Stand Firm and You Will Win Life, Part 1 - Luke 21:5-38

Luke 21 beginning and verse 5. Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was, adorned with beautiful stones, and with gifts, dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ask for what you see here. The time will come, when not one stone will be left on another. Every one of them will be thrown down teacher. They asked when will these things happen? Volbeat a sign that they're about to take place. He replied, watch out that. You were not deceived for many will come in my name, saying I'm here and the time is near, do not follow them. When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened, these things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Then he said to them, Nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom. It will be great, earthquakes famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven. Before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues, and put you in prison. And you will be brought before Kings and governors and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me, but make up your mind, not to worry beforehand. How you will defend yourselves for? I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist. Or contradict. You will be betrayed. Even my parents brothers and sisters relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish stand firm and you will win life. You see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that stuff, the Salvation is near then. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out and let those in the country not into the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written, how Dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers. They'll be great distress in the land wrath against these people. They will fall By The Sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are filled. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars on the earth Nations will be in anguish and perplexity of the Roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from Terror. Apprehensive of what is coming on the world. For the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And these things begin to take place stand up and lift up your heads because your Redemption is Drawing Near. He told him this. Parable, look at the Fig Tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves. Another summer is near even. So, when you see these things happening, you know, that the kingdom of God is near truly, I tell you. This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened, Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing drunkenness the anxieties of life and that day will close when you suddenly like a trap for it will, come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth, be always on the watch and pray that you may be may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the son of man. Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple that you need evening. He went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple. This is God's word. You may be seated.

