Hold Fast Until He Comes

Welcome to Christ the King Church again.

My name is Billy Nye. I'm one of the pastors here.

It's my privilege to bring God's Word to you.

Children, you may be dismissed.

One of these days I'll get that.

Mike has the advantage of having a little bit more of the rhythm.

I like to learn the rhythm better.

If you'd open your Bibles with me to Matthew 24.

Matthew 24.

Anybody like war movies?

I like war movies.

Not shoot them up in blood and guts as much,

but one of my favorites is a movie called Master and Commander.

Anybody seen it?

It's a great, great movie.

It's a classic tale of the HMS Surprise,

a British man of war,

and its mission is during the Napoleonic Wars, 1812,

and its mission is to pursue an elusive French warship.

We got it, we got it.

Building suspense.

Its mission is to pursue an elusive French warship

around the Southern Hemisphere,

and it's a wonderful tale.

And one of the most memorable of the weather-beaten

and war-hardened crew of this fine vessel

is Abel Seaman Joe Place.

And probably one of the most memorable things

about Abel Seaman Joe Place

is what's tattooed on his fingers.

Right across his leathery phalanges

are the letters H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T.

Hold fast.

Hold fast.

It's a command.

It's an appropriate command for a seaman.

Hold that rope fast, sailor,

or your sail is compromised.

Hold fast at your station,

or you betray your comrades.

Hold fast until you reach your desired haven.

Brothers and sisters,

in the passage we're going to look at this morning

in Matthew 24,

our Lord Jesus,

our Master and Commander,

is telling us, His people,

to hold fast.

Hold fast.

Endure.

Be faithful.

Until He comes.

In fact, the next several Sundays

before the Advent season,

as a church,

in this month to come,

we're going to be seeing

what Matthew 24 and 25

tell us about that day.

On that day.

That's where our eyes should be fixed.

And this is Jesus telling His people

how to live until that day.

So we're kicking off

this little mini-series today.

Today.

These two chapters

are often referred to

as the Olivet Discourse,

named after the place

where Jesus gave this teaching,

which is the Mount of Olives,

a little hill

just to the east

of the city of Jerusalem.

It is the fifth

and final

large block

of teaching

in the book of Matthew,

and that's not on accident.

Matthew designed

his gospel

to be a

miniature

of the five books

of the Torah

representing Jesus

as the new Moses.

And this is his fifth

and final address

to his disciples

before his crucifixion.

There's a lot going on

in these chapters,

but the emphasis

is unmistakable.

Hold fast.

Hold fast.

Live faithfully

until the end,

until He comes.

Live faithfully

in the last days.

days.

Now maybe you might

hear that phrase,

the last days,

and you might get

a little bit of a

queasy feeling

in your tummy.

I remember being

about eight years old,

and a prophecy specialist

came to my church

and gave some pretty fiery

and scary sermons

about how all these

recent headlines

were fulfilling prophecies

that were pointing

to the fact that

the rapture was happening

very soon.

I was nervous.

I don't know,

like, living in the last days,

that's kind of freaky.

But if that's you,

Jesus doesn't want you

to be nervous.

Maybe you hear that phrase,

the last days,

and you get excited.

You love studying eschatology.

Eschatology is a fancy word

for the study of the end times

or the last days.

This topic is fascinating.

The Bible has a lot

to say about it,

but it can also be

a lightning rod

for Christian disagreement

and division.

Opinions can be held

very strongly

on the specifics

of what this interpretation

of this passage might mean.

But Jesus,

just as he doesn't want us

to be nervous,

he doesn't want us

to be divided either.

He wants us

to eagerly anticipate

his return

and be faithful

in the meantime.

And that's what

we're going to hear today.

This passage is in the Bible

to tell us

that Jesus wants us

to hold fast.

Jesus is our risen

and returning king

and he is expecting us,

his people,

to hold fast

through the prolonged

and painful

last days

until he comes.

He is calling us,

his church,

to live faithfully for him

in a prolonged season

of waiting for him

to return.

And the Bible calls

that period

the last days.

