Oh, wow. Wonderful. All right. Actually, we're going to, on that note, we'll transition.
And if you guys would actually just stand with me and we're for the reading of God's word.
We'll be reading in Matthew chapter 24, verses 1 through 14 this morning. Again, that's Matthew 24, 1 through 14.
Amen.
And Jesus answered them,
Join me in a word of prayer.
Father, thank you for your son, Jesus. Thank you for his words. Thank you for his endurance before us.
And bearing the cross on our behalf, oh Lord, let us look to your son, Jesus, now.
And let us hear from your word. Oh Lord, use your word to shape and mold us into your image,
to encourage us, to build us up so that we may glorify you wherever we go. We pray. Amen.
Amen.
What a joy it is to be here this morning. It is a joy, really, to be here worshiping with you all, to be back.
Over six months ago, Brittany and I got to come here and enjoy time with you guys.
And it really has been such an encouragement to us.
So much so, like as Sean said, Lord willing, later this year, we'll move here.
We'll move here and join this church here.
And that's actually the reason why we chose Boston.
It sounds crazy, but we didn't choose Boston because of Boston.
We chose Boston because Sean and you guys, we wanted to come here and be a part of this church.
The Lord has led us in that way.
And he has kindly so continued to build our faith for this transition.
Experiencing sweet and generous hospitality at many of you guys, from many of you guys over this time.
And seeing your zealous love for Jesus in conversations and seeing and hearing reports from Sean about how you guys are growing in the Lord and evangelizing the lost.
And even small gifts, though, have really built our faith.
Small gifts of like receiving a book, Make Way for Ducklings, has been something that has really been a treasure for our kids and us to read.
And also good coffee.
That was a gift we received.
And that is key for us.
We love good coffee.
So to know that there are good local roasters here in Boston, that definitely helps.
So we are very much looking forward to the potential of moving here later this year.
And as we think about, like, the future, we often, as humans, typically, more typically here in the Western culture, we can be consumed with the future.
Thinking about the future.
Thinking about what it might hold.
What will tomorrow be like?
What job will I seek after graduation?
When will I get married?
How many kids do I want?
We even write stories fantasizing about the future.
And hypothesizing when the end will come.
Or when it will be upon us.
Or seeking maybe how to avoid the future.
In our modern world, it seems like we're growing more and more in that way.
How do we avoid the perils of the future?
Perhaps even death.
And in my early teens, before I was a Christian, I remember one night at my house, I was coming up the basement stairs.
And I started to hear, through the door, I started to hear a conversation amongst my brother and my mom going back and forth.
And they were talking about death and the end times and how they thought the end times were upon us.
And before I could open the door, immediate dread just fell upon me.
And instead of opening the door, I ran back downstairs the entire time.
And my mom heard me loud enough running down the stairs that she called after me.
And I just shut my ears saying, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
All the way down the stairs so I couldn't hear her, act like I didn't hear her.
And I ran into my room, closed the door while I thought I was safe and sound.
I didn't have to engage in that conversation anymore.
I didn't care about the future.
I didn't want to have anything to do with the future.
I dreaded over the future.
So like an ostrich, I literally put my head in the sand in hopes that I could just drown it out.
Christians, where is our focus when it comes to the future?
Do you ignore the future because fear begins to creep into your heart?
Or perhaps you find yourself focused on analyzing the data, hypothesizing how and when will the end come?
But the question is, are you ready for what today might hold?
Are you ready for tomorrow?
Are you ready for next month, this year, or in 10 years?
Are you ready for what your life might hold?
And that brings us to our text today.
We come to the fifth and last discourse here in Matthew's Gospel in chapter 24.
Right before Jesus is taken to be crucified,
Jesus gives this glimpse of what life on earth will look like for all,
but particularly what life will look like for Christians, for his disciples, for the church, for us.
It might be one of the most difficult and often misunderstood passages of Scripture
due to its eschatological prophecies and parables,
but what our goal today is not to unpack these things in the eschatological position
or try to convince you of one position over the other.
Or when would things take place?
I'll actually leave that up to Sean,
because Sean is much more capable of doing that than I am.
And I trust that he will lead you in that and giving you those answers as best as he can.
However, though, again, it's not so much the text, though, here,
that's the problem, that makes it so difficult for us,
but more likely how we approach texts like this.
What do we bring to the text?
What are our presumptions?
What are our own preconceived ideas of the future?
