Category: sermon-archive

GOD BACKSTAGE

Romans 8:26-30 NET.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, ²⁹ because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

A few weeks ago, I was out at Saint Paul’s church getting ready for the food bank items to appear. The main shipment comes in a trailer, and we are responsible for unloading that trailer and preparing the items to be distributed. To unload the trailer, we need a tractor with forks attached to it so we can unload the pallets in the trailer. On this particular day, the trailer had not yet arrived, so several of us men were standing around the tractor talking. There was a little boy among us. I don’t think he was quite school-age yet. The tractor driver noticed this little boy. He saw that this little boy was eyeing the tractor in awe. So, the tractor driver called the little boy over to himself. We helped the little boy into the driver’s seat. The tractor driver was still there, but he wanted the little boy to have the thrill of driving that tractor. So, the little boy sat in the tractor driver’s lap and steered that tractor wherever he wanted it to go. And for a few minutes, the little boy enjoyed driving that tractor in circles around the front of the church. We could all see the little boy beaming. He will never forget the first day he drove a tractor. We all know that that little boy was not driving that tractor. He was turning the wheel but not actually in control of the tractor. Someone else was allowing the little boy to have this experience.

I thought about that story when I read today’s passage. The apostle Paul is talking about all that we go through in the process that we refer to as our salvation. But the apostle Paul is describing these things from a different perspective. He’s describing all of the process of human salvation from God’s perspective. He explains that even though we feel that salvation is a complex process for us, God is backstage, ensuring that what he wants to happen happens.

We have been looking at the book of Romans from the standpoint of how it describes the gospel of Jesus Christ. Recently, we saw in this chapter that God has a beautiful plan for our destiny. Paul called it the revelation of the children of God. When Jesus returns, all God’s plans for us will be revealed. We don’t know about what God has planned for us. We can only speculate about our future. It is hard for us to see beyond the grave. But we know God has a plan for every believer to be part of his restored, revived, renewed universe.

In today’s passage, Paul describes God’s process to get us from where we are now to where he plans us to be. His point is that we can live with confidence today, knowing that God is involved in every step of the process that will lead us to our final destiny. I want to walk us through Paul’s argument in today’s text to show we can have that confidence.

God is backstage in our prayer lives (26).

Paul says that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. In the spiritual realm, we are so weak that we don’t even know how to pray. Jesus once told a story about two men who prayed. One prayed with pride. This man’s prayer never reached heaven. He didn’t know how to pray. Another man prayed, “God be merciful to me, a Sinner.” That prayer reached heaven. What was the difference between the two prayers? Paul says that we do not know how to pray. But the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. He makes it possible for our prayers to reach heaven. He makes our prayers worthwhile.

He does this by inexpressible groanings. Now, this is not the first time that Paul mentions groanings. Earlier in this chapter, Paul said That God’s children are suffering presently. He said that we groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. We have a hope of eternal life through the gospel. But that hope is not yet realized. We believe in eternal life, yet our bodies continue to grow old and die. We believe what God promised us, but we have not yet experienced the fulfillment of those promises. And so, we groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption and the redemption of our bodies.

But not only do we groan inwardly, but also the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. The universe itself is crying out in need of God’s restoration. Humans can do all we can for conservation, but we need God for restoration. The universe around us is falling apart; it needs another miraculous touch from its creator. And, because we are part of that decaying universe, we also groan inwardly seeking that restoration. But Paul tells us in today’s text that the inner groaning that we are experiencing is not from ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit within us connecting with our eternal God and causing us to long for his destiny for us.

So, there is a specific way in which the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray. He helps us connect with the one who can make a difference in our lives today and for eternity. We don’t know how to pray. We don’t have the words to say. We don’t have the thought processes to communicate what needs to be communicated. So, God’s Holy Spirit steps in and communicates for us backstage. This is not speaking in tongues. This is divine speech that goes beyond tongues. God can say what needs to be said when no language can express it. This happens when you spend hours just in the presence of God, not knowing what to say. God is there and he is filling in the gaps. He’s saying what you would say if you knew how. His divine presence makes a difference even if you cannot feel it.

God is backstage in our thought lives (27).

