Worries

Scripture: Luke 21:5-19

Luke 21:5–19 NIV

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, 6 “As 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.” 7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” 8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 “But 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. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

11/16/2025

Order of Service:

Announcements

Opening Worship

Prayer Requests

Prayer Song

Pastoral Prayer

Kid’s Time

Special Music

Offering (Doxology and Offering Prayer)

Scripture Reading

Sermon

Closing Song

Benediction

Special Notes:

Week 3: Special Music

Marty Padgett singing special music

Opening Prayer:

O God,

in Christ you give us hope

for a new heaven and a new earth.

Grant us wisdom to interpret the signs of our times,

courage to stand in the time of trial,

and faith to witness to your truth and love. Amen.

Worries

End of the Year Approaching

The end of the year is approaching. Thanksgiving and Christmas are gonna be here before we know it. And our church year starts not in January, but this year on November 30th, the first Sunday of Advent. I want to thank all our church leaders and everyone who served on our administrative and ministry teams for your excellent leadership and faithfulness this year.

Looking back on the last 10 or 11 months of this year, we've accomplished a lot. And while there's always more work to do moving forward, I'm not sure we all believed we could get this far last January.

This month, we have been exploring how knowing the end of our story changes how we live toward and prepare for that end today. I've been wondering how those apostles felt at the end of their lives, as they told the story of the difference Jesus made. Some gave their testimony in Jerusalem before being killed. Others, like Peter and Paul, made it to Rome and testified before the emperor. Looking back on their last year with Jesus, they must have seen those memories differently—remembering Zacchaeus with fondness, perhaps even chuckling at how the Jewish leaders tried to trap Jesus, only to become part of God's grand plan themselves.

Think about how much they grew in that short time with Jesus. Peter went from watching Jesus preach and heal to helping be a miracle feeding 5000 people with five loaves and two fish and walking on water toward his savior. I bet he thought, "Nothing can surprise me now." Then came that last year when Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb and would end by walking out of his own tomb.

Sometimes when we put our expectations aside and let Jesus lead, He takes us farther and grows us more than we ever believed possible. He constantly surprises us, no matter how many miracles we've seen. He invites us to be part of those miracles in ways we never dreamed possible.

There are moments, even when we're faithfully following Jesus, when we pause and wonder what the future holds. We look back, gather what we've learned, and try to guess what's next so we can be prepared. We get worried and overwhelmed when we think about what happens next. Our scripture passage today shows us how Jesus leads us through those moments and helps us look ahead, trusting in Him.

What We Worry About Losing

This scripture begins as Jesus and the disciples enter Jerusalem, walking by the temple, and the disciples are caught up in the moment. They're awestruck by Herod's temple, specifically the precious stones and gifts of wealth embedded in its walls. It probably made them feel common, road-worn, and dirty just standing next to it. If they had cameras, they all would have taken selfies touching the temple wall. Jesus, however, was not caught up in the exuberance.

When God first spoke and called the Hebrew people to worship him at Mt. Sinai, they didn't want to get near him. Ironically, the people now crowded around a temple where God hadn't spoken for 500 years. This was the second temple; wars with Babylon and Assyria had destroyed the first. The reconstruction took decades to finish. People stayed away from its holy places more from respect than fear, because they no longer felt God's presence there. The temple had become a memorial to a God they once knew and a people they once were—a symbol of hope that maybe they could be those people again.

The temple gave them their identity, like the cross for us as Christians. They didn't worship the symbol, but it reminded them of who they were, as God’s chosen people. Only people of true Jewish descent were allowed inside. The synagogues they built did not replace the temple, they reminded them of it. Even if they could not get to it, they needed to know it was there. What kind of relationship was that with God, being known for knowing a God you're afraid to get close to, or that you believe left centuries ago?

But on this day, the disciples were traveling with Jesus, whom they understood to be the promised Messiah. Maybe they weren't seeing the temple as a museum anymore, but as a place they would work from. Perhaps they thought their days of camping alongside the road were finally over. For the first time, maybe they thought they would soon have ownership in that symbol themselves.

They were starstruck, not looking at Jesus but thinking about the history and wonder of this sacred place. Most had probably never been further than the outer court because none of them were good enough to belong there.

We focus on our buildings and symbols too. I served in a church that had burned five times over 200 years. The congregation rebuilt it themselves last time—it looked like a machine shed with a cross on top. But it was theirs and they were proud of it.

We have many symbols besides buildings. For example, consider our bibles. Some people, even in the last 100 years fought to keep Scripture from being translated beyond the original Greek, Hebrew, or Latin languages, thinking putting in common languages of the people made it impure. There's a point at which our preferences become more about preserving memories than about connecting with a God who is present right here and now.

Jesus heard the disciples' comments and knew their thoughts, just as He does with us. Knowing His time was short, He cut to the chase. He told them all that beauty and history would one day soon be a heap of rubble.

The way Jesus describes stones being thrown down, not just falling, shows He isn't talking about an earthquake. Those precious stones would be hauled to market and sold to build Roman bath houses or officials' quarters. Rebuilding would take tremendous labor, and the most expensive materials would have to be repurchased.

It made the disciples worry. They trusted Jesus and asked, "When will this happen? What will be the signs?" But Jesus didn't answer directly because He saw worry growing in them. They were wondering: If Jesus was the Messiah come to save them, why would the temple be destroyed?

Jesus was not focused on preserving God as a memory. He was focused on bringing God and His people back together, and that would involve change and challenge for everyone.

How Worry Controls Us

The disciples couldn't understand how God could come close without the temple—it was the entire system through which they related to God. The temple was where sacrifices were offered for gratitude and forgiveness. Even if people couldn't physically get there, they knew the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year with one sacrifice for all God's people. Without the temple, they had no way of getting back into God's good graces.

