Summary of message Matthew 24:45-51 Be faithful and persevere to the end and you will be saved.

summary of Matthew 24:45-51

The last four Sundays we have looked at Matthew 24 and Jesus’ answer to the 3 questions that the disciples asked Jesus: “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the world?” The context in which these three questions came to Jesus was the destruction of the temple. Jesus said not one of these stones, pointing to the temple, would be left upon the other (verses 1, 2). Therefore, Jesus in his answer was telling them when the Jewish temple would be destroyed and what would happen. He was also telling them what signs would be seen before this event. But the questions the disciples asked were twofold. It referred to the destruction of the temple, and for many Jews, that meant the end of the world, but also, it referred to the end of the age, or the world as we know it. So, Jesus is answering the questions told them what would happen before the destruction of Jerusalem and what would happen before the end of the world as we know it. There is no other way to understand this passage. As I mentioned, there was a partial fulfilment of this passage before and during the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple when the Roman armies invaded in 70 AD and when the abomination of desolation was seen in the temple. But also, there will be an ultimate fulfilment of this passage before the end of the world when Christ comes again visibly in his human nature a second time, as he predicted. Jesus came in judgement upon Jerusalem in some sense, but he will come a second time in judgement, as verses 29-31 state, in power and great glory, and when this happens, there will be great signs in the sky, and the angels will gather his elect from the four corners of the world. The resurrection of the dead will also happen during this time, and death will be abolished forever.

Before the second coming, 8 general signs will occur; in fact, these signs are the signs of the times in every generation. They are 1) false Christs will deceive many, 2) there will be wars and rumours of wars, 3) there will be famine and pestilences  4) there will be earthquakes, 5) there will be persecution of believers, 6) there will be a falling away of false believers, along with betrayals and hatred. 7) false prophets will rise to deceive many, and 8) lawlessness will increase and the love of many Christians will grow cold. We can say these 8 signs occur in every generation; it is part of the age we live in, and it will continue until the end of the world, but just before the second coming, as Scripture teaches, there will be a man of sin revealed (2 Thess 2) and a great tribulation, and between the first and second coming, Matthew 24:14 will take place: the gospel of the kingdom will be preached as a witness to every nation (ethnic group), and then the end will come. The challenge we face in the church is Christ has delayed his coming. It has occurred in every generation. The apostles expected Christ to return during their lifetime. And in every generation, Christians expect Christ to return. Let me test you on this. How many Christians have you spoken to that have voiced their expectation that Christ will come back very soon, like in a few years or even months? Just by thinking on the spot, I can think of many Christians, some in the last month, that believe Christ is coming very soon. This happens in every generation. And in a sense, Christ comes for each individual in every generation at the time of their death. In that sense, Christ is coming for everyone in every generation. But what we find in Matthew 24 is menta specific mention of the second cominggain, the challenge we all face is Christ is delaying his coming. And when the years go by, you feel it more and more. So, how do we react?

The parable before us, and the subsequent ones in Matthew 25, teach us what our posture, our disposition or attitude, should be while Christ delays his coming. There is a contrast in this parable. What our posture should be and what it shouldn’t be. It is addressed primarily to leaders of the church but can be applied to all in the kingdom of God who have been given responsibility. We are either wise and faithful at our station in life, or we are foolish and unfaithful. Which one are you? This is the point of this passage. To prepare for Christ’s coming, and especially when we see he is delaying his coming, is to be watchful and be at our post, being faithful to God and doing what He has commanded us to do. In other words, we all need to persevere in gospel clarity, gospel piety and gospel proclamation. This parable echoes Matthew 23:13, “He who perseveres to the end shall be saved.”

Summary of message (Matthew 24:29-35) 2 October 2025

Summary of message on the 2nd of October 2025 (Matthew 24:29-35)

In this section, Jesus wants to highlight the contrast between the deception of false Christs and their appearing and Christ’s real appearing a second time. In the previous section, we heard that false Christs and false prophets will be among God’s people, and they will attempt to deceive the elect of God. But Jesus made it clear and foretold of these occurrences. Again, we need to highlight that false Christs and false prophets were operating before the destruction of Jerusalem. But as we said before, this section in Matthew 24, 25, deals both with the coming of Christ in judgement upon Jerusalem and the end of the Jewish temple and sacrifices, the end of the Jewish age and also with the end of the world. Matthew 24 and 25 deal with both events. And also, as we read in Matthew 24:4-12, there are 8 signs that characterise every age, every generation. They are called general signs that characterise the fallen world we live in: 1) the appearance of false Christs, 2) the prevalence of wars and nations fighting against one another, and 3) earthquakes and pestilences. 4) famine and 5) persecution of believers and 6) betrayals and hatred of non-believers and 7) deception from false prophets and 8) the increase of lawlessness. It seems that these signs occur cyclically throughout the history of the world (Matt 24:3). But what Jesus wants to highlight is especially the contrast between false Christs and his second coming. We know from Scripture that Jesus ascended into heaven by a cloud (Acts 1:11) and that he said he will come again. So clearly in the previous texts we see Satan will use false Christs claiming to be Christ to deceive people. And also, as we read last week in 2 Thessalonians 2, of the man of sin that will appear and make as if he is God in the temple (or house of God), and he will do this with false miracles and wonders. Jesus, however, highlights the contrast between his coming and their comings. Their coming will be in secret or on earth; his coming will be illustrious and glorious in the air. Their coming will not be anything like his; his will be conspicuous and glorious. Every eye will see him (Rev 1:7), and the earth and heavens will be shaken. This occurrence is the first thing we need to notice.