A brief prayer. Our Father, what we know, not teach us what we have not give us what we are not make us all for the glory of Christ and his name. We pray. Amen. How many of you today want to live a meaningful fulfilled Life by show of hands? Missy hope. All of you, is that mean, how many do you want to live a purposeful life? A life filled with value a life? Filled with meaning and I like it, it's just good. It's blessed. Its abundance, right. That describe, I think I saw everybody's hand in here, every single one of us suspected. You were here this morning speaks to that reality because nobody ever wakes up on Sunday morning and says, you know what, I just want to live a bad word was life and then you walk in the door of a church. Nobody Does that the fact that you were here is a simple little testimony, that you were seeking to live a meaningful blessed, fulfilled life, And when I say all of that, you have to understand that is not in any way selfish or anyway. Self-centered. You know, it's all about what I want, what I want from my life. No. Because the Blessed abundant rich life, is the life that God has created you for its life that God has called you too and has invited you to experience what is a good thing if you desire, that, so since that describe a person, here's where I'm going with us to live a blessed life, what you need to do is situate yourself in God's time line, instead of going to live to experience the blessed life, you must situate yourself into the timeline of God himself and situate yourself into The Narrative of scripture. I'm reading one book currently it's called the drama of scripture and it's talking about from Genesis to Revelation what is the storyline that binds this book together? And then where do we fit in to that timeline? How do we fit into God's big? Story and this isn't rocket science. Are this is kind of basic Elementary stuff but one of God's online consists of past present and future. How do we fit into all of this category Spicer? The past, where do we come from? How did we get here? What's our history? Present-day, how do I live today? What are the morals? What are the commands for the principles that I should be living out every single day, especially 2023, then the future. What happens next, what is going to happen next? What's to come? What is going to happen in the future? Is he the one of beautiful compelling things about God's word, is IT addresses each of those components fully details? Where do we come from your creation? Genesis, it tells us where the entire civilization came from. How it all began with one man, and one woman, they had children multiplied, so forth. No, in the flood. God, wiped out the Earth and then the Tower of Babel as we are going to be about next week, but the nations were spread out across the world and then the entire Old Testament and the New Testament, Chronicles, God's commitment to his people. How he sustained? And I've provided for them, but not just for the Jews. It's also God's grace being expanded to all people across the world. As we see later on, in the New Testament, does it talk about where we came from? But then how do we live I mean, many of, you know, the Ten Commandments, I hope you remember them or you memorize them before I preach to them about a year-and-a-half ago. So I hope that you know those right. How do we live today? How? How do we live in 2023 but then also what happens next, what happens next and that is brings us to our texts today is Luke chapter 21 talks about eschatology is what's known as eschatology. Just simply means the doctrine, the study of the last things, the study of the end times, the study of the end of the world of the future. Now, when you think about the in times, what book, do you usually turn to to figure out? I'm glad nobody said left behind. Okay, so it is revelation. That is the main book in the Bible. The entire book is devoted to the Future. And but well that's good, it's arguably said that this chapter they were looking at today. Luke 21, the parallel passages would be Mark 13, Matthew 24 and 25. It is argued that these are some of the most important chapters when it comes to filling in our understanding of what's going to happen at the end of time. So we're in for a treat today because this chapter has also been dubbed, one of the hardest chapters in the gospels to interpret. Understand. So hope you all ready for a little ride with me and it's not, we're not going to land it today. This will be a two-part will finish it up next week. Just as a disclaimer, not going to need a next week. I'm not going to dress every single question you have but I'll I'll try to be thorough the date. My goal that came today, it's kind of zoom out, big picture. How do we approach the text? What's the right attitude? What are some basic tools and things that we can clean onto as we navigate to iskcon difficult chapter? Just to be frank. Zoom out a little bit when it comes to looking at the end times. I typically take that there are two big approaches when it comes to thinking about the end times eschatology. So on the one hand, you have over here, you had those who are, if you will. This might describe you a little bit and understand. I'm using generalizations. Okay, doesn't it necessary to describe everything over here? We have. What you doing is Die Hard Fanatics, these are people who obsess over the entire times. Every other books they read is a or maybe every book they read, frankly is about what happens at the end every conversation that you have. It seems like every other sentence they're bringing up the Antichrist or, you know, this sign that earthquake as a sign of what's the feeling there are just always talking about what's happening regarding the end and typically these people have broad brushstrokes here. Typically these people think that the end times to happen tomorrow, right? Always is to be any day is going to happen next year. It's it's ride upon us every single sign or other major signs fail in the Bible. And we are just living right on the edge of Jesus coming back. Right? So if that describes you a little bit, I encourage you. Please be humble, please be humble. Because just frankly, you do not have it all figured out because this topic regarding eschatology has been debated on for two thousand years Christians have never been unified over guarding. The precise, understanding of the specific details in the Bible. Now, we can agree upon some commonalities, write the big one. Jesus twins how I dressed at the moment, but the reality is, you do not know every single detail and I simply encourage you, please be humble and be open and not necessarily what I say. But submit yourself, submit your thoughts to the supremacy of God's word let God's word shape and mold your understanding concerning the in times. And just because you heard it on TV or you read it in a book or even you heard it from a previous Pastor, that does not automatically make it absolutely certain talking about specifics here. We're going to go over some commonality some general things we can clean to in the moment, but please, if that describes you in a little bit, please be humble. When we approached this topic, the other end of the spectrum, you got over here, and frankly, this is kind of where I fall on board and in another General. Generalization is typically, I think these people over here, a little older make sense cuz the older you get. The more you think what's going to happen next right on this side those who are younger and you don't have to necessarily be young, but overhear, you have the attitude of