06 "Therefore, when you see 28:07 the abomination of desolation, 28:10 spoken of by Daniel the prophet, 28:13 standing in the holy place." 28:15 Matthew adds whoever reads, let him understand. 28:18 You know it's interesting that Jesus here 28:20 nominated in His discussion 28:23 about the Second Coming and the signs. 28:25 Which particular prophet did Jesus say, 28:28 we ought to study and understand. 28:31 Daniel, the prophet. 28:33 And yet the tragedy is Daniel is a prophet 28:36 that's hardly ever referred to by Christians. 28:38 Hardly know anything about Daniel. 28:41 And yet Jesus said, study and understand it. 28:44 Because in the context of His Second Coming 28:47 Daniel has a lot to say. 28:49 Let me just give you an illustration. 28:50 Come back to Daniel Chapter 12. 28:54 Daniel Chapter 12 and you've got the page there. 28:58 Daniel Chapter 12 and verse 4. 29:04 Daniel Chapter 12 and verse 4, 29:07 and here Daniel is writing about these times 29:10 and this is what he said, 29:13 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, 29:16 and seal the book until" when "The time of the end." 29:25 Now let me illustrate. 29:27 Here on the screen we have the end of time. 29:33 Now the end of time is when Jesus is going to come back. 29:40 But the time of the end is that little period of time 29:44 just before He returns. 29:46 Can you see there the time of the end? 29:50 And Jesus is saying through Daniel 29:52 that the book of Daniel was going to be sealed up, 29:55 that is people wouldn't understand it. 29:57 It would be sealed from understanding. 29:58 Seal up until the time of the end. 30:02 As I said the time of the end is not the end of time. 30:05 The end of time is when Jesus returns. 30:07 But the period just before He comes back 30:09 is known as the time of the end. 30:11 Now how will we know when the time of the end begins? 30:15 Well, verse 4 goes on to say, "Many shall run to and fro." 30:19 And what's going to increase? 30:22 Knowledge is going to increase. 30:26 One of the great signs that we're living 30:28 in the time of the end is going to be 30:30 an explosion in knowledge. 30:34 Tell me, do we live in such a world today? 30:38 Are we seeing an explosion in knowledge today? 30:42 My, oh my, anyone who would think 30:44 otherwise would have their-- be an ostrich 30:46 and hid their head in the sand. 30:48 And we've all experienced that with children at school. 30:50 You know you spend large numbers of dollars 30:52 on text books for your children. 30:54 You say, kids, now listen. 30:56 You look after that text book because when Mary comes along 30:59 into the same class she can have the book. 31:02 We don't have to buy it a second time. 31:06 And what happens when Mary gets to that same class. 31:10 That text book is out of date 31:12 it's particularly in the sciences 31:16 because science is changing you know. 31:18 You never need to worry about what science is today's. 31:20 What science is today and what science is tomorrow 31:23 will probably be two different things. 31:27 I picked out a magazine recently, 31:29 a little article that was written in 1850. 31:32 And it said, 50 reasons why 31:34 a scientist could no t believe in God, 50 reasons. 31:40 There wouldn't be one scientist in the world today 31:43 who would agree with any one of those 50. 31:48 And yet if you followed science back in 1850, 31:51 you couldn't believe in God 31:52 because of what science was saying. 31:54 Wow, science. 31:56 You see to know anything really for sure 32:01 you've got to know everything, isn't that right? 32:05 That's true, isn't it? 32:07 To be absolutely certain about anything 32:10 you have to know everything because otherwise 32:13 it might be a little bit of knowledge out here 32:15 that you don't know 32:16 which would completely change your conclusions 32:18 if you knew about it before. 32:20 Now who of us-- which scientist in the world 32:23 would like to claim that they know everything 32:24 about even their own discipline? 32:27 There is none. 32:29 That's why every scientist ought to be 32:30 the most humble person in the world. 32:33 Not making dogmatic statements 32:36 about anything because he or she is in a discipline 32:41 that is changing like a chameleon 32:43 with its skin every day. 32:47 New knowledge is coming to pass 32:48 because we are understanding more about the universe. 32:52 In the time of the end 32:53 knowledge is going to explode. 32:55 Take computers. 32:57 Amazing world in which we live. 33:01 God said that this would be a great sign 33:04 of the end of the world. You know air travel. 33:07 Air travel is an amazing thing too. 33:09 I mean, we take it for granted so much today. 33:11 It's only over a hundred years ago 33:13 that men were able to fly. 33:16 In the First World War, 33:18 aeroplanes flew at 67 kilometers an hour. 33:21 Now most of you travel faster to get to the meeting 33:24 than they flew in the First World War. 33:26 And today they're getting faster and faster and faster. 