Secondly, this event, the second coming, is, in its essence, a comfort to Christians; it is the ultimate hope for the Christian in a fallen world filled with sin, sickness, and suffering. The doctrine of the second coming is at the heart of our hope as Christians. Christ promised to come and gather his elect and take them to a new heaven and earth, where all will be made new, where there will be no sin, sickness, suffering and death. There is no gospel without the promise of a new heaven and earth. The gospel is no gospel without the actual second coming of Christ and the renovation of heaven and earth. The death and resurrection of Christ have no meaning without the second coming of Christ.

The third point that is made clear is that this event is closer to all of us than we may realise. Therefore, we see in the next passages Christ urges us to always be ready for that day. He said to his disciples when they see the signs, especially of the abomination of desolation, it is at the door, and for that generation his coming to Israel as judge already took place. And in a sense Christ is coming for every person when they die, within a short period. And even though we are not sure when the actual second coming will take place in history – it may be in our generation or the next or 1000 years from now – the injunction is to be ready, to be prepared, for this word comes with the same force to us.

What we also notice being highlighted in this passage is the certainty of the second coming of Christ and therefore the certainty of God’s fulfilment of his covenant and promises and that He will renovate the earth and heaven and bring in a new order where righteousness will reign for his elect.

Summary of Matthew 24:36-44: Be always ready for Christ will come suddenly and unexpectantly

Summary of message on 9th of October 2025

A few weeks ago, when I was visiting Mae Ai, there was a video going around of a pastor in South Africa who had a “word”, a so-called “prophecy”, that Jesus was going to come on the 23rd of September 2025. I listened to this video on the 21st or 22nd of September. The man was noticeably confident that he was correct, claiming that God had revealed the word to him, and despite others’ scepticism, he maintained that he was right. What was more alarming was the fact that a very renowned gospel singer also believed the message and started telling people to prepare and get ready for the day. And then I saw other videos of people who went to the forests and were all singing and being in ecstatic worship and waiting for Jesus to rapture them. The fact that people have gospel hope of Jesus coming again is heartwarming, but what is heartbreaking is pastors and false prophets who claim that God has spoken to them and disclosed to them the day of the second coming.

This incident is not an isolated event, as many of you know. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the Montanists, a charismatic group, also made predictions about the end of the world. It is no coincidence that groups that believe in the continuation of the gift of prophecy, “getting new words from God”, have set dates over and over in history and then been bitterly disappointed by their “pastor”, so-called “leader” or “prophet”. The Jehovah’s Witnesses made predictions about the second coming in 1874, 1878, 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1975 and were forced to reinterpret their so-called prophecies. William Miller, a Baptist preacher, predicted the second coming in 1843. His followers eventually formed the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There have been too many to name in history who have made predictions. In 1999, when I was a young Christian, an older Christian got hold of me and told me the great tribulation was around the corner and the rise of the Antichrist was to emerge. He believed no one knows the day or the hour, but the season we shall recognise. He believed the season was in 1999.

What we have to come to grips with is this: even though there will be definite events preceding the end of the world, like the gospel being preached among all ethnic groups (Matt 24:14), and a great tribulation (Matt 24:29; Revelation 20::3; 7-9) and the man of sin being revealed (2 Thess 2:3,4) and a great apostasy, it is impossible to determine when all these events will actually converge. We see apostasy in every age in the church; there is tribulation and persecution in every century and decade, there are anti-Christs in politics in every age, and it seems even in so-called churches. All these end-time signs just before the second coming can probably happen in a very short period; we need not wait for them before we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. The import of this passage and the subsequent passages is all the same: the second coming will come suddenly and unexpectedly; no one will be able to calculate the date, the day, or the hour, nor, I believe, even the season or year. As Jesus said, it will come suddenly, like a thief in the night. It will take the world by surprise. And the event will be a cataclysmic event; it will not happen in a corner. It will be like in the days of Noah’s flood. The whole world will be destroyed.

Because Jesus says this event will come suddenly and unexpectedly, there is a great need for the people on earth to always be ready and prepared to meet their God. It may be that Jesus tarries for another 1000 years; we don’t know. What we also know is this: Jesus can come personally for any person on any day. As the Lord has been tarrying for 2000 years, we need to admit that God’s coming for us personally can also be sudden; for example, when a natural disaster strikes and you die, or you are in a fatal accident, or you have a sudden heart attack or accident. At times of war (as happened at the fall of Jerusalem), a person’s life can suddenly and unexpectedly be taken away. In this sense, we need to always be ready, because Christ can come at any time for us personally, and no one knows his time, as the second coming is unknown to all humanity.  These words of Jesus should make us live life, every day, as if it is our last. Every day you need to live Coram Deo, in the presence of God, under the authority of His Word and for His glory.