#Eschatologymatters

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Happy Palm Sunday, it's a big day Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey before We call

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Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. It's significant Here's the king of the world the king of kings

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Lord of lords the one who rules Everything the one that God says to the kings of the earth to obey or they'll perish

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Here's the one who's going to bring all the families of the earth to return to worship God. That was the promise

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This is the one who would have dominion from sea to sea from the river to the ends of the earth as Psalm 72 says

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This is the one of whom it is said sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet and here's the king of the world

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Not coming in on a horse Now typically when kings or leaders would come riding on a horse

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They were coming to conquer they were coming to destroy their enemies That was warfare coming on a horse was a symbol of warfare as a matter of fact if you look at Jesus in the book of Revelation Not revelations in the book of Revelation Jesus comes riding on a what a what a horse and He comes in a different kind of way than he did the first time

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Jesus comes riding on a horse and he comes riding on a horse and it's shown that he's trampling the enemies of God And so you see the picture there the symbolism their

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Bible is big on symbols and signs and these different things Is that Jesus coming in in Revelation as the conquering victorious king?

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He's coming to bring the earth and all of God's enemies under his rule. That's what Jesus is doing

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He did it with you if you know him if you're in Christ He's defeated an enemy

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We were enemies of God and Jesus is like that. But when Jesus comes and is presented to Israel Before he is crucified before he raises from the dead.

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Isn't it amazing that the king of the world comes riding on a donkey and the reason for that is

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Zechariah 9 9 through 10 is the prophecy that Israel's Messiah would come to them riding on a donkey.

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I'll read it to you Zechariah 9 verse 9 rejoice Greatly Oh daughter of Zion Shout aloud

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Oh daughter of Jerusalem behold your king is coming to you

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Righteous and having salvation is he? Humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt the full of a donkey

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Here's the king of the world coming in on a donkey, which is a symbol of not warfare but peace

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He's coming with peace to bring peace among the nations That's what the

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Bible says. I say in 9 9 through 6 the child is born. His son is given He is wonderful counselor

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El Gabor the mighty God the father of eternity of the increase of his government

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That's his kingdom what he rules and of peace there will be no end

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That's the promise. They knew the king was coming They knew he was coming to bring his rule and salvation and his victory in the world

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They didn't quite know how that was gonna pan out They knew Jews and Gentiles were coming together now and into one kingdom didn't fully understand it and I hear ups

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Jesus He's healing sick people. He's raising the dead. He's showing these signs and these wonders.

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He's walking on water he's forgiving sins, which only God can do and before he goes

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To where he said he was going to Jerusalem to be crucified To be killed and then to rise from the dead.

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He comes now riding into Jerusalem and they're yelling out what? Hosanna Hosanna because for them this is that moment.

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This is the anticipation. This is not a novelty They knew this was the time of the Messiah.

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They understood that they could read they could count Daniel chapter 9 during the

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Babylonian captivity the Prophet Daniel long before Jesus came gets this Description of what to expect from a very reliable source the angel

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Gabriel Gabriel tells them how long it's gonna be and so Messiah comes he tells them what's gonna take place

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You might touch that a little bit today and they can count they knew okay There's a decree that's made to restore and rebuild

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Jerusalem. That's back in Daniel's time around there They knew that they can count down the days until Messiah lands

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And so they knew it was there because this is the time of the Messiah That's why so many false Christ false messiahs are popping up because everyone's trying to take credit like I'm the

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Messiah I'm the one this is the time they knew he was alive and well They knew he was around and they understood that now the story has come to fulfillment

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Hosanna. Here's the Messiah. They couldn't have possibly Understood the significance of that moment and they couldn't have possibly understood how

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God was actually gonna accomplish salvation in all the earth He was gonna die for the sins of his people and he was gonna conquer that death.

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That's what they had It's a big deal to be there on that day Palm Sunday Hosanna Finally, here's the king coming to bring peace, which is what

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God does first It's Palm Sunday, so I have to talk about it first.

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He brings peace between me and him Between you and him peace first happens between us and God and that's only through Jesus Christ That's the only way anybody will ever experience peace with God is with the work that Jesus has accomplished on the cross in his resurrection

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First peace with God and then as people experience peace with God we start experiencing peace among men

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Peace here first and then peace there and Here he comes on a donkey the king of the world

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God himself riding on a lowly Creature, that's the kind of God we serve. That's the kind of King we serve.

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We don't destroy people with military might That's not how you bring peace The world experiences peace because they experience at first with him and that's through Jesus who is the prince of what?

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Peace the God of peace the prince of peace. It's powerful go to your

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Bibles Matthew chapter 10 Matthew chapter 10 is the text we're in right now, and I just want to tell you how excited

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I am about it What we're gonna touch on today provides a foundation for so much of what you are gonna see in their

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New Testament I'm gonna go through many of those passages today Just reading some verses and I hope that through what you learn today in reading this particular text you are transformed and You are able to understand so much of what is typically difficult to understand in a

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New Testament I think because of bad eschatologies and at the same time I hope more than anything you begin to see just how glorious a

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Savior Jesus is and How much of a promise -keeping God? God is he keeps his promises.

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That's what you ought to learn from today So here I'm gonna read through the entire text and we're gonna unpack some significant parts.

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I would love to spend weeks on each verse But I also want us to remain a church and to have people who want to be here.

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So We're gonna do it a big chunk. Okay, so Matthew chapter 10 verse 1 here now the words of the

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Living God And he called to him his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits

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To cast them out and to heal every disease and every affliction The names of the 12

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Apostles are these first Simon who was called Peter and Andrew his brother James the son of Zebedee and John his brother

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Philip and Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew the tax collector James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddeus Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him these twelve

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Jesus sent out instructing them go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of Samarit of the

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Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and Proclaim to as you go saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand heal the sick

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Raise the dead cleanse the lepers cast out demons you received without paying

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Give without pay acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts no bag for your journey or two tunics or sandals or a staff for the laborer deserves his food and Whatever town or village you enter

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Find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart as you enter the house greet it

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And if the house is worthy let your peace come upon it But if it is not worthy let your peace return to you if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words

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Shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town Truly I say to you

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It will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town

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Behold, I'm sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves

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Beware of men for they would deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues You'd be dragged before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness before them and the

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Gentiles When they deliver you over do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you to say For what you were to say will be given to you in that hour

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For it is not you who speak but the spirit of your father speaking through you Brother will deliver brother over to death and the father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death

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You'll be hated by all for my namesake But the one who endures to the end will be saved when they persecute you in one town

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Flee to the next for truly I say to you you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel Before the

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Son of Man comes as far as the reading of God's Word. Let's pray Father I pray

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God that you would bless today bless this message bless our understanding of your word Get me out of the way

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God. I pray with all my heart that I would be faithful as a minister Faithful as a shepherd

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Speak through me to your people teach them God equip them help them to understand your word illuminate it by your spirit

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God, I pray that this would cause us to love Jesus more And that you would empower us because of it to go into the world and to tell people the good news

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Bless our families Lord as we sit here under the hearing of your word Bless this church grow us in you

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May I decrease Christ increase in Jesus name. Amen So there's the text

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Obviously, it's powerful and often misunderstood as a matter of fact.

