Prayer Works Bible Study: October 19, 2025

"What Did Jesus Say" Matthew Chapter 24

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Alright, so let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you and thank you for this day of life that you've given us, the breath of life, our ability to move about, and to do things, and to hear things, and to just feel your presence in our lives.  

We thank you for this day. Thank you for this time to gather as fellow brothers and sisters in the body and learn what you have placed on my heart to bring forth this day, Father. I ask your blessing on this call and all that are on the call.  

I ask your blessing on those that will hear the recording. Touch the hearts and minds of those that present and will be present and allow them, Father, to hear what the Spirit is saying.  

I ask you to guide my lips, guide my thoughts as I bring forth the word that you placed on my heart. And I ask you to bridle my tongue where I should not say what you don't want me to say, and use me to speak what you want me to say.  

I ask your blessing now, and I ask that you take control and lead us according to your will. Thank you. And we give you all praise, honor and glory in Jesus name, Amen. Alright so last week we did a segment called what did Jesus say?  

And we ended with an assignment, I believe, that asked everyone on the call to come up with a few things that touch them and move them that they got from the lesson last week. And so, Mother Jones, since you're the only one I can see on for the show is yours.  

Give us, you know, what you were able to take away. so that others that were not here, but might hear the recording later. Auntie Nina is on, but I didn't see the camera's off, so I won't. I won't pick on you because I know when the camera's off that's it. 

That's ok, that's all right. Yeah so just give us, you know what came to you, what and yeah. Well, good morning. Oh, not good morning, good evening. Last week, you know, when we went over the Beatitudes, which most, I feel like, I won't say most, but a lot of people know some of the Beatitudes, if not all of them, you know.  

Blessed are the pure and hard, blessed and merciful. We started off though with blessed are the poor in spirit. And I was like, you know, I don't know why that one doesn't stand out because that's something we need as brothers and sisters to, you know, bless the poor in spirit. 

Because these times we have now are so prevalent to anxiety, frustration, just the rush, rush, rush, the hustle and bustle that we have a lot of people who are in the, you know, poor in spirit.  

So it says, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So when I was going back over them and I was looking at the, how each one came into play, you know, one, the one after poor spirit, mourn, meek, you know, hunger and thirst, merciful, and pure in heart, and the peacemakers.  

And then they had the persecuted, you know, for righteousness sake, men reviling you falsely. But it always ends with rejoice and be exceedingly glad. So God's purpose and plan for us when he gives us things is always going to be for our good.  

So when Veronica told us about, you know, chapter five, six and seven, I was like, oh, okay. You know, we grew up, you know, that's Jesus talking because it's in the read. So we pay close attention to it.  

And so I was looking at it and say, you are the salt of the earth. We don't, some of us don't sit down and just let the word, as I've heard people say, jump off the page into your heart. And really, you see who you are and where you are because, you know, for those who cook. 

You know, the salt has a very big part to play in when you're preparing your meals. Not so much now because, you know, they're like salt not good for your blood pressure and all. But when I was growing up, salt was a very important ingredient in most of the things, sweet things as well as bitter.  

So, you know, when we put ourselves in like being the salt of the earth, that means what we are taught, what we learn, how to show others things that they need to see when we see salt in that way, then it's like we are to be the ones to take the good news, which is Jesus Christ to the world.  

You know, it is so much turmoil, confusion, bickering, fighting, you know, now that it's like my thing is like the finger pointing, fault finding you know. And so uh I was looking at that and I was thinking about the scripture. 

It says I kept reading about it says that uh okay Matthew 5:22 but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause to be in danger of the judgment and whoever shall say to his brother rocker shall be in danger of the council. 

But whosoever shall say thy fool shall be in danger of hellfire and when I was reading it I thought about Proverb, Proverbs talks a whole lot about fool but with the slip of the tongue we say that word so loosely that we don't really realize how strategic the enemy has place things in our speech. 

First of all to just be like oh you know that fool or you know they like but this is serious this is serious and when it tells me about hellfire you know I tell them I don't have an invitation in. 