being what I call a panel, any list? Some of you may have heard me say this before but if you been on the church you know, that sometimes there's these conversations about being premillennial on Millenia. Post-millennial pre-tribulation post-trib. Mid-trib, where do you call on that spectrum of all that kind of stuff up? A millennial is simply says it's all going in out in the end Jesus wins. Okay. Have that kind of attitude? Yeah, yeah. You know, in time. Yeah. Yeah. It's all going to be a. No, it's all going to be. Alright, Christians are going to win at the end of the day. That's enough for me. Is there truth to that? Is that true? Is that attitude troop? Yes, but then again I'm speaking firsthand. This is kind of my my own recent. I'm trying to get out of this mindset, but overhear that attitude is usually accompanied by the sense of overwhelming uncertainty. But also there's this sense of complacency because when it comes to the end times, it's easy to say you know what, there's just too many interpretations out. There is too much bickering and too many divisions on this and I I just I can't wrap my mind. My head around Revelation, it's too complicated. There's no Unity on it. I know Jesus is going to win, so therefore why waste my time trying to unpack this Revelation but even any of the conversations about the end times, why waste my time If that describes you in any little way how you just, it's too big for you. Encourage you, please hear the words. Revelation, 13 and 20 26 27. Revelation. 1:3 blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart, what is written in it? Because the time is near These words are trustworthy and true. Then the very end of the book chapter 22 blessed is the one who keeps the words of this prophecy written in the scroll. Did you hear that recurring theme there? The recurring word and all those versus the word blessed? Blessed is the one who here, who reads it aloud, who hears it, but all who also takes it to heart. Okay. Do you believe that promise today? The promise is, if you spend time studying it, I'm packing it reveling in it, you'll be blessed. And I asked you again just a moment ago. How many do you want to leave that blast fulfilled? Meaningful life, everybody. And what I'm saying is in part, the blessed life comes from wrestling, through the entire times I've ever thought of it like that, for you to live a meaningful life, you do need to wrestle through this Doctrine. So What weather describes you today? If you are eager about this already? If you're passionate about the end times, please be humble and open. And if you're more complacent or you more apprehensive or or even just scared of studying in X, encourage you, please be eager and excited about all that God has for us in the doctrine of eschatology. So the rest of our time, as a big old intro for the rest of our time today, this is what I want to do. Number one, what's the context of what we're looking at? What's the context of Luke 21 number to? What are some interpretation challenges that we faced in the text? And then finally what's a Best Way Forward? How can we going to navigate through this and prepare for next week, when we walk through kind of designs that are unpacked here, especially what's the context? What's going on in Luke 21? Look up with me verse five. Some of his disciples were marking about how the temple was, adorned with beautiful stones with gifts, dedicated to God. KT Cummins thought that Jesus speaks this answer to their questions. Jesus speaks these words on Tuesday, of Holy Week, I should just moments before the crucifixion of Jesus. At this time, he is still ministering in the temple and around the temple. And if you were calling and Luke 19:45, it says, Jesus entered the temple courts. This is after Jesus had Road in written, in which one is it written into Jerusalem on the donkey? And after he'd been welcomed by someone not entered, the temple, courts made a beeline to go there to teach and preach about the kingdom of God. Jesus enters the temple 19:45 and what we see here, Luke 21 is Jesus concluding his public Ministry. Jesus concluding his public Ministry, Jesus keep stalking he interacts with his disciples will see he has the Last Supper encounter The Upper Room know that this is his last public discourse that he provides in public. So it's kind of significant keep that in mind. Reverse five of the disciples admiring, the beauty of the temple is talking to one. Another may be talking directly to Jesus about how gorgeous and beautiful this Temple was. And I mentioned this guy a couple weeks ago but Josephus Jewish historian, he record for us that the temple. He says the exterior of this building lacked nothing because you sound either mind or I. It was covered on all sides with massive plates of gold, when the sun rose, it radiated so Faria. Flash that you had to look away because of the glimmer, To approaching strangers, it appears from a distance like a snow cloud Mountain for all that was not overlaid with gold was a purist white from its Summit protruded sharp, golden spikes to prevent birds from settling upon it and polluting the roof. He goes on to say that some of the stones were used at the foundation of the temple. Some of the stones were around 60 ft and like so roughly about the size of a boxcar on a train. And these are massive, massive Stones, many of them overlaid with gold and they are just in. This is just the outside, I'm not even detailing what's the beauty of the Intercourse. Of course, the holy of holies, the inner Sanctuary, all the beautiful robes and garments, and the curtains, and the bowls, and the gold and silver, the diamonds, everything in there. A very, very ornate building. Adore. Adore, you. But it's not just a building. You have to understand this building. This wasn't the original Temple. That Solomon built new / Solomon built it. The Old Testament, then it was destroyed and different things happened. In the Jewish history, it was being rebuilt at this time. But this building conveyed to the people God's presence, God is committed to this people. God is here for and with his people. Then Jesus tells them in verse 6. As for what you will see here, the time will come. When not one stone will be left on another. Every one of them will be thrown down No, it's not a great analogy of great comparison, but think about the White House, or the Capitol building, right in our, maybe our American mines, you might think things are indestructible. Nobody can ever touch them. Our borders are impenetrable. All right? So this is a much grander scale because they knew explicitly. This is God's place where God resides, so nothing is going to touch this Temple. Nothing is going to destroy. You kidding me. You see how big these stones are? Nothing is going to take it down. Then Jesus says know, the time will come not, one stone will be left on another. Every one of them will be thrown down Not the disciples. We don't know if they wrestled with that, you know. If they reported you Jesus you don't know what you're talkin about. You might assume they would have because earlier Jesus talked about how he was going to die and rise from the dead and then Peter responded. Lord you don't know what you're talkin about just to settle down. Are you not going to die? So maybe they had that same attitude here. Not exactly sure. But nonetheless they asked him a very real revelant question. Looking for 7 Teacher asked when will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place? Play Matthew 24, turn with me if you will there so you can see with your own eyes.