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I've seen Jehovah's Witnesses with my own eyes Walk away from my house and as they walk away from my house, they're doing this

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Shaking the dust off their feet I've actually heard Christians say much of the same thing when

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Jesus commands you to shake the dust off your feet I'm like well He also told you Not to take a staff and not to bring any food with you and none of those things and so make sure when you're out

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On your mission, you don't bring your wallet. You don't do any of that stuff like right you take it all in guys, right?

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So much about this text is often understood and so much is actually used against the faith

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By skeptics and critics of the faith as a matter of fact even by Christians This particular text and texts like it are used to actually say that Jesus Christ was a false prophet

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Eschatology is so important Eschatology comes from really two Greek words

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Eschatos and logos and it has to do with the study of last things so eschatology has to do with a study of the last things and Eschatology is vitally important to get right because if you come to the

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Bible with a bad eschatology You might actually create a cult For example the

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Church of Jesus Christ of what? Latter -day Saints How important is eschatology a little importance?

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We have a group in Salt Lake that was started on the basis of bad eschatology

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Think about it Joseph Smith claims in his generation that they would not all die

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Before Jesus Christ came back in glory and and destroyed all the wicked with his coming

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He actually laid hands and prophesied upon a man named Lyman white This is in history of the church and when

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Lyman white had hands laid on him He stood up and he prophesied that there were some there in the congregation That would live until Jesus Christ came with the brightness of his coming and destroyed all the wicked with his coming

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Joseph Smith claimed that there were people in his generation that wouldn't die before a temple was built in Jackson County, Missouri uh

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Which he believed was the garden of eden and uh

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That they wouldn't all die before the temple was built there And he also taught that some of that generation wouldn't die before the son of man actually returned

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In his second coming for the final judgment and all those things eschatology matters you get it wrong and you destroy people's souls that's how important it is the church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day saints of last day saints

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They believed they were living in the last days of human history and that they they were the last generation actually of human history eschatology is important Hashtag eschatology matters

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There's another one jehovah's witnesses the the watchtower bible and tract society is a as another

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Apocalyptic cult that was started in the 19th century at the end of the 19th century Charles tayes russell followed by judge rutherford these this was the dawn bible student society or association

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Whatever the original name was but these were people that actually said they were living in the last days of human history

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Jesus was returning as a matter of fact, they made many prophecies that jesus was going to return 1914 jesus is going to return in all his glory were in the last days

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Well, jesus didn't show up on time and so what they did is they spiritualized the coming the final coming of jesus and they

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Displayed through the next century all the times they would get it wrong They kept prophesying eschatology matters.

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David koresh in waco, texas He used as the foundation of his cult the book of revelation and he actually said that he was ultimately christ returned in the flesh

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Eschatology matters a lot If you get it wrong, it disrupts your ability to understand the narrative of the entire bible

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If you get it wrong, it makes it difficult to actually read particular texts in a new testament and makes any sense of them

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But another example of how it's used When it's understood wrongly, there's actually a famous, uh moment in the movie collision with christopher hitchenss and my friend douglas wilson

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If you haven't seen the movie yet, by the way, make sure you see that movie. It's fantastic Darren done Directed and produced that but you've got douglas wilson pastor wilson and christopher hitchens

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My favorite atheist in history actually and they're going on a debate tour and the name of the debate is this is christianity good for the world

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And they did some debates in uh christian, uh publication and they wrote a book together So now they're on the book tour and they're debating it king's college and westminster seminary at a pub in washington dc

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It's really good and at one point in the debate at westminster Christopher hitchens is losing

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He's losing a lot When someone stands in the word of god as consistently as douglas wilson does in a debate you have a hard time

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And so he's losing and so he uses what I know from hitchens is one of his chestnut arguments

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This is his favorite thing to pull on christians If he's having a hard time with christians, he would always go back to this chestnut argument

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He would go back to the fact that jesus christ clearly didn't know the timing of his own coming Why because the new testament clearly teaches that jesus christ is going to return in that generation

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And here's the thing he's right but if we have bad eschatology

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We will try to get out of those texts that actually say jesus is coming before they all die in judgment

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We'll try to push those texts into the future making jesus look like a false prophet

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So he's having a hard time with wilson so he goes at it He brings up a text and says see jesus clearly didn't know the timing of his own coming

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Now how many christians would handle that today would have taken 10 minutes and it wouldn't have made a lot of sense

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Douglas wilson took him down in about 60 seconds By acknowledging. Yeah, jesus did say that and it happened exactly as he said and hitchens had no idea what to do

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Nothing Wilson said i'll take that. Thank you, and it was gone Eschatology matters.

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Let me tell you, uh, let me give you a quote from a famous christian author cs lewis famous christian author correct in his

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In his work worlds last night and other essays in 1960 This is cs lewis chronicles inarnia screw tape letters all those

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He says the first christians have been proved to be false It is clear from the new testament.

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They all expected the second coming in their own lifetime And worse still they had a reason

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And one which you will find very embarrassing their master had told them So he shared and indeed created their delusion

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He said in so many words this generation shall not pass till all these things be done and he was wrong

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He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else Who is that?

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cs lewis Hashtag eschatology matters

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Let me say this right now according to the biblical standards deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 20 through 22

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If you have a false prophecy, what does that make you? A false prophet and the fact of the matter is if jesus christ is to be the messiah

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If he is actually the one god promised us, then he must have perfect prophetic fulfillment And in fact if jesus did have false prophecies, it doesn't do us any good as christians to say.

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Well, we'll give him a pass If jesus had false prophecies he according to god's own standards is a what?