Paul calls God the one who searches our hearts. He says the Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of the Saints according to God’s will. The text says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for the Saints in line with God. That means that something is going on in our thoughts. We are thinking our thoughts, but behind the process backstage, a God ensures that our thoughts align with his thoughts. God has a plan, and we have a plan. But our plan does not always match God’s plan. But God’s Spirit works within our hearts to ensure that the things we plan will eventually result in what God plans. I’m sure you have experienced times when something turns out right with your life and you don’t know why. You also experienced times when you wanted something to happen and it didn’t happen and then you learned that it was best for you that it didn’t happen. Paul is describing God at work behind the scenes in the thought lives of believers. We like to think that we are the ones who are making the decisions for our lives. But the fact is many things affect the decisions that we make. Many things affect the thoughts that we have. Paul is saying that God is behind the scenes like a driving wind in the sails of our lives. He provides the power to turn our lives in the direction he wants them to go. Even our past failures are part of this process. God knows what we are thinking and how to turn our thoughts in the direction he wants them to go.

God is backstage in our circumstances (28).

When our thought lives are in line with God, that is when we know that all things work together for our good. Romans 8:28 is a proof text, and sometimes it’s used as a life verse. But there are certain things that people think that verse says that it does not say. It does not say that all things are good. It says that all things work together for good. There are a lot of bad things that happen in our lives. We are not being faithful to the scriptures if we say that those bad things are good. But we are faithful to scripture if we say that even those bad things are being used by God for our good.

A good Old Testament example of this principle is the life of Joseph. In the book of Genesis, we read about the life of Joseph. We read that his brothers hated him. They hated him so much that they arranged for him to be taken as a slave and moved to Egypt. In Egypt, his bad luck did not improve. He was wrongly accused and wound up as a prisoner. Even when he helped other prisoners out, they forgot him. But eventually the Lord not only rescued him from that prison but enabled him to become a chief official in Egypt. There was a famine in the land and Joseph was in charge of the food supplies of Egypt. That is when he meets his brothers again. When they discover That Joseph is a chief official in the land, they fear for their lives. But Joseph told them not to be angry with themselves because they had sold him into slavery. He said that God had sent Joseph ahead of them to preserve life (Genesis 45:5). Later, after their father died, the brothers were sure that Joseph was going to take his revenge and have them killed. They throw themselves down before him and proclaim that they are his slaves. But Joseph once again reassures them. He says, “You meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people as you can see this day” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph had several horrible things happen to him in his life. But as he reflected on them, he realized God worked in the background in those circumstances. God had a plan, which was for Joseph’s good and the good of all of his people.

The apostle Paul had several bad things happen to him in his life. But he also learned the truth that Joseph had learned. The truth is that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Our circumstances are not God’s means of condemning us. They are the ways that God is using to accomplish his will. We need to gain the proper perspective about our circumstances. We are not victims of blind luck. We are tools that God uses to accomplish his will. It sometimes hurts when God uses us this way. But everything works out for our good and for those who God wants to bless. He is working in the background. He is working backstage in the circumstances of our lives.

God is backstage in our destiny (29).

God has predestined us to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. God’s purpose is for Jesus Christ to have many brothers and sisters. While Jesus is God’s unique son, through the process of salvation, he is making more and more children of God. This is God’s destiny for you and me. We are destined to be divine royalty in God’s eternal Kingdom. But our present reality does not conform to that ultimate destiny. What Paul is saying in today’s text is that God is backstage, ensuring that that will happen. He is not leaving our destiny to chance. He is at work in our prayers, at work in our thoughts, in our circumstances to make us conform to the image of Jesus Christ. That should be a comfort to all of us.

When I lived in the Philippines, I noticed something unusual. Some of the most beautiful exotic landscapes and territories were in places that were hard to get to. The roads were bumpy. The lanes were narrow. It took a long time to get to these places. Traveling to these places puts lots of wear and tear on our vehicles. When we got to these unique places, we were always glad we got there. We were always thankful that such beautiful places exist. But getting there was difficult. In today’s text, Paul says that our lives are like that. Getting to our ultimate destination is a tough thing to do. But our ultimate destination is worth it.

