S1: Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. We're talking about
S1: the end of days.
S2: What the Bible tells us over and over is that
S2: it's not our job to know the day, the year,
S2: the month, or the time. That that's up to God.
S2: In fact, he tells us that the end will come
S2: as a thief in the night.
S3: I'm preparing my family for the total destruction of the
S3: power grid.
S4: A devastating earthquake, a series of catastrophic terrorist attacks.
S3: Supervolcano.
S5: Under a doomsday scenario, I'll be the only one standing
S5: there who has another hundred pounds to lose.
S6: 700 cans.
S7: £241 of cucumbers. We have weapons for every individual in
S7: the house. This is the lifestyle that we live. Let's go.
S7: We're bugging out.
S8: Doomsday preppers.
S1: Well, there's a lot of weird ideas out there about
S1: the End of Days. I'm Wayne Shepherd with Mark Jobe. Mark,
S1: we need to turn to God's word for the answers,
S1: don't we?
S9: We do. And there are a lot of extremes out there.
S9: Some people that just think, well, it's never going to happen.
S9: And others that are building bunkers and storing cucumbers and
S9: waters and generators. But you know, the Word of God
S9: does have a lot to say about preparing for the
S9: end times. Not like the doomsday preppers, but spiritually. How
S9: do we get ready for the end times?
S1: And that's what's important to us here. Welcome to Bold
S1: Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is senior pastor of New
S1: Life Community Church and president of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
S1: So let's get to today's message titled How Close are We?
S2: Matthew 24 and 25 are some of the most controversial
S2: scriptures in the New Testament. They have been read and analyzed.
S2: They have frightened people. They have been diagnosed and reread people,
S2: having interpreted it in different ways, because Matthew chapter 24
S2: and 25 are Jesus explanation of how we need to
S2: ready ourselves for what the Bible calls the end times. Now,
S2: I know just saying that scares some of you, because
S2: I believe that there's two extremes when we talk about
S2: the end times. I think there's the one on one extreme.
S2: You have the doubters, the people that say nothing's ever
S2: going to change. It's always going to stay the same.
S2: It's just going to continue on like it's always continued
S2: on before there's no Armageddon. There's no end of the
S2: world coming of Jesus. Everything's just going to progress like
S2: it's always progressed before. And on the other extreme, there
S2: are the conspiracy theorists, the alarmists, the people that are
S2: always interpreting every event that happens as, let's build a
S2: bunker in our basement, let's get the waters and let's
S2: get the, uh, let's prepare for the end of the world.
S2: And they're predicting and everything is about the end is coming.
S2: And so you have, at one extreme, the alarmist, at
S2: the other extreme the doubters. But I believe that Jesus
S2: gives us a bit of a different perspective. And I
S2: want to focus on that today as we look at
S2: this passage on the End Times. Now, recently, I was
S2: with my wife in a little town in Spain that
S2: we had never been to before, and I was trying
S2: to make my way to the hotel that we were
S2: staying at. now. And like most men, I just told
S2: my wife, follow me. I know where I'm going. How
S2: many of you wives have heard that before? And she said, well,
S2: how exactly are you going to get there? I instinctively, honey,
S2: I'll know how to get there. And so as we
S2: started to walk. Now I always get there. I may
S2: not always get there. The straightest path. Sometimes I take
S2: a scenic route where people have never been before. Tourists
S2: have never toured before. And sometimes we see the bad
S2: neighborhoods in the city while I'm walking or there. But
S2: I always get there one way or another. And so
S2: she stopped and said, I'm tired. My feet hurt. I
S2: want to know where you're going. So I pulled out
S2: my smartphone and pulled out Google Maps and put in
S2: the address. And it has a feature where you hit
S2: walk and then it starts telling you how to get there.
S2: So on the map, I could see where I was
S2: at because there was a little flashing dot and I
S2: could see the point where we were going. So I
S2: saw where we at the point where we were going,
S2: but in between, I wasn't sure what that would look like.