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False prophet god forbid may it never be it's not true The problem is as we go to text often and we have traditions

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We're all impacted by traditions that doesn't do any good to pretend like we're not impacted by our own traditions

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All of us have sat in our bible teachers as christians. All of us have read christian books

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All of us have particular churches that we were a part of all of us have particular huddles that we're a part of And we all have particular ways that we've understood things.

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We all come to every single discussion with baggage It's not a question of whether we have traditions all of us have them and dr

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White says and I think it's fantastic the person who says they have no traditions is the one who has plagued at the most of them means you're not looking

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And so we ought to do is go to the text of god's word and we want to ask this question. What does god say?

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Not what do I believe? What have I understood? But what does god say? I would submit this to you if we go to the text of god's word and we're having a hard time

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It sounds like gibberish to us We need to begin to look at our presuppositions and how we're actually approaching the text

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Why am I having a hard time with this text? Why can't I let it speak for itself?

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How come i'm not understanding it? We need to check our traditions. We need to be looking through our baggage understanding how we're thinking about the text

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Am I reading something into the text that's not actually there? Am I letting the text speak for itself?

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Am I reading this text in light of what god says in all of his word?

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Because i'll tell you this God does not change and god is not the author of confusion

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If texts in the bible seem to be confusing in terms of contradicting one another

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It is not the text that's contradictory. It's my confusion added to the text

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So we need to let the word of god speak. Amen That's the foundation now before we go to matthew 10

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I want to give you guys some stuff to meditate on and to understand before we can go forward in matthew 10

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We need to go backward a bit and understand the context of what they expected What did god say was going to take place and to do that?

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To get to matthew 10 and understand the significance of this moment We need to actually do a little digging around in the past So do that with me get your fingers ready and go to malachi.

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That's the last It's not far away. Actually. It's the last book of the old testament You just have to flip a couple of pages to get there go to malachi chapter 3

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Malachi chapter 3 to understand the context malachi chapter 3 this was

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Put into our modern bibles as the last book of the old testament revelation And you have a little space between there.

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We call it the intertestamental period. That's where we're waiting for jesus to come that revelation is finished

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Here's malachi chapter 3. This is what they understood behold I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me

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And the lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple And the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold.

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He is coming says the lord of hosts now pause For a moment now put one finger there

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If you're using your electronic devices might be a little more difficult, which means that's why you need to use paper y 'all Okay, one finger there in malachi chapter 3 now go back to matthew 10 ish

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Actually chapter 11 where you were Now watch matthew 11 verse 7

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As they went away jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning john john the baptist What did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind?

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What then did you go out to see a man dressed in soft clothing behold those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses

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What then did you go out to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet this is he of whom it is written

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Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you now

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Jesus gives us the divine interpretation of malachi chapter 3

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Jesus gives us the divine interpretation of malachi chapter 3 who is this

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Person preparing the way before him Who is it? Jesus says it's john the baptist.

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He's talking about john the baptist. He says he's that messenger He's the one preparing the way now go back to malachi chapter 3

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And it says in the lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple And the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold.

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He is coming says lord of hosts. This is powerful watch Jesus says john the baptist is that one that prepared the way before him

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But look what malachi says is going to happen You're going to have the one repairing the way and then who is coming to his temple the lord

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The lord whom you seek is coming to his temple It's a powerful thing

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There's going to be a messenger first that comes repairs the way and then the lord himself is coming to the temple

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Now watch what it says about that coming It says the messenger comes first and then the lord whom you seek suddenly comes to his temple

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The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold. He is coming says lord of hosts But who can endure the day of his coming?

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And who can stand when he repairs for he is like a refiner's fire and like a fuller soap He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver

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He will purify the sons of levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the lord

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Then the offering of judah and jerusalem will be pleasing to the lord as in the days of old and as in former years

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Pause, what do we have? Follow me. Now. Here's the timeline the messenger comes first prepares the way who comes

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The lord whom you seek he comes to his temple and then what takes place refining?

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Purification the purpose of this coming is to purify god's people He purifies them, but there's another part of this pay close attention to make sense of matthew 10

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It says this Then verse 5 I will draw near to you for judgment I'll be a swift witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who swear falsely

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Against those who oppress the hired worker and his wages the widow and the fatherless Against those who thrust aside the sojourner and to and do not fear me says the lord of hosts

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So we have the messenger coming first then messiah's coming and what's the purpose of his coming one purification of god's people and to judgment

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Jesus said who was that one preparing the way help me now John the baptist and when jesus comes does he purify his people?

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Yes But it also says that the one who's coming to his temple is going to be a swift

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He's going to bring swift witness against the sorcerers against watch The adulterers against those who swear falsely.

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I need you to see this with your own eyes Keep your fingers in these texts and go to matthew 23

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Matthew chapter 23 look how jesus comes to his temple The lord whom you seek will come to his temple

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He purifies and he's a witness against them watch Matthew chapter 23.

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This is the meek and mild jesus passage Only like one person laughed at that Only one bible nerd in here

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This is the meek and mild jesus Matthew 23 verse 1 then jesus said to the crowds and his disciples where by the way, where's jesus here?

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Where is he? Temple very good The scribes and the pharisees sit on moses seat so do and observe whatever they tell you but they're not the works they do

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For they preach but do not practice they tie up heavy burdens hard to bear and lay them on people's shoulders

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But they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger Now go to verse 13

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But woe to you scribes and pharisees hypocrites for you Shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces for you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in Woe to you scribes and pharisees hypocrites for you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte

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And when he becomes a proselyte you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves Woe to you blind guides who say if anyone swears by the temple, it's nothing

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But if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath you blind fools for which is greater the gold of the temple that or That has made the gold sacred and you say if anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing

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But if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he's bound by his oath you blind men For which is greater the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred

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So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it

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And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of god and by him who sits upon it Woe to you scribes and pharisees hypocrites.

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What's jesus doing here? He's coming after john the baptist He's this is the same jesus who purifies the temple

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This is the one that comes in with a with cords and starts whipping people out of the temple to get them out

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My father's house is a house place of prayer. You've turned it into a place of merchandise Now what is jesus condemning here in this passage at the temple?

