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Tenacity in Troubled Times
12 Plays16 days ago
Series: Faithfulness to Jesus
Mark 13:1-37
Recommended
Transcript
The Dual Nature of 24-Hour News
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think I want to begin this morning with one observation and one question.
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The observation is simply this, 24-hour real-time news might be a blessing and a curse.
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The question is, what on God's green earth is going on in this world? Have you asked yourself that lately?
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You might want to fasten your seat belts, one reporter said just a couple of nights ago, because we are in a time and a season in life where turbulent times are headed your way.
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Wars, terrorism, plane crashes. What the world is going on with the FAA?
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Wildfires. Every time you turn on the TV, it's a different wildfire in a different state.
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Hurricanes. Tornadoes, earthquakes like the one we saw in Thailand.
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Hundreds upon hundreds people killed.
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And now, Tiger Woods is dating Vanessa Trump. Friends, the end is near.
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It's no wonder people say we're living in what? The end, the end times, yeah. It's often interesting when I hear people say that, I think, what do they really mean by that?
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Are we indeed living in the end times? I'll get to that a little bit later. I think it's easy, however, simply turning on the news, even for a very brief time, that you can think, wow, the scope and the magnitude of what's going on in our world is unprecedented.
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It's no wonder sometimes your faith can be shaken. I know I ask myself, Lord, where are you at sometimes in these catastrophes?
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And I know if I'm asking that, I'm sure you're asking that too. What do we do in these crazy times, in these turbulent times, in these troubled times that we see all
Introduction to Mark Chapter 13
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around us? And and friends, that's what we're going to look at today in Mark chapter 13.
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ah We're going to see ah a problem, a solution, and then what we're to do with that solution. The problem that we're going to see is the the disciples are told about and are living in troubled times.
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and they're And Jesus is going to tell them it's only going to get worse. What do we do with that? What did they do with that? That's what you'll see in your outline if you have it. There's three things that God provides for us in in troubled times. We're going to look at all three of those and how we have just one application point today, although we could have had many.
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I think for the sake of time, we're just going to go with one. Mark chapter 13 is all about future events. So if you ever watch the news and you think it's it's all coming to a head,
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We're living in the end times. ah ah Just put a pin in that and I'll get to that at the very end. okay and You're like, no I don't want to stay until the very end. You have to.
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Last week we saw, if you've been following with us, Jesus um intimately connected with his disciples and he's teaching them last week saying, you are the image bearers of God. And because you are not divinely stamped, because you've been given this privilege, we have to have this all-in attitude. Remember we talked about that last week. We have this all-in attitude which consists of loving God and loving others.
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You can't love others unless you love God. Can't simply love others without loving God. They go hand in hand. This week, our passage picks up with another teaching. Jesus is teaching his disciples again.
Jesus' Teachings on Future Troubles
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There's going to come a time in the future when there's massive trouble ahead, and he wants to prepare them. Look with me, Mark chapter 13. Go ahead and turn in your Bibles. Mark chapter 13, beginning verse 1, and we'll just simply read the first 13 verses.
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Verse 1 says this, And Jesus was leaving the temple that day, One of his disciples said, Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings. Look at the impressive stones in the walls. And Jesus replied, Yes, look at these great buildings, but they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another.
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Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, Tell us, when will all of this happen?
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What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled? You'll notice, if you're careful and you have a red-lettered Bible, verse 5 on is all red letters.
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This is all Jesus speaking. Verse 5, Jesus replies, Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming I am the Messiah. They will deceive many.
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And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nations will go to war against nation and kingdom against kingdom.
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There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains with much more to come. Verse 9, when these things begin to happen, watch out.
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You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.
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For the good news must be preached to all nations. But when you are arrested and you stand trial, don't worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
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A brother will betray brother to death. A father will betray his own children. And children rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.
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But the one who endures to the end will be saved. It's an interesting picture, a dramatic picture of future events that takes center stage here. As Jesus tells his disciples, not only is there going to be troubled times ahead, but just like birth pains, they're going to increase in intensity.
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right these These pains, these troubles that you'll face are going get worse and worse and worse. There will be false circumstances.