One of the things that the apostle Paul taught the churches he established in his missionary tours is “We must enter the Kingdom of God through many persecutions” (Acts 14:22). When we face difficult circumstances as believers, it is not an indicator that we are doing something wrong. It may be verification that we are doing something right. This life that we are living now is not designed to be perfect. It is intended to build in us a perfect heart. If you know your life aims toward a beautiful destiny, you can sing while shackled to the prison floor. Troubles and trials cannot stop you. You know that God is at work backstage in the circumstances of your life. You know that his purpose is your good and your perfect eternal destiny. The glory you will face in the future is worth the trouble you face to get there.

God is backstage in our choices (30).

Finally, in today’s passage, Paul lists five things that must happen in the life of every human being who will eventually be saved. He says that anyone who is going to be saved must be predestined. He says that anyone who is going to be saved must be called. He says that anyone who is going to be saved must be justified. He says that anyone who will be saved will eventually be glorified. Now, every one of us is somewhere on that list. None of us has accomplished everything on the list. The last item is glorification. I look around this room today and I see a lot of people who are on their way to glorification. But none of us are there yet. But the good news that Paul tells us in today’s text — the news that makes all the difference in how we live our lives today is that we are not responsible for one item on the list. All of the pronouns in Romans 8:30 or third person masculine singular. It does not say I predestined; it says he predestined. It does not say I called; it says he called. It does not say I justified myself; it says he justified me. So, Paul concludes the list by saying that God has glorified us. He did it by his sovereign choice, and eventually, it’s going to show in our lives. Paul has already said that we will know we’re glorified when we see Christ when he returns. He said that God’s glory would be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). This will happen the moment we see Jesus Christ descending from the clouds. At that very moment, a transformation will occur in our lives.

The apostle John discussed that transformation. He said, “Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is” (1 John 3:2).

The apostle Paul tells us in today’s text that the creative statement from God that will make this happen has already occurred. From God’s standpoint, your glorification has already happened because God has already decreed it. He has already glorified you. You and I have not experienced that glorification yet, but it is just as sure as our justification by the blood of Christ. We are just as sure that we will eventually conform to the image of Christ as we are that the blood of Christ saved us. Our future is inevitable. Our present path may be bumpy. It may be a long row to hoe. But the result is eternal glory And matchless beauty. This is true not because we work for it but because God has decreed it.

You may be a Christian today, but in your heart, you wonder if you will make it. You don’t like your life. You have such a difficult time doing the things you do. They don’t seem to matter. You wonder if you are missing something. You wonder how to be a faithful Christian if life is hard. But God’s word to you from today’s passage is, “Hang on, brother and sister, because God has this. He is in control. The sovereign God who took Joseph from the prison and made him a Prince is in charge of your life. Hang on, brother. Hang on, sister. He is not through with you yet.”

FOCUS

Matthew 24:9-14 NET.

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name. ¹⁰ Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, ¹² and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the person who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

We are continuing our study of Christ’s eschatological discourse. Jesus gave that sermon on the Mount of Olives in answer to three questions his disciples asked him. They asked him when the temple was going to be destroyed. They asked him what would be the sign of his coming. And they asked him what the sign of the end of the age would be. We saw last week that Jesus answered the third question first. He answered the question about the end of the age. Instead of giving a date for the end of the age, Jesus explained the age before his second coming. It was going to be characterized by three things. First, there was going to be a lot of false messiahs. Leaders would rise and try to get the world to follow them. Second, there would be a lot of international strife and warfare. And third, there were going to be a lot of natural disasters. We’re going to characterize the age in which we live now and anticipate the coming of Christ. Jesus’ command in that section is for all of us to watch out so we are not misled.

Jesus is still teaching about this present age (13-14).

In today’s passage, we see that Jesus continues to describe this present age. He gives us clues that he is still answering the same question. We know the word end shows up in verse 13 and verse 14. Verse 13 tells us that the person who endures to the end will be saved. Verse 14 tells us that the gospel is going to be preached all over the world, and then the end will come. So, Jesus is still describing the age in which we live now. We live in an age when God’s people are called on to endure. And we are still living in an age when the gospel message has to be proclaimed to every nation. Jesus says that that proclamation must continue as a testimony to all nations, and the end will come.

