Wars and Rumors of wars · Join the Journey

Last summer, our family had the opportunity to go to Mexico for vacation. It had been several years since we traveled out of the country, and if you’ve ever had to get a passport, you know it’s not a quick process. You have to schedule an appointment at the post office, bring all your documents and pictures, pay the fees, and then wait for months to receive your passport.

So, I pulled out our passports from the safe and checked the expiration dates for Suzanne and me. Adult passports are valid for ten years, so we were good until 2027. I assumed Camden’s was the same. It wasn’t. For children under 16, passports are only valid for five years. I didn’t realize it until five days before we were supposed to leave for Mexico.

Man, I was devastated. We had spent months planning this trip, paid for the flights and hotel, and had even packed. And because I failed to check an important detail, I thought we might have to cancel the entire trip. Thankfully, we were able to get an appointment at the Atlanta Passport Office and get it taken care of. But my failure to prepare almost cost us the trip.

As Jesus and His disciples left the temple, He sat with them on the Mount of Olives, reflecting not only on His coming suffering but also on the future destruction of Jerusalem and the beloved temple. He predicted His return and the end of the age, and His message to us is clear: Be ready. Be ready. Be ready! We don’t know when it will happen, but we know it will—so we must be prepared. Jesus Warns About What’s to Come.

Last week, we saw Jesus warning the crowds and His disciples about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. We challenged ourselves to check our hearts, take off the masks of religion, and make sure we are practicing what we preach. We echoed David’s prayer: “Lord, search my heart, know my thoughts, test me, and lead me in Your way.”

While the religious leaders went off to plot Jesus’ death, Jesus’ heart was heavy—not just for His impending suffering but for what lay ahead for Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, and the temple they were walking out of.

If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Matthew 23. If you don’t have one, we have some on the back table—take one as our gift to you. If you are looking for the book of Matthew its on the right side of your bibles, the 1st book of the New Testament.

Matthew 23:37-24:2

Matthew 23:37–24:2

The disciples were riding high on Jesus’ victory over the religious leaders. He had dismantled every attack they threw at Him and denounced them more publicly and harshly than ever before. As they leave the temple courts, they marveled at its grandeur, especially since the renovations were nearly complete. They likely thought, “Jesus is about to take over. It’s happening! Maybe I’ll be His right-hand man.”

Then Jesus drops a bombshell: “Do you see all these things? They will soon be destroyed.”

The disciples must have been shocked. “What do you mean, Jesus? When will this happen? When will the temple be destroyed? What will be the signs of Your return and the end of the age?” To them, these events had to happen all at once—if the temple was destroyed, surely that meant Jesus was returning and the world was ending.

Understanding the Two Prophecies

As Jesus answered their questions, He spoke about two different events. Just like many Old Testament prophecies, He described future events that seemed close together but were actually far apart—like looking at two mountain peaks from a distance.

Jesus described both the destruction of Jerusalem (which happened in 70 AD, about 40 years after this moment) and His second coming, which has yet to take place. Some parts of His prophecy clearly refer to one event, while others remain more mysterious. But for us, looking back at history, we can see how Jesus’ words were fulfilled regarding Jerusalem, and that gives us confidence in His promise about His return.

Let’s read Matthew 24:4-8.

Matthew 24:4–8

Jesus warned His disciples to watch out for deception. Many false messiahs would rise up. And we know from Acts and early church history that this happened—several people claimed to be the Messiah.

In fact, Paul warned the Thessalonians, and John warned in his letters about antichrists—those who deny that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. And just as it was true then, it remains true today. We must be on guard against deception.

Jesus also warned of wars, famines, and earthquakes. Within the lifetime of His disciples, they would witness these things firsthand. Three different Roman emperors would attack Jerusalem, and in 70 AD, the city and temple would be destroyed, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy.

Early Christians took Jesus’ warning seriously. Many fled to the mountains and escaped the destruction. Some believe that Jews who fled hid important scrolls in the Dead Sea caves—what we now call the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947.

But Jesus also speaks about His return. Unlike the destruction of Jerusalem, His second coming will be visible to all. Jesus’ Return Will Be Unmistakable

Let’s read Matthew 24:26-28.

Matthew 24:26–28

Jesus compares His return to lightning flashing across the sky—it will be clear and unmistakable. Some false teachers had convinced the Thessalonians that Jesus had already returned and they had missed it. But Paul reassured them: You won’t miss it. Everyone will know when Jesus returns. Like lighting flashing, or vultures gathering around a carcass.