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What is he condemning those who swear what? Falsely, I think it's an accident that matthew includes here that jesus condemned their practice of swearing falsely

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Not when matthew opens his gospel with john the baptist coming in saying Repent matthew 3 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and saying to the false religious people

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He says to them he says you brood of vipers who warned you from the who warned you From the wrath to flee from the wrath, which is about to come

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He says bear fruit, which is keeping in is keeping in with repentance That's what jesus you see from john the baptist in matthew chapter 3

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Malachi chapter 3 says the messenger comes then the lord whom you seek comes to his temple

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He is a purifier and he is a witness against them for their swearing falsely their adultery

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But I want you to see it again in matthew 23 come to the end of matthew 23 with me And look what jesus says to those same religious leaders verse 32 philip then the measure of your fathers

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You serpents you brood of vipers. How are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes

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Some of whom you will kill and crucify and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town

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Sound familiar? So that on you on who The religious leaders of that day

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On you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth from the blood of righteous abel to the blood of zechariah the son of barakaya

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Whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar here it is truly I say to you

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All these things will come upon this generation There's that judgment promise now go back to malachi chapter 3

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Remember the timeline brothers and sisters one the messenger comes then who comes after him

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The messenger of the covenant the lord you seek he comes to his temple. What does he do? He purifies his people and then what does he do starting in verse 5 of malachi 3 he draws near to them for judgment for judgment

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So, what do you know about the coming that was anticipated of the messiah? Stay with me now You had a messenger coming first to prepare the way before the lord and then the lord himself will come to his temple

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He would purify his people one And two he would bring judgment upon the covenant breakers now

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I want you to go to malachi chapter 4. I think I said 5 malachi chapter 4

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Look at the text For behold the day is coming burning like an oven When all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble the day that is coming shall set them ablaze said the lord of hosts

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So they'll leave them neither root nor branch But you who fear my name the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings

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You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall and you shall tread down the wicked For they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when

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I act says the lord of hosts Remember the law of my servant moses the statutes and rules that I commanded him at horeb for all israel.

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Here it is verse 5 Behold, I will send you elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the lord

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Before the great and awesome day of the lord comes and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children And the hearts of children to their fathers lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter

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Destruction that was the promise. What do you have? Think about it. It's crazy. They know the messiah is coming

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He's coming to bring the families of the earth back to god to worship him He's coming to bring salvation forgiveness of sins

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But you have all these other texts where you know There's going to be someone coming up to lead into the messiah.

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The messiah is going to come to purify god's people and to judge The wicked

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Two -fold Those things are happening when he comes Now watch this

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Watch this Impending disaster and judgment is coming Listen to these texts from the new testament.

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Follow me. Listen to this Here are some texts in the new testament that talk about impending judgment besides the one you already heard

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Matthew 3 2 the kingdom of heaven is at hand Matthew 3 7 who warns you to flee from the wrath about to come?

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Matthew 3 10 the axe is already laid at the root of the trees. That's john the baptist saying the axe has already been swung

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Its teeth have met the the tree itself it's not back it's already at the root

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It's already been swung and judgment is about to take place. That's what john says about how close they were to judgment

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Matthew 3 12 his winnowing fork is in his hand. He's ready Matthew 4 17 the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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Matthew 10 7 the kingdom of heaven is at hand Matthew 10 23 You shall not finish going through the cities of israel until the son of man comes

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Matthew 16 27 the son of man is about to come in the glory of his father with his angels and he will then

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Recompense every man according to his deeds Matthew 16 28. There are some of those who are standing here

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Who shall not taste death until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.

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Some of you won't die Matthew 24 34 this generation will not pass away until all these things take place

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Matthew 26 64 from now on You caiaphas the chief priests the scribes the elders the sanhedrin

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Shall be seeing the son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven

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Mark 1 15 the kingdom of god is at hand Mark 13 30 this generation will not pass away until all these things take place

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Matt luke 21 22. These are days of vengeance in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled

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Luke 21 32 this generation will not pass away until all these things take place Romans 13 11 through 12

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It is already the hour for you to waken from sleep for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed

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The night is almost gone and the day is at hand romans 16 20. The god of peace will soon crush satan under your feet 1 corinthians 7 29 the time has been shortened 1 corinthians 7 31 the form of this world is passing away 1 corinthians 10 11 now these things

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The old testament were written for our instruction Upon whom the ends of the ages have come that was the first century christians

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Ephesians 1 21 not only in this age, but also in the one about to come Philippians 4 5 the lord is near And we can go on and on and on You know about the text

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Let's say the day is drawing near hebrews 10 25 Hebrews 10 27 the fury of fire which is about to consume the adversaries

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Hebrews 10 37 for yet in a very little while he who is coming will come and will not delay

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Hebrews 13 14 for here. We do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one that is about to come

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James 5 7 be patient therefore brethren until the coming of the lord First peter 1 5 salvation ready to be revealed in the last time

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And we can go further talking about soon to take place. He's coming quickly.

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Here's the point the new testament does teach That there was to be a soon coming judgment upon the covenant breakers of jesus day

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That jesus was saying he was going to judge that generation return in judgment upon that generation

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And here's what I want to make sure that we all understand the old testament revelation said exactly that that the messiah was going to come and bring salvation purification and judgment and judgment

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Salvation purification and judgment one more thing in terms of background get your fingers ready

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Now this is powerful Let's let the bible interpret the bible here and I want you to see the context of peter's day

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When jesus died and rose again They understood that was significant and it had

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Implications that would impact the entire world in the future. Jesus ascended into heaven in matthew 28 18 through 20

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He says what all authority has been given to me On heaven in heaven and on earth and what does he say?

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He says go therefore make disciples of all the nations Baptizing them in the name of the father and the son the holy spirit teaching them to obey now acts chapter 2 acts chapter 2

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This is the famous sermon from the apostle peter And I want you to note what takes place

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Acts chapter 2 verse 1 when the day of pentecost arrived they were all suddenly in one place

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And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting

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And divided tongues as a fire Appeared to them and rested On each one of them and they were all filled with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance

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You're like, oh pastor. Jeff. We're going to talk about tongues today. Sure Let's let the text tell us about tongues

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Now there were dwelling in jerusalem jews devout men from every nation under heaven

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They all converged at this time. It's a perfect opportunity for the explosion of the gospel

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And it says and at this sound the multitude came together and they were bewildered Because each one was hearing them speak in what?

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Their own language What is the place in the bible you have that we have that explains to us?

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What was happening with the gift of tongues? There were people from every nation Converged the spirit of god was poured out and then what took place?