I don't, I won't be going there but we have to stop and think about things like that to say wait no Lord slow to speak, if I'm slow to speak things like that won't just slip off my tongue I won't call my brother or my sister a fool because there's much danger in saying that. 

And then I when I read about the scripture of when you come to the altar and remember that you have an alt or you know something that needs to be corrected about you with your brother and your sister we don't do that we'll come to church sit, not going to sit close to them. 

But you know, even walking in there, we see them, you know, that little feeling you get, you know, you start, the enemy start working with your mind right then, you know, they just, you know, you go through this thing.  

But they say, if you think a thought like that, you have to get up and go to them, get up from where you are at the altar. And my thing with that is, we don't realize what the altar is. And I say, we don't realize we don't, act in such a way as we understand the presence of the altar.  

And I think about Ananias and Sophias when they lied to the Holy Ghost and fell dead immediately. Well, the husband fell dead and then the wife died. And I was like, you know, Lord, we don't want that to come back.  

You know, and I put, I said, we don't, because there are certain things that we walk into the church building because we're the church but without thoughts in our head, things that the enemy bring.  

And you know, like I heard a pastor say, you can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest there. You know, we allow the nest just build that and then we start, you know, things that we shouldn't come about.  

But I'm going to go, I'm going fast because I'm trying to get to where I'm trying to go. But anyway, so that, that's, um, five, um, five, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So six, yeah 6, oh, I forget when I was writing 6.  

Yeah, okay, 6:33-34, you know, that's one of those scriptures we kind of like, you know, we kind of know that, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all his righteousness. But when we can stop and say, am I really putting God first in my life? 

Is he really the God that I am allowing to take full control because if he is we're not going to covet our brothers and sisters because what God gave them, he's going to give to you and he's going to give us the best he all he's that kind of God. 

He's going to give us the best and that that's going to be a blessing to us and they say because you know. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow, for the morrow, for the morrow should take thought for the things of itself.  

Sufficient to the day is the evil there are. So then I get to Matthew seven. That was six, y'all. I ran through that one, but I was wanting to get to seven. And seven, which will help us to remember what's in this chapter is, this is my ASK chapter, and I said, ask, seek and find I mean knock, excuse me. 

Because as we ask God for those things then he's there to provide us what we need and we are seeking God he's going to let us know that what we ask for if we seek it, when we knock he's going to be there to open the door which we need to be open. 

And therefore we will be blessed and we will not have evil fruit because it'll go to the 18th verse of 7 Matthew and it say a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

Every tree that bringeth not good fruit is hewed down and cast into the fire wherefore by their fruits you shall know them and with that scripture with me it's like we'll say um someone said well you know, they you know. 

We should be able to discern good and evil and I'm not talking about being judgmental or hypocritical or down talking our brothers and sisters but you know if you see a situation and you know that God is leading you to come to that individual with a heart of mercy and a peaceful way like Proverbs 15. 

A soft answer turneth away wrath. And we know like there are times when you just feel like anger wants to overtake. But if we set ourselves in a place where we'll come and we let God speak through us, minister through us, then it will be the good fruit that will, we won't see corrupt fruit on our tree.  

So then we get to the verse that I really wanted to get to and it says oh okay therefore by their fruits you should know them as it says um. But it's start in 7:21 it says not everyone that saith unto me Lord. 

Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And thy name has cast out devils, and thy name done many mighty works.  

And then when I professed unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. And when I started, I said, Lord, you know, they prophesied, they cast out devils.  

They did many mighty works how many of us can say that we prophesy or cast out a devil or you know put our works to say Lord you know because without you know we want to be just not hearers but doers also and doers that's going to be the word. 

So you know it's like let us pray with each one of these chapters that we do not get to the point where he says I never knew you, Amen. 

Amen. Thank you, Ms. Jones, so much. And that ending on that scripture was actually perfect because Calvin is going to talk about Matthew 24. What happens when people don't believe or when people think, think they're in right standing and they're not.  