Rather than actually seeking, what is the heart here behind this text?
What is the heart the text is breathing to us?
So today, the Word of God today gives no secret code to reveal the future to us,
but it looks to provide a fresh burst of wind into the sails of his people, of God's people.
So Jesus actually leans in.
He leans in with pastoral care to shepherd his disciples,
to prepare him, his people, his church, you and me.
Jesus leans in to shepherd his people
for whatever the future holds that they may endure
while keeping his church fixed on the mission that he has given them.
So to sum it up in one short sentence,
Jesus prepares us to endure with hope for his glory among all nations.
Again, that's Jesus prepares us to endure with hope for his glory amongst all nations.
And to give us a little context here, though,
in looking back at chapter 23 as well,
the verses that come right before chapter 24 in verse 38 and 39,
and even the first couple verses of 24,
Jesus was in the temple.
He was just in the temple with his disciples
for the last time,
giving multiple warnings of coming judgment upon Israel,
upon its empty and corrupt leaders.
The seven woes, as you might see here.
And the last judgment he gives, though,
is the most striking.
It is the most important one to note.
In verse 38, he says,
See, your house is left to you desolate.
The glory of the Lord has left the temple.
An illusion from the prophecy of Ezekiel in chapter 10 of this happening.
It's being fulfilled right now.
And as Jesus leaves the temple with his disciples,
they begin to look around.
They begin to look around and see the beauty and the grandeur of its architecture.
This temple was known as Herod's temple.
John tells us in the gospel it took 46 years to build this temple.
Herod wanted the temple to be more magnificent than that of Solomon's temple in all its glory.
And if it wasn't destroyed in 70 AD,
it would certainly be numbered among the ancient wonders of the world.
So the disciples here are most likely getting caught up in the beauty of these buildings.
And the moment they're captivated, they're marveling,
they begin pointing out the buildings to Jesus.
And then notice again how Jesus responds, though, to them.
How he responds here at the beginning.
You see, all these do not.
It's going to be demolished.
It'll become one big pile of rubble.
So if that wasn't clear to you,
that the glory, the presence of God is leaving the temple,
he has just made it another building.
But no, it's not just that.
It's going to become a pile of rubble.
No, it's going to become obsolete, no longer needed.
And we might forget this, but this would be shocking.
This would be strange to fall on the ears of the Jewish audience, of his disciples.
This was no light thing for Jesus to say.
It was the dwelling place of the Lord Almighty in the midst of his people,
the center of all their worship activities.
They went there to give their sacrifices, to have atonement with God,
to see their sacred scrolls unrolled and hear the word of God proclaimed,
to receive the forgiveness of sins, to receive blessing,
to receive spiritual nourishment.
This was the very symbol and the identity of Israel,
the symbol of God dwelling with his chosen people.
And Jesus just says, it's desolate.
It's going to be dust.
I don't know if we can understand, again,
how shocking and confusing this might have been to them.
But rest assured, we might ask the question, is God leaving?
No.
God has not abandoned his people.
God is always at work for his people in the glory of his name.
It's the old is passing away.
And the new area of redemptive history is at play here.
It's now unfolding.
Jesus is preparing them for that, helping them see that.
A new covenant of how God relates with his people
is being ushered in by his son, the king.
A renewal and expansion of the kingdom of God
being brought to fulfillment right here and now by Jesus.
And so the hearts of his disciples were at that moment
captivated by the earthly temporal needs,
the earthly temporal time of that building,
their own desires.
But wait, they might have been asking, but wait.
I thought we were going to be establishing your kingdom
right here, right now.
Don't we need this building?
Isn't this the symbol and identity of your kingdom,
of your people?
And we might even ask ourselves,
what temples do you admire?
What temples in your life do you place your hope in?
The vestiges of the church,
Christians' former glory and power and prestige,
what might be some of those that you look to?
Political favor, cultural clout, or social prestige
may occasionally characterize Christians,
but this passage tells us it is an exception,
not the rule.
These things our earth are not meant to endure.
So even as his disciples are distracted, though,
and forgetting a misunderstanding,
we see the patience and the kindness of God
to lean in,
to lean in to his disciples,
to prepare his church,
to prepare us
so that we may endure with hope
for the glory of God amongst the nations.
And that brings us, actually,
to our first point this morning.
To endure,
we must endure with discernment.
So in chapter 24,
look at verses 3 through 8 with me.
