Berkley read it to describe the importance of Christian community and meeting together
24 Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.
The seven woes to the Pharisees, described as the immediate context before the Olivet Discourse
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat.
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
8 But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’
19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who has been living in it.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
34 Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
The Olivet Discourse, read through at length with commands highlighted
1 Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
2 But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.
5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.
8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.
10 Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.
12 Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.
14 This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.
18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
20 Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,
21 for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25 “Behold, I have told you beforehand.
26 If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it.
27 For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.
29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36 But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,
39 and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.
42 Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.
47 Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
48 But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,
51 and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
Parables of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and goats, all read as continuation of the Olivet Discourse
1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3 Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
10 While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
11 Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’
12 But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
14 “For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.
18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.
20 He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.’
21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22 “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’
23 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.
25 I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.
27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.
28 Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.
30 Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.
36 I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?
38 When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’
40 “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
42 for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;
43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’
46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Used as the benediction: humble yourselves, cast your cares, be sober, resist the devil, and God will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;
7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
11 To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Pastor Ray preached through the Olivet Discourse, the two chapters in Matthew where Jesus answers his disciples' question about when coming calamity would arrive. Rather than settling the interpretive debates that surround this passage, he focused on the commands Jesus gave his disciples, because those are the parts we can actually do something about. The sermon closed with communion.
What was said
Before getting into Matthew 24 and 25, Pastor Ray laid out the context from Matthew 23, which he had preached before the Christmas break. The seven woes Jesus directed at the scribes and Pharisees showed a pattern: failure to recognize the Messiah, superficial zeal that did more harm than good, and a misguided use of scripture that served self-justification rather than relationship with God. At the center of that chiastic structure was what Pastor Ray called a fundamental failure to discern the thrust of scripture, illustrated by the Pharisees tithing their spices while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. That failure sets the table for everything Jesus says next.
Leaving the temple, Jesus told his disciples that the building they were admiring would be torn down stone by stone, which we know came to pass in 70 AD. When they pressed him privately on the Mount of Olives, asking for the sign of his coming and the end of the age, the first words out of his mouth were a command: see to it that no one misleads you. Pastor Ray kept returning to that command because Jesus repeated it multiple times throughout the discourse. The fear behind the disciples' question, he argued, is exactly the opening that false teachers and self-proclaimed messiahs exploit.
Pastor Ray was straightforward about the places where he did not think it was his job to settle the argument. He named the main interpretive camps around the abomination of desolation, the great tribulation, and the timing question, and then moved on. When he reached the verse about this generation not passing away until all these things take place, he said plainly that he does not understand it, trusts that it is true, and that it is acceptable to admit you do not know. On the question of when the day and hour will come, he noted that Jesus himself said he did not know, and that the disciples' original question therefore has no clean answer.
What Jesus does give them is a list of things to do while they wait. The commands Pastor Ray pulled from Matthew, Mark, and Luke together were: do not be misled, do not be alarmed, endure, be on the alert, be sure Jesus will return, be ready, and watch for opportunities to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned. He noted that the slave who buried his talent and the goats who ignored the suffering around them both received the same verdict. The people commended in the parable of the talents and the sheep in the judgment scene had one thing in common: they kept doing what they had been asked to do.
Pastor Ray wrapped the sermon by observing that much of what Jesus described in these two chapters is entirely outside our control, and that the commands are actually quite plain. Do not be worried. Do not be misled. Keep doing what he told you to do. The benediction he read, from 1 Peter 5, landed in the same place: humble yourself, cast your anxiety on God, be sober, resist the devil, and trust that God himself will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Berkeley shared that he often caught himself focusing on how his faith looked to others rather than on his actual relationship with God. Have you noticed that same pull in your own life, and what has helped you recognize it?
Pastor Ray said the harshest words Jesus ever spoke were directed at religious people who failed to discern the thrust of scripture, caring more about rules and appearances than about justice, mercy and faithfulness. Where do you think that same temptation shows up in church life today?
Speaker 1Six weeks. Weeks and weeks and weeks. I never done that with back end of the fall. Mhmm. Ours mine was later than theirs after mom and daddy and all everybody got here.
I started and I had the twenty four hour stomach bug that was worse than what I've had in my adult life. It was so bad. And then I came up with a cough and and sinus something that just wouldn't go away. It helps on the low note. It doesn't help so much on the high note.
Exactly. Yeah. I got it.
Speaker 3Okay. We'll save this one for you. Thank you.
Speaker 1And whichever ones you come up with, I don't know how long. Okay. Whatever you Because it'll be two different ones for the
Speaker 3Okay. We could do this and then maybe do over the course.
Speaker 1That sounds good. Or if we get how many verses we get through? Yeah.
Speaker 3I'll do whatever you want.
Speaker 1I think
Speaker 3it's great. I think it's after eleven.
Speaker 1Alright. Good morning, everybody. How are you? Morning. I was not looking at the clock.