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They were able to communicate to people from other nations in their own language believe it or not

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Not all first century jews spoke Hebrew as a matter of fact, most of them didn't

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They were spread they were dispersed and they had been speaking other languages for a long time

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Now they converge god pours out his spirit and they were able to communicate Miraculously the gospel into other languages and think about this in that one moment in time

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When the holy spirit of god was poured out and they got this gift to communicate the gospel They spoke the gospel and in one day these people come to christ and what happened?

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They went home Saved The gospel went across the roman empire in a moment

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Because of that gift poured out they spoke in tongues and they went home speaking Speaking In other languages communicating the gospel.

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Here's where it gets interesting. Watch this And they were amazed and astonished saying are not all these who are speaking galileans?

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How is it that we hear each of us in his own native language? parthians and medes and elemites and residents of mesopotamia judaea capedosia pontus asia phyrgia and Pamphylia egypt and the parts of libya belonging to cyrene and visitors from rome both jews and proselytes cretans and arabians

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We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of god That's the gift of tongues

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And here's what watch watch and all were amazed and perplexed saying to one another. What does this mean?

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But others were mocking saying They're drunk They are filled with new wine.

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All right now watch I want you to follow me guys We have to let the bible interpret the bible

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We have to let the bible give us the timeline let scripture interpret scripture Now watch what takes place in this moment watch

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Signs and wonders these powerful things are happening Peter standing with the eleven lifted up his voice and addressed them men of judaea and all who dwell in jerusalem

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Let this be known to you and give ear to my words for these people are not drunk as you suppose

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Since it's only the third hour of the day It's nine o 'clock in the morning y 'all

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But this is what was uttered through the prophet joel pause

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Those words are significant this is that Which was spoken through joel and in the last days

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It shall be god declares that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy

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Your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams

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Even of my male servants and female servants in those days. This is peter now quoting from joel chapter 2

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I will pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below blood and fire and vapor of smoke

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The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the lord comes the great and Magnificent day and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the lord shall be saved joel chapter 2 prophesied that in the last days

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God would pour out his spirit and people would see these miraculous signs that would testify to the fact

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That god's new covenant was coming the work that god was doing and promising a messiah was coming

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They were supposed to see in the signs in these visions in these prophecies that god was with the church

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But notice what god says. Did you hear the language john hagee did? What's it say?

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I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

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The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood Is that happy language?

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What does that testify to when god says he's going to turn the moon to blood what does it mean

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Judgment If you read your old testament over and over and over again god uses prophetic

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Hyperbole to get across the point that he is coming to judge He is coming to destroy and what peter says is this that in the last days and watch

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Be careful not to load into those words the last days of human history

44:43

They understood there were there was there was two covenants the old covenant and the coming new covenant they understood that all of this stuff was about to pass away and that the messiah and His coming and his covenant was all coming.

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That's how they understood history old covenant new covenant old covenant age of the messiah

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Now peter says this this all these signs and wonders you see right now these tongues

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This is that What joel talked about in the last days he would pour out his spirit.

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They would have visions and signs and then what? judgment What did malachi say in chapter 3 messenger comes john the baptist

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Jesus comes to his temple. He purifies and then what? Judgment, what do you see in our new testament record john the baptist comes in he says in matthew 3

45:37

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand His winnowing fork is in his hand. The ax is already laid at the root of the trees

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You bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Jesus comes in saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

45:50

You have him talking at the temple to the pharisees saying this woe to you. Woe to you

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Woe to you all the blood is going to be upon this generation. These are the days of vengeance

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He says this generation will not pass away until all these things take place That's the context

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And now Matthew 10 Jesus has his 12 disciples

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And he sends them out verse 5. We're going to go through this actually rather quickly These 12 jesus sent out instructing them

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Pause and help me with this guys. Make sure we're all doing this properly We all fail in this

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I have to confess it we fail We need to think about author who wrote the book

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We need to think about audience Who is he talking to? We need to think about context.

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What are the words above below? How does it fit in the entire bible, right? So when it says this

46:52

Jesus sent out instructing them. Who's he talking to? Is he talking to you? Who's he talking to?

47:00

12 disciples And he says this to them go nowhere among the gentiles and enter no town of the samaritans

47:07

Is that a valid and current command for you today? So who's he talking to?

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The disciples and he gives them specific instructions. You are not to go to the gentiles of the samaritans

47:21

Right, you go to the lost sheep of the house of israel. And why is that? I wish

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I had time to tell you Daniel chapter 9 i'm convinced

47:32

Is why? Daniel chapter 9. I'll just give you a brief skim Promise is this 70 weeks are decreed for your people and it says this to make an end of sin

47:45

To make atonement for iniquity to bring an everlasting righteousness To seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy

47:53

That's what the text says And the the prophecy is made for the people of god

48:00

And it says the messiah is going to come listen This is long before jesus comes the messiah is going to come and he's going to be cut off.

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He's going to die a violent death And it says that ultimately the temple is going to be destroyed

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After he dies a violent death the temple will be destroyed the second temple, which doesn't even exist when daniel wrote it

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And then it says this He's going to make a covenant with the many And it says for one week

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And in the middle of that week He dies so seven years

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Let me ask you this Seven years, how long was jesus ministry?

48:46

Three and a half years, where's that put that in the middle of the seven years? Okay, how long did the apostles continue to go to the jews before they went to the gentiles

48:59

Huh three and a half years In daniel's prophecy There's a seven year section in that prophecy where the messiah makes a covenant with the people of god

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And in the middle of that week, he's cut off Which is precisely how long it took for jesus earthly ministry where he dies for three and a half more years

49:19

The apostles went to the gentiles and in acts chapter 10 That's where peter gets the vision to go now to the gentiles.

49:26

He preaches the gospel and they start freaking out Because they believe it and they say

49:31

I guess god has now granted the gentiles repentance on the life So I know that I gave you the cursory.

49:37

Look if you go to our app apologia Church our app. I did a study on daniel chapter 9

49:43

I think it'll really bless you in terms of seeing this But if you want to know why he says don't go to the gentiles or the samaritans

49:49

It's because he had a specific mission according to daniel chapter 9 There was a seven year period here and in jesus earthly ministry

49:57

That's three and a half years before he dies That leaves three and a half more years of ministry to just the jews and then the apostles are commissioned to go to the gentiles

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Exactly fitting into daniel chapter 9 So why is jesus saying go to the jews first because there was a promise made

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And he is keeping it And proclaim to them as you go saying the kingdom of heaven is at hands

50:21

Heal the sick raise the dead cleanse the lepers cast out demons you receive without paying give without pay

50:28

What do I want to highlight here? I want to highlight act Chapter 2 what peter says about joel?