This is a vital truth that we cannot afford to ignore. The age in which we live now is when God has determined the gospel must be proclaimed. God has a plan and called on us to fulfill that plan. But it is going to be a difficult age in which to do that. That is why the church is called on to persevere until the end. God has given us a task, and it is a difficult task. The nature of that difficult task is one of the main reasons we have this passage that we’re looking at today.

The age will be dangerous for true believers (9).

In verse 9, Jesus tells the disciples that they will be handed over and persecuted and killed. We know that that is just what happened. All of the apostles were persecuted. All but one was killed for their faith. During the past 20 centuries, the church has sought to reach the nations for Christ, and those nations have hated it in return.

But I need to explain something about the text as it appears today. You will note that in verse 9 and verse 10, the sentences begin with the word then. Some people read those statements as if Jesus is describing a new period. But we know that that is not how it happened. The persecution of Christians began immediately at the foundation of the church. Danger has plagued us throughout all 20 centuries. So, why does Jesus begin those verses with the word then? In that context, the word then means at that time. He is describing again the entire New Testament age.

The church will be characterized by division and deception (10-11).

So, in verse 9, Jesus says that all the nations will be our enemies. But, to make matters worse, in verses 10 and 11, Jesus says we will have another enemy. That enemy will be ourselves. The Church of Jesus Christ will be plagued by division and deception throughout this age. We are not going to get along with one another. Instead, we are going to betray one another and hate one another. That is the opposite of what Jesus calls the church to do. He commands us to love one another and respect one another. He calls on us to be united. He wants us to care for one another. But he warned his apostles in this sermon that we would be tempted to turn against one another during this entire age.

He also warns us that this entire age will be plagued with deception and false prophecy. False prophets will appear and deceive many. Who are these false prophets going to deceive? They can’t deceive unbelievers, for unbelievers don’t know the truth to begin with. No, the deceivers will be seeking to deceive the church. They will seek to draw away believers from the faith. They will come with new ideas and seek to lure believers away from the gospel.

Some false prophets dress like sheep and appear to be true believers. Some dress like politicians, scientists, or educators. Their outer appearances vary, but their aim and goal remain the same: They want Christians to stop believing the truth of the Bible. It does not matter what they replace it with as long as they replace the gospel.

The church will also be characterized by lawlessness and apathy (12).

So, Jesus is teaching that during this age in which we live, The church will be attacked from the outside and from within. The nations will criminalize the Christian gospel. The churches will apostasize. They were rebelling against the gospel itself. How will the church respond to this dual attack? Jesus says there will be an increase in lawlessness. Note that Jesus is not describing the world here. If you look back at verse 9, Jesus began this section with this statement: “Then they will hand you over.” So, Jesus is talking about “you.” In that context, “you” means the Christians — the disciples. So, when Jesus says that lawlessness will increase, he talks about lawlessness among professing Christians.

He also says that the love of many will grow cold. Again, he is not talking about the world here. The love that Jesus is talking about is the love of Christians. He has called his church to love. But Jesus says that the love that should be in every Christian will grow cold during this age. Not every Christian will be like this. But Jesus says the love of many will grow cold. This is a challenge for all of us. Jesus is calling us to live above and beyond the nature of this age. The church is being called on everywhere to loosen its grip on the Kingdom of God. The world wants the Church of Christ to be apathetic. The world wants us to look upon the life of someone whose life is destroyed by their actions and to affirm them in their choices. Love does not do that. When love sees someone in a burning building, love rushes in to rescue them. Love does not walk by and let them burn themselves to death.

When Jesus said that the love of many would grow cold, he said it with a tear in his eye. He knew that when the church ceases to love, it ceases to proclaim the gospel. When the church is intimidated into staying quiet, people on the way to hell are never rescued.

Jesus commands us to persevere and stay focused on the gospel (13-14).

Jesus said the person who endures to the end will be saved. This age is not one in which we must blend in with the world. We must stand apart from it. We must resist the temptation to fall in line with the nations. When they bully us to keep quiet, we must endeavor to speak all the louder.