We started late in the first service. We started late in the second service. If y'all wanna stand with me, we will sing them in from the from the vestibule out there. Are you washed in the blood?
Speaker 3Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you walking daily by the savior's side? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the lamb?
Speaker 1That's so good. At Calvary, hymn number four ninety two, we are gonna celebrate communion together, the Lord's Supper together today. We're working towards that. There's a lot of scriptural ground between us and that. But let's sing this one and point towards
Speaker 3caring not my lord was crucified, knowing not it was for me, he died on cowardly. Mercy there was great and grace was free. Oh, the grace that brought it down to man. Oh, the mighty gulf that God did stand at Calvary. Mercy there was great and grace was free.
Pardon there was multiplied to me bear my burden salt and liberty Amen.
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements. The Awana is happening tomorrow night, 05:45 to 07:30. It's right here. Starts out in this room playing around the circle.
We also kinda come in and do the ceremonial start to it. We have a great kids club called Awana. It is duct tape night tomorrow night. Duct tape night. And as I said in the first service, duct tape is to be used when something does move that shouldn't, and w d 40 is to be used when there is something that does not move that should.
Okay? But tomorrow is duct tape night. Maybe w d 40 next week, but definitely duct tape tomorrow night. We do still need volunteers for the connect hour and for Awana meals. We do not feed everybody that comes to Awana, but for the volunteers, the Awana volunteers.
At 05:15, they have a meal ready for them so they can come here after work and get ready to lead in that or in between services in the fellowship hall. You can contact Eddie Hair if you have any questions and that's her number. There is a men's lunch study. We are not studying lunch, actually. We are studying the Bible together.
We're studying James together in particular. It's 11:55 in the fellowship hall. There will not be any lunch prepared, but you bring a brown bag lunch, and you can come and go as needed. We have a hard stop at 01:00. So basically, it's noon to one.
The Jackson Hole Men's Alliance will meet this week. It's the first Wednesday of the month, so 06:30 in the fellowship hall in the morning. 06:30AM breakfast, a little testimony probably, and maybe a little teaching from the word. Probably testimony teaching from the word is the same guy, same thing. But Berkeley might know more about who's doing that and what they're doing.
But 06:30, first Wednesday of the month, and this is that this week. And I think that's that is the last of the announcements we have on the screen. Does anybody else have an announcement? I have one. And it's a sad one.
Most of you have probably already heard by now if you if you go to church here, if you live in this valley, you've probably heard of Kelly Kraus. Kelly Kraus has been the owner and operator of the Virginian for a long time, and he died in a skiing accident on Friday. And so that has been very hard for a lot of us in the community. Lynette, his wife, and Kevin, and Danielle are gathered, here at home. The Virginian is still open.
The employees are grieving, and the family is grieving, and we're grieving with them. And I'm just gonna ask you if you would pray with me as I pray. God help Lynette and Kevin and Danielle. Lord and the the spouses and extended family for Kelly's sister who's on a trip and may not have even heard yet, Lord, this difficult news. I pray that you would bless them with a peace that passes understanding and that you would draw them into a comforting relationship, consoling relationship.
I know that Kevin that Kelly was a very strong believer. I know that. Thank you for the opportunity to minister to the family. I pray that we as a community would come around them in a way that is helpful and in Jesus name, may we may we serve well right now. God help us in Jesus name.
Amen. Alright. Amen. Would you all stand and yes, John. Yes.
My understanding is that there's a GoFundMe page set up for them as well. There has been a GoFundMe page set up for the family and I've also heard of a of a a scholarship that was set up in his name, a culinary scholarship. There are different ways that we can be helpful. I don't know all of them yet, but thank you, John. John served alongside with him for a long time too.
Yeah. The table fellowship is so important in the New Testament. Do you all read that? When you read through and you see that Jews and Gentiles sitting down together, and when you go in at 06:30 in the morning at the Virginian over there, you'd see, oh, there's a Presbyterian Bible study and there's first B's Bible study and there's a Lutheran Bible study and then there's a co mingling right there. I really really appreciate that man.
We love him dearly as a family and I I I pray that we'll be effective ministers to him. So, let's praise God together.
Speaker 3Nails pierced his hands and his feet for my sin. Why should he love me so? Nothing with me. Why should he love Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so?
Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so?
Speaker 1Amen. Because we couldn't do it for ourselves. We just flat couldn't do it. That's why. That's why it had to happen.
Freely, freely, we have received. Freely, freely, we should be giving.
Speaker 3God forgave my sin. In Jesus' name, I've been born again. In Jesus' name, and in Jesus' name, I come to you to share his love as he told me to. He said, freely, freely,
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat. I'll invite the ushers to come forward. And would you pray with me? God, I'm thankful this morning for this place to worship. I'm thankful for the people who have gathered in your name.