Jesus leads his disciples
up to the Mount of Olives.
They sit down,
and they came to him,
and they privately asked him this question.
And in his response,
his first response is saying that,
see that no one leads you astray.
As they're overlooking the city of Jerusalem,
the temple they just left,
the temple that Jesus just prophesied about,
and this question they just answered,
Jesus doesn't seek to answer their question,
but redirects it to their heart.
And he emphasizes,
see,
that no one leaves you astray.
Or how other versions translate it,
watch out,
that no one deceives you.
Jesus immediately again
just directs their attention to their heart,
and redirects their focus
to be on alert.
Don't be concerned with this.
Don't be concerned of when things might happen,
or how things might happen,
but be on alert.
Jesus does what he always does.
He begins to address their heart in this way.
And it's amazing,
because Jesus consistently focuses
on the heart of his people.
He doesn't just throw mere information at us
to take in and to cling to,
but rather his first concern
is the attention,
our focus,
our hearts.
So don't get caught up in the when,
or exactly how it will all play out.
That will not serve us.
That will not serve us in any time.
But here is what will serve you
in the time ahead.
Being alert.
Being alert that there will be deception.
The see and the watch out
are imperatives,
and Jesus puts this emphasis here.
And it's actually the only imperative
in this whole entire passage.
So what that imperative
actually calls our attention to,
we'll see in the preceding verses here.
It points to the lead astray
that rises three times in the passage.
In verses five,
he says that I am the Christ,
and they'll lead many astray.
And then again,
later on,
in verses,
sorry,
verses 11,
he says,
and many false prophets were allied
and lead many astray.
So the Lord is making,
drawing their attention here
to that there is something
to be on alert here about.
Jesus focuses on our need
to watch out for deceivers
and stay the course.
To compound the weight
of the situation,
again, though,
in this passage,
Jesus draws it then,
Jesus says six times
that many will fall prey to this.
Many will be led astray.
So it's not that just a few
will be led astray,
or just a minuscule amount
that we don't need
to be concerned about.
No,
that many people
will be led astray.
Verse five,
for many will come in my name
and lead many astray.
Verse 10,
then many will fall away.
Verse 11,
many false prophets
will arise
and lead many astray.
Verse 12,
the love of many
will grow cold.
Do you feel the weight,
the gravity
of this situation?
This will not just happen
a few times.
It's going to be characteristic
of the age to come.
This age of,
between Christ's first coming
and second coming.
And there will not just be
few false messiahs,
but there will be many.
There will be many
false teachers,
false messiahs
that will lead many astray.
So we need to be on alert
and be aware of this.
Jesus knows
the powers
of deception
that are at play here.
He knows
the powers
of the evil one.
He knows
it all too well.
Remember Jesus
being tempted
in the wilderness
when Satan
took God's word
and twisted it
ever so slightly,
ever so slightly
to make his attempt
to even,
to lead even Jesus,
the son of God,
astray.
The audacity
of Satan
to try that.
Do you not think
that he'll try
and do that on us?
The powers
of deception
are not to be
taken lightly.
The dangers
of false messiahs,
false teachers
abounded in the first century.
As we know
from the works
of the historian Josephus
in the earlier years
of the church,
they abounded.
And they still
abound to this day.
Some may be
more subtle
than others
than what you realize.
And this is the battle
that has been
from the beginning
as well.
Remember the serpent's words
in the garden?
Did God actually say?
The heart of the woman Eve
being deceived
while the heart of man,
Adam,
was passive,
not being on alert.
These deceptions
are even plastered
around us today,
seeking to lure us,
to indoctrinate us
very subtly.
It's not so blatant
as we might think sometimes.
The subtleness
and the slowness
of enticing our minds,
working our heartstrings,
one Instagram reel
at a time.
What things
might we be letting
entice us
ever so subtly?
How might we be
letting down our guard
ever so subtly?
But thankfully,
this warning here
prompts his disciples
to distinguish
between truth
and error.
It would lead
to the New Testament
pastoral letters.
Notice what characterizes
the pastoral letters
of the New Testament.
They are written
to serve the church
and distinguishing
between truth
and error,
to build them up,
to encourage them
in the faith,
to redirect their focus.
And it has protected
the church now
for over 2,000 years.
What an amazing gift
from the Lord,
to constantly be caring
and protecting
his church,
to endure.