33:32 You know I had heard about a lady over there in Sydney. 33:34 She wanted to come over here to Perth. 33:38 And she rang up Qantas 33:40 because she wanted to find out 33:41 how long will it take to fly 33:43 from one part of Australia to the other. 33:47 Now anyone you all know that flying from one way 33:51 is different to flying the other ways, 33:53 isn't that right? 33:54 When you fly from Sydney to Perth, 33:56 that is you fly from east to west 33:58 it takes you longer than flying from west to east 34:02 because when you fly west to east 34:04 you got the flat tailwinds usually 34:05 and if it's a good tailwind 34:07 that could cut off half an hour, 34:08 three quarters of an hour of a four hour journey. 34:13 And so when she rang up Qantas, 34:15 she said, "How long will it take me to fly? 34:16 Well, the air clerk wasn't quite certain 34:19 and so he said to the lady, "Just a minute." 34:23 "Thank you" said the lady and she hang up. 34:25 Now we haven't got that fast yet, have we? 34:28 But I wanna tell you this that we are going there 34:30 in a big way because God said 34:33 that knowledge is going to dramatically increase. 34:38 And we are seeing that today a blind man would see it. 34:41 People say to me, well, Daniel must have been 34:42 a pretty smart man to be able to work all this out. 34:46 I don't think that he is much smarter than any of us. 34:49 Because look notice what he said here in Daniel 12. 34:52 You still got it open, have you? 34:53 Daniel 12 and verse 6, verse 6. 35:01 "One said to the man clothed in linen, 35:03 who was above the waters of the river, 35:05 How long shall the fulfillment 35:07 of these wonders be?'" 35:09 How long is it going to be 35:10 until all these things take place? 35:14 Notice the answer, verse 8, "Although I heard, 35:18 I did not," what "understand." 35:22 So did Daniel understand what he was writing? 35:26 No, he didn't. He admitted that. 35:29 But you see Daniel wrote down what God told him. 35:34 And that's why when you read the Bible today 35:37 it doesn't sound like a book 35:38 that was written 2,500 years ago when Daniel lived. 35:46 You know you pick up another book 35:47 that was written 2,500 years ago 35:50 it wouldn't sound very up-to-date would it? 35:51 It would reflect the thinking of the times 35:55 but not the Bible. 35:57 Because the Bible was written by someone 35:59 who knows the end from the beginning 36:02 and has written it down so that when we read it today 36:05 it sounds, well, pretty up-to-date. 36:07 Sounds as if it could have been written 36:08 just in the last year or two 36:12 because God can see the end from the beginning. 36:15 And although Daniel didn't understand 36:17 he still wrote down exactly what God told him. 36:21 That's why we can have 36:22 tremendous confidence in this book. 36:25 Now I wanna look at signs in the economic world. 36:28 Just come over to the book of James 36:31 toward the back of the Bible. 36:33 Right over toward the back the book of James. 36:39 And we will read here Chapter 5. 36:44 James Chapter 5, after Hebrews 36:53 comes James the fifth Chapter page 1,161 36:56 and this is what it says. 37:00 "Come now, you rich, weep, and howl 37:04 for your miseries that are coming upon you!" 37:07 Now we don't often associate the rich weeping 37:09 and howling but here James is saying 37:12 the rich are going to weep and howl for their miseries. 37:16 Well, right why? 37:17 Verse 2, "Your riches are corrupted, 37:20 and your garments are moth-eaten." 37:23 Now we all understand that language. 37:26 You know if you had your good suit 37:28 or your good dress hanging up in the wardrobe 37:30 and you haven't worn it for a while 37:33 and you find when you go to put it on that the silverfish 37:37 or the moths have been into it. 37:40 Not a nice feeling isn't it? Ruined. 37:44 And that's how the Bible is describing 37:47 the rich are going to regard their riches. 37:49 They're going to be moth-eaten, useless. 37:52 Verse 3, "Your gold and silver are corroded, 37:54 and their corrosion will be a witness against you 37:57 and will eat your flesh like fire. 37:59 You have heaped up treasure in the last days." 38:02 So the Bible is saying there's going to be 38:03 a great accumulation of wealth in the last days. 38:07 By the way are we seeing that today? 38:10 Even in this part of the world 38:11 I understand that things are on a pretty good role. 38:16 Riches are increasing. 38:19 But then notice 38:20 what the Bible talks about verse 4, 38:24 "Indeed the wages of the laborers 38:26 who mowed your fields, 38:28 which you kept back by fraud, cry out, 38:31 and the cries of the reapers 38:33 have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 38:36 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury," 38:38 that is talking about the rich 38:40 "You have fattened your hearts 38:41 as in a day of slaughter. 