Lord, we want to be a faithful witness to your love and to your power. We want for you to move in power among the people in the land where we live. We pray for peace, for comfort, for freedom, for our own sanctification and our ability to walk in gratitude and contentment. In Jesus name, Lord, we're praying that you would show us how you want to use us. Would you show us Lord?
We pray that everything that is placed in these plates, whether it's money that's placed in these plates or time, conversations, willingness to answer questions, a loving gesture, shoveling someone's driveway, taking care of the people you have placed us among. In Jesus name, Lord, we pray that we'd be faithfully doing your will and your way in our community. Amen. Amen. I'm gonna invite Berkley Johnston forward.
Berkley is one of our elders, and we've been having the elders come forward and kinda introduce themselves and give a bit of testimony. I'll hold that baby. I'll hold that baby. You got
Speaker 2what you wanted. You got you up on stage.
Speaker 1Oh, yeah. Nice smile. Hey there.
Speaker 3Thank you.
Speaker 2K. Let me see if I can do this.
Speaker 1I always tell people hold it like an ice cream cone. It looks like that's what he wants to do.
Speaker 2Hi, church. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Berkley Johnston, younger than the Berkley Johnston that has been a part of this church for a long time. He's my grandfather. First off, thank you for letting me be a part of this church, a part of this community, and for being a part of the elder board to to serve you and to walk alongside you. So I'll jump into my testimony.
I grew up in a church home. I was super involved in our local church, really involved in young life, And I had a great example of what it was what it looked like to to love the Lord and to live like it from both of my parents. So I was involved in an awesome youth group. And by junior high and into high school, I had a very real and passionate faith. Loved the Lord.
And, yeah, just had was really passionate about about my faith. From the time I was young until now, I am a natural rule follower. And so an early passionate faith mixed with natural rule following led me to look like a good Christian kid, which was great, but it distracted me because in the beginning of high school, started realizing that if I looked like a Christian, then that was the important thing. So I led to a focus on what my life looked like, not how my heart was. And it led to an increase in my focus on appearances and a decrease in the Lord.
That is something that I still fight with today, and I often have to acknowledge myself. Like, you know what? I am I'm living right now for how it looks like I'm living and not for my own personal relationship with the Lord. And so it's something I call myself out on whenever I need to, and that it's it's an ongoing struggle. So that's that's in the high school.
Around around that time, I found a verse, Psalm eighteen two, which to this day is still one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. Psalm eighteen two is, the Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior. My God is my rock in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. The verse spoke to me then just of this idea of the Lord being this this fortress, this foundation that we can hide within when we need to, when we're under attack or when we're feeling scared.
And also just this this kind of base to to have as a as a home base that we go out in the world from this this foundation or this this stronghold. So that's in the high school. When I was 17, a junior in high school, my father passed away from a sudden heart attack. So within half hour to an hour, he was with us and then he was not. So naturally, my world kind of fell apart.
I felt that downward spiral and it felt very real that I was kind of free falling. But that's when that verse came back to me and a foundation of faith stopped me from falling. And I truly it felt like I was falling, and then it felt like I stopped before I should have. And that the that Lord being my rock held me from falling further. It was a physical a physical feeling.
I like to describe that time in my life as as a house. And the Lord tells us to build our house in the rock, and I was thankful that I did. And it was that rock that held me up. But in the in the aftermath of my dad dying, that house was completely shattered and obliterated. So for me, kind of the house is that emotional connection to the Lord, outward passion for the Lord, and that was gone for me.
I had a really hard time experiencing emotions at all, particularly towards the Lord. Worship was not passionate for me anymore like it had been. And for fourteen years now, that has been a a journey to build back that emotional connection, to build back my emotional connection to my family members, to my friends, and especially to the Lord. And it's something that I've made a lot of progress in. In some ways, I'm what are you doing?
In some ways, my faith and relationships are far beyond where they were when my dad passed, and in some ways, they are not to where they were before. So it's a journey to to to get back there. But, again, the Lord being my foundation is what sustained me still. Looking back on all of that from trying to think of when did I have growth in my life? When did I have intimacy with God?
And the common denominator for me is specifically when I had times of deep community and and deep fellowship with brothers in Christ and good Christian community. I wanna read Hebrews 10 verse twenty four and twenty five. It says, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. That verse is a real picture of my life. When I have been in community and when we were stirring each other up, that is when I am passionate for the Lord and my heart is in the right place.
When I neglect to spend time with my brothers and when I neglect to spend time in community, that is when I fall further away from the Lord. So I'm super passionate about community, about Bible studies, and about just gathering with our brothers and sisters. So today, I have an awesome community around me, my wife and kids. My wife, if any of you know her, you'll know that she is much better than I am. My kids are awesome.
This one is of them, this is the middle one. He has a twin sister somewhere in the back and a three year old older sister all the way in the back with miss Crystal. Hi, Robin. And then I have a life group here at First Be that means the world to me. Just our community of our church in general.
