06.12.22 - Mark 13:9-13

Open your Bibles to Mark 13:9-13. We are continuing our study of the Gospel of Mark.  •This morning we find ourselves once again in the Olivet Discourse.  Our text today has to do with persecution.  •In these verses, our Lord will prophesy concerning the persecution that was to come upon the infant Church in the First Century prior to the destruction of the Temple.  •He speaks of arrests, courts, beatings in synagogues, betrayals, hatred, and martyrdom that will come upon His People.  •But He also speaks of preaching, faithfulness through suffering, the spread of the Gospel, and a promise of salvation for the newborn Church.  While I wholeheartedly believe that this text finds it’s fulfillment in the First Century, I also believe that it speaks to us today in 2022.  •We live in a time when biblical Christianity has become wildly unpopular with the majority of our society.  •Even those who claim to be conservative and would align themselves with some of our beliefs are Christless Conservatives. (Consider just for a moment that Fox News, a network that is often considered a Conservative news network, is celebrating Gay Pride month.) •And so, when the chips are down, we are often unpopular with them, too. They agree with us on few things. And the list is getting shorter every year. (We have no real allies outside of the Church.) •As I’ve said many times before, there are many cultural winds blowing, ideologies solidifying, and legislation that is probably coming, that spells trouble for us in the near future if we are going to be faithful to Christ.  •And so, a text that speaks of persecution, preaching, and the promise of salvation to those who endure is quite relevant for us.  So, brothers and sisters, my aim in this sermon is twofold: 1. To show you how this text was fulfilled within “that generation” to whom Jesus was speaking.  •I want to vindicate the words of our Lord this morning.  2. To encourage us all to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what comes. No matter what threats or hardships may come upon us.  And I plan to do that this morning by dividing our text into three main headings and then giving application at the end.  1. The Persecution. 2. The Preaching.  3. The Promise.  •May God bless us this morning as we turn to His Word to hear from Him.  Now, if you would and are able, please stand with me for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.  Mark 13:9-13 [9] “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.  [10] And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.  [11] And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  [12] And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.  [13] And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (PRAY) Holy God,  We come before you this morning looking for grace to help us in our time of need.  We need to understand your Word. But we are dull and so often cold of heart.  And so, we ask that you, by your Spirit, would warm our hearts and sharpen our minds so that we would receive your Word with soberness, reverence, and implicit faith in what you have said.  Help us to see this morning that Jesus Christ is better, that He is greater, and that He promises us better things than this world has to offer. Glorify yourself by working in our hearts, granting faith, and conforming us more and more into the image of your Son.  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.  Amen.  1.) Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to remember the context. (This is incredibly important to do as we continue to walk through the OD.) •Remember how our Lord Jesus, throughout His public ministry, has been harassed by the Jewish religious leaders, and rejected by the nation as a whole.  •He was a popular teacher and healer, but very few people had come to faith in Him.  •More than that, there had been a long-standing attempt by the religious leaders to have Jesus arrested and killed.  •And right before this Discourse, our Lord had spent the entire day debating with the chief priests, elders, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees.  •At every turn, our Lord has been rejected by the very ones He came to. As John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.” And so, as our Lord leaves the Temple for the final time, never again to return, he announces a prophecy of judgment on it in v2: “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” •Jesus prophesies the destruction of the Temple that will occur in AD70. Not one stone was to be left upon another.  •There would be great judgment upon Israel because they rejected the Savior. There would be horrible destruction, pain, death, and judgment from God because they did not recognize their King.  And after our Lord announces the impending doom of the Temple, His disciples come and ask Him a question in v4: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” •They ask “When? And what will be the sign?” •They are clearly asking about the destruction of the Temple. That is all that Jesus has mentioned. And that is, therefore, the only possible referent in the context.  •The question of the disciples has to do with the prophecy Jesus gave in v2 concerning the Temple being destroyed.  And that question is what kicks off the whole OD.  •The disciples asked “When? And what will be the sign” And they were talking about the Temple coming down.  •And Jesus begins to answer them in v5.  Lastly, let’s remember our Time Text in v30.  •Our Lord says, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” •“This generation” refers to the people then living when Jesus spoke these words.  •And “all these things” refers to the disciples’ question in v4 when they asked for a “sign when all these things are about to be accomplished.” •So then, Jesus makes it very clear that everything He said in vv5-30 is to be fulfilled within that generation.  •And His words were indeed fulfilled with the destruction of the Temple in AD70, forty years after He prophesied.  So the context tells us how we are to interpret this passage.  •vv5-30 have to do with the time leading up to, and the final destruction of the Temple. And it would all be fulfilled within the generation then living.  •Jesus Himself has set our perimeter for interpretation. And so, we must abide by it lest we call Him a liar.  •So we will be looking to see just how His words came to pass within that generation, while also looking to see what application can be made to us nearly 2,000 years later.  2.) Let’s now begin looking at our text this morning.  •And our first heading will be: The Persecution. •Let’s read what Jesus says about the persecution that was to come upon the infant church: [9] “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.  [11] And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, [12] And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.  [13] And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. •Clearly, our Lord was prophesying about a per suction that would come upon the Church. That is abundantly clear in these verses.  Persecution would come upon the infant Church.  •The Apostles, who would found the Church and, therefore, represent it, are being spoken to.  •And there are three major aspects to this persecution that our Lord Jesus mentions: 1. He mentions being delivered over to councils and being beaten in synagogues.  •He is clearly referring to how things were in Israel and surrounding areas in the First Century.  •Councils refer to Jewish courts. The Jewish religious legal system. There you had the Greater Sanhedrin that was in Jerusalem. And then you had Lesser Sanhedrins in various towns.  •These were Jewish courts that settled religious disputes and meted out appropriate punishments for violating the OT Law.  And being “beaten in synagogues” is a reference to the punishments handed down from those courts.  •The OT often required corporal punishment for offenders. And so, being beaten in the synagogue refers to Jewish religious convictions and the following punishments for them.  •The most famous of these is the 39 lashes that they would give.  •You see, corporal beatings were all that the Jews of that day could do. Only Rome had the authority to execute criminals.  So Jesus is here speaking of how the early Church would be heavily persecuted by the Jews.  •The early Christians, particularly the Jewish Christians, would be arrested and tried in Jewish courts for heresy because they preached what Jesus said.  •Again, the early Church was to be oppressed by the powerful in Jewish society. And they would use the Jewish religion to do so.  •How ironic: Claiming to be acting in the name of the Living God, they would persecute the People who actually belong to the Living God.  2. Jesus mentions being delivered over by your own family.  •He said there will be persecutions and hatred from within the family . •This is the most unnatural form of persecution. Those who should love and seek to protect will be some of the very ones who would do the most damage to the early Church.  Imagine that for a moment. Your own family. •So great was the hatred to be toward the early Church, that some of their own family members would turn them over to the authorities to be punished.  •It seems that hatred would be thicker than blood. Their own families who were not Christian would not pity them.  3. Jesus mentions standing before kings and governors, being brought to trial, and being delivered over to death.  •This is LEGAL persecution.  •These aren’t Jewish courts like in v9. These are civil courts within the Roman Empire.  •Not only will the early Church be persecuted by the Jews, but Gentle civil magistrates, kings, judges, and all the rest will hate them and persecute them as well.  •And the worst part of it is that these ones have the power to execute. They have the civil authority to kill the Christians without any fear of reprisal from the government.  