What's going to happen? So Calvin's going to take the lead in this. Oh, yes. Again, thank you, Sister Jones. I'm going to start off with something that Jesus said because we're walking through what Jesus said.  

And that was last week as well as now this week. But this week, what he said in the book of Matthew chapter 24. Now, Matthew happens to be one of my favorite books. And so I am just ecstatic to bring this to you.  

So the first thing I'm going to ask is not in Matthew 24, but it's in Matthew chapter 10. And it's a statement that Jesus made. And he said, Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  

Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. So what does that mean? What does it mean to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves? So here Jesus was using what is known as similes to compare two unlike things to teach his disciples how they must behave in their ministry.  

Just before he tells them to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, he warns them that they were being sent out like sheeps amongst wolves. The world then, as now, was hostile to believers, and not incidentally hostile, but purposely hostile.  

Wolves are intentional about the harm that they inflict on sheep. In such an environment, the question becomes, how can we advance the kingdom of God effectively without becoming predatory ourselves?  

Jesus taught his followers that to be Christ-like in a godless world, they must combine the wisdom of the serpent and the harmlessness of the dove. How does this relate to Matthew chapter 24? 

Well, it gives us clear picture of who Jesus was, that he was God in human form, that he was not only able to speak about the past, but also about the future. And for us today, the future is now.  

So, before we get into chapter 24, I want to go back to chapter 23, beginning with verse 29, to see what Jesus has to say about the past and the Pharisees.  

And I'll read and it says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous and say, if we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.  

He goes on to say, therefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of your father's guilt. Serpents brood of vipers who said that before that was all right my other favorite John the Baptist how can you escape the condemnation of hell. 

Therefore indeed I send you prophets wise men and scribes some of them you will kill and crucify some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Berechiah. 

Whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. And then Jesus lays a heartfelt declaration and he says in 37, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her.  

How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  

So this always gets me. So here we see who Jesus really is. He is God in flesh. If he were not God in flesh, he wouldn't say what he says in verse 34, where he says, therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes.  

See, no one picked up on that. He said, saying here that he is God and has sent the righteous to them and that they have killed them, beginning with Abel right down to Zechariah.  

So from these 10 verses, we can establish Jesus is God. So let's dive into Matthew chapter 24 now. In verse 1, Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple. His disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple, and Jesus said to them. 

Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. Now, that same temple, the second temple that he's speaking about here, He predicted that that temple would be destroyed almost 40 years before it was.  

The Romans destroyed it in 70 AD, and Jesus died and was crucified in 33 AD. So just think about how he was able to predict the future. What did he know that men didn't know? Why did he know it? Because he was God.  

When Jesus was on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us, when will all these things be and what will be the sign of the coming of the age? 

And Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  

See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

So, so just imagine this here. Now in verse eight, Jesus is telling disciples, his disciples, that the things that are to come are the beginning of sorrows. And who is this for? It's for that generation, says this generation, the generation that experienced Jesus's presence on earth and the generations to follow us.  

Jesus explains that there would be many false messiahs who would come and who would claim to be him, Matthew 24:5. They would be deceptive, but appealing, and many would be fooled by them.  

There would be wars, rumors of wars, Nations would rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there would even be famines and earthquakes. While all that would be alarming and even terrifying, Jesus encouraged them that those things would not signify the end.  

They were only the beginning of sorrows so just imagine. Hearing Jesus's description of the beginning of sorrows, the disciples would have to have been alarmed. Jesus was describing the collapse of the temple and its systems, mass socio-political upheaval, human catastrophe and crisis, and natural disasters, of course.  

But Jesus encourages them that these things are not the end, but they are the beginning of sorrows. At first glance, this seems to be a strange statement, but recognizing that the Greek word for sorrows, odyne, is often associated with the idea of labor pains or birth pains.  

So we understand Jesus to be indicating that this ongoing series of tragic events would merely be labor pains leading to another event. Once these things began, the condition of the world would continue to worsen until the childbirth was completed. 

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many, and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come. 