50:34

What did joel say about the last days? What was there going to be an outpouring of god's spirit and what else?

50:43

all of these wonders All of these signs and what is what is it about the apostles now going out?

50:51

That testifies to that work Now all these miraculous signs that they have power to do now

50:58

It's not that that's normative for the christian experience today You should expect people today as they become christians to all of a sudden be able to heal lepers and to raise the dead

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That was a specific sign That god had promised that in the last days

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I believe before the old covenant had passed away and the temple was destroyed

51:18

God was going to give his people miraculous signs and visions and prophecy

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To testify that they were in fact in the last days of the old covenant It was all fading away

51:29

And jesus sends his disciples out now to go about Cleansing lepers casting out demons and what is he telling to do?

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Trust god in all this guys You receive without paying give no pay give without pay acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts

51:47

No bag for your journey or two tunics or sandals or a staff for the laborer deserves his food

51:54

Just want to say this quickly if we take this text And we say oh he's talking to me

52:02

We are destroying other parts of the bible where jesus directly contradicts this This was a specific command to those

52:10

Disciples of what they were supposed to do It was testimony It was prophetic now watch

52:18

Whatever town or village you enter find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart As you enter the house greet it and if the house is worthy let your peace come upon it

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But if it is not worthy let your peace return to you and if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words

52:32

Shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Why? Truly I say to you it'll be more bearable on the day of judgment

52:42

For the land of sodom and gomorrah for that than for that town. Why why? Because judgment was about to come

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They were about to be destroyed and they were on a specific prophetic mission to go and warn those people

52:57

Repent you guys have little time left The ax is already laid at the root of the trees. The winnowing fork is in his hands

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This generation is not going to pass away until christ comes in judgment that temple's about to be destroyed guys

53:11

All this is about to fade away. It's all about to go away And they're told to shake the dust from their feet as they call them to repentance

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And notice he says behold i'm sending you out of sheep in the midst of wolves So be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves

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Beware of men for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues pause How important is it to read our bibles correctly?

53:37

Well, if you take that text right there and you say that is a broad statement to the church Are we worried today in the 21st century of being taken over to temple beth shalom

53:50

Down the street where the jewish rabbis today are going to start beating christians in their synagogues What is this obviously?

53:58

It's obviously first century context first century warning because there was about to be judgment upon that generation

54:05

Which is what joel 2 says malachi 3 says malachi 5 says isaiah 65 says all those texts promise judgment upon that generation, uh joy

54:17

Can you go ahead and throw that up there for me now watch forgive me You're not going to be able to see this

54:22

Like read it, but I just want to give you something interesting to look at um, don't worry if you can't read it some of you guys can and Maybe you have that gift

54:35

Not in a joel 2 sense but um If you look here

54:42

This particular chart you can see these you can do this when you get home. I encourage you to do it If you take matthew 24

54:49

Mark 13 and luke 21 and you put them together Those are the synoptic gospels.

54:55

That's the olivet discourse if you take matthew 24 Luke 21 and mark 13 and put them side by side.

55:02

You'll see it's the same discussion. They're talking about the same things Luke actually adds some stuff that helps to clarify what matthew is saying mark doesn't put as much detail, but if you notice here

55:15

They're using the same exact thing Some with more details some in a little different wording

55:23

But you'll notice here in matthew 24 mark 13 and luke 21 It said they will deliver you up to be

55:33

Afflicted and shall kill you And in mark 13 it says but take heed to yourselves for they will should deliver you up to councils and in the synagogues

55:40

You should be beaten Luke 21 same thing matthew chapter 10 has the same text

55:47

That other synoptics put in the olivet discourse The point is is you can take all these texts from the synoptics

55:54

And you put them together to get a fuller understanding of what jesus was saying was going to happen upon that generation

56:01

They were going to be delivered over Dragged before governors and kings for christ's sake to bear witness before them and the gentiles now watch

56:08

When they deliver you over do not be anxious to how you are to speak Or what you're to say for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour

56:15

For it is not you who speak but the spirit of your father speaking through you pause now clearly

56:22

While there are texts that are about Particular people and a particular mission that god has put them on You can still derive general principles

56:33

From particular texts that may not be addressing you because somebody might say this pastor. Jeff. I don't want that I want jesus to talk to me.

56:40

I want to read the text and it's about me If it happened already and if it was about them

56:47

Why do I care? Why is it still in my bible? well I would say first and foremost get over yourself lovingly

56:59

And second of all, I would say this just because the text is about somebody else doesn't mean there are general principles That don't apply to you.

57:05

So for example, did the israelites pass through the red sea? Is that done already?

57:10

Did god deliver them from egypt? Yes, was that about you? Well, no, but are there are there principles that you can learn from the exodus that do apply to you today?

57:20

Yes, like god is faithful. Yes like god fights for his people. Yes, like god brings his people redemption

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Yes, like god is all powerful and can split the red sea That's the kind of god that I serve

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And in this particular text god tells his people the disciples then he says don't be anxious over what you'll speak or what you'll say

57:39

For why god's going to give you that hour? It's not you who speak but the spirit of your father is speaking through you

57:44

The principle is this is that the spirit of our father speaks through us In these moments of persecution that principle

57:52

I believe applies across the board. Can I ask you this? Have you ever experienced that? You ever experienced that where you're out doing some evangelism or you're in a conversation with somebody and all of a sudden

58:02

Stuff starts coming out of your mouth That you're like, where did I learn that? I never heard that before come out of my mouth

58:10

God speaks through you people tell me all the time pastor Jeff, I don't know if I can go out there and do that evangelism I don't know I can get involved in that kind of stuff because I don't know that I would know what to say

58:18

And my answer to that is I sympathize Because I don't know either

58:24

Sometimes I go out there and I wonder How's this going to go tonight? I have no idea what anyone's going to ask me

58:29

I don't know if i'm going to have the answer. I don't know if I even know what to say And every time god shows up and he speaks in a powerful way through you

58:38

When you submit to serving him and loving people, I remember one time I was outside the mormon temple and uh

58:45

Jerry, actually you may have been there like early on I was I had my bible open and I was trying to talk to this mormon guy and he was abusive and abrasive and he

58:55

Was just really it's like a big meanie And I was like 18 year old dude, dude. I was wearing like a seat belt for a belt

59:06

And it had like Summer can testify to this. She it's true. It had like soda bottle caps like around it, right?

