INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE & THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL
We trust today’s message encourages and guides you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or can be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE & THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL
Main Scripture: Matthew 24:7-8, 12-14; Daniel 12:1-4, 9-10
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week, consider reading the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary: We want to be a people who are aware of the end times. We don’t want to be scared or panic, but instead we want to intelligently review what is to come as we await the Lord’s return. Today, as we continue this series, let’s look at the increase of knowledge and the spread of technology in the last days.
In an article entitled, “Increase of Knowledge and Lack of Wisdom in the Last Days,” Steve Wahlberg comments on Daniel 12:
“As the eyes of men, women, and children dart back and forth over the words of God that have previously been locked up and sealed, something wonderful happens – ‘knowledge shall increase.’ The reason knowledge increases is because in ‘the time of the end,’ increasing numbers of humans will have the unprecedented opportunity – previously unavailable to former generations – to read for themselves and to understand the words of God.”
And why not: We have heard it said that the devil will try harder because he is in the 2-minute warning and knows that his time of the end is near.
But what about God – He knows more than everyone that the time is short to influence His creation back to Him. His tremendous love and compassion plus His urgency to get the word out equals many coming to Him.
Steve Wahlberg, “When Daniel 12:4 and Daniel 12:9-10 are knit together, it becomes clear that God’s ultimate plan is that in the time of the end, when knowledge of His words shall increase, such knowledge shall draw, impress, convict, cleanse, and purify human hearts from sin, selfishness, and falsehood. ‘Many shall be purified, made white, and refined,’ said the angel. Yet sadly, because multitudes today are so mesmerized by Hollywood lights, hi-tech gadgets, and life’s insane busyness, they are missing life’s true purpose, blessings, and opportunities.”
And look at what’s happening: God is using technology to get the word out
One article states these statistics:
YouVersion, a top downloaded bible app for mobile devices, has over 100 million total downloads and counting. It’s also been one of the top 100 free apps for three consecutive years.
More than 66,000 people are using a Bible app at any given second.
Seventy-seven percent say that they read the Bible more frequently because they have it available on a mobile device.
Two-thirds of people prefer Bible apps because it gives them access to multiple versions of the Bible without the added cost.
Remember, for the vast bulk of human history, very few people had access to, had ever looked upon, or were privileged to own and read a copy of the Bible. But everything has changed.
Just take your smartphone and download a Bible app. It’s free. Or download other apps, such as Bible Hub, which gives you instant access to many translations, Strong’s Concordance, Hebrew and Greek definitions, and Bible commentaries. While most humans don’t realize it, this simple fact is a key biblical sign that we have entered the time of the end.
https://www.destinyimage.com/blog/steve-wohlberg-an-increase-of-knowlege-in-the-last-days
But why do we need a move of God?
We mess it up all by ourselves – we can’t save ourselves. We ignore God and use our own wisdom. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world consulted God when we need answers?
Let’s look at what got us here!
Genesis 3:6, NIV
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
Note the independence from God and a reliance on their own wisdom.
Genesis 11:4, NIV
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Once again, they gained independence from God and reliance on themselves.
BUT God confused them and split them into nations. God NEVER gave up!
He picked Abram as the beginning of the nation God would use to spread His love and purpose to the world. But we STILL rely on our own wisdom and understanding.
WISDOM:
1 Corinthians 2:10-14, NIV
1 Corinthians 1:18-25, NIV
1 Corinthians 1:27-29, NIV
It’s as if we are building our own technological tower of Babel. We do not acknowledge God. We do things our own way. We understand things through our own minds.
The danger: We are building our knowledge base apart from God. Our limited wisdom and mindsets are quickly becoming what we rely on. And everything we are learning and the technology that we are developing is exploding every single day.
Tim Sandle wrote this is 2018:
“Until the year 1900, human knowledge approximately doubled every century. However, by 1950, human knowledge doubled every 25 years. In 2000, human knowledge would double every year. NOW, our knowledge is almost doubling every day.”
The changes in the last 50-60 years
Communication – Rotary phone to smartphones
Information – Encyclopedia/library to Internet/Google
Connectivity – In person to Facebook, social media, Zoom
Music – Records/Radio to iPod, smartphones, iTunes, Spotify/Pandora
Money – Cash/Checks to chip cards, digital banking
Shopping – Cash or Check at local store to online shopping and home delivery
Travel – Maps/atlas to GPS devices, Google Maps; cash tolls and EZ Pass
Education – Math by hand to calculators; writing by hand to word processors; talk to text
Medicine – Visit with doctor to TeleDoc
As we look at Satan’s hatred for all things God and man’s continual independence from God, one explosive key insight emerges:
God uses Satan’s hatred and man’s independence from God brilliantly in His future plans.
God allowed Satan to destroy himself by allowing Christ to be crucified.
God will allow man and Satan again to do what it will take to fulfill the antichrist’s agenda and power but will eventually lead to Satan’s demise.
Everything God allows does not make sense to us, but it is for our ultimate good for eternity.
Let’s look at how this will fit together for the last days
Revelation 12:7-9, NIV
”Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
Revelation 13:2b
The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. Beast is the antichrist.
Revelation 13:3-4, 5-8, 11-12, 15-17 NIV
Question: Does the technology we are developing today lead us into the last days with the antichrist taking center stage?