So let's walk

through this passage together.

Let's unpack

what Jesus was saying

then to his disciples

and what he is saying

now to us today.

And as we go,

I want us to be thinking

in terms of

four don't be's

and one be.

Four don't be's

and one be.

Jesus is going to give us

four calls.

Don't be

and be.

So here we go.

The first don't be

is found in the first two verses.

Sorry, first three verses.

Let me read them

aloud.

This is God's word.

Jesus left the temple

and was going away

when his disciples

came to point out to him

the buildings of the temple.

But he said to them,

you see all these,

do you not?

Truly I say to you,

there will not be left here

one stone upon another

that will not be

thrown down.

And as he sat

on the Mount of Olives,

the disciples came to him

privately saying,

tell us,

when will these things be

and what will be

the sign of your coming

and the end

of the age?

Jesus is giving us

the first don't be.

It's this.

Don't be distracted.

distracted.

Don't be distracted.

The first thing you notice

in these verses

is that Jesus

left the temple.

This is significant.

If we look back

to the last few verses

of chapter 23,

we're going to see

Jesus promising

judgment on Jerusalem

because they rejected

him as Messiah.

But he's pronouncing

judgment through tears.

He's weeping

in the last few verses

of chapter 23.

He's weeping

for the rejection

of his people,

of him.

And as he begins

to walk away,

his symbolic leaving

of the temple

is pointing

to his rejection

of what the temple

stood for.

An empty shell

of religion

that is preoccupied

with itself

and not

with what God

has sent them

as the true

and living presence

of God among them.

No longer in a place,

no longer in a building,

but in a person.

The new temple

of God

is walking away

from the old temple

of God.

Jesus is now

the full presence

of God

with his people,

which the old temple

used to symbolize.

But now,

he is with his people.

He is God

with us.

And now,

he is walking away

from that empty shell

that, as one author

put it,

has no future

except destruction.

So as Jesus

turns his back

on the temple,

his disciples

keep looking at it.

They draw his attention

to its significance,

to its magnificence.

And no wonder,

it was the pride

and joy

of every Jew

of the day.

It was a massive structure.

Where it wasn't

overlaid with gold,

it was coated

with white marble.

You couldn't look

at this building.

It was glorious,

especially when

the sun hit it.

Notice what Jesus

says in verse 2.

Basically,

he's saying,

you see these buildings?

Yes,

they're beautiful,

but don't let

this impressive

flashiness

distract you.

The current age

is fundamentally

opposed to me

and to my kingdom.

Now you see it,

but soon and very soon

you won't.

Adjust your vision

to God's

eternal perspective.

Physically,

this edifice

is beautiful,

but it is destined

for judgment

and destruction.

All these magnificent

stones will be

toppled.

Not one will be

left on top

of another.

And by the way,

Jesus was spot on here.

About 40 years later,

the Jews rebelled

against Rome

and the Emperor

Titus personally

came over

with a massive army

and leveled the city,

including the temple,

in 70 AD.

A day of reckoning

was drawing near.

It's on the horizon.

And Jesus is asking

his disciples,

do you see it?

And it was.

It was on the horizon

for the Jews

40 years later,

as it is also

for us.

As we'll see more clearly

in the next few weeks,

the destruction of Jerusalem

in AD 70

serves as a forerunner,

a taste,

a sample

of the ultimate

eternal judgment

that is to come

upon the whole world.

In verse 3,

his disciples

come to him

and ask him

a question.

And they ask it

from their particular

perspective.

We have to keep that

in mind as we look

at this.

They come to him

and they ask him,

when will these things,

that is the destruction

of Jerusalem,

be?

And then,

what will be the sign

of your coming

and the end of the age?

Three things,

the destruction

of Jerusalem,

Jesus' coming,

and the end of the age.

The disciples see those

as a whole end times package.

They're looking

at the horizon

Jesus has pointed them to,

telling them not to be

distracted with the current age.

And they're like,

okay,

when is that going

to happen?

They see those things

tied together.

They can't separate out

the destruction

of Jerusalem

from the end of the world

from Jesus'

triumphant return.