S2: So I started to follow my GPS, Google Maps, and
S2: it took us through a well. We turned into a
S2: very narrow, long, dark alley that not even a car
S2: would fit through. And my wife said, I'm not going
S2: in there. I'm saying, well, honey, GPS says. So I
S2: convinced her to go through this dark alley. There was
S2: horse manure there. It looked like a scary dark alley.
S2: And I kept telling her, I'm not sure exactly how
S2: we're going to get there, but I know the dot
S2: is just ahead. And finally we arrived. And I think
S2: sometimes biblical prophecy is like that. We know the destination
S2: Donation point and we sort of know where we're at.
S2: But what lies in between is a bit of a
S2: mystery how hard it will be, how narrow the path
S2: will be, how challenging it will be is a bit
S2: of a mystery. And so today we're going to look
S2: at the destination point and look at what Jesus says
S2: about the path to get to that destination point. Matthew
S2: chapter 24 talks about the end times. Now, as I
S2: was studying this, I also discovered that we have a
S2: long history of making predictions about when the end will come.
S2: In fact, if you research it a little bit, you'll
S2: realize that since the days of Jesus, people have been
S2: making predictions about the day, the hour, the month, the year,
S2: and the time. I was really astounded about how many
S2: religious groups over the last 2000 years have made predictions
S2: about the year, the day and the month. And I
S2: could spend a lot of time telling you all of
S2: the religious groups, both Christian and non-Christian, that talk about
S2: the end of the world, the predictions about some catastrophic
S2: event that will end the world Armageddon. And the history
S2: is full of prophetic predictions and false predictions about the
S2: end of the world. For example, in the second century,
S2: a group of people called the Montanists, which were a
S2: kind of a break off of Christianity where there were
S2: a lot of prophets and prophetess. This movement predicted that
S2: Jesus would come sometime during their lifetime and establish the
S2: New Jerusalem in a city called Pepuza in Asia minor.
S2: They said, Jesus is coming in our lifetime and he's
S2: going to establish his kingdom in this area and it
S2: didn't happen. Years later, one of the greatest moments where
S2: hundreds of thousands of people expected the end of the
S2: world in the coming of Jesus was at the turn
S2: of the millennium, at the year 1000. Literally hundreds of
S2: thousands of people in Europe expected that the year 1000
S2: would be the end of the world. In fact, so
S2: many people believed it that then there was such a
S2: fervor that it was the end of the world, that
S2: many people quit their jobs. Many farmers did not farm
S2: because they expected, hey, why am I going to farm
S2: if no one's going to be here to harvest the farm?
S2: In fact, there's a couple of nations. Christianized nations went
S2: to war with some pagan nations for the full purpose
S2: of converting them before the end of the world. The
S2: year 1000 came, the year 1000 left and Jesus had
S2: not come. I read also that there's a few religious
S2: groups that started because of their founders predicted the end
S2: of the world. For example, a fellow by the name
S2: of Joseph Smith who started the Mormon movement in 1835.
S2: He predicted that Jesus would come in 56 years from then.
S2: So all of the followers believed that Jesus would come
S2: in 56 years. Well, 1891 came, 1891 left and Jesus
S2: had not come. Charles Russell, who started the Jehovah Witness movement.
S2: He predicted that in 1914 it would be the end
S2: of the world. Armageddon would come, that everything as we
S2: know it would end. In 1914, hundreds of his followers
S2: left their jobs and went throughout the world going door
S2: to door telling people, get ready, the end of the
S2: world is coming. You only have two years to get
S2: ready because Armageddon is going to happen. That world is
S2: going to end. It's going to be a huge catastrophic event.
S2: The end is here. And 1914 came. People waited, expected
S2: on October the 2nd of 1914. They thought the year
S2: was it was going to end October came, October left
S2: and the world was the same. More recently, one of
S2: the biggest. Well, in 1800s, a man by the name
S2: of William Miller predicted that Christ would return on April 3rd, 1843.
S2: Anybody have their birthday in April the 3rd? No. Oh.
S2: Over here! Yeah. One did all right. Big day in history.