Moving along here now
to verses 6 through 8,
Jesus not only calls them
to watch out,
but he also tells them,
don't read into these signs.
Don't be alarmed by them.
Don't be overwhelmed.
Don't be worried.
He says in verses 6 through 8,
and you'll hear of wars
and rumors of wars.
See that you are not alarmed,
for this must take place,
but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise
against nation
and kingdom against kingdom,
and there will be famines
and earthquakes
in various places,
and all these
are but the beginning
of the birth pains.
Jesus is telling them
it will be characteristic
of the time.
The end is not yet.
This is going to transpire.
This is going to take place.
Do you ever find yourself
frustrated
by the saturation
in the news
and the media around us?
Hearing of another war
in the Middle East
and Ukraine,
another militant group
destroying a country
from within?
A social feed
full of natural disasters
that seem to be taking place
constantly across the world.
Your heart quickly begins
to sink,
and you think,
ah,
the world is falling apart
around me.
I often find myself
in that place.
But Jesus says,
no,
no.
He reminds us,
no,
it's not falling apart.
It's not.
Don't be alarmed.
Don't be disturbed.
It's all within
the plan of God.
In verse 7,
Jesus then tells them
this must take place.
He reminds them
this must take place.
The end is coming,
but this will take place.
In essence,
the new stage
of a redemption history
will be characterized
by these things.
As God is unrolling
his new plan,
it's disturbing
our very fabric
of the world around us.
Jesus here
is telling us
that these things
don't signify the end,
that it has not arrived,
but rather the point
is to the promise
that the end will come.
Let me say that again.
Jesus here is telling us
that these things
don't signify the end
has arrived.
Rather,
they point us
to the promise
that the end will come.
I hope that's clear.
If not,
Jesus even
says it again
in another way
in verse 8.
He says,
all these are
but the beginning
of birth pains.
They're just
the beginning
of the end.
God is at work
advancing the kingdom
of the Son,
and the enemy
is trying his best
to disturb,
to subvert,
to deceive,
and to distract
his people,
God's people.
He is trying
to do everything
he can
to take away
from the kingdom
of God.
So don't be worried,
though.
Don't be alarmed
to remember
the promise
that the kingdom
of God
is being established.
This church
is evident
of that very thing,
that the kingdom
of God
is being established,
and one day
the kingdom
of God
will have
its final fulfillment,
is the courage
that Jesus
wants the hearts
of his people
to be filled with.
And in the meantime,
we are called
to be on alert,
to discern
truth from error.
We are on alert
for false teachers,
but don't be alarmed,
don't be worried,
or lose focus
by never-ending wars
that never cease
around us.
Countries,
seemingly,
and nowadays,
it seems like we know
of countries imploding
within every day,
or earthquakes
in the Middle East
taking out cities.
It's a good thing
to grieve these things,
to grieve
and to know
of the birth pains,
to grieve
the power
of the enemy,
to grieve
these things
that are happening
around us.
But let that prompt you
and lead you
to prayer.
Let that prompt you
to be dependent
upon the Lord
all the more.
But the point is,
don't let it distract us.
Don't let it take our eyes
and let us focus
on our circumstances.
We ought to take our eyes
and let us focus
on the Lord
and what He is doing.
Focus our eyes
and minds
and hearts
on Jesus,
our King,
as we stay focused
on the mission
that He is giving us,
that He has given
His church.
Which leads us
to our second point
this morning.
we endure
with witness.
Endure
and witness.
As we look at
verses now
9 through 13,
Jesus now
turns His focus
to directly speak
to what will happen
to His disciples
and what they will
directly face
as they follow
their King,
their God.
So all this chaos
is occurring
in the world
around the disciples.
He says,
you will also
face great celebrations,
a warm welcome,
a love for you,
and my message
and you will live
happily ever after.
No.
It will be
opposition
you receive.
He says,
then they'll deliver
you up to tribulation
and put you to death
and you'll be hated
by all nations
for my name's sake.
No.
We will receive
opposition.
Opposition on many
different levels
actually as we see
in these verses.
Kingdoms and nations
in verse 9.
The closest to you
in verse 10.
The cities you live in
in verse 12.
Opposition,
yes,
opposition will
abound.
It will abound
from every direction.
This is to be expected
in the Christian life.
It would be good
for us to be reminded
of the opposition
that even our
fellow Christians,
brothers and sisters
in China
and Africa
and the Middle East
endure every day.