59:15

I probably had like a tank top on and some shiny pants Okay, don't judge me.

59:20

I was doing evangelism while you were at home and remember

59:28

I'm talking to this guy. He is so mean to me And i'm trying to witness to him. I'm trying to be gracious to him

59:34

And he's just being so mean and so fiery and he's like, yeah, I can become a god and i'm like, no you can't

59:41

The bible says this and we're bringing up texts and all these different things And I remember that my bible was shut and I said no the bible says this and he goes where?

59:48

And I was like, well, let me get to it and he like grabs and he's like no You're from god, you know that book.

59:55

You said he says it where and so I said well The verse is this verse there and he goes so quote it.

01:00:01

I said well, I don't really He goes no, you know god so well quote the verse, you know it and I was like, well,

01:00:08

I can't really he's like quote the verse and all of a sudden it was like It came out

01:00:15

It was like two paragraphs I just started reciting the verse like word for word

01:00:21

So I got halfway through it now It's one of those things like your mouth is moving, but you're having a conversation with yourself in your head going

01:00:28

Is this really happening right now? And i'm just giving him this verse all the way through and his mouth just goes

01:00:36

And he literally is speechless And so am I He's sitting there with his mouth shut and I just called him to repentance he turns around and he walks away

01:00:48

And I was like, whoa I never even tried to memorize that verse and all of a sudden this was my response when he walked away.

01:00:55

I was like I was like, whoa

01:01:03

I really got it. I was like it actually happened and that was one of those experiences where I thought to myself

01:01:09

I I just I just got to taste and see I got to actually understand What that's like and not because there's anything special in me.

01:01:17

I am not special. I am not mighty I am not overly good at what I do It was just a christian being faithful going out and being present and then god by his spirit spoke

01:01:30

Through me and he will do the same with all of his people I believe that principle applies. It is the spirit of our father who speaks through us

01:01:39

Brother will be delivered brother over to death and the father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death

01:01:45

You see that throughout the new testament record you see the persecution that arose between the jewish followers of jesus

01:01:52

Who are persecuting the jewish followers? Sorry, the jews who rejected jesus were persecuting the jews who were following jesus

01:01:59

You see rome persecuting christians You see christians turning on family members and turning them over to be delivered and killed

01:02:06

You see that in a new testament record you see it outside the new testament record The early christians were persecuted that took place and watch the height of it was in the 60s

01:02:19

Not 1960s It was in the 60s of the first century. It was rome Persecuting the christians and the jews persecuting the christians and it was at its peak

01:02:31

They're being destroyed they're being tempted and lured to come back to the temple and to judaism

01:02:38

And jesus says you'll be hated by all for my name's sake but the one who endures to the end will be saved More on that last next week when they persecute her and persecute you in one town.

01:02:48

Here it is fleet of the next For truly I say to you you will not have gone through all the towns of israel before the son of man comes brothers and sisters

01:02:59

What happened jesus gives this prediction this prophecy in matthew chapter 10

01:03:08

His ministry is just launching And he tells them That they're going to be killed and delivered over He tells them to go out and perform all these miraculous signs

01:03:20

He tells them they're going to be persecuted And he says what? You won't finish going through the cities of israel before the son of man comes

01:03:31

We have to be real with this In matthew 10 jesus says they're not going to finish going through the cities of israel before he comes in judgment

01:03:40

Matthew 16 at the end of the passage. It says that some of them won't taste death

01:03:46

Until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom the parables that jesus gives

01:03:53

Starting in matthew 21 moving up to matthew 24 Jesus gives a parable of a vineyard owner that sends people to go and get the fruit from the vineyard

01:04:01

But they keep stoning one beating one and then the vineyard owner says what i'll send my son They will respect him and then when the son is sent to the vineyard, what do the people say they say?

01:04:11

Oh, look, here's the heir. Let's kill him and then take his inheritance And jesus says to the jews of his day.

01:04:18

He says what do you think the owner is going to do? What do you think he's going to do to those? people when they when he finds out and they're like he's going to destroy those miserable wretches and give the vineyard to others who will bear the fruit of it and jesus says

01:04:32

Yep And he says what? The kingdom of god is going to be taken away from you and given to others

01:04:39

God's going to destroy you. He's going to set your city on fire That's the next parable He gives then he says that these are the days of vengeance all of the blood is going to be upon this generation

01:04:49

He says you won't all die The temple is going to be destroyed

01:04:56

There's going to be signs and wonders earthquakes famines and brothers and sisters what took place

01:05:03

By 70 ad To that generation of people that jesus was speaking to what took place

01:05:11

The jewish people were destroyed they were slaughtered

01:05:18

Slaughtered. Do you know the only people that escaped the judgment on jerusalem were christians? The only people to escape the judgment on jerusalem were christians

01:05:28

Jesus said to them in matthew 24 He says to them I want you to go to it.

01:05:34

Matthew 24. We'll do this quickly. Matthew 24. Jesus says verse 15

01:05:44

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by daniel the prophet daniel standing in the holy place

01:05:50

Let the reader understand then let those who are in judea flee to the mountains Let the one who is on the housetop not go down in to take what is in his house

01:05:58

And let no one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak And alas for the women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days

01:06:06

Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the sabbath Now watch if you read luke 21

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Luke explains it. He says when you see jerusalem surrounded by armies flee

01:06:20

And in history, we know that at first The romans and the jews are persecuting the church

01:06:29

But shortly before 70 ad rome turned on the jews And the roman armies came to jerusalem and they surrounded the city

01:06:37

It's a fact of history. You can read this in josephus. They surrounded the entire city

01:06:43

And then all of a sudden Because things were falling apart in rome the roman armies turned back around and started to leave to go back

01:06:52

Guess who escaped? in that moment the christians who were in jerusalem at the time

01:06:59

After the city was surrounded by armies They escaped to a town called pella and as soon as the christians fled jerusalem rome turned back around Resacked the city and there was the war between the jews and the romans

01:07:14

Josephus records that the blood was so deep. It was like rivers flowing through the streets

01:07:20

The temple was taken apart and there wasn't one stone left upon another The jews were sent into exile and that generation watch

01:07:30

Saw famines that were so bad josephus records that one woman Was seen cooking her own child on the street

01:07:37

And offering it to people who are walking by In jerusalem in those days, they were literally eating dung

01:07:44

In the city There was one of the worst worth earthquakes in history in pompeii in the 60s of that of that century famines earthquakes plagues

01:07:56

All the nations went from the pax romana The peace of rome to there was so much turmoil josephus says it was like every nation was fighting every nation

01:08:07

All of a sudden we went from the peace of rome to now the world is at war And jesus promised them that that generation would see the destruction of the jewish temple all of it would pass away

01:08:18

That he would judge that generation and nation Now watch you might be asking the question.