If you've ever driven west

to the Rocky Mountains,

as you're driving,

you start to see mountains.

They're on the horizon.

But it's hard to distinguish

the nearer foothills

from the further out

mountain snow-capped peaks.

But as you get closer,

you begin to draw near

and you see distance

between the smaller

and nearer foothills.

There are mountains,

but they're foothills

compared to the massive

peaks beyond.

For the disciples,

as Jesus is pointing them

along the same line of sight

on the horizon,

it's hard for them

to distinguish

the near event,

the destruction of Jerusalem,

judgment,

from the far event,

the end of the age.

They perceive them

as the same event.

But as Jesus is going

to make pretty clear

in the rest of the package,

he's going to start

to separate those two out.

They're a lot alike

and they're along

the same line of sight.

They're both judgment,

but one is temporary

and close

and the other is eternal

and further away.

But both are judgment.

And Jesus wants

his disciples

now

to take this coming day

of reckoning

very seriously.

For at that time,

it was the destruction

of Jerusalem

that was on its way

very quickly.

For us,

it is the end of the age

that is on its way

just as quickly.

For the original readers

of Matthew,

the historical events

of the destruction

of Jerusalem

were very close

within a decade or so

and they desperately

needed to listen

to what Jesus had to say

so that they could avoid

the coming judgment.

And for us,

the events of the coming

eternal judgment

that is on the horizon

is also close.

Jesus wants our attention

on that day.

He doesn't want us

to be distracted.

The reformer,

Martin Luther,

is often credited

with saying,

there are only two days

on my calendar.

Today

and that day.

Jesus wants

to put his hands

on our shoulders

and turn us

to face the light

of that day.

So let's allow

Jesus' words

to kind of shock

our system

into the right frame

of mind

and live in light

of eternity.

Don't be distracted

with the here and now.

Focus on that day.

He is coming.

Soon.

The second don't be

is found

in the beginning

of Jesus' response

in verses 4 and 5.

Let's look at them together.

Jesus answers

their question.

He says,

See that no one

leads you astray.

For many will come

in my name

saying,

I am the Christ

and they will lead

many astray.

You can probably guess

what the first,

the second,

first,

sorry,

second,

don't be is,

don't be led astray.

Don't be led astray.

Don't you just love it

when you ask somebody

a question

and they totally

don't give you

the answer

they're looking for?

That's what Jesus

just did for his disciples.

They are looking

for a very specific answer.

When and what sign?

When is this happening

and how are we going

to know when it's

about to happen?

But Jesus does not

answer that question.

He says,

Don't be led astray.

Don't let anyone

deceive you.

Now Jesus is not

trying to annoy them

by giving them

the answer

they're not looking for.

He's trying to set

their priorities straight.

They don't need

to be concerned

about timing.

That is the father's business.

They need to be focused

on how to live

while he's away.

And Jesus'

utmost concern

is for their

unswerving devotion

to him

and him

only.

There are many

imposters

and deceivers

that are coming,

he says.

They're going to claim

an intimate connection

with me.

They're going to claim

that I am him

or that they are

associated with me

closely.

They'll say,

I am the Christ.

If you jump down

to verse 11,

Jesus circles back

to this theme

and says,

Many false prophets

will rise

and lead many

astray.

So we've got

Christ imposters,

people coming

in Christ's name

and we also have

false teachers,

false prophets.

And notice the

repetition of the

word many.

Many will come

and lead many

astray.

This is not

a minor caution.

This is not

fine print

in his instruction

to his disciples.

He's saying,

Watch out.

Watch out

for these guys.

You need to be

on your guard.

Hordes of people

are going to be

deceived

and led astray

into eternal

destruction

because of

the influence

of these guys.

If you take

National Geographic,

you would have read

back in the month

of August

that there are,

they ran an article

on five men

who are alive

today who claim

to be Jesus.

Sounds silly.

It's real.

They have followers

too,

from a few dozen

to five thousand.

These guys can be

found in Japan,

Siberia,

Brazil,

Zambia,

and South Africa.

