“Wars and Rumors of Wars: The First Sign of
the End-Time Season
Matthew 24:3-8 Luke 21:28
Zechariah 12:3 Ezekiel 37-38
INTRODUCTION
Family, we are living in a time when the world feels unstable. Nations are rising,
Alliances are shifting, and headlines change by the hour. But Jesus told us long
before any modern crisis that these patterns would appear-not to frighten us, but
to prepare us.
The end times are not a message of fear.
They are a message of clarity, alignment, and readiness.
Today, we begin our series with the first sign Jesus gave:
“Wars and rumors of wars.”
- THE SETTING JESUS SPEAKS FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
Matthew 24:3
Jesus is sitting on the Mount of Olives, the very place prophecy says He will
return to (Zechariah 14). The disciples came to Him privately and asked:
“What will be the sign of Your coming at the end of the age?“
This is not a casual question.
This is a prophetic question.
And Jesus answered it with precision.
He does not hide the future from
His people.
He prepares their hearts for it. - THE FIRST SIGN: “YOU WILL HEAR OF WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS”
Matthew 24:6-7
Jesus says:
“You will hear…”
Not just see-hear.
This fits our age of media, alerts, and constant information.
“Wars…”
Active conflict.
“Rumors of war…”
Threats, tensions, and military
buildups, political posturing, nuclear talk, and alliances forming.
Jesus is describing a climate of global instability
Then he says something shocking:
“See that you are not troubled.”
This is not a suggestion.
It is a command.
Jesus is saying:
“You will see shaking, but shaking must not live inside of you. - “The END IS NOT YET”- WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS
Jesus makes it clear:
Wars are not the end.
Rumors of wars are not the end.
Conflict is not the end.
They are the beginning of birth pains.
Birth pains:
Start suddenly
Increase in intensity
Signal that something is coming
Cannot be stopped once they begin
Jesus chose this image intentionally.
The world is not just collapsing.
The world is contracting toward HIs return. - “NATION AGAINST NATION”- THE DEEPER MEANING
The Greek word for “nation” is ethnos.
This includes:
Ethnic conflict
Racial tension
Cultural hostility
National division
Tribalism
Potarization
Jesus is not describing political wars.
He is describing ethnic and cultural shaking.
When we see division rising, we are watching His words unfold. - ISRAEL: THE PROPHETIC CENTER OF GLOBAL CONFLICT
You cannot teach end-times prophecy without Israel. Israel Is
God’s prophetic time-clock.
1. Jerusalem becomes a global burden
Zechariah 12:3
“Jerusalem will be a heavy stone for all nations.”
This means:
Nations will argue over it
Nations will pressure it
Nations will fight around it
Nations will injure themselves
trying to control it
When the world’s eyes are on Israel, prophecy is speaking.
2. Israel’s rebirth fulfilled prophecy
Ezekiel 38 describes a future coalition rising against Israel.
We are watching alliances form today that mirror this pattern.
Israel is not just another nation. Israel is the prophetic anchor of
end-times. - WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BELIEVERS TODAY
Jesus did not tell us these things to make us anxious.
He told us so we would be:
Spiritually awake
Emotionally steady
Rooted in Scripture
Unafraid of global shaking
Focused on our assignments
He said:
“See that you are not troubled.”
This is not a time to fear.
This is a time for discernment. - THE BELIEVER’S POSTURE: LOOK UP
Luke 21:28
“When these things begin to happen, look up…
for your redemption draws near.”
Not when they are finished-
when they begin.
Loop Up.
Lift your head.
Do not bow to fear.
Do not collapse under anxiety.
Do not drown in headlines.
The world hears “wars and rumors of wars” and says,
“We are doomed.”
The believer hears the same words and says,
“He’s closer.” - APPLICATION: HOW WE LIVEIN THIS SEASON
1. Let Scripture interpret the news
Not the other way around.
2. Guard your heart from fear
Fear is not a fruit of the Spirit.
3. Pray for Israel and the nations
This aligns you with God’s heart.
4. Stay focused on your assignment
The world may shake, but your calling does not.
CONCLUSION
Wars and rumors of wars are not the end. They are
The beginning of the prophetic season, Jesus described.
We are not watching the world fall apart. We are watching
The Word of God comes together.
Lift your heads.
Steady your heart.
Stay in position.
Your redemption is drawing near.
PRAYER
“Wars and Rumors of Wars: The First Sign”
Father,
We thank you for Your Word today.
–
a Word that does not shake us, but steadies us.
A Word that does not frighten us, but prepares us.
A Word that reminds us that You are God
in the middle of every global storm.
Lord, we lift our eyes to You.
You told us that when these things begin to happen,
we should look up,
because our redemption is drawing near.
So today, we refuse fear.
We refuse anxiety.
We refuse confusion.
We choose faith.
We choose clarity.
We choose to stand on what You have spoken.
Father, we pray for the nations.
We pray for leaders, governments, and those in
authority.
Let Your peace interrupt the plans of darkness.
Let Your hand restrain what the enemy
desires to release.
We pray for Israel-
Your covenant people, Your prophetic time-clock,
The nation you have engraved on the palms of
Your hands.
Cover them.
Protect them.
Fulfill every word You have spoken concerning them.
And Lord, we pray for Your Church.
Make us a people who are awake,
a people who are discerning,
a people who are anchored in
Scripture
and unmoved by headlines.
Let us be light in a dark world,
steady in an unstable world,
and faithful in a distracted world.
Father, strengthen every heart in the church.
Where there has been fear, bring peace.
Where there has been confusion- bring hope.
Where there has been distraction-
bring understanding.
Where there has been heaviness, bring hope.
Where there has been distraction, bring focus.
We declare today:
We will not be troubled.
We will not be shaken.
We will not be moved.
Because You are our refuge,
our foundation,
and our soon-coming King.
Seal this Word in us.
Let it bear fruit.
Let it produce endurance, wisdom,
and readiness.
And let our lives reflect the truth
That you are closer now than ever
before.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Rev. Debra Stith
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