AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
MATT. 24:35-39
Intro:
A. The one great central prophecy of the N.T. is the second coming
of Christ in judgement.
B. In this lesson we want to study in detail Matt. 24:35-39 which
reveals facts concerning the Lord's second coming.
Body:
I. FIRST LET US CONSIDER VERSES 35-36
A. There are many other passages which teach that we are not able
to know the exact time of our Lord's coming...
I Thess. 5:1-4 ; II Peter 3:10.
1. Yet we see that Christ was the first to use the comparison
of the thief...Matt. 24:42-44
a. Let us consider just a moment of how the thief comes in
to steal and to destroy.
1) Does He give you a warning?
2) Does he let you know how he is going to commit the
crime?
b. The same is true with Christ's second coming, there will
be no signs and there will be no forewarning.
2. Thus we can see the urgency of being constantly ready for
his second coming...Matt 24:45-51; 25:13.
B. In spite of these very clear scriptures, there are many who
even today and in times passed have speculated on the
eminent time of the second coming of Christ in the near
future.
1. It is very interesting to note that much of the speculation
concerning Christ's second coming is based on this very
same passage....Matt 24.
a. What we need to realize that much that is said in
speculation is based upon a false interpretation of
certain passages.
1) Example...vrs 7. People read this and say that it is
talking of the things that are happening in the world
today.
b. Let us consider just a moment:
1) Yes we hear the rumors of wars.
2) Yes we have had earthquakes in recent days.
3) Yes we have had famines in many places around the
world.
4) BUT !!!!
2. By looking briefly at the context of Matt 24 we need to
stop and read vrs. 1-3.
a. Notice the fact that the disciples have asked a
two part question:
1) When will these things be...example...When will the
temple be thrown down and not one stone left on
another?
2) Christ offered them many signs..vrs 4-31 and
concluded by saying vrs 32-34.
3) The destruction of the temple did occur (in 70 A.D.)
at the hands of the Roman Government.
b. Secondly Christ beginning with vrs 35, changes His words
to answer the second part of he disciples question.
1) Vrs 36, "But of that day...", one needs to ask the
question "What day?...This is the day in which the
heavens and the earth shall pass away.
2) Thus what Christ said was that the temple would be
destroyed within that generation, but regarding His
second coming at the end of the world, no one would
know.
C. Thus, there is no way to know exactly when the Lord will come.
1. It is wrong to speculate, and to teach the COMING of Christ
is near...Col 2:18 b.
2. Only the Father knows of that day and there will be no
signs given to us to show when that will occur. vrs 36.
II. IN THE SECOND PART OF OUR STUDY WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE
SIMILARITIES OF NOW AND IN THE DAYS OF NOAH.
A. This should give us warning sufficient for the time to cause
us to be diligent regarding our preparation and readiness
to meet our LORD.
B. The people in the days of Noah were engaged in sinful
activities....Gen 6:5-8.
1. God's view of such evil and wickedness can be seen in His
destruction of the people...II Peter 2:4-10.
a. If God did not spare any of these who sinned, what
makes us think that he would spare us in our
disobedience to Him today?
C. They were engaged in secular activities.
1. There was a lot of wickedness in Noah's time, but that is
not what Christ mentions in vrs 38.
a. The things that the Lord here mentions are not wrong in
and of themselves.
2. However they were so busy with the details of this life
that they forgot to prepare to meet their God.
a. We who are the called out of God, need to recognize this
problem even in today's society.
b. We get so busy - we have our jobs, our families, and a
host of other things which occupy our time, and
sometimes we fail to PUT GOD FIRST...II Tim 2:4.
3. The exhortation that can be gleaned from this is do not be
so evil as where the people in the days of Noah, neither
be so busy with life that we NEGLECT OUR GOD.
D. There was a lack of spiritual interest in the Days of Noah.
1. This is seen in vrs 39. --"and did not know..." The people
did not know what was about to happen to them. The
implication being that they should have known.
2. The scriptures show us that Noah was a "preacher of
Righteousness"...II Peter 2:5.
a. It took Noah over a hundred years to build the ark,
however during this period of time he continued to
preach.
b. Many times we lose heart of speaking to others yet have
we preached and taught as Noah did?
3. Look at this similarity:
a. Seeing the huge ark, people mocked Noah when he said
God was going to punish the wicked by a flood.
b. In todays time...II Thess 1:6-9 ....will people listen
today? They could know and avoid such a terrible
judgment, but they chose to ignore the scriptures
and the teaching.
E. There was a day of doom.
1. Vrs 39..."and took them all away" There is significance in
the word "all"...Gen 7:17-24 ...not a single person
escaped who was not in the ark.
a. It was certainly a day of doom for the wicked and it
will be a certain day of doom to all those who are
not children of God in the Final day of judgment.
b. We need to realize that only a few were saved...
I Peter 3:20, and only a few will be saved when
the Lord returns a second time. It will certainly
not be the vast majority that will enjoy the
benefits of Heaven...Matt 7:13-14.
2. Paul writes in Rom 14:11 .. that there will be a time
when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.
But it will be too late as was it too late for those in
the days of Noah once the door was shut.
a. There was no doubt that the wicked realized there
inevitable fate once it started to flood, but the
time for begging was gone and it was to late.
b. When Christ returns the second time there will be no
last minute Christians, and there certainly will be
a lot of mourning going on from those who knew and
did not do it.
III. Third, there was a Day of Salvation.
A. The very same event that brought swift destruction to the
wicked also brought salvation to Noah and His family...I Peter
3:20.
1. Noah prepared in the way that God had ordained. If God had
brought destruction by fire and brimstone, Noah and and his
family would have perished, his ark would not have survived.
2. However the point that is being made here is that it did
survive the flood and it was because it was prepared in
accord with God's will.
B. The same is true of the second coming of Christ.
1. It will bring destruction to those who have not heeded the
Word of God, but it will also bring salvation to those
who are eagerly a awaiting His return....II Peter 3:5-7 ;
10-13.
2. The day of the Lord should not be a fearful thing to those
who are prepared...we ought to be anxiously waiting and
looking forward to his coming, because it is the DAY OF
SALVATION.
a. The reason that some are afraid is because they are not
doing as they should be, thinking that they have plenty
of time to do right.
C. This should not be our attitude, but rather our attitude should
be as John the Apostle...Rev 22:20.
1. The apostle John was ready, so was the apostle Paul, that
is the way in which our attitude should be.
Concl:
A. We are not saying that the Lord's coming will be someday soon, nor
are we speculating on the actual date.
B. What I am saying is that we need to be ready whenever that day
might be.
C. Actually, it could come at any time. Look around and notice, death
can step in at any moment. Just look at the newspaper, listen
to the newscast. We have no promise of tomorrow.
D. There is no better time than right now to start to prepare
yourself to meet your God.
E. Why not obey His Gospel and become a child of God!
(Taken from lesson by Bennie John)
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