01:08:24

Yeah, but jeff it says before the son of man comes Like his second coming. No We're not talking about the final judgment and the resurrection of the dead

01:08:34

Jesus isn't isn't even bringing it up Jesus is talking about his coming in judgment It might be saying does god talk like that one last text and we're done

01:08:43

Isaiah chapter 19 go there quickly isaiah 19 look at what god says

01:08:50

Against egypt isaiah 19 an oracle concerning egypt verse 1 behold the lord

01:09:01

Is riding on a swift cloud And he comes to egypt and the idols of egypt will tremble at his presence

01:09:09

And the heart of the egyptians will melt within them Quick question. It says that yahweh is riding on a swift cloud

01:09:18

Is God literally surfing on a cloud It's judgment motif

01:09:26

It's judgment language God is coming on a swift cloud when you in this day saw clouds coming on the distance

01:09:35

Coming towards you It could be terrifying. You didn't maybe know what it could bring it seemed like scary terrifying judgment and god is using language

01:09:44

They understand the lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to egypt and the idols of egypt will tremble at his presence

01:09:52

And the heart of the egyptians will melt within them. Are we to understand that the egyptians hearts? Are literally going to fall apart and fall into their bellies?

01:10:01

What is the language judgment, but what does it say about yahweh It says that yahweh is riding on a cloud and comes to egypt.

01:10:09

There are these coming Judgments in the old testament where god comes in judgment

01:10:18

That's what yahweh does So when jesus is teaching in that generation that he is coming in judgment upon them before they all die

01:10:24

Before they go through all the towns of israel brothers and sisters. It happened exactly

01:10:30

As jesus said What should you learn from this? Whereas the skeptics and critics of the bible

01:10:38

And even people like cs lewis will say well jesus was clearly wrong about his coming

01:10:44

The only reason you could believe that jesus was wrong about his coming is if you take what he said about his coming

01:10:51

You reinterpret it and place it in the future But if you actually let jesus be jesus and let the text speak for itself the old testament said the messenger would come first Jesus was coming to his temple.

01:11:05

He would purify people and he would judge them The last days of the old covenant would be given to them with signs and wonders and there would be great judgment

01:11:14

Jesus came in testifying to them that they wouldn't all die before they were judged in that generation and watch this before that generation all died

01:11:24

By 70 a .d. That temple was destroyed. The jews were killed and sent off into exile

01:11:30

Who was left? Let me ask you that Who was left after the destruction of jerusalem who was left bright and shining the christians

01:11:42

God did come in judgment upon that generation exactly as he said he would they didn't believe it

01:11:50

But he kept his promise Before they even finished going to the cities of israel.

01:11:55

Jesus returned upon that generation in judgment Exactly as he said and now what should you and I learn from this god keeps his promises god's word is true

01:12:05

He is faithful if he says it he will accomplish it. Amen Come with me now.

01:12:10

Listen every word in this book is the truth Though you may deny it though.

01:12:16

You don't believe it It's the truth and you could war against it. You can think your circumstances speak differently, but it's the truth

01:12:25

And you know what else is the truth? Jesus said he was returning in that generation in judgment upon those covenant breakers and guess what he did

01:12:33

They didn't buy it. They didn't believe it and he did he judged that first century generation as he promised

01:12:40

You know what else the bible says? It says this about the son that he is seated on his throne putting all of his enemies under his feet

01:12:48

You know what else it says? It says he'll never hold your sins against you again That he's washed them away

01:12:55

It says that he lives within us. It said that he will finish what he has started in our lives

01:13:01

And listen that first century generation when they came out calling them to repentance Obviously people mock them.

01:13:08

They said it'll never happen and these disciples are going It's happening

01:13:15

And they come saying repent believe jesus is coming to destroy this generation come to christ for life

01:13:22

You'll be forgiven experience peace with god and people said peace peace

01:13:28

Things are fine Jesus says there's going to be wars and rumors of wars nation against nation and they're like this is a pax romana

01:13:38

Ain't nobody fighting Rome's not going to allow that No one's going to let that happen

01:13:45

You see here's the thing. We always hear the promises of god and we think Well, that's not for me

01:13:52

I mean i'm not going to die tomorrow. I'm not making any plans for that We think it couldn't possibly be me that needs to repent but the truth is god's word is pure And when god says he's going to do something he does it

01:14:09

And as christians what we ought to read in this is number one. Jesus truly is the messiah

01:14:15

Everything he said was going to happen happens and as believers We should see in this moment that when god makes a promise he keeps it even if your circumstances don't look like it

01:14:26

So what are his promises to you? This is where I want you to participate This is where I want you to actually participate because all of this means nothing

01:14:35

If we don't apply it help me now raise your hand and shout it out. What is his promise to you as a believer?

01:14:42

Tell me He's always faithful He has taken away all of our sins

01:14:54

He's given us eternal life We are adopted as sons sealed

01:15:02

Safe in his hands We are given his righteousness He will lose none of us

01:15:16

Those whom he sanctifies he glorifies You'll never die.

01:15:26

That's right He will provide all your needs

01:15:32

So brothers and sisters watch God is the covenant keeping god.

01:15:37

He makes promises and he keeps them. That is the foundation of our lives

01:15:43

So what we ought to be in a practice of doing as christians is this when god says it I believe it

01:15:49

That means that I speak the truth to others and I speak the truth to myself What ought I to do when my circumstances circumstances look like god is far away.

01:15:58

I ought to tell myself to shut up And rest on his word what ought

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I to do when i'm telling myself lies About god being an absentee landlord or god being far from me or not loving me

01:16:10

What ought I to do? I ought to tell myself to shut up Because his word is true Preach to yourself

01:16:18

God's promises. That's what we ought to do. Let's pray father. Thank you for your word Please bless it into the hearts and minds of your people help us god to understand your word

01:16:30

Rightly and rightly apply it Help us to understand it and to communicate it to others