This passage is also known as if you weren't aware as it's known as the Olivet discourse.

And Matthew 24 is kind of more throw. It's a bit more detailed regarding the exchange and and what the disciples asked Jesus responded with. The Matthew 24 verse one. Will read the first three.

So keep in mind in Luke 21, the disciples asked when will these things happen? When is the temple going to be destroyed? What are the signs that this is about to take place? But look at chapter Matthew, 24 verse one left, the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. Do you see all these things? He asked truly I tell you not one stone here will be left on another. Everyone will be from down and then we're free. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to him privately. Tell us they said when will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the End of the Age? The question is expanded a little bit there. Did you notice the differences? Tell us, when will this happen? When will the temple be destroyed? But also its expanded a little bit, what will be the sign of your coming and of the End of the Age? So what was going on here? There's this kind of two components that the disciples were asking about. On the one hand, you have what's going to happen to Temple. When is that going to happen? But then over here you have. But also, what's the end times going to look like? When is that going to take place in a couple of wrapped up into that? When are you coming back? Some commentators think that the Jews may have Associated the destruction of the temple with Jesus's return. Some, some of them may have thought that all of this was going to happen at the same time, but it's clear in Jesus's response that there are kind of to chronological Dimensions going on here. You say that again? What Jesus been responsible for Luke 21? It's not explicitly. Clear cut. Okay. Member the two components. When is the temple going to be destroyed? What are the signs of that? But also, when are you coming back? What are the signs of the end times? Jesus doesn't explicitly say, alright, and what disciples when it comes to the temple, here's the answer. And then when it comes to me, coming back. Answer you read. And you look at the floor thought they're kind of interwoven and intertwined Jesus's response addressing both topics. Both questions. So, his answer is a blend of both that includes both. So I think it's wrong at this is some kind of like, where we're going. How do we wrestle to this? It's wrong for us to say, then this is all about the first century. It's all about the destruction of the temple. That happened in 70 AD in Jerusalem, being pillaged and plummeted, but it's also wrong equally wrong anymore. So wrong for us to say, you know, what, this is all about what happened today in 2023. Every single verse is about, it's neither of them. It's about both. Kind of, at the same time. No. I love what Charles Spurgeon had to say about this. Charles Spurgeon was a Baptist. Pastor in London, 1800s, late 1800s. The sermon he preached in 1885 on a Thursday evening, it's kind of interesting y'all interested in having a church service on Thursday evening, anybody, but he said, she said, moreover, I think that from this chapter from the Luke 21 from this chapter, if we are to understand it at all, it is confess. Idli, very difficult to comprehend. We must regard The Siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple as being a kind of rehearsal of what is yet to be. Did you catch that you catch that line of thinking? In other words, I agree with this. This passage is primarily about the fall of Jerusalem, but having said that this destruction outlined here in the suffering outlined here is a type of microcosm of what's to come for you. And I Okay. Here's a one way to think about it. Think about the classic science fair project. What is that? It's cool. The volcano Infamous and famous right? Everybody does it? It's Friday. So you look at that you use vinegar baking soda food dye, you know that you know how it works. It's a it is a real thing, real reactions, real things going on, it's a real physical object, right? But it is a tiny, tiny, tiny microcosm of Mount Vesuvius at the destruction that that Rex upon Humanity like real people. In a similar way. One commentator, put it like this, Luke 21 in Jesus's response. Hear the primary purpose is to is to provide a view of the ultimate end in the distant. Future through the lens of the destruction of Jerusalem in the immediate future. Okay, frankly, just where I'm coming from when I approached this because it's time to contact. You have to look at the context. What brought all this happened? That's why we spent a little bit of time talking about the temple, right? Jesus is talking to his people right in front of him and they're asking a specific question. When is this going to happen about the temple? So we have to have our mind shaped by the contacts in, at the same time, it's clear. I think particular, verses 25 and 28. This is where things get a bit more apocalyptic if you will. Because in the, in the first few verses verses, 82 verse 24, Jesus talks about human physical realities, a persecution by human beings. Earthquakes famine storms cetera, War Nation Rising against Nation. Jerusalem being paid by these are all physical realities within the first 25. That's when there's more Heavenly Signs by the sign. The Sun, the moon, the stars there can be signs and then we see the heavens are going to fall in Heavenly Bodies will be shaken verse 26. So things begin to get a little more. I'm at all confusing perhaps and it's clear right? Jesus talks about verse 27 at that time. They will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great Glory. These things begin to happen. Take play, Stand Up, lift up your heads because your Redemption is Drawing Near. The Jesus is talking about. His return has not happened yet, though. Many is verse 8. Talked about many have come claiming to be. Jesus, don't follow them. So, with all of that, what's our way forward? How do we have the right attitude special for next week? Next week, we're going to go through each of these signs and what they mean, how they were played out what we can expect today? What's the way forward?