S2: Miller believed that on April the 3rd, 1843, that Jesus
S2: was coming. It would be the end of the world.
S2: He had a half a million followers in the United
S2: States of America that believed what he said. In fact,
S2: some of them, on April the 3rd, went up to
S2: mountains to be, I guess, closer to the heavens, and
S2: waited on the top of mountains. Some went to graveyards
S2: because they believed that their dead would resurrect, and they
S2: wanted to be next to uncle Harry as he came
S2: out of the grave. And so they went to graveyards.
S2: They went to the top of mountains, and they waited
S2: all through the night. This is the day, April the 3rd,
S2: the end of the world. Jesus is coming and it
S2: never happened. I remember just a few years ago, do
S2: you remember a fellow by the name of of Harold Camping,
S2: who on May 21st of 2011, predicted that this would
S2: be the end of the world. He had 5000 billboards
S2: throughout the United States of America and hundreds of his
S2: followers that quit their jobs. He owned a network of
S2: radio radio stations, and he began to predict the end
S2: of the world will come on May 21st. He had
S2: figured it out chronologically through the Bible, and explained that
S2: he had traced it all the all the way back
S2: to the prophecies of Daniel through the New Testament, and
S2: that he was sure that on May 21st, 2011, the
S2: world would come to an end. All his followers were
S2: shown with letter signs holding up. The end is here.
S2: They held it up. They held it up. The day
S2: ended and nothing had happened. Now I want you to
S2: hear me very well. The reason I sometimes avoid this
S2: whole Bible prophecy timeline is because when you begin to
S2: talk about the end times, our natural proclivity is to
S2: ask this question when? When?
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe, and
S1: we're pausing our message on the End Times for just
S1: a moment. We'll return to Mark's message, though. Mark, I'm
S1: looking at an email from a listener named Estelle, and
S1: I won't read the whole email, but it's so encouraging.
S1: Your solid teaching of the gospel and bold steps has
S1: given me a great foundation. Estelle says I turned my
S1: life fully over to God and since have been delivered
S1: from drugs and alcohol. You probably hear this all the
S1: time as a pastor, don't you?
S2: Yeah. You know, it's the power of the gospel that
S2: can take lives and turn them around. And that's part
S2: of our goal at Bold Steps, is we want to
S2: clearly present the Word of God that has the power
S2: to change lives. And, you know, I'm so grateful to
S2: the bold step partners that you help us get the
S2: word out there. And people like Estelle, who are delivered
S2: from drugs and alcohol and says now she owns her
S2: own business and she's a grateful woman of God.
S1: Wonderful. Thank you Estelle. Thank you for your partnership with us.
S1: And when you become a partner with bold steps, the
S1: main benefit, of course, is you get to help with
S1: the cost of producing and distributing bold steps. But there
S1: are some other benefits we've mentioned. For those who give
S1: $30 a month or more, you get the 50% discount
S1: on anything in the Moody Publishers catalog, but you also
S1: will receive a signed copy of Mark's book, unstuck, and
S1: twice a month you'll receive a personal video message from Mark. Because, Mark,
S1: we like to make this radio thing a personal medium.
S2: Yeah we do. That's part of our goal is we
S2: want to keep especially in touch with our partners. We
S2: know that you're sacrificing to give. And so we want
S2: to say a special thank you. And we do it
S2: on a regular basis.
S1: I hope you'll consider and pray about becoming a bold
S1: partner with us. Check it out at Bold steps.org. Now
S1: let's return to today's message. Of course, this much we
S1: know Jesus return is closer today than it was yesterday.
S1: Here's Mark Jobe with this message.
S2: And here's the answer that the Bible gives us. The
S2: Apostle Paul in first Thessalonians chapter five, verse one through
S2: three says, concerning the times and the seasons, as he
S2: talks about the time, brethren, you have no need that
S2: I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly
S2: that the day of the Lord, the end, the day
S2: of the Lord. So comes as a thief in the night.
S2: For when people say peace and safety, then sudden destruction
S2: comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.