Indeed, as Jesus said, “You will be hated by all.” •The Jews were to persecute the early Church.  •The very family of early Church members would persecute them.  •And the Gentiles, the Roman civil government, would come after them as well.  BUT WHY? •Why would this persecution happen to the Church? •Jesus tells us in vv9 and 13.  •“…for my sake…”         “…for my name’s sake.” •It will be for Jesus’ sake that they will suffer.  But how does that work? How will they be persecuted for Jesus’ sake? •What’s the big deal that they want to worship and follow Jesus?  •I’ll tell you: They will be persecuted for Jesus’ sake because they will TELL PEOPLE about Jesus.  •They will open their mouths and declare His authority, His Law, His godhood, His coming judgment upon Israel, His coming judgment at the end of history upon both the living and the dead.  •They will open their mouths and tell of His salvation. They will declare His sinless life, atoning death on a Cross, and glorious Resurrection on the Third Day.  The would be persecuted because of WHAT THEY WOULD SAY.  •Because they would publicly align themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.    Because they would preach Christ. And because many people would not want to hear it.  •But even beyond that, they would be persecuted because of their lives. Because they would not swear ultimate allegiance to anyone but Christ. Because they would not break His Law in order to please men. Not for the Jews, not for their families, and not even for Caesar.  •They would be devoted to Christ in both word and deed.  •And they would do so PUBLICLY. And THAT, brothers and sisters, is why the would be persecuted.  Hear me: You rarely get in trouble for silently believing something.  •You will not get into trouble for believing something that nobody knows you believe. And that’s simply because NOBODY KNOWS what you believe if you are silent.  •But the Christians would not be “secret Christians.” Such an idea was an abomination to them. Because Jesus is not a secret King. His Lordship is not private. His Law is not just for the Church.  •And so they would not and could not keep it a secret that they belonged to Him.  They Church would be persecuted for what they would preach.  •They would preach to individuals. They would preach that Jesus is the Messiah, that the Jews rejected Him, that the pagan religions were false and worthless idols.  •They would preach that there is no other Way, Truth, or Life other than Jesus Christ.  •They would preach that there is no way to be saved from the wrath of God for your sins apart from faith in Jesus Christ.  They preached the GOSPEL to men.  •They preached the sinfulness of man, the holiness of God, the necessity of divine justice against sinners, the reality of eternal wrath, the reality of a coming Day of Judgment and reckoning with the offended God.  •They preached the necessity of a sinless human substitute for sinners to bear the wrath of God in the place of sinners.  •They preached the necessity of perfect righteousness before God, the necessity of a Savior, of a Redeemer.  •And they preached that the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled it all for those who believe on Him.  •And they preached the impending damnation upon those who did not believe on Christ.  •They were going to preach the Gospel to men.  And they would preach, not just to individuals, but also to the government.  •Oh, that God would help us to see this in the Scriptures! Christianity is inherently political! We declare the universal rule of a KING who is GOD HIMSELF! •They would declare that there was a King above all kings, a Lord above all lords, and a God above all other “gods.” (God=Jewish metaphor for rulers.) •And they preached that all men are accountable to the King they proclaim: The Lord Jesus Christ.  •They would declare that Caesar is not a god, but that Jesus is the Living God to whom Caesar himself was accountable.  •Hear me: They declared the authority of God over all men, including those in civil government.  Their mouths would be what got them into trouble.  •Their mouths being opened to declare the truth of Jesus Christ to a world that did not want to hear it.  •They refused to be silent in the face of world that hated them.  •They refused to whisper about the Kingship, authority, and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  And their unyielding allegiance to Christ would get them into trouble.  •They refused to love a world where their God is mocked.  •They were devoted to Him. They rejected that He was one god among many. Rather, they shouted that He is GOD ALONE.  •And so, they had forsaken and spat upon any other supposed god.  Their devotion to Christ and their evangelism to both the great and the small would be what got them persecuted.  •AND INDEED IT DID.  •This all clearly happened prior to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.  •Honestly, if you know your Bible well, these verses sound very much like an overview of the book of Acts specifically, and a general concept that is woven throughout the entirety of the NT.  Time will not permit me to list all of the examples of how this prophecy was fulfilled.  •(I found over 30 examples without really even digging very hard in Acts, the NT letters, and Revelation.) •So I’ll simply give a handful of examples to you know to prove the point. And they don’t need much comment.  1. With regard to the fulfillment of Jewish persecution: •Acts 5:17-18 says, “But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.” •And then in v40 we read, “and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.” •The Jewish leaders persecuted them.  In Acts 8:1-3 we read: “And Saul approved of his (Stephen’s) execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered through the regions of Jude’s and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” •Saul (Paul) was a Jew given authority to arrest Christians and persecute them. And he did just that. (And I’m sure he wasn’t the only one.) After his conversion, Paul is giving his testimony about his former life in Judaism and says this in Acts 22:19: “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.’” •Paul did this. He beat Christians in synagogues. And I’m sure he didn’t act alone.  •Clearly, our Lord’s words happened as He said.  2. With regard to the Gospel being declared before those in civil power we read Acts 23:24: “Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” •Paul stood before governors.  We read also in Acts 25:11 where Paul says,  “‘If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.’ Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, ‘To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.’” •Paul would stand before Caesar.  Lastly we read in Acts 26:1,  “So Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:” •Paul stood before King Agrippa.  These things all happened just as Jesus said. •In the generation then living, great persecution came upon the Church.  Brothers and sisters, this is our heritage.  •These are the fathers of the Faith.  •This is our family tradition: Faithfulness to Christ that leads to persecution from the godless. And an unwavering allegiance to Jesus even when the persecution comes.  •The Church would be persecuted for their love of Christ and declaration of His message to the world.  •But, nevertheless, the preaching MUST CONTINUE. And that brings us to our next heading: 3.) The Preaching.  •Consider the following verses: [9]…and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.  [10] And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.  [11] And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  •Though the persecution would come, the preaching, the witnessing, the testimony of the Church must continue.  Let me address v10 before we go any further.  •And I want to do that because, at this point, many people will say, that verse cannot have been fulfilled in the First Century. Jesus says, “And the Gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.”  And many claim that did not happen in the First Century.  •So let me explain the fulfillment of that verse now: First, we have to let Scripture interpret Scripture. That is the first rule of Bible interpretation.  •So the question is this: Does the Bible say that the Gospel was preached to all nations within that generation? •And the answer is a resounding YES.  Let me briefly show you a few texts that say so: 1. Romans 1:8 says, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” •Paul says that the faith of the Roman Christians has been proclaimed in all the world. And their faith is in Christ. It is the Christian faith.  2. Romans 10:18 reads, “But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have for, ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’” •Referring here to the Jews, Paul says that the Gospel has been preached to them. But not only them, the voice of Gospel ministers has gone to the ends of the world.  3. Colossians 1:5-6 says, “Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing…” •Here Paul says that the Gospel that the Colossians believed is in the whole world.  4. Colossians 1:23 says, “…if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting    from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” •Again, Paul says that the Gospel that the Colossians had heard has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven. The Bible says that the Gospel was proclaimed in the whole world, to the nations, in the First Century.  •That is, the whole KNOWN WORLD of that day. The NATIONS outside of Israel. •The Gospel was to go beyond Israel to the Gentile world before the Temple came down.  •That’s what Jesus meant when He used this phrase.  •That’s how the inspired Apostle understood it when he used similar language in his letters.  •That’s how that phrase was often used back then.  •And so, if we’re going to be good Bible interpreters, and not call Paul and Jesus liars, we need to understand the phrase the same way that they did in their context.  And indeed the Gospel went out to all nations. •It went out to all the known world of that day. It went out through the entire Roman Empire.  4.) But catch this: Jesus implies here that the persecution of the Church would result in the Gospel moving out further and further to the world.  •Nothing is going to stop or slow it down! It is the message and mission of God Himself. It is the Gospel of God, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as such, God will ensure the success and spread of the Church’s preaching, EVEN IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION! •The Gospel will indeed be proclaimed to all the nations in that generation! And there is beauty in this that we need to see: •Jesus is saying that the Church will be established among the nations BEFORE the Temple falls.  •That is, the New Temple will be established. A New Temple, the Church, made up of Jew and Gentile, will be established before the Old Temple is destroyed.  •(Remember 1 Peter 2:5 and Ephesians 2:20-21) •Clearly, God’s People are meant to be the world and not only the Jews.  •That’s Good News for the world. After all, Jesus came to save “the world.” (John 3:16) •More than that, Jesus is hinting at the fact that the Church will be greater than Israel ever was! The Church will be bigger. The Church will be international. The Church will be purer.  •And the Gospel that was rejected by Israel WILL BE embraced by the nations.  Please hear me: GOD GETS THE LAST WORD.  •The Jews might’ve rejected the Gospel in that day, But God still has a People. God will grow His Church. And it will be a beautiful place of worship. A glorious Temple.  •God gets the last word, not unbelieving, wicked men.  •But also remember Romans 11: The Jews will one day be brought into the Church. There is one Olive Tree.  •And when that time comes, it will be like life from the dead for the world.  •Revivals will occur. Great numbers of conversion to Christ and a great time of Church growth will begin.  •And all of this is prior to the Second Coming of Christ.  •The Jews, though they reject Christ now, will one day believe. God has said so. His plan is to save the world. And He will indeed do it.  Another thing: Note the divine necessity in v10: “The Gospel MUST first be proclaimed…” •God was going to ensure that it would be preached. There is a divine “MUST” here. •God was going to be with the disciples as they preached in the midst of a world that hated them.  •And God Himself would ensure the success of the work! •God would grant strength and endurance to His People to continue to preach under persecution.  •GOD WILL DO IT! It is part of His plan. And no mere men can shorten the arm of Almighty God. He will certainly accomplish all His holy purpose. (And He did.) But I don’t want you to miss this: •Through their persecution, the preaching will continue.  •And their persecution would actually serve to advance the preaching.  •The end of v9 says that they would preach before kings and governors. That they would give a witness to Christ before them.  •Brothers and sisters, contrary to the schemes of the Devil and his people, the persecution would actually serve to further the Gospel.  •Consider what the imprisoned Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:12-14: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known through the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” •THE GOSPEL CANNOT BE STOPPED! •The wicked cannot stop it. Satan himself cannot stop it.  •Why? BECAUSE THE LIVING GOD STANDS BEHIND IT! And He is stronger than all. You know, the Church’s suffering for Christ was itself a kind of preaching.  •They were declaring that Jesus is worthy, that Jesus is better, that Jesus is greater than whatever they suffered because they refused to abandon Him.  •THAT IS A POWERFUL MESSAGE.  But they were to also continue to OPEN THEIR MOUTHS even as they go into trouble and suffered for Christ’s sake.  •Look at the promise in v11. Jesus says that God would help them to speak as they should. And so, they do not need to be anxious when they stand trial for Christ.  •The Holy Spirit would guide their tongues.  •What does that mean? For our purposes this morning, it means that God would ensure that the preaching would continue. And so, the disciples need not worry.  •Jesus, by His Spirit, will help His suffering Church to keep going.  NOTE: V11 is not an excuse for being lazy and not studying the Word of God, as if God will just zap you with the right words to say.  •We are not to test the Lord. And doing so would be just that.  •Rather, in the words of RT France, “This is a promise for hard-pressed and harassed disciples on trial.” •God will guide them and open their mouths to give a good word about Christ, His Gospel, His Lordship, and His worth.  •So, again, they need not worry. God will bear witness to His own Son through their mouths by His Spirit.  •WHAT A PROMISE! I want you to catch one more thing while we’re still under this heading of Preaching: •Even though the suffering and persecution would come, the Church was to remain on mission.  •They were to have a laser focus on preaching the Gospel.  •Jesus had given a promise of help. And He had given a promise of success. And, by faith, they were to be resolved to preach as He commanded.  •Nothing was to be allowed to pull them away from their God-ordained mission of preaching Christ to the world.  •Suffering persecution was not to hinder them from preaching.  •And it would be through being persecuted that they would have opportunity to preach.  •Consider a parallel text in Luke 21:13: “This will be your opportunity to bear witness.” •They were to take the opportunity given. And they were to be resolved to take it. They were to be resolved to not be swayed away from their task, no matter what happened.  Now maybe you’re thinking, •“Wouldn’t that just get them into more trouble? If they keep preaching even after they’ve been beaten, taken to court, imprisoned, and all the rest, wouldn’t CONTINUED preaching just make things worse for them?” •And the answer to that is a resounding YES.  •And that’s why Jesus ends this section with a promise in v13.  5.) The Promise [13] And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. •They will be hated by all for Christ’s sake.  •That is, all the unbelieving will hate them.  •And they need to know that beforehand. They need to know that so they can “be on their guard.” (v9) The godless will always hate the righteous if the righteous are openly living for Christ and opening their mouths to declare His Gospel.  •MARK THAT DOWN. It will always be this way.  •Hear me: Even if you’re Postmill like me, you need to know that the unconverted will always hate the believing to one degree or another. It’s just a question of how much power they have to persecute you.  •Sometimes it will only be the power to hurt your feelings and mock you with their mouths. And other times, it will be persecution with the power of the sword.  But what does the Word of God say? •1 John 3:13: “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” •Our Lord Jesus said in John 15:18-21: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…” •Brothers and sisters, don’t be surprised. They hated Jesus. They’ll hate us, too.  •We are not greater than our Master. We can expect to be treated the same way by the wicked.  But in the mist of all the hatred, persecution, and suffering, Jesus gives a promise to His Church: •“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” •The “end” here means “death.”  •In v12 Jesus mentions being put to death. So I think it’s reasonable to see in v13 a reference to “the end” of persecution.  •That is, the end of your life. The fullness of persecution: DEATH FOR CHRIST. MARTYRDOM.  •Martyr comes from the Greek for “testimony.” For us it means to die for your testimony to Christ.  •And Jesus says that the one who outlasts the persecution, the one who sticks with Christ right on through the persecution, the one who is faithful unto death WILL BE SAVED.  Let’s be clear: This is not “saved from death.” That would be a manifest contradiction with what Jesus says in v12.  •Rather, Jesus means “saved” in the ultimate sense.  •Your soul will be saved. You will lose you life on earth, but in losing your life for Christ and for His Gospel, you will find it. You will find true life, everlasting life, eternal life with God.  Consider the parallel in Luke 21:17-19: “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” •Brothers and sisters, in the final analysis, not a hair of your head will be harmed.  •How? Because you will be saved, body and soul, when all is said and done.  •Heaven will be yours. And the blessed Resurrection of the Dead at the Last Day will be yours.  •As Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) What a glorious promise:  •You will be hated. And you may die. But you will be saved. Not a hair on your head will perish.  •The one who endures, the one who is faithful to the end, the one who outlasts the persecution and would rather give his life than part with Christ WILL BE SAVED.  •Jesus offers something better than life on earth.  •He offers eternal life in paradise with God. And the one who is faithful to the end will receive it.  •The joys of heaven are to be gained. The joys of knowing Christ and seeing Him face to face are to be gained.  •All else should be counted joyfully as loss.  Consider the martyrs of Revelation 12:11: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” •The ones who love Christ more than their own lives are the ones who conquer.  •THEY WIN. By God’s grace, they win.  •This is the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ.  •As Matthew Henry said, “Perseverance gains the crown.” •Amen.  6.) Now what does this text say to us today? •These things came upon the Church before the Temple was destroyed.  •So what does it mean for us? •Now, most of you can probably already see what application can be made. But I want to make sure that nobody misses it.  1. Expect to be persecuted by those who hate Christ.  •As Jesus said, “Be on your guard.” •He has given a warning. And this is a timeless truth.  •So long as the wicked are in power, the faithful, those who open their mouths and live openly for Jesus can expect to be persecuted to one degree or another.  •And we are living in such a time. So don’t be surprised.  Persecution may come from many different places: •It may come from falsely professing Christians.  •It may come from ordinary unbelievers.  •It may come from secular legal courts.  •It may come from your own family.  •But it will come, in some way or another.  Please, please hear me: No amount of winsomeness will change this.  •No amount of kindness and good deeds toward your unbelieving neighbor will change this.  •No amount of “tolerance” of the wicked will change this.  •When you make it clear that your allegiance is to Christ, and when you open your mouth to unapologetically declare the truth, you will be hated to one degree or another.  Have we not witnessed this in our own day, in our own town with Dr. Meriwether? •He is an academic man, a kind man, a respectful and calm man, a reasonable man.  •But when he made it clear that his devotion is to the Lord Jesus and not a godless world, what happened? •He was hated and persecuted by his employer and the wider community in our nation. •He is very winsome. More than most of us would be in such a situation. He was reasonable and rational and kind.  •AND IT DID NOT MATTER IN THE END.  •Why? Because the wicked hate God. And since they cannot get to God, they will persecute those who align themselves with Him.  Brothers and sisters, do not be surprised. This is our heritage.  •We are part of a long line of godly men and women who have suffered for Christ. All because they loved Him.  2. We are not to be moved away from our mission, no matter what the cost.  •The disciples were not to be swayed for their mission when the persecution came. And neither are we.  •WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.  Brothers and sisters, we will not bow.  •We will not back down. We will not let up. We will not apologize for loving Christ. Come whatever may.  •We have been given our marching orders from the LORD of hosts. We are soldiers in His army.  •And He has armed us with everything we need to wage the good warfare. To fight the good fight of faith.  •And we will wage war on this earth by the preaching of the Gospel and our godly living in the face of wickedness.  •We will go forth to conquer the world in the name of Christ, by His Gospel, just as the Israelites conquered the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership.  •We have a better Joshua. We have Jesus. And He will lead us until the nations bend the knee to Him.  •We will wage war. And we will do so to the death. That’s what soldiers do. And, by God’s grace, we have been enlisted into a heavenly army.  And we will do so gladly.  •Why? Because we love Him who first loved us.  •Because we are willing to give our lives for the One who gave His life for us to save us from our sins.  3. We are to cherish the promise of Christ. The promise of salvation to the one who endures to the end.  •The promise was made to the early Church. But it extends to all who suffer for Christ.  •The promise is ours. Salvation is ours. We must only patiently endure.  But hear me: This isn’t a chest thumping thing.  •We are weak. And we will give in if God does not help us.  •We will not endure by our own strength. It will be God who strengthens us and grants us endurance.  •So we must pray for divine help. And we must believe His Word that tells us that He will not lose sheep, that He will hold us and keep us faithful.  •We will conquer by faith and by prayer. And it is God who will work faith and faithfulness in us.  •So we must look to Him for grace to help in time of need.  And we must decide ahead of time that we will not bow.  •That, by faith in Jesus Christ, believing His authority, His victory, and His great love for us demonstrated in the Gospel, we will not give in.  •Why? Because we believe that He offers us something better. Because we believe that Jesus Himself is better.  •Because He has become glorious and beautiful in our sight. Because God, by His Spirit, has opened our eyes and hearts to see and receive Him with joy and gladness.  Brothers and sisters, fix your eyes upon Jesus.  •And believe His glorious promises as you suffer for His name’s sake.  •And know that our God, who is faithful to His covenant has promised to save us, will strengthen us, and enable to withstand the trial and remain faithful to our Lord.  May God help us to embrace our heritage, preach the Gospel, and be faithful to the end.  •Amen.