A good friend of mine
who was born
and raised in Iran
was converted
to being a Christian
at a young age
from Islam.
It was actually
his father
that first came
to faith
and led his son
to faith.
And my friend,
as he grew
and grew
in his wisdom
and understanding
of his faith,
began to
proclaim his faith,
to share his faith,
to disciple people
in Iran.
One day,
he and his wife
were actually
returning from
a trip
from another country
in the Middle East.
They were on their
arrival in Iran.
They were dragged
to prison
for a couple
of months,
not knowing
what would happen,
what would happen
to them.
He was eventually
released from prison
and could no longer
live in his country
but had to flee.
Even though his heart
longed to stay
with his people,
to see the gospel
go forward
to his people,
he knew that it was
best for him
to flee at this time.
But this opposition
that he received
didn't turn
his heart
from Christ
but it was
used to strengthen
his love
for Christ.
And amazingly,
it was actually
scriptures just like
this one here
that we're looking
at today
that the Lord
brought to his mind
while he was in prison,
reminding him
of the opposition
and the suffering
that is to be expected.
This is normal.
This is characteristic
of the Christian life.
But he was reminded
that the Lord's promise
for him to endure,
to endure by the power
of Christ.
My friend today
has continued
to proclaim Christ
wherever the Lord
takes him.
And currently,
he is pastoring
an Iranian church
body in California,
discipling Iranians
near and far.
We need to be reminded
of testimonies
like this
more often.
Just as Jesus
reminds his disciples
not everything
will go well
with us,
rather,
you will be hated
for my namesake.
At this moment,
and I can't think
of a scripture,
a passage
that speaks
more directly
against a false
teaching that is
prevalent in the church
today.
The false teachings
of health,
wealth,
and prosperity.
The health,
wealth,
and prosperity gospel
is prevalent
and we need
to be discerning
of this gospel
and how it is
creeping into
our everyday lives
and not knowing it.
This false gospel
proclaims,
come to Jesus
and your cancer
will be gone.
Come to Jesus
and your wallets
will be filled.
Come to Jesus
and he'll make you
a TikTok influencer.
It might be
the most deadly
teaching in the church
today.
Brittany and I
saw this.
It is deadly
in the nations.
It has deceived
many,
many Christians
in foreign countries
outside the United States.
And they're just
taking and twisting
the word of God
for man's own
personal gain,
man's own
personal comforts.
Oh, let us be
discerning
of these false
teachings that are
entering into the church.
The many ways
that Jesus'
disciples will see
and experience
opposition
is to be expected.
Ephesians 2
says,
the enemy,
Satan,
the prince
and the power
of the air
is at work
in the sons
of disobedience.
Satan is doing
everything he can
to distract
and disrupt
the plans of God.
So as long as
Satan is roaming about
and sinful
rebellion of man
runs its course,
the gospel of Jesus Christ
and anyone,
including us,
anyone who proclaims
the gospel
will face
opposition,
costly opposition.
That is to be expected.
The life of a Christian
you see is not
meant to be hidden,
not to be covered,
not to be silenced,
not to be dressed up
to look like something
it's not.
Rather,
the Christian,
the life of a Christian
is to be witnessed,
to be heard,
to be treasured,
to be distinct,
this is the plan
of God
to move forward
his kingdom.
That our lives
would be so transformed
by his gospel,
the God's spirit
being given to us
so that we are
cleansed from our sin,
that we can walk
in his ways,
that our love
can only grow
more and more
every day
for our God
and for our neighbor.
This is the light
that the darkness
opposes.
And when your family
mocks you
for being a Christian
and you endure
for years
so that you
can patiently
and lovingly
bear witness
to Jesus,
opposition
is to be expected.
That's the Christian life.
but it does not
go unnoticed
by our God.
Let me guarantee you
that.
The opposition
that we will face
does not go
unnoticed
by our God.
No,
it does not
go unnoticed
by God.
Jesus here
assures us
in the last two verses
our endurance
in the face
of the opposition
does not
go unnoticed
by our God.
That is a treasure
that we can take home.
That is a treasure
that will get us
through to endure.
And now that leads us
here to point number
three this morning.
That we endure
with hope.
We endure
with hope.
Looking at
verses 13
through 14.
But the one
who endures
the end
will be saved.
And this gospel
of the kingdom
will be proclaimed
throughout the whole
world
as a testimony
to all nations.
And then the end
will come.
