Enduring for the End

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.

Matthew 24:1–14

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

Romans 8:32

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

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

for the

seed of

the woman,

the son

of Abraham,

Genesis

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12,

has come

and all

the families

of the earth

shall be

blessed.

It's the

promise from

Psalm chapter 2

Psalms 2 · chapter mention

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

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

chapter 28.

Go,

or rather,

as you may

go,

make disciples.

In Acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention

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?

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

1 Timothy 6:12–13

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.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

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