And this isn't new.

People have been

posing as Jesus

for centuries.

And Jesus is saying,

Don't be led astray.

Don't follow

a charismatic personality

because he or she

is convincing

and making good promises.

You follow me.

And even if there

aren't folks

that are coming

right out

and saying

that they are

the Christ,

there are some

slick teachers

and preachers

whose poisonous message

goes down

sweet and smooth

and they are

leading many,

millions,

astray.

These teachers

promise relief

from suffering.

They promise

power from on high

to make quick fixes.

They are quick

to capitalize

on people's

basic fears

and needs

and desires

to gain following

and to pad

their pockets.

And they are

much like the hypocrites

that Jesus denounced

last week

in Matthew 23

for slamming

the door

of the kingdom

in people's faces.

they love

to point

to themselves

not to God.

So,

brothers and sisters,

be careful

what you listen to.

Compare what you

hear to the word

of God.

Test the spirits

as 1 John 4 says.

If the message

you're listening to

is more therapeutic

than it is

convicting of sin,

watch out.

If it seems

like sugar water

goes down sweet

but it doesn't

feel like meat,

watch out.

Don't be deceived.

If it's more

about you

triumphing

over your

present circumstances

more than

you delighting

in God

when your

present circumstances

are hard,

watch out.

Test the spirits.

Be a discerning

Christian.

Drink down

the word of God.

Open up your Bible

and read it.

Consume it

so that the truth

of God gets lodged

at the core

of who you are

and you are not

deceived.

Don't be led astray.

He is coming soon.

His third

don't be

is found

in verses 6

through 8.

Let's read them

together.

And you will hear

of wars

and rumors

of wars.

See that you

are not alarmed

for this must

take place

but the end

is not yet.

Nation will

rise against

nation

and kingdom

against kingdom

and there will

be famines

and earthquakes

in various places.

All these

are but the

beginning

of the birth

pains.

Jesus' third

don't be

is

don't be

alarmed.

Don't be

alarmed.

I have to confess

I'm a bit of a

news junkie.

This is a weakness

of mine.

I like to check

the news.

If you look

at the news

at all

it's hard

not to be

alarmed

at stuff

that you

hear.

North Korea,

Las Vegas,

ISIS,

Russia,

earthquakes in

Mexico,

hurricanes down

south,

etc.

etc.

But what

Jesus tells us

here is an

antidote

to the

end times

frenzy that

Christians can

get in

if we start

to see

political turmoil

or natural

disasters or

other troubling

things in the

headlines and

wonder if

it's now the

time.

He tells us

very clearly

in verse 6

see to it

that you

are not

alarmed.

Don't be

moved.

Don't be

disturbed.

Why not?

When the rest

of society is

distressed by

nuclear weapons

that are in

North Korea,

political issues

at home and

abroad,

earthquakes,

hurricanes,

why shouldn't

Christians be

freaking out

about these

things,

wondering if

the end is

near?

Look at

verse 6.

This is such

a comforting

verse.

This must

take place,

but the end

is not yet.

Man, this

fantastic sentence

tells us a lot.

First, it tells

us God is in

control.

These things

are necessary.

They must take

place because

they are a part

of God's

sovereign plan.

No tectonic

plates shift

apart from

his sovereign

hand.

The wind and

the waves are

under his

sovereign sway.

Trump,

Putin,

Kim Jong-un,

Theresa May,

and every other

influential political

ruler on the

planet can't get

out of bed in

the morning aside

from God's

sovereign command.

The living God

is taking history

to his

desired end.

in his way

and his

timing.

God is in

control.

These things

must take

place.

But not only

does it tell us

that these things

are under God's

sovereign control,

it also tells us

that these

political and

natural disturbances

are evidence

elements of the

spiritual conflict

that is raging

between the

kingdom of God

and the domain

of darkness

at this very

moment.

When Jesus

died and

rose and

ascended on

high to

reign at God's

right hand,

his undefeatable

kingdom was

inaugurated.

need.

But though he

will be

triumphant,

his enemies

are not yet

under his

feet.

