Seeing the Future

If you could know the future about any person in your life, would you want to know?  Perhaps your first thought is, "Yes!"  But then when you find out the big events that are in store for that person, both good and bad, you may have second thoughts.

It would be good to know something about the future to help guide you in the present.  At the same time, too much information about the future might be unhealthy.  You could decide you do not want to face the future and just "check-out" of life.

Well, someone once said, "The future ain't what it used to be."  The grammar may not be correct but the idea certainly has merit.  The future is determined somewhat by the choices we make today.

Is the future simply fate -- history written in advance -- or is it the random unfolding of events created by our choices?  Or is it something else?

Jesus made a bold statement about the future and His disciples were understandably curious:

As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" ”Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." (Mark 13:1-2, NIV)

This was a huge prophecy by Jesus.  It was unthinkable in the first century that the colossal Temple of Herod would be totally destroyed.  

Imagine telling someone in Hiroshima, Japan, on August 5th, 1945 that the city would be vaporized the next day.  The citizens there numbered around 340,000 at the time.  Probably no one would have believed you.  But on August 6th, the United States dropped the first nuclear weapon ever used in wartime and the city was in fact obliterated.

So the disciples were amazed that Jesus predicted the massive temple would ever be destroyed.  Yet in 70 A.D. the Temple was indeed destroyed by the incoming Roman army. No stone was left unturned as a testimony to the utter power of Caesar's army.  Only the western wall was left to show the depth of their destruction.

Jesus went on to unfold events in the future - not the complete picture but major highlights.  We will examine these events and our response to the revelation of the future given by the LORD Jesus.  Note there are two other passages in the Bible where this teaching is found: Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

Main Point:

As the LORD Jesus unfolds the future events leading to His return to Earth, we must be on our guard and be alert to the deceptions and treachery all believers will face.

Outline:

1. Compelling questions about the future.
2. Catastrophic answers about the future.
3. Critical advice for the present.

Look at the Compelling Questions.