Tough to swallow, at the beginning of sorrows, when the labor pains began, there would be persecution, martyrdom for those who wish to follow Jesus. Many will stumble over the intense persecution and stop following Jesus, even betraying and hating each other out of fear.  

Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Lawlessness and lovelessness will increase. After all that, Jesus says, then the end of the age will come. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation Sorry, I lost my place.  

Spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. Whoever reads, let him understand. Then, let those who are in Judea flee to the Mountains, let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 

And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes, but woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days, and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 

But then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. 

So with the foretelling of these events, including the beginning of sorrows, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the difficulties that they're going to face in their lifetime. And this is also applicable to us.  

So just bear that in mind. We're talking about what he said to the disciples, but we too are the generation that will be a part of these last days. So, he still begins to remind them that the things that they're seeing are going to get even worse than what they themselves. 

Meaning the disciples themselves were going to face that beyond them, it was going to get worse. But it will all culminate in the messianic kingdom just as the prophets had foretold. So right now if we go to Daniel verse 13 and 14.  

Daniel prophesied a vision that he had of the end times before he understood what he was actually seeing. He later understood it because God let him understand it, but it was referenced before Jesus came to this world. 

And so I just want to touch on a few of the scriptures that Daniel referenced with regards to the end of the age so Daniel chapter 7:13-14 reads, I was watching in the night visions and behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. 

He came to the Ancient of days and they brought him near before him then to him was given dominion and glory, and the kingdom that all nations, peoples, and languages should serve him.  

His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. And then he also referenced a future event that was spoken of also by Daniel in chapter nine, verse 27 of Daniel.  

And he goes on to say that when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, then those in Judea must flee the mountains. So Daniel mentioned this abomination of desolation in three places.  

First, in Daniel 9:27, he says, he will make a firm covenant with him for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice an offering, and the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolation.  

And then in Daniel 11:31, it also reads, forces shall be mustered by him and they shall defile the sanctuary Fortress then they shall take away the daily sacrifices and place there an abomination of desolation. 

And then finally Daniel 12:11 the third uh chapter or the third verse that mentions the desolation the abomination of desolation reads, for the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up. 

There will be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. So this is a picture of what we can expect when the Antichrist is released and he sets himself as God in the temple. Just clearing that up.  

So if you had any doubt about what that meant, this is the time of what Daniel is prophesying and Jesus is talking about. And incidentally 1290 days equals 42 months or three and a half years.  

Just as John mentioned in the book of Revelations. chapter 13 verse 5. So if you look that up, you can see and then kind of tie all of this together to get a picture of what Jesus is talking about and Daniel, what his vision is all about.  

Verse 23 of Matthew goes on to say. Then if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ or there. Do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even the elect. 

See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore, if they say to you, look, he's in the desert, do not go out. Or, Look, he's in the inner rooms, do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of man be.  

For wherever the carcass is there the eagles will be gathered together. This one always got me so what does a vulture indicate here vultures in the Bible they're a symbol of death and judgment both in the Old and New Testaments. 

They portray vultures as symbols of death and God's judgment, for instance in Proverbs 30 verse 17, the consequences of scorning one's parents is that the eye of the scorner will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley and will be eaten by the vultures.  

The judgment of Samaria and Jerusalem includes a reference to a vulture, Micah 1:16. In his threat of judgment against Israel, Hosea also mentions a bird of prey, which the ESV translates as a vulture, as representing God's judgment against Israel in Hosea 8:1.  

In the New Testament, vultures indicate the coming death and judgment of those who follow the Antichrist. That's in Matthew 24:8, Luke 17:37 and Revelations 19 :19- 21 or 3:21. 

After the battle of Armageddon, an angel calls out to the birds of prey, saying, Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.  

Again, Revelations 19, 17 and 18. So although these birds were created good along with the rest of creation, the vultures present purpose is a result of the fallen world. Vultures may have a foul reputation, but they do serve an important function in God's creation and his word.  

So we'll continue verse 29 goes on to say. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  

And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The elect who are the elect of God?  