The men's alliance, may Ray mentioned earlier, is a monthly meeting of men that's really important to me and has been over the last few years. Just a time of vulnerability amongst men. So those are my passions, my spiritual gifts, of line straight into that. Someone told me once, if you don't know your spiritual gifts, ask your spouse, and they will tell you. So I asked Grace yesterday.
She said that my spiritual gifts are hospitality, service, and and teaching. Maybe not preaching, so I'm not gonna be stepping into Ray's shoes anytime soon, but just teaching friends and family members, but specifically with hospitality and service. I love hosting, whether it's a game night or a Bible study, and I love serving friends and family however I can. So that's why I'm excited to serve our church, and that's a little bit about my story. So Thank you.
Speaker 1Thank you all. That's cool. Thank you, Bertrand. Thanks. Bye bye.
That's awesome. Thank you. Alright. So last week. Last week I said, I didn't wanna preach the sermon I prepared.
I have another one prepared. Psalm 92, it's good. Praise you Lord in the morning and discuss your faithfulness at night and this sermon is the one I did not want to preach last week. Fair warning. It's long as far as the text goes.
It's probably the fastest you will ever hear these two chapters of Matthew preached ever. So I'm giving you fair warning ahead of time. Put on your listening ears. But I will say this, the reason that I'm doing this this way is is because that for the past two months, everything that I preached since December 31 has been relational. Relational sermons, they're from different places in Paul's letters and different places in Jesus' teaching.
There are things there have been on things that are easy to interpret and understand. Love one another is not hard to understand. Right? Love one another is not hard to understand. Forgive one another, not hard to understand.
Bear with one another, not hard to understand, but they're hard to do. So for the last two and a half months, we have been going through things that are easy to understand and hard to do. Well, the Olivet Discourse is two chapters in Matthew, one chapter in Mark, and one almost a whole chapter in Luke. And it is famously hard to interpret and understand. Now, I'm looking out and I can see people from different backgrounds and denominations.
And I know what you've been taught about it because I've studied it very, very thoroughly. And I am not gonna present it any of those ways. Okay? I'm gonna present it looking at the commands of scripture. A lot of times we'll say, what do we do about this?
What can we do about it? Well, when there is an imperative or command, you pay attention to those because it's a command. And in this case, it's command from Jesus to his disciples. So I'm looking for the command. I'll highlight those and we'll go, okay, what do we do with the Olivet Discourse, which is famously hard to interpret and understand.
I'll say it again. There's a list of commands. I'll just add to it each time we hit one, list of commands in this discourse. But if you consider, so it's been since December 31 that I've been doing these relational sermons. Before that was Christmas.
Before that, the last time I preached was the immediate context for this. It was the seven woes from Matthew 23. Obviously, preceding 24 is Matthew 23, But the seven woes of Matthew 23 was for the Pharisees, which he calls Pharisees, scribes, hypocrites over and over and over again. It's seven woes, full almost full chapter of Matthew 23. But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut up the kingdom of heaven in front of people.
I won't read every slide. I'll hit list them by what the description is up there. The number one woe to the Pharisees, religious people, was a failure to recognize Messiah. It says, you shut off the kingdom of heaven because you're shutting people off for me. You're telling people not to listen to me, Jesus.
And you don't enter it yourselves and you don't let anybody else go in because you've got your way of presenting this. The harshest words Jesus ever uttered were all for the religious people. So woe to you for failing to recognize the Messiah. Second thing was woe to you who are superficially zealous and you're doing more harm than good. You're legalistic.
You travel around sea and land to make just one convert or proselyte. And when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. That's hard words from Jesus. Yeah. Their missionary endeavors were were to convert people to their opinion, not to their God.
Oh. Superficially zealous doing more harm than good. Three is a long one. But really, it comes down to a misguided use of scripture. Looking at scripture to justify self rather than looking at it to have a relationship with God.
In this case, the first one he mentions to them, they were equivocating. They were looking for loopholes in the law. Jesus says, you go, whoever swears by the altar, they're not obligated. But when they swear by the gold that's on the altar, they're obligated. Like it's splitting hairs over things so they can get away with what they want to get away with.
They're looking for loopholes. The fourth, and this is the center of a chiastic construction. So this is probably what the main thrust of his woes. Fundamental failure to discern the thrust of scripture. He says, woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you tithe, mint, and dill, and cumin.
They they tithe on their spices, but they've neglected the weightier provisions of the law like justice, and mercy, and faithfulness. These things are things that you should have done without neglecting the others. Your blind guides who strain out a gnat. A gnat is an unclean animal. We we hate them.
Right? South Georgia, you do this all the time while you're eating. You strain out the gnat, but you swallow a camel, also an unclean animal and a whole lot more of it. So fundamental failure to thrust to get the thrust of scripture. God desires, Hosea says, mercy, not sacrifice.