And this final verse, many people think, is just out of place. They believe that somebody tacked on this statement about the gospel being proclaimed. But it is not out of place. Proclaiming the gospel is God’s plan for every Christian during this age. Note I did not say every preacher. I did not say every pastor. I did not say every Sunday school teacher. I said every Christian. The world wants us to confine our proclamation of the gospel between 11:00 and 12 every Sunday. But Jesus gave us no such instructions. He did not tell us to preach in a church. He told us to preach to the entire inhabited earth. That’s a whole lot of ground to cover. But it’s a lesson we must understand and obey. We will not fulfill Jesus’ command by simply putting on a worship service for one hour a week. We have to learn to preach everywhere. There are lost people everywhere, and we are commanded to seek them out.

Some people believe that Jesus predicted that the church would triumph and everyone would eventually be saved. They believe that when Jesus returns, he will return to a world that has already accepted him as their savior. That’s not what I get from this passage. Jesus is not describing an age of triumph. I wish he were. But how Jesus described this age tells me that we will always be fighting an uphill battle. It is always going to be challenging to be a Christian. It is always going to be a difficult thing to get the gospel out. And that’s why Jesus calls on us to persevere despite the challenges.

We are running out of time. We need to stop being distracted by our internal squabbles, false prophets, and temptations to sin. Most of all, we need to focus on getting the gospel message out to those who need it.

WATCH OUT

Matthew 24:1-8 NET.

¹ Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. ² And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!” ³ As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” ⁴ Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these things are the beginning of birth pains.

We are nearing the end of our study of Christ’s commands in the gospels, but there is still a long way to go. For the next few months, we’ll focus on chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew’s gospel. This is called the eschatological discourse, which has also been called the Olivet discourse. It’s called that because it takes place on the Mount of Olives.

Two other gospels record the eschatological discourse besides Matthew. So, we could find similar passages in Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21. But for our purposes, we will stay in Matthew 24 and 25.

Eschatology means the study of the last things. It will not be surprising to find many eschatological instructions in these chapters. But we also need to be careful not to brand these passages as having only to do with eschatology. The instruction came in a historical context. So, we must first look at the context to understand what Jesus is saying.

First, let’s look at the context (1-2).

Jesus had been teaching in the temple courts in Jerusalem. He had been warning the crowds and his disciples about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. He had just pronounced woes upon these religious leaders. He was pronouncing judgment against them. And verse one of today’s text tells us that Jesus has finished this, and he is now going out of the temple courts. He is walking away from the temple structure. His disciples joined him. As they walk away with him, they point out that elaborate temple buildings surround them. The temple buildings were intricate and ornate structures. People in those days described the temple area as a majestic mountain. You could not be in the temple area without feeling a sense of awe. The disciples were overwhelmed with this sense of respect for this mighty place.

But Jesus challenges this feeling of respect with a little dose of prophecy. He tells the disciples that this entire temple complex will be destroyed. He says not one stone will be left on another — all will be torn down. You can imagine the sense of despair and the feeling going through the mind of the disciples at this moment. On the one hand, they have learned to trust what their master says. But on the other hand, they can’t imagine a situation in which the temple buildings would be destroyed. How could God allow such a thing? But then they also realize that Jesus had just condemned the religious leaders. Jesus had violently overturned the money changers tables. Could God condemn the whole temple complex as well?

Next, let’s look at the questions (3).

As they walk with Jesus to the Mount of Olives, the disciples think about what Jesus had said to them. Their minds are reeling with the implications of what he had said. The prediction that Jesus had made got them thinking eschatologically. They could not imagine a scenario in which the temple would be destroyed that did not involve the end of the world. This is a temptation for all of us. Every time a disaster occurs, we think this is undoubtedly the end. Whenever something challenges our sense of stability, we believe the world can’t last much longer.

But as disturbed as the disciples were, they were also very curious. So, they probably got together and thought about what questions they would ask Jesus. When they gathered and determined what questions to ask, one approached Jesus. Matthew records that they asked Jesus 3 questions. First of all, they asked him when these things would happen. “These things” refer to what Jesus said in verse 2. He was predicting the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. They wanted to know when that was going to happen.