Jesus draws
his disciples
attention
now to promises.
These two promises
here
in this
last two verses.
In a first reading
of this promise
in verse 13
it may seem
that our salvation
is contingent
upon us
on our own
efforts
our performance
in this time
our own
endurance.
However,
remembering the context
which we have seen
it becomes
more clear
that endurance
only reveals
the true nature
of what
is already there.
The one
who endures
sees
these things
and will have
their reward.
The one
who endures
these things
will have
their reward.
this helpful
quote
by theologian
Leon Morris
helps us
understand this
by saying
saving faith
is not known
by some
firm declaration
or a well
intentioned
beginning
but by endurance.
These words
are not
just focus
not to just
focus on
constancy.
they reveal
a valid
and valuable
promise.
The person
described
will be
saved.
Oh man
the endurance
of view
here
is not
momentary
but it is
long term.
It is looking
at the trajectory
of our endurance.
We may
go up
and down
and up
and down
but on a graph
but if we are
continuing upwards
if our endurance
and our trajectory
are on heaven
our eyes
on Christ
that is what
we are looking
at.
We can easily
get consumed
though
in our
momentary
failures.
If we are
not careful
we can end up
digging ourselves
a hole
of self
defeatism
which
actually
really is
just focusing
on our own
performance.
My works
what can I
do?
But praise
be to God
that even
our promise
of salvation
is not
based upon
our performance.
It's not
based upon
my performance.
It's not
based upon
your performance.
We will
have poor
discernment.
We will
lose focus
at times.
We will
shrink back
in our
witness
at times.
It's
our endurance
is not
based upon
us
but the
power to
endure
comes
from Jesus
because it
is he
who went
before us.
As we'll
see after
these verses
in the next
preceding
chapters
it is he
who was
dragged
before the
rulers of
the world.
It was he
who was
publicly
mocked
and flogged.
He was
despised
and utterly
abandoned
by his
people.
he was
hung on
a cross
until the
full weight
of the
father's
judgment
for our
sin
crushed
him.
Church,
he endured
it all
so that
we would
have eternal
salvation.
That's what
our endurance
is based
upon.
That's where
our power
comes from.
Christians,
do not
underestimate
the power
of God
to keep
those he
saves
from
whatever
trials
and
tribulations
you will
endure.
Romans 8
chapter 8
verse 32
helps us
even understand
this further.
Write this
passage on
your heart.
Romans chapter 8
verse 32.
He who did
not spare
his own
son but
gave him
up for us
all,
how will
he not
also with
him
graciously
give us
all things.
Oh man,
that's the
power of
God.
For your
hope of
eternal
endurance,
the trials,
the suffering,
the opposition
you face,
do not go
unnoticed
by the
Lord our
God.
He sees.
He sees
what you
endure.
He sees
the opposition
that you
go through
and he
knows.
He knows
it all
too well.
He will
graciously
give you
all things.
That's a
promise.
That's a
promise that
gets us
through to
endure.
The second
promise in
verses 14.
This verse,
oh man,
this verse
often has
its legs
cut out
from underneath
of it.
This verse
is often
mistaken as
a command.
But if you
look closely,
it is not
a command.
It is a
promise.
This is
the promise
that God's
plans will
be victorious.
His
kingdom will
go forward.
His plans
cannot be
stopped.
The gospel
will be
proclaimed to
all nations.
He will
see it to
its completion
up until
the very
end.
And what
makes this
promise so
significant
is that
it's
fulfilling
his plans
from the
beginning
of time.
The promise
in Genesis
chapter 3
for the
seed of
the woman,
the son
of Abraham,
Genesis
chapter 12,
has come
and all
the families
of the earth
shall be
blessed.
It's the
promise from
Psalm chapter 2
that God the
Father gave
to his
son.
Jesus seated
on his
eternal throne
would have
the nations
for his
inheritance
and the
whole earth
as his
possession.
That's the
promise in
Psalm 2
that Jesus
would have
the nations
for his
inheritance
and the
whole earth
as his
possession.
Church,
the Father
will see
to it
that his
son will
have his
inheritance.
this is
not a
great
commission
nor a
great
commandment.
It is
a great
certainty,
a great
confidence.
This is
so freeing
to know
it's not
upon our
efforts
to hasten
Christ's
second coming.
It's the
fuel,
rather,
that provides,
that propels
us forward
in our
endurance
and our
hope.