Simply put, the elect of God are those whom God has predestined to salvation. They are called the elect because that word denotes determining beforehand, ordaining, deciding ahead of time.  

God chooses those who will be saved. These are the elect of God. Ephesians 1:5 tells us that God predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will.  

According to this verse, the basis of our predestined nature is not something that we do or will do, but is based solely on God. This predetermination is based on his sovereignty, unchanging character, as it states in Malachi 3:6.  

Foreknowledge, as it states in Romans 8:29 and 11:2 and e 8:29, I'm sorry, and chapter 11:2. Love in Ephesians 1:4-5. And a plan and pleasure Again, found in Ephesians 1:5. God's desire is that all would be saved and come to repentance.  

Quoted from 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9. He offers salvation to everyone. Quoted from Titus 2:11. And has made himself plain to everyone so that everyone is without excuse.  

Quoted from Romans chapter 1:19-20. We learn that if God elected those he foreknew, he both knows his creation before it exists. And he determines important things about his creation.  

If God is great enough to be the creator of all, then he is not stumped by the mutual existence of his sovereignty and human volition, choice and responsibility. So here we're going to go into again some more of what Jesus said in 24 and this is regarding the parable of the fig tree. 

Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors.  

Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away. 

So here the lesson for us is that borrowed time is not permanent. God's patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in his mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath.  

Christ stands at the door of each man's heart knocking and seeking, as our sister Jones eloquently said earlier, ask, knock, and seek, right? He's seeking to gain entrance and requiring what? Repentance from sin.  

So it's not about just letting him in, it's about letting him in And the requirement after you let him in is repentance from your sin. But if there is no fruit, as scripture says, no repentance, his patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down.  

We all live on borrowed time. Judgment is near. And I'm not trying to scare anyone here, but these are things that for some reason, are not being taught. Everything that we hear, at least what we've heard, is about prosperity and name it and claim it and give me what you have for me. But what are we supposed to do?  

And here Jesus is saying, yeah, I'll come in. I'll be with you. But the deal is you have to repent and turn away from your way of life and the things that you're used to doing. Why? Because we're living on borrowed time. 

The end could come tonight the end could come after this call we don't know we're living on borrowed time and judgment is near. So that's why the prophet Isaiah wrote seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way. 

And the evil man, his thoughts, let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him. And to our God, he will freely pardon. You just have to ask. So we move on verse 36. No one knows the day or hour.  

But of that day and hour, no one knows. No one knows. I'm emphasizing that because I'm some of you may have heard people predicting over tribulation was going to come some weeks ago, whatever foolishness.  

No one knows. Not even the angels of heaven, but my father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the son of man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. 

And did not know until the flood came and took them all away. And didn't, you know, I'm just reading that verse right now we I mean it's like really hitting me right now and did not know until the flood came and took them all away. 

So also will the coming of the son of man be then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill one will be taken and the other left. 

Watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming but know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come. He would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into therefore you also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect so. 

Here Jesus is preparing his followers for intense persecution and tribulation in the days ahead, and especially during the end times. He gives them hope to endure these trials by describing his glorious return as the conquering king of the universe, to keep them from despairing in darkness. 

The Lord wants them to live in readiness for his second coming. However, Jesus states that no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen. Not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.  

Only the Father knows and since you don't know when that time will come, be on guard. Stay alert. Christians of every age have experienced persecution, natural disasters, and earthly trials.  

Genuine disciples must understand that these challenges are a daily reality of life in a fallen world. Yet, believers are not without hope because in the end, our victorious King will return for us.  

In the meantime, however, Since no one knows the day or the hour, we are to watch and be ready for him. No matter what we must endure as we continue his mission of spreading the good news of the kingdom of God.  

Many have tried, as Vee said, to predict the day of Christ's return. But scripture is straightforward. No one knows the day or the hour. Jesus said to stay awake because his coming will be a surprise.  

Look, I will come unexpectedly as a thief. Blessed are all who are watching for me and keep their clothing ready. This is from the New Living Translation. I like this one. So that they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed, Amen. 