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Messiahs, or false prophets, and they will mislead the masses. That's the first thing that will happen during these periods of times. The disciple is when they are faced with a false Messiah or a false teacher or a false prophet, they are to remain faithful to Jesus.
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That's the first admonition here.
Warnings of False Messiahs and Disasters
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Don't be led astray, it says. Those times are coming when those teachers, those false prophets will give false signs and they will try to sway you or deceive you into believing something else. He says, we're not to do that.
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Not only will there be false messiahs, he says, there's going to be wars and war rumors of wars. All these things, disasters, earthquakes, fires, famines, they all must happen. They all must take place first.
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But he says, friends, this is not the end.
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Our natural inclination, our natural fallen response to these events is one of fear. But he says, don't be afraid. When you see all the calamity that's going on, when you see the tower in Miramar, this 30-story building, if you've watched it, this hotel collapse.
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And it's on camera, right there. Everybody's watching. All these people standing right down there at the base. Undoubtedly, all of them killed in that moment. Live, for your viewing pleasure,
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in my viewing pleasure, in real time. Unprecedented. We've never had this in history of news. Understand that. If something like this happened 30, 40 years ago, they would write about it.
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And that that letter would have to be delivered. And then you would get that maybe two or three weeks later and you'd go, oh look, there was a hurricane in Thailand and it destroyed a thousand lives. Now friends, we have the internet immediately, we see it.
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It happens, we see it, Why is that important? I'm going to get to that. I think we're living in unprecedented times. He says not only are there going to be false messiahs, there's going to be wars and rumors of wars.
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Don't worry. These pains are like the birth pains. Don't distress. The picture here he gives of birth pains would be like when the very first contraction comes.
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You go, the baby's here. quick grab the bag we're all jumping in the car no he's saying it's like those first contractions they're gonna get worse and worse and worse and it's pointing to a future time a future event that we'll see in just a few minutes he says not only is there gonna be false prophets false teachers wars earthquakes famines he says there's gonna be personal suffering brother will be betray brother father will be betray child child will rebel against the parents
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And everybody will hate you because you are my followers. right This is persecution. Not only is there personal suffering in the family, there's going to be persecution on scales as ah to you as a Christian of the likes that you have not seen.
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He says you will suffer because of Jesus' sake, because you are following me. He says you will no longer simply be able to be a spectator. You will no longer simply be able to come here on Sundays and the in the sovereignty and rest of this great United States and sit here and enjoy a message that says in future events you will be persecuted.
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This word in verse 11, if you look at me here, says you'll be handed over. but It's this picture of a baton race. It's one racer handing off the baton to the next.
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He says in those end times you will literally be the baton. They will take you and hand you over just like they handed over Jesus. And Jesus suffered. and he proclaimed the gospel, you and I too will suffer, and you and I too will proclaim the gospel as a disciple, and you and I will have to hand that baton on to somebody else.
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It's this picture of both grand scheme of the big race that we're all racing as Christians, all towards this end event, And it's one of comfort knowing that there is somebody before you who ran the race well and who has passed that baton to you.
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And it's great comfort knowing that I received that from them, but it's a great responsibility know that I have to pass that off.
Passing the Faith to Future Generations
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And that's not me from the pulpit, that's you from the seats. That's you Christians from the seats. You're called to pass the baton.
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Are we passing the baton? That was the first question I put to myself this week.
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it's It's this baton of suffering for the sake of Christ. It is the the baton that says, I'm going to preach the gospel so that it reaches the end of the earth, so that it reaches all nations.
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What's this sign of the end times? That's what basically this chapter started.
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His disciples, Jesus, tell us when this is going to happen. I know bad times are coming. I need to know when. And he gives them an answer, if you will, to this sign that will happen.
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Even the last sign here, verse 14, if you will, verse 14 starts this way. it says, The day is coming when you will see the saccrileization the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where he should not be. Readers, pay attention.
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Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out of on the deck of the roof must not go down to the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get their coat.
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Oh, how terrible it will be for the pregnant woman for and for the nursing mothers in these days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter, for there will be great anguish in those days.
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than at any other time since God had created the world. And it will never be so ever again. In fact, unless the Lord shortens the time of calamity, not a single person will survive.
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But the sake of His chosen ones, He has shortened those days. Then if anybody tells you, look, here's the Messiah or there he is, don't believe it. For the false messiahs and the false prophets will rise up and they'll perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones.