John
Piper
says,
I don't
know any
more inspiring
missionary
promise than
this word
from Jesus.
One thing
fascinating
about these
two verses
as well,
as we see
in this
contrast,
and to
the contrast
between
what will
endure and
what will
not endure,
as we talked
about in the
beginning,
the temple
is left
desolate,
and it
will be
destroyed.
It is
made clear
that the
old covenant
system was
not meant
to endure.
So Jesus
is not
investing into
the stones
of the temple
to build
his kingdom.
The temple
building will
no longer be
the place
where foreigners
and Gentiles,
the nations,
will call
on the name
of the Lord.
the nations
will no
longer need
to travel
far and
wide to
come to
the temple.
No,
it's no
longer come
and see.
This age
is the age
of go and
tell.
That's what's
being ushered
in here.
No longer,
no longer
the age
of come
and see,
but the age
of go and
tell.
This is
seen in
Jesus'
final words
to his
disciples
in Matthew
chapter 28.
Go,
or rather,
as you may
go,
make disciples.
In Acts
chapter 1,
you'll receive
power when
the Holy Spirit
comes on you
and you will
be my
witnesses in
Jerusalem,
in all Judea,
in Samaria,
and to the
ends of the
earth.
Go and
tell the
power of
his cross
that it has
lifted the
darkness off
of the
nations.
And now
the power
of the
gospel goes
forth,
gathering of
people from
every tribe,
every tongue,
every nation.
That is what
will endure for
his namesake.
The church,
the universal
church,
he has
promised to
build it,
and the
gates of
Hades will
not prevail
against it,
even though
Satan may
try his
hardest.
he will
not prevail
against it.
Christ will
come again
and he will
bring his
people home.
And our
witness,
how we
endure,
God will
use for the
glory of his
name to the
ends of the
earth.
Church,
what a time
we are in.
Oh,
what a time
we are in.
What a
unique age
we are in.
and even
in our
modern day,
when opportunities
are abounding
all around us
to glorify the
name of Christ
in the
nations,
to be a
part of the
plan of God.
Who knows
how far
your gospel
witness will
go in our
globalized world,
where information
is sent from
Boston to
Dubai,
to Hong Kong,
to mainland
China,
to villages
in the
Mexican
Chiapas,
in a blink
of an eye.
We have
no idea
how our
gospel witness
and how we
endure will
go forth in
this globalized
world, and
there are many
opportunities if
we'll have
them.
Pastor
theologian
John Piper
so helpfully
says this,
the cause
of world
missions is
absolutely
assured of
success.
It cannot
fail.
Is it not
reasonable then
that we pray
with great
faith, that
we invest
with great
confidence, and
that we go
with a sense
of sure
triumph?
Oh, what
good news
this is.
What good
news this
is, that
it is not
upon our
shoulders.
It is
absolutely
assured of
success.
It's not
upon our
shoulders,
though, to
hasten
Christ's
second coming,
but that
we get
to play a
mysterious
part in
knowing it's
assured, it
has an
assured
success.
We get
to play
a part
in that.
So will
we have
it?
Will we
take part
in that?
I want
to end
you,
though,
with this
verse from
1 Timothy
chapter 6
verses 12
through 13.
It says,
fight the
good fight
of faith.
take hold
of the
eternal life
to which
you were
called,
about which
you made
the good
confession
in the
presence of
many witnesses.
I charge
you in the
presence of
God, who
gives life
to all
things, and
of Christ
Jesus, who
in his
testimony before
Pontius Pilate
made the
good confession.
Jesus
made his
good confession
before Pilate
and died
on the
cross to
save us,
securing
our hope.
So let
us,
church, let
us look
to him
who endured
before us,
endured on
our behalf,
that we may
continue in
making our
good confession
amongst our
neighbors,
amongst the
city of
Boston,
amongst the
United States,
and amongst
all nations,
until that
day when
all nations
will bow
before the
throne of
Christ Jesus.
Oh, what a
wonderful day
that will be,
and what a
blessed assurance
that we have
in knowing
that day
will come.
Let us rest
in that.
Let us
endure for
that day.
Let us
pray.
Amen.
Jesus,
thank you.
Thank you,
Jesus,
for lifting
the darkness
from over the
nations.
That even
we,
we here
being Gentiles,
being foreigners,
we let us
make
you
share
an
and
these
may
these
are
amazing.
Hey,
a