The faithful servant and the evil servant. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  

Assuredly I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards. 

The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth, Amen.  

So those that believe in Jesus will be rewarded in his kingdom. The basis of the reward will be their stewardship of his resources entrusted to them. Whatever the gifts that God has given us, how we use them, those who fear and do not believe will be rejected and judged.  

So there is A universal application of all of this to mankind. From the time of creation of mankind, each individual has been entrusted with resources of time and material wealth. Everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him.  

We are responsible for using those resources so that they increase in value. As Christians, we have additionally the most valuable resource of all, the Word of God. If we believe and understand Him and apply His words as good stewards, we are a blessing to others and value what we do.  

The value, rather, of what we do multiplies. We are accountable to the Lord for the use of His resources because they now had the end of the story, the disciples. They could walk both in hope and in urgency, knowing the importance of making the most of their opportunity with God, with Jesus, and with their fellow man.  

Peter later would challenge his readers to consider in 2 Peter 3:11-13 where he says, Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?  

Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  

So this is the ending of the book of Matthew 24. And so just to recap and understand what we've learned, first and foremost, we learned Jesus is God. He knows the past, the present, and the future.  

Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, about 40 years before it happened. And by the way, the remnants of that temple exist today for anyone who doesn't believe to go and see its destruction and what's left.  

We also know that the temple mosque is on there from the other side, I would say. The other camp, the other believers, right? That they are now occupying that space. But the remnants of the temple as it was destroyed back in seventy AD, those boulders, those rocks, they are there.  

And the only thing is like one wall that's left standing. So, if you don't believe I say you should search for yourself and I don't know that any of us on this call don't believe but if anyone approaches you and says hey any of this stuff is true. 

I don't really think the Bible is legit there are things that have been testified about that come from the Old Testament that you can search and see and they've uncovered the truth that these things did exist.  

So just saying the end of the age will come in what generation? The generation that experienced Jesus's presence and subsequent generations, including ours that we should not be deceived.  

Jesus mentioned that many false prophets will arise and must mislead many. And by the way, it's not someone outside of our circle. It could be someone within our circle. Hence, why we need to know the word of God.  

Why we need to have a full accounting of what scripture says. So that when we hear something that is not true we don't gobble it up like a happy meal. We're able to defend. We're able to refute and even rebuke if necessary.  

That we should not be deceived, that false prophets will arise and mislead many. We will hear of wars and rumors of wars which we hear all the time. Earthquakes, natural disasters, pestilence.  

Jesus says we should not be afraid. Jesus made clear that this is only the beginning of sorrows or labor pains leading to another event, such as the birthing of a child, and in this case, a new heaven and a new earth.  

Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There'll be food shortages. We will be persecuted for believing in and looking to Jesus for our salvation. Daniel's prophecy in 7:13-14, 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11 all give us a picture of what to look for in that time. 

And that it will be or it will last three and a half years. That's key. That God will cut those and that the elect of God it's not our choice it's God's choice. Nothing that we can do but we are chosen we don't choose we are sheep sent out amongst wolves. 

And we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves to be alert and to be on the lookout for Jesus's return because no one knows the day or the hour, not even Jesus, only God, the Father knows.  

Therefore, walk with hope, both hope and urgency, knowing that the time we are in and the importance of making the most of the opportunity that we have now. Give praise and thanks to God always.  

Walk in holiness and godliness, knowing that all these things will be destroyed. Look to God's promise of a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Family, it has been my privilege to bring this word to you as God placed it on my heart.  

And again, I apologize if I scare you but it's not for me to scare you but it's for me to bring forth this word because this word right now, with everything that's going on, all of the things that we are seeing from our political landscape, from our sociological landscape, you know, just our daily way of living.  

Watching the news, which we don't do, can be just so overwhelming and mind blowing. that if you allow it, which that's what it's designed to do, to move you away from God's will, then you become lost, then you become destitute. 

Then you become, I don't know, on a circus, on a merry-go-round, just going around trying to chase your tail. And we are the head, as God says, not the tail. We should be looking to Him for our hope and our salvation.  