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Watch out.
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I have warned you about this ahead of time.
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It's dire warning to his disciples. There's going to come a future time, he says, when there's a big event.
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There's going to be a coming time when we're no longer worried about false messiahs and wars and earthquakes and famines and persecutions because there's going to be one big event that kicks it off. And and your the New Living Translation doesn't really do this great justice here in verse 14.
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It is the abomination of desolation. What is that? This is a good time to just pause here. The next major event that we are looking forward to is the rapture, the rapture of Christians, right?
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2 Thessalonians 2 tells us, right? We'll be caught up in the air, and at that moment, a seven-year period will begin. A seven-year period of tribulation will we'll begin. Imagine, if you will, just a second, if we can think a little futuristic, if we if we will. Imagine, no matter where you're at,
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Say it's on Monday, say it's tomorrow, say you're at school, you're driving your car, you're at work, and then all of a sudden, poof, all the Christians are gone. All at once, all over the world.
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Pilots who are flying planes, who are Christians, poof, gone. Bus drivers who are driving buses full of kids who are believers, God. Can you imagine the chaos that's going to ensue?
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There's going to be mass chaos when all of us leave here
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and It tells us there will be this one, this man of lawlessness that 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us. This is the Antichrist who will step onto the stage at that time and for the next three and a half years he's going to bring peace.
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He's going to have oaths that are signed. He's going to have a contracts that are signed, a peace treaty that's signed. And it's going appear for the next three and a half years that things are okay. But this event...
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that Mark's talking about is what happens. Because he stands in the temple in Jerusalem and he desecrates it. And I believe from the well-studied scripture here that this is him proclaiming to be God himself.
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And it it will astonish the entire world. Why would it astonish the eternal world entire entire world? Because we have the internet. And it can be seen in real time.
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Think about that just for a second. Think about how catastrophic this event will be at that time. Jesus is telling them, hey, watch out for this future event. It's okay to understand the signs and the seasons, but he says here, don't look for the exact time.
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Because i I think, friends, what happens quite often when we hear somebody say, we live in the end times, I listen real close with a real sharp ear when somebody says it to immediately what follows. Because I want to hear...
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Why they think that? What is that causing them to do in their lives? Do they think they're part of some special generation right now? Who, by the way, the last ten generations have thought they're the that generation also.
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Right? God's coming back at any moment. We are to live in a certain way. So when I hear somebody say we live in the end times, I go, I completely agree. You know also lived in the end times?
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Those disciples when they saw Jesus ascend into heaven. That began the end times. They were living in the end times, 2,000 some odd years away. So now we've been living in the end times.
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And so when I hear that, internally, I chuckle a little bit and I kind of listen. what does that mean Why do you say that? What makes you? Well, because they want to point to, well, there's a war in the Middle East. Let me let you in on a small truth.
00:16:55
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There's been war in the Middle East for thousands of years. Well, there's been hurricanes and tornadoes. You know what? There's been ah hurricanes and tornadoes for many, many years. I'm not dismissing that Jesus can't come back tomorrow.
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I'm just saying there are certain big signs that have to happen beforehand, but I don't want to get sidetracked. Because what he's telling us here, friends, in this is there's this event is going to be so catastrophic, you're not even going to want to stop and get your coat.
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Don't even leave the fields. It's going to be so bad. Head to the hills. Don't head to the safety of the city. Head to the hills. How terrible will it be for the pregnant women and for the nursing mothers in those days?
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It paints this dismal future picture of tur turbulent times ahead of the disciples
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How does this affect UNI today? Well, I think we have to be real smart when we watch the news, when we watch the events that are unfolding both here in America and abroad.
Interpreting Current Events Biblically
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I think we have to keep one eye to Biblically, where does this fall in? Do these events fall in somewhere biblically? i think we need to be mindful of that. We don't want to be the ostrich that sticks its head in the dirt.
00:18:13
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right We also don't want to be the chicken that's screaming that the the sky is falling. there's There's a prudence to understanding eschatology, right the study of end times. there's There's a real prudence on not causing mass fear because I can give you on both hands and both feet prophets who over the years have given exact dates and they've all been wrong.