S2: What the Bible tells us over and over is that
S2: it's not our job to know the day, the year,
S2: the month, or the time. That that's up to God.
S2: In fact, he tells us that the end will come
S2: as a thief in the night. Think about that for
S2: a second. When's the last time a thief has gone
S2: to burglarize a home and sends a Instagram message ahead
S2: of time saying, by the way, at 1230 tonight, I'm
S2: going to break into your house. Thieves come unexpectedly. We
S2: don't know when they're coming. It's the element of surprise.
S2: That's how thieves come in. And Jesus says that no
S2: one knows the day, the time or the moment. These
S2: are just in the hands and the mind of the father.
S2: So I want you to look up at me. This
S2: is very important. Anytime you hear someone give a date
S2: a year, a decade, a month, a day, an hour,
S2: a time, I want you to be aware of this.
S2: That that person is either a false prophet, or that
S2: person does not know their Bible because it's never, never,
S2: never up to us to predict the time, the day,
S2: the decade, the month. So do not believe it. I
S2: had someone send me a Facebook message in September, because
S2: there was some prediction that the end of the world
S2: was coming, I think September 15th or so. Anybody hear
S2: about that one? Yeah. And this person sent me a
S2: message distraught. They don't come regularly to this church, but
S2: they said I. What am I going to do? How
S2: do I prepare? Help me. I'm distraught over this. I
S2: just messaged him back. Don't quit your job. Well, you
S2: need to do is what you do every day. Hopefully
S2: you get up in the morning. The best way to
S2: be prepared for the coming of Jesus is to prepare
S2: your heart and your soul. Let it be in the
S2: right place so you could die by being hit by
S2: a car. Before the coming of Christ. So be ready
S2: every day. Amen. Alright. So having said that, let's jump
S2: into Matthew chapter 24 and look at what Jesus has
S2: to say about the end of times. Let me begin
S2: reading in verse one of Matthew 24. Jesus left the
S2: temple and was walking away when his disciples came to
S2: him to call his attention to its buildings, the buildings
S2: of the temple. Do you see all these things? Jesus
S2: said to them, truly I tell you, not one stone
S2: here will be left on another. Every one will be
S2: thrown down. Jesus was making a prophetic prediction that this
S2: magnificent temple that all the Jews were in awe over
S2: would be completely destroyed coming soon. That was a prophetic word.
S2: The disciples. It was like a bomb dropped in them.
S2: It was like you showing some visitors around downtown Chicago
S2: and you point to the Sears Tower. I still call
S2: it the Sears Tower. I can't convince myself to call
S2: it the Willis. Anybody else with me here today? Alright, alright.
S2: Just making sure you're with me. To me, it's the Sears,
S2: not the Willis. And walking by the Sears Tower and
S2: someone says, oh, by the way, not a beam of
S2: the Sears Tower will be left one upon it will
S2: be utterly destroyed. You would be aghast at that. You
S2: would think, well, it has to take a nuclear bomb
S2: or some some catastrophic event that will tear down the
S2: Sears Tower. Well, the disciples were shocked that Jesus said
S2: of the temple that it would be destroyed. They walked
S2: for about a mile. Thinking about this, conversing about this,
S2: murmuring about this. And when they got to a private place,
S2: the disciples went to Jesus, who was sitting in the
S2: Mount of Olives. And the disciples came to him privately.
S2: And they said to him, when will this happen? And
S2: what will be the sign of your coming and the
S2: end of the age? Now this is what brings about
S2: the conclusion of this chapter. The reason this is confusing
S2: is that in Matthew chapter 24 and 25, Jesus is
S2: actually answering three questions with one answer. The disciples assumed
S2: that the destruction of the temple would mark the end
S2: of the world, but it was not so. Little did
S2: they know that 40 years after their conversation that the
S2: destruction of the temple would happen. It would not be
S2: the end of the world. It would be the end
S2: of Jerusalem, but not the end of the world. So
S2: Jesus is answering, when will the temple be torn down?
S2: What are the signs of the coming of Jesus? And
S2: when will be the end of the world? You see
S2: those three answers packaged in one passage.
