Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Faith or Fear?”*

*Mark 13.14-37*

We are once again in Mark chapter 13.

Please turn there in your Bibles please.

So, at the outset, I must tell you that I’ve made an executive decision to finish the chapter this morning.

Are we ok with that?

So edit the text in your bulletin and sermon notes as we will be covering verses 14-37 this morning.

(And for those who are studying the questions through the Swordsmanship handout, I will see that the revised questions for next Sunday are posted this week on the web.)

We are in Mark 13.14-37.

You know, we recently went through the Book of Revelation.

And I found that to be a challenging book to preach through.

In some respects much of that study was easier than this chapter in Mark’s Gospel – at least clearer.

The challenge of Mark 13 is that you don’t have clear, definitive understandings of the time frames of Jesus’ teaching.

In other words, Jesus offers prophecies regarding both the near and distant future without clearly defining them.

I think this is intentional and I’ll tell you why later in the message.

So, in order to get your mind around these signs and exhortations, you want to be able to identify which part of the future Jesus is referring to – near or distant.

In this particular case, no definitiveness is forthcoming.

Recall that this was the disciples’ wish in verse 4: “When will these things be, and what will be the sign?”

And Jesus responds with a “see that no one leads you astray.”

He is not overly concerned with the disciples knowing precise times and dates.

And as we explore further in the chapter, it was challenging to try to get a general grasp on the events that Jesus refers to and if they had been fulfilled in previous generations or if they remain to be fulfilled in the last days.

And just to make it more challenging, if you read five commentaries on the passage, you may have had five different interpretations on the times.

But we cannot allow the ambiguity to make us lazy or throw up our hands in despair.

We just roll up the sleeves and work a little harder and conclude that there are timeless principles for the believer regardless of the fulfillment of these events.

And I do think there are some indicators that provide us with some clues and boundaries.

With that preface, let’s read the text.

*READ Mark 13.14-37.*

Last week, we looked at the first thirteen verses and saw Jesus’ response to the external beauty of the temple.

Then, when asked about the times when it would be destroyed, Jesus exhorts them to spiritual discernment and finally the persecution they would endure for the sake of Jesus and the message of the Gospel.

They would be hated by all and yet the gospel would continue to spread until it reaches all nations.

I will address our text in three points based largely on my best understanding of the times.

If we were to break down the chapter into time frames, it would be best understood like this.

The first thirteen verses /primarily/ would be carried out within the times of the disciples.

Verse 14-27 deal /primarily /with the end times.

Verses 28-31 deal /primarily /within the first century.

And verses 32-37 are /primarily /regarding the end times.

Now, the reason I said /primarily /is because there are also some things that cannot be definitively isolated into such neat structures.

And I don’t think Jesus is so concerned with doing so anyway.

In last week’s message there were some timeless principles and application that we drew from events that largely occurred in the first century.

We continue to need to be discerning from false christs and prophets who seek to lead believers astray.

Wars, famines and natural disasters continue to occur and yet these remain only the beginnings of birth pains.

Inasmuch as the first disciples were persecuted and martyred for their faith, so will current disciples of Jesus.

Physical families continue to be divided because of allegiance to Jesus Christ.

The Gospel message is offensive to many, and so we will be hated by those who would prefer that we would not say that salvation is to be found in Jesus alone.

And the strong call to perseverance remains with us today.

The points from the sermon will be derived largely from the way that I believe Mark identifies them.

They will be *“These Things,” “Those Days,” and “That Day.” *These indicators provide clues.

The first point, *“These Things” *provide Jesus’ teaching on the generation of the first century.

And we find these words in verses 28-31.

Jesus begins by referring back to the lesson from the fig tree that we saw in Mark 11. Jesus uses the cursing of the fig tree to point to the eradication of the temple sacrificial system.

It was an abused system that took advantage of the most vulnerable.

And it would also be obsolete within the week.

Jesus, the perfect and eternal sacrifice, would be offered up in a mere few days time.

The disciples are encouraged to understand these times where the temple would be replaced by this sacrifice.

“Summer” has positive connotations.

We anticipate the therapeutic heat that follows dark, cold winter.

Summer is near.

“He” is near, at the very gates.

This language implies an imminence things changing.

In this case, it is the replacement of temple with Jesus.

*These things* are evident.

In light of recent conversations, the disciples should have a better understanding of the ramifications of these events.

And *these things *are certain!

Notice the words of Jesus in these verses.

In verse 29, he says that they “know” that he is near.

In verse 30, Jesus begins with saying, “truly.”

“I say to you.”

Jesus, the Son of God says “Truly, no doubt about it.

This will come about.

I say to you.”

Recall his words from Mark 9 when Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

In case the disciples needed a reminder, he adds, “heaven and earth will pass away, but not my words!” “Take a look around.

You observe the majesty and creativity of the earth and you are overwhelmed by the heavens.

I made them.”

Jesus makes a distinction between the creation and the Creator – the temporal and the eternal.

Listen to the words of Psalm 102, “25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

26 */They will perish, but you will remain/*; they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27 */but you are the same, and your years have no end/*.”

One day all that we see will pass away.

Despite all the efforts of the “green” agenda, our efforts are only temporal.

Ultimately, we cannot preserve this creation.

It is on borrowed time groaning for the times to come to an end.

Don’t misunderstand me.

We have a responsibility to care for the creation we’ve been blessed with.

But these efforts must not consume us.

In contrast, divine words are eternal.

Psalm 119:89 “89 Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”

Isaiah 40:8 “8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

And 1 Peter says that the believers has been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living */and abiding /*word of God.

And then he quotes the Isaiah passage – the word of the Lord remains forever.

Believer, do you find comfort in this great truth?

The Lord Jesus speaks with absolute authority and with great certainty.

He informs his disciples of the things that must take place.

And then he reassures them that despite the apparent chaos that surrounds them… in spite of the fact that they will see their friend hanging on a tree, and buried… in spite of the fact that they will be ridiculed, persecuted and murdered because of their faith… “I say to you… my words will not pass away.”

Listen to these words from Isaiah 51. “6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; */but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed/*.”

*These things *will take place.

And then there are *Those Days.

*We see those days referred to five times in verses 14-27.

Mark begins the section by referring to Jesus remarks about the abomination of desolation.

This would have conjured up the words by the prophet Daniel as he prophesied a time of “desolations.”