If you were eager, we're passionate about the end times. Please be humble, please be open. If you are complacent or you're scared or apprehensive of the in X, please be eager. Please be excited. Because there was a blessing for those who read aloud to hear what this is saying and who take it to heart, Revelation, opens with that Revelation, closes with that, there is blessing for those who wrestle with the end times. So, be humble in the ear. But also, this is kind of in prep for next week. I've heard in addition to try, I said, Jesus wins, right? In addition to that, you can easily say that they're too. Unshakable. Nobody would question these two realities of being X broad brushstrokes, but who they are. Number one. Great suffering is going to happen. The number to Great Triumph and deliverance is going to happen. That was true in the first century with what they experienced, the Jews. And the first Christians, it's going to be true for us. There is great suffering, but there's also great hope. the last thing I'll say before we close with prayer, The end times Jesus did not speak about this topic so that you and I would be scared so that you and I would be frightened or so that you and I would fight and bicker with one another over. Who's right regarding the specific interpretations? Jesus spoke these words to us so that we might be able to stand for So that we might be prepared for what's going to happen and so that we might be able to stand firm. So we can stand through the storm, when you know, the storm is coming, you can hatch it down the house and put up the boards and that you get, you get the picture when you know what is to come. You can prepare for it. Also, when it hits, you can speak to stay until you can live through it, right? That's part one for you. If you want to learn more about specifics were going to impact that more next week. I hope you come back but just know there is blessing for those who wrestle through this time. Please don't forget that Let's pray and then we'll close with the doxology.

father, there is definitely a lot of

Confusion, And even fear.

Some arrogance. Perhaps, when it comes to Topic of eschatology.

But Lord, we know that you've spoken your truth to us for a reason. We know you've given us an entire book devoted to the entire times for our good.

The Holy Spirit, we simply ask for wisdom. Please give us wisdom as we try to unpack your word. Give us charity for when we may disagree with one. Another. Jesus please. Please Unitas all. Around the central truth that you indeed do. When you will Deliver Us you will heal us. You will sustain us through the storm. But Jesus, please Empower us as well to do our part to Russell, through this, to Russell through the truth. Cling to the truth so that we might be able to stand firm. And we know that if we Stand by Your Grace, We Stand by your power, we know that we will win life at the end of time. Please help us to do that, help us to keep our eyes on the prize, which is to be in your presence. Till that day comes up us to encourage one another on the journey. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Amen.