38:42 You have condemned, you have murdered the just, 38:44 he does not resist. 38:46 Therefore be patient, brethren, 38:47 until the coming of the Lord. 38:51 See how the farmer waits 38:52 for the precious fruit on the earth, 38:53 waiting patiently for it until it receives the early 38:56 and the latter rain. You also be patient. 38:59 Establish your hearts, 39:00 for the coming of the Lord is at hand." 39:03 What is James talking about here? 39:05 He is saying there is going to be great conflict 39:07 between two groups of people in the last days. 39:10 First of all there's going to be 39:11 a great accumulation of wealth 39:13 and eventually that wealth is going to be 39:16 regarded as worthless. 39:18 It's like the moths have got into the garments. 39:21 And the gold and silver have become corroded. 39:23 They're gonna become worthless. 39:25 At the same time that that's going to take place 39:28 then we find this other class of people 39:30 the laborers who have worked, 39:33 have been diddled out of their money. 39:38 They haven't had a fair share. 39:41 And there's going to be these two groups of people. 39:44 Now the Bible is not taking side in saying, 39:46 it's the laborers against the capitalist. 39:49 One's right and the other is wrong. 39:51 That's not what the Bible is saying. 39:53 All the Bible is saying is that 39:54 there is going to be two groups of people 39:59 and they're going to be in conflict. 40:03 Once again I don't need to remind you of the conflict 40:06 that is often waged between those who are 40:09 regarded as the capitalist and those who are regarded 40:12 as the laborers or the unionist. 40:15 God said that there is going to be problems 40:17 between capital and labor and once again that 40:20 this is going to be a sign of Jesus coming. 40:23 God says, be patient, don't lose your confidence 40:27 now as you see this taking place 40:29 because the coming of the Lord 40:32 is about to take place. 40:35 Establish your hearts, be confident. 40:40 Then Jesus talked about the fifth sign 40:43 that I want to underline. 40:45 Come back to Matthew Chapter 24 again. 40:47 Matthew the Chapter 24 and its page 961, 40:54 Matthew 24 and this time verse 36. 41:01 I think we'll start with verse 36, perhaps verse 37. 41:06 Maybe we better start with verse 37. 41:11 Jesus said, "As the days of Noah were, 41:15 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." 41:21 So Jesus says, as it was in the days of Noah 41:25 it's going to be a mirror image of the days 41:28 just before Jesus returns. 41:30 Is that what it say? Exactly. 41:34 So if we go back now to the days of Noah 41:37 and we need to-- when we think of Noah, 41:38 we've gotta go right back to the beginning 41:42 and we go back to Genesis Chapter 6 41:44 right at the very beginning. 41:47 Genesis Chapter 6 and verse 1, page 5. 41:52 Right at the very beginning. 41:53 As it was in the days of Noah, 41:56 so it's going to be in the days of 41:58 coming of the Son of Man, all right. 42:00 What were conditions like just before the flood? 42:04 Have a look at verse 1. 42:06 "Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply 42:11 on the face of the earth, 42:12 and daughters were born to them 42:16 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, 42:18 that they were beautiful, 42:19 and they took wives for themselves of all 42:22 whom they chose." 42:25 This would suggest 42:27 that there was a tremendous increase in the population 42:30 just before the flood. 42:35 Some estimate the population of the world 42:38 before the flood was very, very high, extremely high. 42:45 And it seems from the statement 42:48 that's made here. 42:49 "They took wives for themselves of all 42:51 whom they chose." 42:53 That this is referring to polygamy. 42:57 Well, he say we don't have polygamy today. 43:00 Well, no, that's true, we don't have polygamy 43:03 but maybe if it was not against the law we might. 43:11 But we have what is something very similar in today's world 43:15 it's called easy divorce. 43:19 In which instead of having many at the one time 43:22 we have a string of them. 43:26 In fact it's interesting that in 1870, 43:30 there was one divorce for every 34 marriages. 43:32 Do you know what it is today? 43:36 Nearly not quite but nearly one in very two. 43:40 So I tell young couples when they're about to get married 43:42 you're chances are only 50%. 43:46 That's what the law of averages says, 43:48 50% that you're going to survive a number of years. 43:55 And of course this has tremendous repercussions 43:57 in our society today because anybody who's been 44:01 through divorce knows the sadness 44:04 and the interruption of life that takes upon 44:08 and the toll that that takes upon a person. 