We should not be looking to man. We should not even be entertaining what man says because man, as we can tell here from what Jesus says, if they don't get it right, they're not going to be here anyway.  

We don't want to be caught up with them. So family, mind what you watch, mind what you listen to, seek God, as Isaiah says, now, while he can be found. And I pray that this word moves you to do just that. Seek him and you will find him. 

Amen, Amen, Amen. Thank you, babe. That was wonderful. Very powerful and something that two words that really impress upon my heart, hope and urgency. And if we think about it, the first church lived with a constant expectation that Christ could come back any moment.  

They lived with that. And that sense of expectancy and urgency helped them to keep the faith even being thrown to lions, burned alive, all kinds of atrocities happened to them because they believed in a higher hope.  

And that is what I'm taking away. It's not to be frightened. It's to remember that if you are pursuing the Lord and you love Him and you believe in Him and you're seeking to obey Him in your life, you're not gonna be perfect.  

That's not what it's about. It's about standing in your faith with hope and urgency because whoever is connected with you, whoever is around in your life, the urgency of testifying to them of the goodness of the lord. 

We can't take it for granted. Each and every one of us is called. It really is all hands on deck, Amen. We've elderly people ready to face the grave, not knowing the Lord. We have to settle in our hearts right now as Daniel and those three, three of his colleagues, they settled in their hearts before the tests and trials came.  

They settled in their hearts that they would not worship false gods. They would not bow down. They didn't care what happened to them. And the time is now for that kind of faith for the children of the most high God settle in your heart now, that you will not compromise. 

Because the time is coming when you will be tempted to do so but don't fear just think about the rest of your eternity will be with Jesus Christ Jesus Christ in the kingdom of heaven.  

Our minds can't even conceive the beauty of the kingdom of heaven. But that's what we press on and that's what we hope for. That's what we trust. That's what we believe. So thank you. 

There's a saying, there's a saying that a pastor that we watch often says, fraternity is too long to be wrong, yes. So just walk away with that one. Eternity is too long to be wrong. Praise God, we are made right by the blood of Jesus that we believe in, that we're bathed in. Let's pray.  

Our gracious and loving Father in the heavens, we just love you. We just adore you because you are so marvelous in all that you do. You know the end from the beginning and the beginning to the end.  

So we thank you, Father, for this day and for this word and for all of your students, children, family and Christ in the body that you've placed on this call and those that will hear.  

We are praying that your Holy Spirit touch the hearts and minds of our brothers and sisters, not just who we fellowship with, but those that we come in contact with, those that are in the body. 

So that they have the urgency to speak boldly to those that they come in contact with, and to operate in a godly and holy way. We are praying, Father, for your blessing to be with all of our loved ones.  

We pray especially for our dear brother, Pastor Zee, traveling. Thank you for bringing him back into North Carolina. And we pray that his journey to Alabama will be just as uneventful and that you provide a hedge of protection around him.  

We pray for a hedge of protection around each and every one of us that are on this call, our families, our spouses, our children, our children's children. We lift them all up to you, Father, thanking you for them, as they are a gift from you.  

We thank you, Father, for the opportunity to teach them and to train them in your ways, and we pray, Father, to be diligent stewards of the resources that you have given us, and the gifts that you have laid in us, that we use them according to our will and your will for our lives.  

So that those around us can be blessed by what you have given us, Father. We are praying for those that may be ill, those that couldn't make it tonight Father, we pray just the same for them.  

And we ask your blessing upon them and their families. Now as we leave this call, we pray that we do not leave your presence. We pray that your presence continues to wrap around us and keep us in your grace.  

We pray until we meet again that you will cover us in the blood. You will protect us and are going out and are coming in and you will see us through this night, and in the days and weeks to come, according to your will Father.  

So thank you. We pray. your Holy Spirit to leave live in us to guide us and to help us make the decisions that we need to make according to your will. So we give you all praise honor and glory and we thank you we love you and it's in Jesus name we pray, Amen.