He desires you to acknowledge who he is rather than just religious expressions like burnt offerings. That's the third time it's been mentioned in Matthew. So this is important to Matthew. Five is starting to count back down. It's again a misguided use of scripture.
It really is about cleaning the inside, not just the outside. Kinda like what Berkeley was talking about. A misguided use of scripture. Number six is superficially zealous but doing more harm than good. And seven is a failure to recognize.
In this case, it's the prophets or specifically the prophet, the Messiah, Jesus. God has given us the prophets and he gave us Jesus and failure to recognize that as a problem. But if you look at all these, this is just the foundation for where we're going where we're starting from. The fundamental failure to discern the thrust of scripture, people will analyze and analyze and analyze and think they've got some code on things. And then they'll start preaching that as if that's what matters, their understanding, their code.
And Jesus is speaking to Pharisees and all these examples, super religious people. But the next thing we hit, right after Jesus concludes with a lament by saying, oh, how many times I've wanted to gather all of y'all from all these different groups, How I've wanted to gather you under my arms like a mother hen does her chicks, but you're unwilling for that. This fundamental failure to discern the thrust of scripture. He he adds a quick conclusion and a lament, but then this is where we are. Now imagine that you're one of the disciples and you've been listening to those seven woes and these are the powerful religious people and you're sitting there going, woah, Jesus.
My goodness. Don't you know who they are? Don't you know what's going on? Oh my goodness. And as you're walking away in his little band of people, you're probably watching your back and then Jesus left the temple area.
He was going up on his way and when his disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to him. Can you imagine that disciple's probably like, hey, Jesus. Isn't that temple pretty? That's a beautiful building down there where you were just blasting the Pharisees. It's just a ain't it beautiful?
But he responded and he said to them, and this is in both Luke and Mark also. He responded and said to him, do y'all not see what's going on? Do y'all not see all these things? Truly I say to you, that beautiful building over there, not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down. Now, we know this actually came to pass in seventy AD.
They burned the inside so much that the gold melted and ran down into the cracks between the stones and so they literally flipped over every stone to gather the gold. Nothing left after seventy AD. And then, the Olivet Discourse is named that because the Mount Of Olives is where it took place. And as he was arriving sitting up on the Mount Of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying privately, disciples saying, tell us when these things are gonna happen. Tell us about this.
You've just been talking about woe be unto you, woe be unto you seven times in a row. When is this woe gonna happen to these people? When is it gonna happen? What what are we gonna know? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of this age, the beginning of the next?
And Jesus answered and said to them, first command right here. See to it that no one misleads you. See to it that no one misleads you. For many are gonna come in my name. Many are gonna come saying that they're Christians.
In fact, some of them will come saying they are of Christ and they will mislead many people. They will call themselves anointed. That's what Messiah means. That's what Christ means, the anointed one. They will call themselves anointed and they will mislead many people.
And y'all will be hearing of wars and of rumors of wars. See to it that no one misleads you. See that you are not alarmed. Don't get too upset about it. See that you're not alarmed for those things must take place.
That's not the end. Nation's gonna rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There are going to be famines and earthquakes in various places, part of life. But all these things are merely the beginning of the birth pains. See to it that no one misleads you.
In particular, think he's saying, since they asked the question, when is all this calamity gonna take place, Jesus? There's a note of fear there. See to it that no one uses that fear to mislead you. See that you're not alarmed. He says, they're gonna hand you over.
They're gonna hand you over to tribulation and they are going to kill you. Expect it. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name and at that time many are gonna fall away. Persecution is good for the church. People who are not believers will not pretend to be believers under persecution.
At that time, many will fall away and they'll betray one another and they'll hate one another and many false prophets will rise up and they will mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. That I outlined in pink, it's not a command form, it's not an imperative. But looking at that, the one who endures to the end is the one who'll be saved.
Can you draw a command out of there, an implicit command? Endure. Persevere. Keep on going forward. Trust the process that I've laid out before you.
Love one another. Forgive one another. Bear with one another. Be kind to outsiders. Take care of widows and orphans.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations and then the end will come. Sounds sequential. Yes. It is sequential. See to it that no one mislead you.
See that you're not alarmed. Endure. Persevere. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations and then the end will come. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken up through Daniel, and right here is where usually we just go to the book of Daniel seven and we look over all the stuff from Daniel and then we go from the book to Revelation, we go through that, and then we go to Thessalonians.
I'm not gonna do that today because right here, when you do see the abomination of desolation and people argue over whether this happened in seven day AD which absolutely happened, no doubt about it, or it's going to happen again, let the reader understand. That's kind of a command. Let the reader understand. Those who are in Judea, are you in Judea? None of you are in Judea.
Okay. So it's not a command for you. Flee to the mountains. Whoever's on the housetop must not go down to get out of his house get things out of his house and whoever's in the field, don't turn back to get his cloak. It's gonna be bad.