Hence,

there is

political and

natural turmoil.

The kingdom

is now,

brothers and

sisters.

It is here,

but it is also

not fully here.

The good news

of the kingdom

is still advancing

through the

proclamation of

the good news

of a crucified

and risen

king.

And when the

end finally

comes,

when the

triumphant

king returns,

the enemy

and all of

his friends

will be put

under his

feet.

We, as his

people, we

know this.

We know that

we are locked

in an epic

conflict in

which the war

is won,

but the battle

is still raging.

When the

allies invaded

Europe on D-Day

on June 6,

1944, the

war was over.

Hitler knew

that he was

done for,

or at least

his generals

did.

It was only

a matter of

time.

But the end

of the war

was still

11 bloody

months away.

Millions more

would die

because Hitler

was a madman

and he would

sell every

German life

for his

insane cause

and he fought

fiercely.

Our enemy

is fighting

a desperate

war that

he has

already

lost.

And yet the

conflict will

only get

fiercer as

the end

draws nearer.

Because in

the words of

a great hymn,

he knows his

end is

sure.

And then,

one day,

our captain

will come.

in the

meantime,

we don't

need to

be alarmed.

We stay

engaged in

the conflict,

faithful,

unmoved,

discerning,

unflinching.

We know that

these are just

the beginning

of the labor

pains.

They start

slow,

they get more

and more

painful,

more and more

intense,

and we're not

sure when the

end's going

to come.

So we know

these are just

the beginning

of the labor

pains.

So like

the weather

GIs,

we press

forward.

We are

unalarmed.

God is in

control.

Our enemy's

end is

sure.

Our king

has conquered

and he's

coming soon.

The last

don't be is

found in

verses 9

through 12.

Verses 9

through 12,

and I'll

warn you,

these are

probably the

most depressing.

Then they

will deliver

you up

to tribulation

and put

you to

death.

And you

will be

hated by

all nations

for my

name's

sake.

And then

many will

fall away

and betray

one another

and hate

one another.

And many

false prophets

will arise

and lead

many astray.

And because

lawlessness

will be

increased,

the love

of many

will grow

cold.

The last

don't be

is don't

be surprised.

Don't be

surprised.

Jesus

doesn't want

his disciples

to be

surprised

by two

things.

Opposition

from without

and treachery

from within.

His disciples

will face

opposition

from without

and treachery

from within.

And he

does not

want us

to be

surprised.

Look at

verse 9.

They,

quote unquote,

notice it's

rather a vague

they are

going to

deliver you

up the

tribulation

and put

you to

death.

You will

be hated

by all

nations.

Man,

that's some

stiff opposition.

Why all

this persecution

and hate

from all

nations?

for my

namesake.

If they

hated

Jesus,

which they

did,

they will

hate his

people.

If they

mocked

Jesus,

which they

did,

they will

mock his

people.

If they

killed

Jesus,

which they

did,

they will

kill his

people.

Jesus

tells us

no less.

Don't be

surprised.

Listen to

Peter,

in 1 Peter,

right about

this,

years after

he heard

Jesus speak

these words,

and not too

long before

he himself

met his

bloody end.

Beloved,

do not be

surprised at

the fiery

trial when

it comes

upon you

to test

you,

as if

something

strange

were happening

to you,

but rejoice

insofar as

you share

Christ's

sufferings,

that you

may also

rejoice and

be glad

when his

glory is

revealed.

He's

saying,

if you

face

opposition

for

being,

belonging

to Jesus

now,

you will

receive

glory

because

you

will

belong

to

Jesus

then.

Let

your

hardship

now

cause

you

to

endure

for

the

hope

of

the

glory

that

you

will

experience

then.

We're

in a

little

privileged

bubble

of

security

right

now.

Our

time

here

in

America

for

the

past

couple

hundred

years

has

been

nice.

But our

brothers and

sisters

in Nigeria,

Turkey,

North Korea,

South Sudan,

Iran,

Saudi Arabia,

Pakistan,

and so many

other places

suffer in a

variety of

ways for

his name's

sake.