But they were also concerned that Jesus had been describing the world’s end. They believed that Jesus was going to come back to this earth triumphantly. So perhaps they thought that Jesus when he came back, was going to cause this destruction of the temple. So, the second question they ask him is what will be the sign of his coming. Much of eschatology revolves around that question. People want to know when Jesus is going to come back. In the eschatological discourse, Jesus answers that question. It may not be the answer people seek, but it is still the answer.

The third question the disciples asked that day was what would be the sign of the end of the age. Now, the disciples thought that all these things were going to happen at the same time. They believed that Jesus was going to return and destroy the temple and that the end of the age would occur at that time. So, they asked all three questions together. But Jesus knew that the temple’s destruction would not happen at the end of the age. He would explain in the eschatological discourse that the temple would be destroyed within one generation. That’s 40 years. If you add 40 years to 30 A.D., you come up with 70 A. D. Historically, we know that the temple was destroyed in 70 A. D. The Romans attacked and destroyed Jerusalem at that time.

But Jesus knew that history would last much longer than those 40 years. He knew his coming, and the end of the age would be in the future. So, he needed to teach his disciples not to be misled over the issue of the future. That is why we see the particular command that Jesus gives.

Next, let’s look at the command (4).

Jesus tells his disciples to watch out that no one misleads them. He says the same thing to you and me. We are to watch out that no one misleads us regarding the issues of eschatology. We are living in an age where eschatology is very popular. There have been schools of thought developed to describe the last things. One of those schools could be described as idealism. An idealist takes all of the predictions of Jesus and turns them into spiritual realities. Another of the schools could be called futurism. Futurism is very popular in eschatological thinking today. The nature of futurism is to always see the fulfillment of eschatological teachings in the future. It is trendy to be a futurist but also very dangerous. If your fulfillment is always in the future, there’s no way of knowing if your predictions are correct. Another school of thought on the issue of eschatology is historicism. The historicist looks for fulfillment of prophecy in history. Most of the founders of this denomination were historicists. They saw so many fulfilled prophecies that they believed the Lord’s coming was imminent. Unfortunately, they believed his coming was to happen in 1843-1844. They were wrong.

As we look at the eschatological discourse over the next few months, we’ll find that some of the things Jesus predicted would happen soon. But other things that he predicted would not happen for a long time. Some stuff he predicted was going to happen many times. So, the command that Jesus gives in today’s passage is a word for all of us. He tells us all to watch out so that no one misleads us.

Finally, let’s look at predictions (5-8).

He told his disciples that there were going to be many false prophets and political and religious leaders seeking a following. They would tell people things would get better if they just believed them and followed them. Jesus’ warning is for the disciples not to be misled by those false prophets. When Jesus comes again, it will not be through another man or another movement. It is going to be in person!

Jesus also predicted a long period of international conflict and warfare. He said that there would be wars and times when we were in danger of war. He is describing the entire age in which we are living. It is an age in which we can hardly go an entire generation without being affected by warfare.

He also predicted a long period interspersed by natural disasters. During this age, there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. What do all three of these predictions have in common? Well, if we look at history and what it tells us, we see that there certainly have been many false messiahs. They come, and they go. They never last long, but they do a lot of damage when they’re here. We have also seen many wars. They come, and they go. They never last long, but they do a lot of damage when they’re here. You and I are still being affected by the consequences of wars that took place generations ago. The legacy of war is that it lasts much longer than expected. Long after the soldiers defeated in battle are buried, the effect of the war is felt for many generations. Likewise, we have seen many natural disasters. Famines and earthquakes are just examples. We can add to that fires, hurricanes, epidemics, and pandemics. They come, and they go. They never last long, but they do a lot of damage when they’re here.

Jesus said that all these things are the beginning of birth pains. The keyword is the word beginning. It stands in contrast with the word end. The disciples had asked when the end of the age would come. Jesus could have answered that question with a date. He could have said the age would end on May 12th, 2024. But he was not interested in giving us a date that we could put on a calendar. He was more interested in preparing us for what we will face before the end.