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And then what do you do with those guys? I mean, can you imagine the shame of me telling you tomorrow is going to be the day and then Tuesday comes around and it's not the day? We got to be real careful how we watch the news, how we filter that through the Bible, through the context of future events. We got to be we got to be real smart about that.
00:18:59
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I just put a couple of notes. Time Magazine wrote just last year twenty twenty four October 2024, and said this, the current climate in 2024, 45% of Americans are fearful to express their own religious beliefs in America.
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45%, y'all, that's almost half of the people are afraid to say something about what they believe. Christians in particular, especially you conservative view, you feel may feel targeted or persecuted ah because you have opposing, maybe even opposing political ideologies.
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there's ah There's a company called Open Doors. They have an international branch and a U.S. branch. A U.S. branch says Christians that are at all-time high for experiencing harassment in the workplace.
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internationally, you know, ah Brother Billy made a great point today in Bible study class. He said, we don't, living in America, we don't really know what it's like to be persecuted. We don't know what it's like to feel like that. Well, overseas, one in five in Africa, persecuted.
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Two in seven in Asia, persecuted and or killed.
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Christians worldwide, three out of every seven, have shown some level of persecution or discrimination discrimination for their faith.
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So what do we do? What do we do when we live in these crazy times when you turn on the news and and it's just, it's havoc all over the place. what Well, he tells us right here, the first thing we can rely on, the first part of this solution, verse 20. Look with me, verse 20. It says, even in the midst of all this turmoil, verse 20 says, in fact, unless the Lord shortens the time of calamity, not a single person will survive, but...
00:20:45
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Here's the contrast. He said, instead of that happening, but for the sake of his chosen people, God in his provision will shorten those days. God will provide. How do we live out in this turbulent time when all these crazy events are happening? Well, the first one is we realize God is still in control. He's still sovereign.
00:21:05
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He still provides for his people. He can be trusted.
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Not only can it be trusted, but it says everyone who has written in this book. and And friends, this is a great sign of hope for the Jewish people. Why do I say that? Because, friends, we're going to be gone. We're going be raptured up.
00:21:24
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And for that next seven years, well while the first three and a half may be kind of calm, there's still going be persecution. But those last three years, it says, is going to be like nothing we've ever seen.
00:21:37
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The Jews will have a chance to come to repentance. Unbelievers will have a chance to come to repentance. God is still there and can still save all the way up to the very, very end. Not only do we have the providence or the protection or the provision of God, it also says, verse 11, that we have the power of the Holy Spirit.
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We have the presence of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:01
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We have his guidance. That's why he says don't be concerned in those times. Don't be concerned when somebody um challenges you about your faith. Don't worry if somebody starts persecuting you for the sake of Jesus.
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Matter of fact, it says you don't even have to have a written um something ahead of time. It's nothing prepared. says simply rely on the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to counteract that. Don't be concerned.
00:22:28
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Don't be dismayed.
Hope in Jesus' Return
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Don't panic, because I feel like that's our first reaction quite often. Not only are we do we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it's this great comfort that we have knowing that we're not facing future events alone.
00:22:43
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We have help, we have guidance, and not only do we have the promise of God, we have the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse 24, if you'll look with me, says we have something else. The one thing that saves. And it says, at this time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will give no light. The stars will fall from heaven.
00:23:03
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The powers in heaven will be shaken. Then, verse 26, if you're somebody who underlines or circles or annotates something, verse 26, then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.
00:23:20
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And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen from those all over the world, from the farthest ends of earth and heaven.
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Verse 26 should give you great comfort. right Not only do you have the protection and provision of God, not only do you have the power of the Holy Spirit with you, but the Son of Man has been given to you to save you.
00:23:46
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The beauty of this, I think, verse 26, your translation may read this, then everyone will see. How is everyone going to see the Son of Man coming on the clouds?
00:23:58
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Maybe it's because we'll have real-time, 24-hour news coverage. That's why I say it might be a blessing and a curse. It's just something to think about.
00:24:10
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He's going to come the same way he left on this cloud, and he's going to come, and everybody will see him in great power and great glory and he will send out the angels to gather his chosen from all over the world from the farthest ends.