Jesus does

not want us

to be

surprised.

We'll face

opposition and

it will be

fierce.

so let's

pray for

our

brothers and

sisters

around the

world

who face

that.

I'm sure

there are

many

brothers and

sisters in

Nepal that

are facing

things

similar.

And let's

pray that

God would

cause us

to persevere

no matter

what comes.

But to be

honest,

that's not the

hardest part

about this

passage,

is it?

It's not

the opposition

from the

outside,

it's treachery

from within.

Jesus is

telling us

in verse

10 that

many will

fall away,

betray one

another,

and hate

one another.

There will

be treachery

among the

family.

And Jesus

doesn't want

us to be

surprised.

And notice

what the

triggers are

for this

treachery.

In verse

10, it's

a response

to the

heat of

opposition.

Persecution

is a good

way to

sift out

believers

who aren't

genuine.

When you

catch flack

for being

a Christian,

all of a

sudden your

commitment is

tested.

Fear is a

powerful

motivator.

It's easy

to criticize,

but if

we were

about to

lose our

job,

or our

social standing,

or our

family,

or our

possessions,

or home,

or our

life,

because of

our association

with Jesus,

what would

we do?

It helps

us test

our resolve

to follow

him.

So it's

the heat

of opposition

causes

betrayal,

but also

verse 11,

false teaching

does too.

There's our

false teaching

again.

Many will

betray the

faith because

they are led

astray,

rejecting Jesus

as Lord,

and the

community of

believers as

family.

Don't be led

astray,

and don't be

surprised when

many are.

Look at

verse 12.

Here's another

trigger.

This might have

more to do with

our current

situation right

now than

anything else.

Another

treachery

trigger is

the moral

decay of

society.

The increase

of lawlessness

will cause

the love of

many to

grow cold.

Brothers and

sisters, we

don't follow

Jesus in a

vacuum.

We are

surrounded by

our culture,

and our

culture values

more than

anything else

right now in

the 21st

century in

the United

States, the

autonomy of

the individual

self.

Having cut

ourselves loose

from God's

glory and

his good

law, we

must worship

something else,

and self is a

wonderful substitute,

or so it

seems.

So isn't it

wonderful to be

able to do

what's right

in my own

eyes without

anyone saying

otherwise?

And the

pressures of

living in a

society that

worships self

can force us

who follow

Jesus to

make a choice.

Will my

love for the

crucified,

risen, and

returning king

burn fervently

in the midst of

such pressure of

loving self?

Or will it

sputter,

fizzle,

grow cold

because it

has found

self to be

an acceptable

substitute for

the living

God?

Brothers and

sisters, this

is a crucial

question that

we must ask

ourselves,

especially in

2017.

Is a love

for this world

causing my

love for my

returning king

and my love

for my brothers

and sisters in

Christ to

grow cold?

Jesus doesn't

want us to be

surprised.

He doesn't

want us among

the many who

will fall

away, be

led astray,

or whose love

will grow cold.

He is coming

soon.

And that leads

us to our

final command

from Jesus,

which is his

one and only

be.

We've heard

four don't

be's.

Here is his

be.

Be faithful.

Be faithful.

Look at

verses 13 and

14.

But the one

who endures to

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.

The first thing

that should pop

for us as we

look at these

verses is the

shift from plural

to singular.

Did you check

that out?

All through this

passage there have

been so many

plurals.

Many will come.

Many will be

led astray.

Many will fall

away.

Many false

prophets.

The love of

many will grow

cold.

But the one,

but the one

who endures to

the end will be

saved.

He's not saying

there's only going

to be one who

endures.

He's saying you,

individual, personal

disciple of mine,

endure.

Hold fast.

He wants to grab

each disciple's face

in his hands and

say, hold fast.

Endure.

Endure through

deception.

Endure through

temptation.

Endure through

persecution.

Endure through the

treachery.

Endure through the

lawlessness.

Endure, and you

will be saved.

Be faithful.

When he says,

will be saved,

by the way, he's

not saying that

endurance earns

salvation.