When Solomon's temple was destroyed, the people lost everything—their way, the law, their culture. Most tribes of Israel were lost to history. Only a small remnant remained to be replanted in the promised land.

As the disciples feel that anxiety and look to Jesus for help, he begins by telling them not to be deceived. "Watch out, because many will come in my name," claiming to be the Messiah, claiming the time is near. "Do not follow them," He says. They are false prophets trying to lead you astray. Church history teaches us, as Jesus taught His disciples, not to get sucked into politics—whether they are politics of success and luxury or fear of losing everything. Instead they should keep their eyes on Him.

When leaders throw vague anxieties at us, we go into fight-or-flight mode and stop thinking clearly—making us vulnerable to anyone who promises relief. Those are the same tactics the snake used in Eden and the devil used to tempt Jesus in the wilderness.

But Jesus demonstrates another way. He tells them they'll hear about bad things, but that won't mean the end is near. There will be wars, disasters, famines, and sickness worldwide. Jesus doesn't deny this—He goes into detail. Then He tells them, "Some of you won't worry about that because before it happens, you'll be arrested and persecuted. They'll drag you before the government because you followed Me." That's where they'll share their testimony.

Instead of ambiguous anxiety, Jesus spells out the details. "Now that you know you'll serve not in this luxurious temple but in prisons and dungeons, decide right now—before tragedy comes—not to be afraid. Decide today how you will respond."

They'll face persecution from government and betrayal from families—parents, siblings, friends—because they follow Him. God will bring them to that place of judgment, where fears become reality, and there they'll give their testimony.

Jesus tells them not to worry about defending themselves—He'll give them words and wisdom no one can resist. Though it seems they've lost everything but Jesus, He says, "Not a hair of your head will perish." Stand firm, and you will win life.

Jesus didn't stir up vague fears and promise to save them for loyalty. He acknowledged their fears, explained the worst that could happen, then showed He would lead them through it, not away from it.

What Actually Sustains Us

Jesus warns we'll face persecution for following him and doing his work. That feels overwhelming. But Jesus leads us through that work without a long list of goals.

Just weeks after telling them the temple would be destroyed, knowing he'd soon return to heaven, he left them one job: make disciples. Connect people to God through him. Do what the temple with all its expense never could. Wherever you are, make disciples. Teach them everything Jesus taught and teach them to make disciples too.

We may not face prison and death like our brothers and sisters worldwide do, but we can refuse to let worry about losing relationships, reputation, or jobs keep us from following Jesus faithfully and giving our testimony to the love and grace we've received.

Out of everything we do in Jesus' name, making disciples is what the world doesn't want. The world doesn't care if we sing, pray, wear crosses, or post on social media. But when we have real conversations and share stories of the living Jesus—not the silent God, not empty rituals—the Jesus we know who knows us —the world pushes back. That's the one job: share him with others, and that is the only thing the world does not want us to do.

He told his disciples it wouldn't matter whether the temple stood tall or lay in rubble. Year of plenty or want, peace or war—their mission remained the same: make disciples of Jesus.

Then He said, "You don't worry about when the end comes because I will be with you every step of the way." We're not so different from those disciples. We're like Peter. We may have faith to walk on water when Jesus is near, but we sometimes deny Him when tragedy strikes.

Jesus told them that even with the world in chaos, not a hair on their head would be harmed. Stand firm till the end. We know those first disciples faced harm. It became their testimony. They didn't run from persecution—they embraced it as proof of their love for Jesus, and their testimonies became proof of God's love for us today.

That's the purpose of testimony—evidence given to prove a point. Unlike fingerprints, testimony carries a person's power. When someone testifies, they stake their name, reputation, and sometimes their life on that claim. When the world puts us on trial for our faith, Jesus reminds us He'll still be there, still in charge. He'll catch us when we lay our lives down as evidence that He is alive and Lord of all. The world can take everything from us, but it cannot take Jesus. It already tried and failed.

Deciding not to worry won't make feelings disappear. Courage isn't shown by lack of fear but in spite of it. Faithfulness means less when following Jesus is easy. Our testimony shines brighter when we let it shine, even in the darkness we cannot see through. Even when we cannot see ahead, the world sees Christ's light in us.

What causes you to worry about the future?

What are you afraid of losing?

The day we leave this life and step into Heaven is when we meet our Savior face-to-face and experience perfection. So, the worst the world can do is send you home to Jesus a little sooner. While the world tells us things are more complicated than that, on the day when we stand before Jesus, it won't be. And it won't be ever again.

Brothers and sisters, what worries weigh heavily on your minds and hearts that you need to let go of today?

Closing Prayer

Lord, we live surrounded by trouble. We live in it, we've been through it, and we hear about so much more that goes on all around us. We come to you as our good shepherd, trusting you'll lead us along paths of righteousness, to green pastures and still waters. Lord, we want to own our faith, be Your disciples intentionally. We want to share Your love, grace, blessing, and provision. We want to share You with everyone we meet. We want to know our story, how You called us to faith, nurtured and developed it, and work through us to bring new life to others. We want that story we tell others to be lived out in our lives right before their eyes.

We know we can't do that without You, Jesus. You know the way when we can't see ahead and we trust You to lead us. You are our strength when we have none. So today, Lord, we offer up our fears and worries, and everything that stands between us that keeps us from giving You our lives. Because we know You take our weaknesses and turn them into Your strength. You take our fears, doubts, and worries and make them opportunities to show Your faithfulness. Help us live in faith and follow where You lead as You take us to the very end of this life into eternal life with You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Closing Slide