John Bevere - MANY Will Be Decieved (A Sign of the End Times)

Watch
Donate

I'm going to open up tonight with a question that the disciples asked Jesus in Matthew chapter 24. They were at the temple and said, "Lord, look at these beautiful buildings! What are going to be some of the things that are going to happen right before you come back?" How many of you believe Jesus is soon to return? Let me see your hands. What they're asking Him is actually relevant to our day because I believe we are very close to the second coming of Jesus.

One of the signs that Jesus points out, which I want to really focus on tonight, is found in verses 10, 11, 12, and 13 of Matthew 24. So let's look at this. Jesus said, "Then many"—everybody say "many"—"will be offended"—everybody say "offended." The Greek word for "many" literally means "majority." I want you to think this through as we read this: "Then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." This is a progression; an offended person will eventually betray, and if betrayal is not dealt with, it will ultimately lead to hatred.

You say, "John, where do you get that from?" Proverbs chapter 18, verse 19, says this: "A brother or sister offended is harder to win than a strong city." In the days of Solomon, who wrote the Book of Proverbs, what did strong cities have around them? Walls. What were the walls built for? Protection. Those walls would keep out those people whom you believed were against you and allow in those people whom you believed were for you. Well, this is exactly what an offended person does: they begin to build walls.

Now, they're not physical walls; they're actually walls that are developed in our soul. The New Testament doesn't call them walls; it calls them strongholds. Second Corinthians chapter 10, verses 3, 4, and 5 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh." How many of you know we are in a battleground, not a playground? He goes on to say, "For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly or carnal, but they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds."

Now, what are those strongholds? He goes on to list them: "Casting down every imagination." A better rendition of that would be "reasoning." "Casting down every reasoning." Point your finger to your head and say "reasoning," and "every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." Point your finger to your head and say "knowledge," and "bringing every thought"—say "thought"—"captive to the obedience of Christ." So what are these strongholds or walls? They are thought processes or reasonings that we develop deep within our soul that are contrary to the word of God.

Now, how many of you know God's nature is to love? In fact, He doesn't have love; He is love. He is the very essence of it, and the love of God always seeks to give, to give, to give. Somebody who has been hurt now says, "I don't want to get hurt again," so they begin to build deep reasonings, protection mechanisms in their thoughts that protect them. Thus, their focus shifts from "give, give" to "protect, protect, protect." Now that makes us perfect candidates for betrayal. A lot of Christians do not understand what betrayal is. When they hear the word "betrayal," they go to the extreme case, like Judas. Betrayal is simply this: when I seek my benefit or protection at the expense of my relationship with someone.

If I'm offended, I'm hurt, and now my thoughts are to protect. If push comes to shove, I will protect myself even at the expense of someone I have a relationship with. Betrayal is an ultimate abandonment of a relationship, and if it is not dealt with, it will ultimately lead to hatred. Now, a lot of people don't understand hatred; they associate hatred with anger and harsh feelings. No, there can be no anger at all. The Bible says that Absalom hated Amnon; therefore, he neither spoke good nor evil to him.

The word "hate" in the Greek literally means this: "loveless." It is a vacuum void of any kind of love, so there can be no emotions attached to it. What Jesus is saying in these last days is that the majority will be offended. The offenses will lead to betrayals, and the betrayals will lead to hatred. Then He says in verse 11, "And then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many." Everybody say "many." Who are the many that these false prophets are going to deceive? The many that are offended. That tells me something right there: Jesus is showing us that an offended heart is the breeding ground of deception.