Salvation from

sin, being made

righteous by God's

grace in Jesus,

is faith.

Faith is the way

in which we are

saved by latching

on to God's grace

through faith.

We know that.

That's one of the

things that we

celebrate.

However, those who

are truly saved,

will endure.

in the words of

one writer, true

Christians stick.

They endure.

They persevere.

One of the signs of

you truly being a

disciple of Jesus,

being truly saved,

is that you're

enduring.

And one sense that

to be very

encouraging for us.

And they will be

saved from the

judgment that is

coming.

And when the

end comes, when

Christ returns, the

work of salvation

will be full circle.

As Peter says,

set your hope

fully on the

grace that will be

brought to you at

the revelation of

Jesus Christ.

Did you catch

that?

There will be

grace brought to

you when he

returns.

On that day, we

will see him face

to face, and the

last grace will be

given.

Resurrection life,

fullness of joy in

his presence.

That's what we're

enduring for.

That's what we're

aiming at.

Seeing him, standing

in his presence, in

his unshielded glory

without fear or shame

and delighting in

his goodness

forever.

That's what we

want to endure to

the end for.

It's not a stiff

upper lip kind of

endurance.

It's a I can't

wait for that

endurance.

So be faithful.

Remain true and

devoted to your

Lord Jesus no

matter what it

costs you.

Set your hope

fully on the joy

of beholding him

on that day.

But not only does

our Lord call us to

be faithful and

endure, he also

calls us to be

faithful to the

mission.

He's given us as

a church.

Look at verse 14.

He's calling us to

advance under fire.

The gospel of the

kingdom will be

proclaimed throughout

the whole world as a

testimony to all

nations and then the

end will come.

The good news of

Jesus who vanquished

our enemies of sin,

death, and Satan is

going forth and will

continue to go forth

throughout the whole

world just as it did in

the first century and

has for the last

20.

When his disciples

heard that phrase,

the whole world,

they probably thought

the inhabited Roman

world, which were the

limits of the known

civilization.

And when they were

empowered by the Holy

Spirit at the day of

Pentecost, they went.

They advanced under

fire.

Some of them made it to

India.

Thomas was martyred in

India according to

tradition.

That's beyond the scope

of the Roman Empire.

According to tradition,

Simon the Zealot made

it to the coast of

West Africa and Britain

before they crucified

him.

Throughout the pages of

church history, you will

read story after story of

the church advancing the

gospel of the kingdom

under fire.

1,400 years ago after,

sorry, 1,400 years after

these guys lived, another

man of God was used to

dust off the true gospel

of grace after false

teaching had corrupted it

for a prolonged season.

500 years ago this

Tuesday, a man nailed

95 theses to the door

of the Wittenberg

Church in Germany and

ignited the Protestant

Reformation, which was a

tidal wave of truth that

we're still writing today.

The gospel of the kingdom

continues to be preached,

continues to advance under

fire.

And that's what Jesus is

calling us to do today.

One day the witness to the

nations will be complete,

and then the end will

come.

That may be this

generation, it may be many

generations off.

But whether the end comes

soon or far away, he is

calling us to be faithful to

the end, to endure, and to

advance under fire.

We're not to be distracted

with this current age, not

led astray, not alarmed when

the world goes topsy-turvy, not

surprised when we face

opposition or treachery, but

faithful to the end.

Before we respond to God's

word in prayer and song, I

want us to consider three

questions.

This will help us to adjust

our lives in light of this

word.

First is this, am I living my

life in the light of that day?

Am I living my life in the

light of that day?

If you're a believer, then in

one sense, yes, you are,

because you've placed your

ultimate hope and trust in

Jesus.

But we also get distracted.

We get overwhelmed, we get

fearful, and our life can be

functionally ruled by earthly

and temporary concerns of

today, not that day.

When you might be stuck in the

mire of sin, you need to do

what Hebrews 12 calls you to

do, which is to cast off the

sin that easily entangles and

run the race ahead of you, set

before you with perseverance,

fixing your eyes on Jesus.