44:10 You know in Britain today and in Australia 44:12 it's not much different, 44:13 nearly 30% of births are outside marriages, 30%. 44:22 And if we read on here in Genesis Chapter 6. 44:26 We read a description 44:29 describing the conditions in the world 44:32 just before the flood. 44:33 Notice what they were 44:34 in Genesis Chapter 6 and verse 11. 44:40 "The earth also was corrupt before God, 44:44 and the earth was filled with," what, "Violence." 44:49 Two words described the antediluvian world. 44:53 One was corrupt and violent. 44:56 Tell me would that describe our world today? 45:00 I don't have to prove that to anybody. 45:03 Nobody will doubt that corrupt and violent. 45:06 Why are you saying you couldn't describe our world 45:08 better than that? 45:12 Today we can hardly trust anybody. 45:17 In fact the very people that have been in our society 45:20 who we should look up to today have let us all down. 45:27 And we have politicians 45:28 in which corruption is just rife with. 45:33 And I believe that that one thing 45:35 that has contributed to both corruption and violence 45:39 in our society today 45:40 more than any other single thing 45:43 it is what is turned out of Hollywood. 45:47 That is influencing our society 45:49 like nothing else on this earth 45:53 because people are spending more and more time watching 45:59 rather than reading any longer. 46:03 Fewer and fewer people are reading 46:05 because they're spending all their spare time 46:08 in watching television or going to the theatre 46:10 or videos or whatever what happen to be. 46:14 And what is being turned out from Hollywood today 46:18 is influencing our society in a very, very mark way. 46:24 Let me just give you some evidence of that. 46:28 Back in 1981, now that's a long time ago. 46:35 Two researchers Joyce Sprafkin 46:38 and Theresa Silverman 46:39 monitored 58 programs on prime-time television. 46:43 Now prime-time television is the time 46:45 between 6:00 and 10:00 at night 46:46 when everybody the families are watching. 46:49 All right. Prime-time. 46:51 They monitored 58 programs in prime-time television. 46:58 They found this, 41 instances of sex outside marriage 47:05 and only six between married people. 47:08 Forty-one outside marriage, six inside marriage. 47:13 Forty one to six, all right. 47:16 What is it today? 47:19 Well, the extra marital sex 47:21 has dramatically increased from April 28 47:24 the other year to May 25, 47:27 dialog 615 instances of sexual activity depicted 47:31 or discussed on prime-time television. 47:34 I'm not talking about late night television. 47:36 I'm talking about prime-time television. 47:47 favoring sex outside marriage. 47:52 Now what's that saying? 47:56 What's the message that is coming through 47:59 to young people to impressionable 48:00 young people particularly. 48:03 What's the message? 48:06 That's life, that's what you do. 48:11 In fact if a girl by the age of 21 48:14 the pressure seems to be that if a girl hasn't experimented 48:18 and so forth by the age of 21 48:19 there's something wrong with her. 48:23 That's the impression that's gained 48:25 as you watch television. 48:26 Now I don't believe that 48:27 that is the case in real life. 48:30 But that would be the impression that you get 48:32 when you watch the media. 48:37 Five hundred and seventy one to thirteen. 48:43 Hollywood is telling us that there is no fun without sin. 48:47 No kiss except a stolen one. 48:49 Let me tell you about "Silence of the Lambs." 48:52 Now once again this is an oldie. 48:55 Few years ago now. 48:57 The reason I still mention it 48:59 is because it is only the third film in history 49:04 to win all the major awards, best screenplay, 49:09 best director, best actor, best actress, best director, 49:13 it won a lot. 49:14 It's only the third film in history to ever do that. 49:19 Now what was "Silence of the Lambs" about? 49:24 Well, let me read you what a film critic said. 49:27 The plot of "Silence of the Lambs," 49:30 sent us on a transvestite serial killer 49:33 who stuffs the larvae of the rare moth 49:35 down the throats of his victims 49:37 after he has skinned them. 49:39 He selects overweight women as the target of his wrath, 49:43 holding them prisoner and starving them for a time 49:45 before slaughtering them so that their skin 49:47 will hang loose on their frames. 49:50 The criminals are so bizarre 49:52 and extreme in their sadistic pleasures 49:54 that they are more ridiculous than frightening. 49:57 Now remember that's the film that won all the awards. 50:01 The third in history to ever do that. 50:05 And it's about that. 50:06 I tell you friend, I refused to go along 50:09 and waste my time and money on some perverted director 50:14 or writer who has written a script like that. 50:17 That does not reflect 50:18 where the vast majority of human beings are 50:21 Christian or non-Christian. 