Matthew 24:9-14
On September 11, 2001, we asked, “Why?” On that day, Americans stared into the eyes of evil as we watched those planes hit the World Trade Center. We were horrified as we saw people falling from the sky and then watched as the towers collapsed. We were shocked at the realization as we found out that the plane crashed in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. We saw the multiplication of wickedness, and we asked the question: Why? Why would this happen? On that day, our innocence was taken away.
We grappled with the question of why, but our minds could not understand the evil that we just witnessed. Even 25 years later, those same questions are still present in our minds. Those emotions still bubble up. We try to reason about what we saw that day. We come up with scenarios or theories of what would bring someone to do that wickedness. Some were angry and wanted revenge; others wanted justice; others were sad; others were fearful; others did not know how to deal with it, so we come up with conspiracy theories or scenarios to reason with ourselves that it was planned or faked because the reality is too hurtful to bear.
Evil does exist, and it wants to steal, kill, and destroy everything in its path. That evil does exist, and no amount of education, psychology, or medicine will fix it. It does not care what means, as long as it steals, kills, and destroys anything that stands in the way. In our society, we have taken evil and prettied it up into Hollywood movies, but the reality is much, much worse. Evil grips a culture like a python and will squeeze at every resistance until it has accomplished what it wants – death. This evil will restrict and choke a culture, but the problem is the people won’t know it is being squeezed until it is too late and the culture and society are too far gone.
Look at the last 25 years: we have had multiple assassinations or attempted assassinations; we have increased our killing of the unborn, increased violence, increased murders, shootings, and stabbing; in the last few days, we have heard of mothers and fathers killing their children. Wickedness does not stop at violence; look at the love of power and money. Companies are more worried about making money than they are about the people. Take a look at what they put in our food. Hospitals are putting money above health. Companies and hospitals put money above the needs and health of the people. Health insurance puts money above the health of people. We are told it is between you and your doctor, but in reality it is the insurance that dictates what they cover and what type of health care you receive after you have paid your monthly statement and premium. Time fails me to mention politics. No matter which side of the aisle, the goal of either side is power and money. They will stop at nothing to gain honor, prestige, power, and money. Look around you; we are being squeezed by the evil and wickedness of a force that we have no power over. Our human minds will not defeat it; education will not defeat it; medicine will not solve its problem.
Let’s look at our churches in the West. Unfortunately, this wickedness has gripped the Western church. Our churches have traded biblical Christianity for a shallow shell of what it should be. We have traded the true love of God and people for the love of buildings, money, and a watered-down god and religion. We have turned our churches into a den of thieves that is full of coffee shops, light shows, concerts, and people that should not be on the platform, a gospel that is distorted and false to serve a false god. The teachers or preachers that teach or preach this distorted and false gospel are blind guides! They traverse land and sea to win a single convert; when they become one, they make twice a son of hell as they are. Woe to us (Matt 23:15).
We have become what Paul said in 2 Timothy: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
We have cast our precious pearl, the pearl of great price, and we have either dug a hole and buried it as the servant did in the parable of talents, or we have cast it to the world, and they have trampled it underfoot. This is the definition of taking the Lord’s name in vain! We have taken the gospel and reduced it so much that men will not tolerate the true gospel, but with itching ears will gather around teachers to suit their own desires. They will search out falsehoods and myths as they turn from the truth. We have blasphemed the name of the Lord among the nations! Woe unto us! Oh, let the mountains fall on us and hide us from the one seated on the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb! We have taken His house and made it into a house of idols and false gods. There will be no hiding from the wrath of the Lamb. We are naked without protection from His wrath over the wickedness we have allowed.
We have many in the church that have the same mindset as Jonah. When we think of Jonah, we always think of the great fish that swallowed him, but let’s look a little closer, and we may see ourselves in him. We know the events that took place. The Lord called him to preach against the great city of Nineveh, but he ran in the opposite direction. He was cast into the sea and was swallowed by a great fish. He was spit out after three days, and he went to Nineveh, and he preached against it. But hallelujah, they repented! The Lord relented from the disaster He was about to bring upon them. But Jonah waited outside the city to get a front-row seat to God destroying the city. But the Lord did not destroy it-he spared the city.
What was Jonah’s response to the Lord turning from his judgment against the people of Nineveh? Anger. Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to be punished. He wanted judgment on them. I think Jonah loved the Lord, but somewhere along the path Jonah’s love grew cold. He lost the love of people. The story of Jonah ends abruptly, but I think the reason for that is that we have to answer the question that the Lord was teaching Jonah and us: are we going to love people, or has our love grown cold? We have allowed our flame, a flame of love, to dim because of all the wickedness we see in the world and the church.
Did Jesus not command us to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you?” Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:43-48). Did you notice that Jesus said, “so that you may be sons [daughters] of your Father who is in Heaven?” If you want to be a son or daughter of the Lord, you must love your enemies and pray for them.
Jesus said in the last days wickedness will multiply, and the love of many will grow cold, but the one that endures, or the one that perseveres to the end, will be saved. Many will fall away and betray and hate one another because of all the wickedness in the world and the church, but the one who does not allow their love of people or their love of the Lord to grow cold to the end will be saved.
“For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God” 1 Peter 4:17
“Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray. Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without complaining.” 1 Peter 4:7-9
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