Woe to those women who are pregnant, those who are nursing babies in those days. Moreover, pray that when you flee, it won't be winter or on the Sabbath. You don't want for that to be the case. For then, there will be a great tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever will again. Like I said, some people argue over this already happened or this is coming.
I'm not getting into that debate. If those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved. But for the sake of the elect, days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, behold, here is the Christ over here or here he is, here's the anointed one over here, Don't believe him. I this section right here, each time I read it, think Thomas was present for this discourse.
Thomas, the disciple that a lot of us know as doubting Thomas because when Jesus appeared, he was like, I'm not gonna believe it until I see his side in his hands. He was listening to what Jesus said. He was listening to what Jesus said. Jesus just said, if somebody says, here he is or here he is, I'm here. Don't believe it.
For false Christ and false prophets will arise and they will provide great signs and wonders so as to mislead if it were possible even the elect. List of commands so far. He just said it again. See to it that no one misleads you. Behold, I've told you in advance.
So if they say to you, behold, he's in the wilderness, don't go out there. Behold, he's in this inner room. Don't believe him. For just as the lightning comes out of the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the son of man be. Can you hear thunder?
Yeah. Can you see the lightning? Yeah. He's saying, you're not gonna miss this people. You're not gonna miss it.
It's gonna be obvious. It's gonna be obvious to everybody at the same time. Now, what we took away from this passage as the church is when people buried in graveyard, you put their feet towards the east so that when they rise up, they can see the east. Do you think that's the thrust of this passage? No, I don't think that's the thrust of this passage.
You're not gonna miss it. Don't be misled. Don't be alarmed. Just keep on doing what I told you to do. Wherever the corpse is, there the virtues are gathered.
That's just a statement of fact. But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun's gonna be dark and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the sky. Powers of heaven will be shaken and then the sign of the son of man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of earth will mourn and they'll see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
Apocalyptic language sounds a lot like Daniel, sounds like a few places in Revelation, acknowledge that but move on. And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet blast and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. This I do believe is the rapture which is not a biblical word but that's what's described right here. Now, learn the parable from the fig tree. As soon as its branches become tender and sprouts its sleeve, y'all all know that summer is near.
May it be so, So you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near. He's right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. I'm gonna stop right there. I don't understand that verse.
I don't get it. I don't understand. I know it's true. I trust it, but I don't understand it. I know that the people that were standing there with him, some of them were murdered in '64 and then the temple is destroyed in '70.
I don't know if he's speaking spiritually. I don't know if he's speaking physically. I don't understand. I don't get it. It's okay to admit that sometimes.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. I trust that that's true too. Even if I don't understand his words, I trust that they will be proven to be true. In this case, recognize where it says, so you too. When you see all these things, y'all recognize.
That's not an imperative. It actually is is the word. But so you too, when you see all these things, you know. It's gonna be obvious. You don't have to worry about it.
Don't be alarmed. Don't be misled. When you see all these things, you know he's near. He's near. But about that day and about that hour, nobody knows.
Not even the angels of heaven nor the son but the father alone. Jesus just said, I don't know. It's alright. If you don't know, it's okay to say, I don't know. When it comes to who knows the hour when it is.
That's the question they asked. When is this gonna happen? He says, I don't know. Oh, okay. Alright.
But what does he want us to do? The coming of the son of man, he goes on and says, and I know I'm reading this stuff fast. For the coming of the son of man will be just like the days of Noah. Remember, Noah, when in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving him marriage until the day that Noah went into that ark. They didn't understand until the flood came that took them all away.
And just like that, that's the way the coming of the son of man will be. At that time, there'll be two in the field, one will be taken and one will be left. There'll be two at grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. Do you all remember Larry Norman? This crowd probably does.
Larry Norman, he's one of the first Christian rock guys. No? No? Good. He scared me half to death when I was a child.
He did the music for Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder and it was kind of the precursor to the left behind series of books. Very very scary stuff based on this particular passage. Goes on verse 42 and says, therefore, y'all, it is gonna be just like the days of Noah, but be on the alert. Y'all don't know when it's coming. Noah didn't know when it was coming.
He knew it was coming, but he didn't know when it was coming. Be sure of this that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and he wouldn't have allowed his house to be broken into. It's just like that. For that reason, you must be ready as well. For the son of man is coming in an hour when you do not think he will.
So if you're gonna be on the alert and be sure this and be ready, how is it best to be showing that you're alert and ready? Just do what he told you to do. Just keep on doing what he told you to do. When you wake up in the morning, praise him. When you see an opportunity to help somebody, help him.
Be on alert. That's a command. Be sure that Jesus will return. So with that information, it helps you to stay alert. You must be ready.
I think of the bumper sticker all the time. Jesus is coming. Act like you're busy, know, something like that. Jesus is coming. Be prepared.