00:24:22
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It's a great comfort not only to Mark's readers who were troubled at this time but it's every disciple for every generation. It's this song that's sung subtly throughout all of time.
00:24:33
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Jesus is coming back. Jesus is coming back. Why do we not have fear? Why do we not panic when when the earthquakes knock down a 30-story building and kill thousands of people, but Jesus coming back.
00:24:51
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Every disciple, every person who's been passed the baton at some point waits in eager anticipation for Jesus' return. So what do we what do we do with this today? How do we apply this to your life and my life? Well, I'm looking at the time.
00:25:07
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I'm just gonna make a ah couple of quick points on how not to apply this, because I think it's quite easy to apply this wrongly.
00:25:16
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We gotta be real careful when we think about the end times.
00:25:20
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If we think about the end times and you get somebody who says, well, it's coming in a couple of months, you might wanna sell everything, and we laugh, right? Nobody would ever do that, right?
00:25:32
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Well, yes, brothers and sisters, that's exactly what many false teachers have done. It's time to sell everything. He's coming. We've got to be real careful of people like that.
00:25:45
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We have to be real careful with people who hang on signs, meaning they're constantly looking for a sign that talks about when something will happen. I'd rather that person simply go, I'm keeping an eye out, but I'm also going to be alert, because that's really what the call is here. Be alert.
00:26:04
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Watch out. Be on guard. Two times it says be on guard. Be alert.
Living and Proclaiming Faith
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In this crazy times that are happening, be alert.
00:26:17
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But while you're being alert, by the way, go out and proclaim the gospel. Because that's what it says here. Go out and proclaim the gospel to all nations.
00:26:26
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We must not be swayed by fear or catastrophes or false teachers because we could end up being shipwrecked. All right, that's enough on what not to do. What's the right thing we should do?
00:26:37
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How do we depend on God's providence, his power, and his promise in troubled times? I simply chose one. There are many, many, many applications that we could pull directly from the text here. I'm just simply going to look at one because I think it could be relevant to you.
00:26:51
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Look with me at verse 12.
00:26:54
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Verse 12 paints this very real, very near picture.
00:27:01
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Your brother will betray you. Your sister will betray you. Your kids will betray you. Your father and mother will betray you.
00:27:15
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How do we depend on God in troubled times? Well, simply put here, brothers and sisters, it's clear from God's word that there's going to come a time real soon, if it hasn't already started now, where brothers and sisters and family members will ostracize you for believing in Jesus.
00:27:33
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Maybe it's not your sister or your brother, maybe it's your grown kids.
00:27:38
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who are far off from the Lord, who see their parents as right-wing, intolerant, kind of conservative, sold out for Christ, nut jobs. That might just be verbatim for some of you guys.
00:27:52
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Your grown kids may very well see you this way. What do you do in that scenario? May I challenge you to be courageous, to stand up and defend the faith, to tell them You're wrong.
00:28:11
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The Bible tells you so. Let me tell you what the Bible says. You may have something against me as your parent. You may think I'm way off kilter as your parent. Let me show you what the Word of God says.
00:28:23
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And I'm going to defer to when is the right time, because often I'm asked this when it comes to speaking to your grown kids. Pastor, when is the right time to challenge them?
00:28:34
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to stand up in defense for your Christian beliefs. Well, I'm not that smart. I'm going to defer to somebody who is. The great Kenny Rogers.
00:28:45
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Friends, you've got to know when to hold them. You've got to know when to fold them. There is a right time to challenge your kids. There's a right time, and it's through prayer first, right? You're continually praying for your kids.
00:28:58
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You're continually praying for the opportunity so that you might reach out to them and that it receptive But at the same time I put here, don't fold the cards on your kids.
00:29:09
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Don't throw in the cards on your grown kids who are far away.
00:29:17
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Don't let the events of today, no matter how catastrophic they may be, shake your faith. There's no reason to do that. He tells us don't panic, don't fear. We have God's protection, God's provisions, the Spirit's presence and its power and the Son's promise.
00:29:34
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to return.
00:29:36
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The baton has been passed to you this morning
00:29:42
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by faithful believers who came before you and who suffered before you. May we be a people who trust in Jesus no matter what troubles we face. May we be a people who proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:29:56
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And may we be a people who passes that baton on to the next generation.