S1: This is bold steps, and Mark will dive into the
S1: four signs of the times on Friday's program, so please
S1: be sure to keep listening. Mark.
S2: You know, Wayne, today's young girls, they're just bombarded with
S2: messages that shape their beliefs, affect their identity. That's why
S2: I'm excited about this Bold Steps gift this month. It's
S2: called Lies Girls Believe by Dana Gresh.
S1: And Dana is with us right now.
S2: Absolutely. Dana, great to have you with us. Uh, tell.
S10: Us a little bit about why you wrote this book.
S11: Oh, well, my friend Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth wrote a book
S11: called Lies, Women Believe. And over a million women read
S11: that book, and it helped them to really identify where
S11: they were in bondage to lies. And that was resulting
S11: in emotions that weren't working, that weren't healthy. That was
S11: one of the telltale signs, as well as sinful behaviors
S11: that they just couldn't stop. And when they identified the lies,
S11: they felt freedom. Well, those women said, these lies started
S11: when I was in my teen years and in my
S11: teen years. So Nancy and I worked together to write
S11: both lies Young Women Believe for teens and then Lies
S11: Girls believe for the 8 to 12 year old girls.
S10: So this is for 8 to 12 year olds specifically,
S10: by the way, I just think this is so, so needed. Yes,
S10: especially in today's culture, where young girls more than ever
S10: are bombarded about identity, lies about who they are, gender
S10: where they fit into the world. What would you say
S10: are the top three lies? I know you have a
S10: list of quite a few lies. Can you identify what
S10: you say are the top say three lies.
S11: God is not enough. If we don't believe that God
S11: is enough, then that dismantles and affects everything else around us.
S11: And one of the ways that shows up is emotions,
S11: which I just addressed. Emotions are one of the telltale
S11: signs that we aren't believing God is who he says
S11: he is, and he will be in our lives who
S11: he says he will be. So we believe God isn't enough.
S11: I need the car, or the house or the job
S11: or whatever. But as as tweens, they tend to really
S11: believe the lie. God isn't enough. I need the friend.
S11: And friends lead you down a road of believing all
S11: kinds of other lies. Peer pressure is either a great
S11: gift in our lives that leads us to Jesus, or
S11: it is a great dismantling of our faith and leads
S11: us away from Jesus to counterfeits. And so I think
S11: that's probably one of the big lies. And you mentioned
S11: identity so many times if if that friend isn't from
S11: a source of biblical truth. A home that's grounded in
S11: biblical truth today, which of us feels good about ourselves?
S11: Our emotions are healthy in our in our middle school
S11: and pre-teen years. None of us. Well, today people are saying, okay,
S11: the reason you don't feel good is because and they're
S11: leading them down these really lethal, dangerous roads of lies
S11: that lead to lots and lots of years of of
S11: struggle and pain.
S1: Well, Dana, we are so happy to partner with you
S1: in getting this book into the hands of our listeners. Lies,
S1: Girls believe and the truth. Can't forget the subtitle Mark
S1: the Truth that Sets Them Free. Dana, thank you so much.
S11: My pleasure. Thanks, guys.
S1: Dana's book is just one of the great tools and
S1: resources we have available to you to help you on
S1: your walk of faith, whatever stage of life you're in.
S1: To request a copy of this important resource for any
S1: girl in your life, send your contribution and request in
S1: the mail to Bold Steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago,
S1: Illinois 606 ten or call us at 800. D.L. Moody.
S1: That's (800) 356-6639. And of course, you can also visit us
S1: online at Bold Steps. Org on our website. Be sure
S1: to share your testimony or even ask Mark a question
S1: you might hear your question addressed on one of our programs. Again,
S1: that's bold steps. Well, that's all the time we have today,
S1: but be sure to join us again tomorrow when we'll
S1: continue this discussion on the End Times for the Book
S1: of Matthew. Mark will address the question, how close are we?
S1: And you won't want to miss it. So be listening.
S1: Friday to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold steps is
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.