Be doing his work, you know. No. You must be ready. Just keep on doing what he's told us and he has not said this to them yet. He will say it on Thursday night at the upper room discourse.
Abide in me and you'll be alright. I'm the vine, you're the branches. Trust me and you'll be fine. You don't have to worry about all this apocalyptic stuff. It's gonna happen.
Some of you are going to be killed but you're still gonna be alright though you die. Yeah. You will live. Closing out chapter twenty four four, who then is faithful and sensible slave whose master puts in charge of his household slave to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that one whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Truly I say to you, he'll put him in charge of all of his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, my master's not coming. It's been two thousand years for crying out loud. Why should I think it'll happen now? He begins to beat his fellow slaves.
He eats and drinks with those who are habitually drunk and then the master of that slave will come on a day he does not expect and an hour he does not know and he'll cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites. And in that place, there'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Goodness gracious Jesus, it is heavy. He comes up with another parable. The kingdom of heaven will be comparable to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.
Five of them were foolish. They and five of them were prudent for when the foolish one took their lamps, they didn't take any extra oil. They didn't know how long it was gonna be and they didn't prepare. But the prudent ones took oil in the flask with their lamps and while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy, they began to sleep. But at midnight, there was finally a shout, behold, here he comes.
Come out to meet him. Then all those got up and trimmed their lamps but the foolish ones said to the prudent ones, give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out. And the prudent ones answered, no. There most certainly wouldn't be enough for us and you too. So go ahead instead to the merchants, go prepare yourselves.
While they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came and those who already went in with him to the wedding feast. The door was shut. Later, the other virgins also came saying, Lord, Lord, open up for us. And he answered, truly I say to you, I don't know you. Jesus turns to the disciples says, be on the alert then because you don't know the day nor the hour, just stand ready.
Be prepared. Live the way I've asked you to. Be on the alert. First, like a man who's about to go on a journey who called his own slave servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one, gave 5 talents to another, two to another one, each according to his own ability, went on his journey.
The one who'd received five immediately went, did business with it, earned five more. The same way, the guy with two, two more. He who received one went away, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money. After a long time, the master of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them. The one who'd received the five came and brought the five more saying, master, you entrusted five to me.
Here, I've earned five more. His master said, well done. Good and faithful slave. You did what I told you to do. You're faithful with a few things.
I'll put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master. Also, the one who had received the two talents came up and said, master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I've earned two more. 100% return on investment is pretty good.
His master said to him, well done, good and faithful slave. You're faithful with few things, I'll put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master. Now, the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, master, I knew you to be a hard man. You're reaping where you did not sow, you're gathering where you didn't scatter and I was afraid and I let fear cripple me. I went away and I hid your talent in the ground and see here, you still have what is yours.
I dug it back up to bring it to you. But his master answered and said, you worthless, lazy, slave. Didn't you know that I reap? You said you did. Where I didn't sow, I gather where I didn't scatter.
You ought to at least put my money in the bank and on my arrival, I would receive back my money with interest. Therefore, take that talent away from him, give it to the one who has 10. For everyone who has more shall be given and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. Throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness.
Again, heavy heavy words from Jesus to his disciples. In that place, there'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now, there could be certainly religious folks overtones to the people who are trying to convince others of their opinion of stuff like the Pharisees, the woe to you people. They're not gaining any souls. They're not gaining any ground by what they're doing.
It's in that place, there'll be weeping and gnashing up people. When the son of man comes in his glory and angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. There is a time coming and all the nations will be gathered before him. All of the families of the earth and he'll separate them from one another just as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. He'll put the sheep on his right, the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those who are on his right, come you who are blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. This I highlighted in pink. Again, it is implicit. It's not a command but it is implicit within this that it is a command. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger foreigner and you invited me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.
And then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry? When did we feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? Or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or imprisoned and come to you? And the king will answer and say to them, truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me. You took care of people the way I taught you to. So that I think is an implicit command to be feeding the hungry, to be inviting in the stranger or the foreigner to clothe the naked, helping the poor, visiting the sick and those who are in prison. Now, is a negative statement of exactly the same thing.
Then he'll say to those on his left, depart from me, you are cursed because you did not feed me when I was hungry. You didn't give it to me when I was thirsty. You didn't invite me in as a stranger, a foreigner, naked, clothed me, sick and imprisoned, visiting me. And they'll say, but when did we see you and not do it? Because certainly, king, we would have done that if you've been watching.
I mean, had you been we certainly would have done it if it had been for you. You know we would have. And he says, but you didn't do it to the least of these. So these will go into eternal punishment, the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. So I would say the list of commands in the discourse in Matthew are these.
See to it that nobody misleads you. Okay. Trust scripture. Keep on striving with this book. See that you're not alarmed.