50:23 That's not where the majority are 50:25 but the trouble is we sit back and we absorb 50:28 and we watch that rebel out of a sick mind. 50:37 Then could I mention about violence. 50:39 Since 1955 T.V. characters have been murdered 50:42 1,000 more than it happens in real life. 50:46 And on normal nights viewing quoted the Rothman, Litcher 50:48 and Litcher report that you would see 50:50 15 to 20 robberies, rapes, assaults and other crimes. 50:54 And then today could I remind you about the rise of AIDS 50:58 in some African countries nearly 25% of the population. 51:02 South Africa when I was there recently, 51:03 25% of the population is HIV positive. 51:08 Huge amount! 51:10 Population numbers are being rolled back 51:12 because of the fact that so many people are dying. 51:16 Magic Johnson, you remember him? 51:18 The great basketball player. 51:20 Made a shocking disclosure after admitting 51:21 that he'd had woman after woman after woman. 51:23 He said, "I thought my body can handle it 51:25 but I've discovered that 51:26 even Magic Johnson is subject to laws of nature." 51:28 Because you'll remember that he was HIV positive. 51:34 Last verse, I wanna end on something positive. 51:37 Luke Chapter 21, just come over there 51:40 because while there is lots of negativity in the world 51:44 the Bible ends on a positive note 51:46 and I want to read it what it says. 51:48 Luke 21 and verse 25, 26. 51:52 We read, "Men's hearts failing them from fear" 51:55 says in verse 27. 52:00 "Then they will see," this is Luke 21 verse 27, 52:03 "Then they will see the Son of Man 52:05 coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 52:08 Now when these things begin to happen," 52:11 what are we to do? 52:12 "Look up and lift up our heads, 52:15 because our redemption draws near." 52:18 When we see all these things happening in the world today 52:20 what are we to do become terribly frighten 52:22 and discouraged? No. 52:24 we are not to be discouraged. 52:26 Notice of confidence because Jesus said, 52:29 all these things must take place 52:30 and as you see them taking place, 52:32 take fresh courage, look up 52:35 because Jesus is about to return. 52:38 And I wanna remind you of a message of hope 52:42 because Jesus has told us these things 52:44 not to frighten us but because He loves us. 52:46 Listen if I knew that your house was going to burn down 52:50 in the next 12 months and you knew that 52:52 I knew and you had confidence that I was right 52:56 that your house was going to burn down 52:57 in the next 12 months. 52:59 Would you want me to tell you that 53:00 or would you not? 53:04 Would you want me to tell you? 53:05 Why would you want me to tell you? 53:08 Yes, so that you could be prepared. 53:10 Isn't that right? 53:11 You might want to make sure 53:12 your insurance was up-to-date, huh? 53:14 That's the first thing you'd do. 53:16 You might wanna take out your pictures, 53:17 you know, your family pictures 53:19 that are valuable to you that you can never replace. 53:21 You'd be able to make preparation, right? 53:24 That's why Jesus has told us these things. 53:26 Not to frighten us but so that we can be prepared. 53:31 Because whether we believe it or not Jesus is coming. 53:34 We have read evidence after evidence 53:36 and there's far more and I'm gonna share with you 53:38 night by night more evidence that the Bible is true. 53:42 And as we see these things taking place today 53:45 it gives us fresh confidence 53:49 that the book that has been the shoulders of 53:52 so many down through the years is true 53:57 and that we can trust it. 54:00 And today in these last times God wants us to be ready. 54:08 And I tell you this in my hand on hearts 54:11 I want to be ready when Jesus comes 54:13 and in fact I'd like to raise my hand to God and say, 54:15 "God help me to be ready when you come." 54:18 Who'd like to join me and say I want to be ready? 54:20 Yes, God bless you. 54:21 Because as we make a decision to follow Jesus 54:24 then we can be ready. 54:25 Let's just bow our heads together in prayer. 54:28 Wonderful Father in Heaven, 54:29 I just want to thank you again 54:32 at this very time for all the signs 54:33 that you have told us about. 54:36 Signs that tell us in the heavens 54:37 and on the earth that Jesus is coming soon 54:40 and we want to be ready. 54:41 You have told us because you love us. 54:43 That you don't us to be lost. 54:44 You want us to understand the times in which we live. 54:47 And so I pray today that you will bless us 54:50 now as we go home. We want to be ready. 54:52 Bring us back again tomorrow night 54:54 as further we look in these wonderful, wonderful truths. 54:58 I pray for Jesus sake, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17