The other day I came home to a group of vultures perched on our roof. It was an eerie sight. But it didn’t take me long to see the deer that was laying in the ditch. When Jesus returns we wont miss it. It will be visible for everyone to see. There wont be a secret rapture that we have to go to the wilderness to see. Everyone will know. Even through we don’t know when we know Jesus will return.

Let’s read Matthew 24:36.

Matthew 24:36

Jesus says no one knows the day or hour of His return—not the angels, not even Himself, only the Father. So if anyone claims to know, be wary. It will be a surprise to many, just as the flood in Noah’s time caught people off guard.

Noah preached for decades that the flood was coming. But everyone ignored him, and went about their business as usual. So when the rain came they were surprised. So it will be when Jesus returns so we must Be Ready & Stand Firm.

Because we don’t know when Jesus will return, we must be ready at all times. When Suzanne was pregnant with Camden, we knew he was coming—but we didn’t know when. So we packed our bags in advance. Good thing we did, because he arrived a month early!

Likewise, when a thief breaks into a home, they don’t schedule an appointment. “Hey, just letting you know—I’ll be there between 12 and 2 AM to rob you.” No, we prepare anyway. We lock our doors, turn on motion lights, set alarms, and stay ready.

Even though we don’t know when Jesus will return, we must be ready.

So, how do we stay ready?

Stand Firm – Jesus told His disciples that those who stand firm will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Over and over in Scripture, we’re called to stand firm in our faith (Ephesians 6:13-15, 1 Peter 5:8-9, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Philippians 1:27-28).

Matthew 24:13 Ephesians 6:13–15 1 Peter 5:8–9 1 Corinthians 15:58 Philippians 1:27–28

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

We can stand firm by Resisting Pressure at Work

Imagine you work in an environment where cutting corners and dishonesty are the norm. Maybe you’re pressured to fabricate numbers on a report or stay silent about unethical behavior. Standing firm means refusing to compromise your integrity, even when it could cost you a promotion or make you unpopular.

We can stand firm in Tough Times

There are seasons life when things are difficult—sickness, financial struggles, or loss. Standing firm means choosing to trust God, staying connected to His Word, and not walking away when life gets hard. Like Job, who lost everything but still declared, “Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him” (Job 13:15).

Job 13:15

We don’t know when Jesus will return so be ready by standing firm.

Keep Watch

Matthew 24:42

Imagine a military unit deep in enemy territory. At night, they post a guard to watch for danger. If the guard falls asleep, the enemy could strike, and lives would be lost.

Jesus warns us to be spiritually alert because we don’t know when He will return. This means we must be paying attention—not just to the world around us, but to our own spiritual condition.

Keep watch Against Spiritual Drift

It’s easy to become spiritually lazy—we skip prayer, neglect time in the Word, and before we know it, our faith and our love has grown cold. Keeping watch means checking our hearts daily—am I still pursuing Jesus? Am I sensitive to sin? If you’ve ever missed a workout routine only then realized how out of shape you got, you know what spiritual drift feels like.

Keep watch by Avoiding Deception

Jesus warns of false teachers and deception. In today’s world, we have influencers, social media, and even some churches that water down the truth. Keeping watch means knowing Scripture so well that we can recognize lies when we hear them. It’s like a bank teller—how do they learn to spot counterfeit bills? By studying the real thing so closely that the fake is obvious.

Like the Bereans, we must examine God’s Word daily so we can recognize deception when we see it.

We get ready by standing firm, and keeping watch. But Jesus didn’t just tell us to prepare ourselves—He calls us to help others get ready too!

At Journey Church, we exist to help everyone discover their relationship with Jesus.

Leading Your Family Spiritually

If you’re a parent, grandparent, or even an older sibling, helping others be ready starts at home. It’s not just about taking your kids to church—it’s about praying with them, modeling faith, and having conversations about Jesus. It’s about studying scripture with them. If we spend hours training them for sports, school, and success but never prepare them for eternity, we’ve missed the most important thing.

Sharing Your Faith in Everyday Life

Helping others be ready isn’t just for us pastors—it’s for all of us. Maybe you have a coworker going through a tough time, and take the opportunity to share how Jesus has worked in your life. Maybe you invite a neighbor to church or pray for a friend who doesn’t know Jesus. Small moments of faithfulness can change someone’s eternity.

Let’s not only be ready ourselves, but help our families, friends, and neighbors be ready too. Let’s share with them the good news—that Jesus forgives and saves! That even though we don’t know when, we know that Jesus will return and they can be ready.

Jesus tells us what this day will be like

Matthew 24:30-31

Matthew 24:30–31

Jesus is coming back—we don’t know when, but let’s be ready: standing firm, keeping watch, and doing the work He has called us to do!”

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.