Almighty God is almighty. If you're on his side, you don't have anything to worry about. Endure in him. Abide in him. Be on the alert.
Pay attention. Be sure that Jesus will return so that you can stay alert. You do need to be ready. Be on the alert for opportunity to feed the hungry, invite the stranger, clothe the naked, help the poor, visit the sick and those who are in prison. If we look at the list of commands in Mark, take heed lest anyone mislead you.
That was in there. Take heed, you will have an opportunity to witness. You'll stand before governors and kings, it says. And then it says, don't be anxious beforehand. If I'm gonna put you in that position, I'll give you the words to say.
Endure. Abide in me. Pray that it may not be winter. Oh my goodness. Can I get a witness?
Pray that it may not be winter. No. Sorry. That was just a direct quote from Markham. Don't believe the crazy people.
Don't believe the conspiracy theorist. Don't believe the new messiahs. The ones who anoint themselves and call themselves anointed. Don't believe them. Take heed.
Listen to what I've already said. Learn the parable of the fig tree. You'll be able to see when it's coming. Know and recognize that the son of man is near. Take heed because you don't know the time and be watchful.
Watch out. It will happen suddenly. But if you're ready, it's it's just gonna be a joyous event. Let's work for the night is coming. Right?
List the commands in Luke. Not as many. Take heed, lest anyone lead you astray. Do not be terrified. Settle it in your minds not to be anxious beforehand or make up any kind of preconceived defense.
Just abide in me. My Holy Spirit will give you the words at the right time. Patiently endure and by this, you will gain souls. Look up. Lift up your heads because your redemption draws near.
We did a lot of these type of sermons when I was a little. The seventies was a time where I was a lot of a lot of spiritual activity and a lot of end time stuff out. I can say resolutely that today we are one day closer to that day than we were yesterday. Behold the fig tree. And then the last one is a whole verse.
I'll say, be on your guard. That's sort of like stay alert. Be on your guard so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life and that this day will not come upon you suddenly like a trap. Be on your guard. Be ready.
Just do what I've been telling you to do and discern the thrust of scripture. There are whole thing whole lot of things that I've covered in the last two chapters that we cannot do anything about. And then there are some commands that we can. Don't be worried. Don't be misled.
Keep on doing what I told you to do. I think that's the last slide there. We're gonna go into a time of communion. Would you all pray with me and I'll invite the ushers to come forward. God, we ask for your help in discerning the thrust of the scripture.
What is it that you would have us to do, Lord, that we may be able to unify as believers, as disciples, as learners. What is it that we need to do together to reach out and extend your redemption, your salvation, your good gospel to the people around us? Show us Lord what it is that you would do. We come together unified from all types of denominational backgrounds, some different religious backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds. We're called out of different families all around this globe and into the body of Christ.
We celebrate that here together that as disciples, we're gathered here in front of this Lord's Supper. Would you bless this little representation of the body of Jesus, this cracker that we pass this out Lord as a representation of your body that you walked out a perfect example. Therefore, having a perfect record, you are able to offer innocent blood for anyone who would believe. We ask your blessing on this. For anyone who would partake Lord, I pray that they would have a profound understanding of who you are and the steps that you'd have us walk out following you.
Amen.
Speaker 3On which
Speaker 1On the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and he said to his disciples that were gathered there with him, he's still saying to his disciples gathered here, This is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat of it and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Lord Jesus, we thank you for walking it out, for giving us an example, for living a life surrendered and submitted to the spirit, for promising and then giving that spirit to us. I pray, Lord, that we would follow you. Thank you that it's not just an example.
You're not just a good teacher and just a good guy, but Lord that you were in that perfection, you voluntarily and sacrificially shed your blood, innocent blood. You gave up your perfect record to take on our imperfect ones on that cross. Lord God, would you bless the distribution of this little plastic cup of grape juice, a representation of the shed innocent blood of the lamb of God. Amen. In the same manner that he had taken the bread, he took the cup.
There's probably a common cup for them. These little individual cups for us, but we're drinking in the same. He said to them and he says to us, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink it and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Amen.
Paul says that as often as we do this, we claim the Lord's saving death until he comes again. Would you stand with me? We're gonna sing the doxology. G, maybe? Yeah.
There we go.
Speaker 3Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost.
Speaker 1Amen. I have a long benediction to to follow-up a long sermon. Okay? This one has four commands in it and it has four things that God will do in it. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you at the proper time.
Cast in all of your cares on him. Humble yourself because he cares for you. Be sober. Be on the alert. You do have an adversary, the devil.
He prowls around like a roaring lion. He's seeking someone to devour. The fourth command is resist the devil. Firm in the faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering that you're going through are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. But after y'all have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you into his eternal glory in Christ, he will himself do four things.
He will perfect, he will confirm, he will strengthen, and he will establish you. Amen. To him be the dominion, power forever and ever. Amen. Amen.