Craig Parshall, Special Counsel to the ACLJ (American Center for Law & Justice) and co-author with Tim LaHaye
“Google advertises that its “cloud platform” for data storage and retrieval can handle some 4 trillion message transactions per month. The Knowledge Society has also tabulated some startling facts about the meteoric rise of big data. In 1986, the growth rate of data storage was 23 percent per year. By 1996, it had increased 800 percent, and by 2004, data storage was up by 4,100 percent. The report cites Google’s former Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, who said in 2010 the total of all documented information between “the dawn of civilization” through 2003 equaled about 5 exabytes of data—roughly the amount of data being created and stored every two days today.
Meanwhile, tech giants like Qualcomm and Cisco are trying to create a universal global standard (a “language”) to enable all digital devices to “talk” to each other. Such a project has the potential to link together an ocean of digital objects across the globe, such as automatic garage doors in homes, heating and air conditioning thermostats, lawn sprinklers, baby monitors, video games, personal vehicles and taxicabs, central offices’ building controls, restaurants and retail stores, as well as televisions, radios, cellphones, computers, and—of course—millions of security cameras around the world.” (July, 2014)
Microchips – Thousands of microchips have been implanted in people worldwide for doing tasks as simple as swiping the password on their workplace technology or entering a sporting arena without tickets. They can carry bank account information, passwords, and other data to make life more convenient.
Between now and 2025, forecasters project $15 trillion will be spent to develop ways to connect things to the internet so they can be monitored and controlled.
Today, more than 50,000 people have elected to have a subdermal chip surgically inserted between the thumb and index finger to serve as their new swipe key, or credit card. In Germany, for example, more that 2000 people have opted to receive these implants. More than 4,000 Swedes have replaced keycards for chip implants to use for gym access, e-tickets on railway travel, and to store emergency contact information.
Cruise Medallions technologically track everything, including location, while on a cruise.
Another kind of tattoo is already in production to be both a mark and a gateway to the market place, such as the DuoSkin tattoo.
And why not – Business Insider states that 12% of Americans are already wearing technology, such as wristbands to monitor their heart rate and other medical issues.
Business Insider also reports a kind of technology called the “Internet of Things” (IOT) where anything can transmit data and/or be controlled through the internet. They say that it is forecasted that by the year 2025 there will be more than 55 billion IOT devices placed on and in things like cars, appliances, clothes, and most importantly, people to make life “easier” and “more efficient.”
A Google executive said that obtaining data is the key. It will be used to modify individual behavior as we head into a cashless society. He said people are “unaware that they are being controlled today by technology.”
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/end-time-technology-deceived/
More evidence
One source reports that 9 out of 10 millennials use digital payment options for 90% of their transactions. Forty to forty-eight percent of all transactions in America right now are digital transactions.
SpaceX is manufacturing 120 Starlink internet satellites per month. Basically, the goal is to make a global internet that is accessible literally everywhere on the globe.
CBS New, July 20, 2023
One scan does it all. It’s a free, contactless service that lets you swipe your palm to pay, enter, or identify yourself. By the end of 2023, all 500+ Whole Food Market locations in the US will offer Amazon One for payment. Use your palm print and selfie to verify your age when buying alcohol with the first use at Coors Field in Colorado.
Technology is already available at 200 locations across 20 US states, including Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Mississippi. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-one-palm-signatures-cashless-technology-whole-foods/
Fox News Reported that “Older Americans lost $1.1 billion to fraud in 2022, according to the annual Senate Committee on Aging report released in November 2023, and most of the scams utilized AI technology to clone the voices of people they knew and other AI-generated ploys.
The top 10 categories of scams reported in the fraud book were financial impersonation and fraud, robocalls, computer scams, catfishing on dating profiles, identity theft and others. The most prominent scams used AI technology to mimic people’s voices who then make calls to the victims, family members, or loved ones, asking for money. Several testimonies from witnesses in the hearing said they received calls that sounded exactly like their loved one was in danger, was injured, or was being held hostage.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scams-targeting-older-americans-most-using-ai-caused-1-billion-losses-2022
Takeaways For the Church:
Stay connected to your anchor – Christ and the church
For spiritual guidance, being grounded together, and fellowshipping in safety. Continue to meet together as a church. Stay alert, and don’t panic.Employ our critical thinking and discernment skills
Don’t listen to everything you hear. Think for yourself using the Bible as your guide. Don’t follow the crowds and watch what influences you.Know Your Word
It is used to feed us God’s truth and to combat the enemy’s deception. Be aware of end-time signs, but stay grounded.Know who you are as a believer.
While the world has a different definition, we are God’s creation first and foremost. Believe God versus the messages of social media and social pressure. Live and devote yourself to God, embracing His safety because He protects His people.
Final Thought:
Are we ready as a church to take in and disciple the great revival coming?
Discussion:
When reviewing the story of Eve and the Tower of Babel, how does society reflect these stories?
How might you rely on your wisdom in leading your life versus relying on God’s word?
How can we be alert to the signs of the times without panicking?
Describe why being connected to the body of Christ, the church would be to our advantage in the end times.
How can we grow in our relationship with Christ and awareness of the Holy Spirit’s voice to be discerning?
What did God use in this sermon to speak to your heart or situation?
What other notes did you highlight or write down that you would like to share?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed? We encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer, and when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!