There are two wrong ways to face an uncertain future. First, you can approach the future with too much confidence. You can be too optimistic. You can have so much confidence in your human ability to deal with whatever you might face that you don’t rely on God at all. Plenty of people in the world today are facing the future like that. They don’t know what is coming ahead, but they are confident that they will be able to handle it.

The second wrong way to face an uncertain future is to approach it with too much fear. These are the overly pessimistic people. They see every sign as a sign of doom. They are afraid to live because they fear what will happen next. They think the world’s best times are behind them. All that’s coming next is disaster after disaster—doom and gloom.

Our Lord has a command for both the extreme optimist and the extreme pessimist. His command for all of us is to watch out that no one misleads you. Human beings will not come up with the answer to the world’s problems. So don’t follow a false Christ or an Antichrist. Don’t trust in the arm of man. Trust in almighty God alone. But don’t be overcome by fear. Make sure that you are not alarmed. Things are going to get bad before they get better. But someone is coming who is going to make things better. Our best days are not behind us. Our glorious future awaits us. The revelation of the children of God is coming. The king is coming. And when he comes, he has the ability and the authority to undo all the evil that has ever happened including the evil that is happening now.

Our Lord has a command for the church as well. It is the same command. He tells us to watch out so that no one misleads us. Heresy and schism have plagued the church throughout this age. Jesus prayed that we be unified. But history tells us that we have been misled by many. We have divided and divided and divided again. We have been misled politically. We have fought those wars and spread those rumors of wars. We have been guilty of being overconfident in our abilities and righteousness. We have failed to reconcile with others and rushed to war with them. We have been misled psychologically. Every disaster we claim is an act of God and cringe in fear of his wrath. In the Bible, when God sends a plague, it allows people to repent. There is no reason to fear God if we turn to him. But often, we have let our fears push us away from God instead of toward him. We have been just as guilty of stubbornness as the pharaoh with his hard heart.

Jesus wants a church solidly grounded on the foundation of sacred scripture. He wants a church that keeps a sound watch on its doctrine. He wants a church that will not be led astray by false messiahs and false teachings. So, he tells us to watch out. He doesn’t ask us to watch closely what other churches are doing so that we can copy them. He tells us to watch out for deception. Where do we think that deception is going to come from?

Jesus wants a church that puts its faith and confidence in God, not itself. Our salvation will not come from a change in policy, a change in government, or a change in who we align ourselves with. Our salvation is coming from the sky and he is Jesus. If our confidence is not in him, it is a misplaced confidence. Jesus said that all these things that he predicted were the beginning of birth pains. They are not the end. They are not signs of the end. They are signs that we are living in the last days. Jesus wants us to live in these days with confidence solidly based on him. He wants us to be solidly focused on him. He wants us to be focused on obeying his commands. He wants us to be focused on spreading his gospel. He wants us to be compassionate to the lost. He wants us to persevere throughout this age of trial. We will experience these birth pains, but that only means that the birth is coming.

What is being born is a new universe. There is a new age coming.

When the king comes back, he brings with him that new universe. He will defeat and destroy all his enemies and establish his new kingdom. It will be an eternal and perpetual kingdom. We await his arrival.

Andy and Opie are sitting on a log. Opie says, “Pa, when is Jesus coming back?” Andy replies, “I don’t rightly know ‘Ope … Ya see, we’re not on the planning committee. We’re on the welcoming committee!”

Jesus smiles. He looks down and says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” We reply, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

GIVE MORE

Mark 12:41-44 NET.

⁴¹ Then he sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. ⁴² And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. ⁴³ He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. ⁴⁴ For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”

We have been tracing the life of Christ, particularly the commands that he gave his disciples and others. Today’s text does not contain an actual command from Jesus. However, it does illustrate many of Jesus’ commands regarding giving. But before I begin talking about this particular text, I want to talk about the context in which it is given.

Where we are in the story

We have moved from the gospels section discussing Jesus’s final ministry before his appearance in Jerusalem. Most of that final ministry’s events took place in the Perea region. But we have now moved to the final phase of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Our location has changed to Jerusalem itself. After Jesus gave his parable of the Minas, the next event that happened was his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This was Jesus’ formal entry into Jerusalem and his formal presentation to Israel as king.

We celebrate the triumphal entry of Christ every year. We use that celebration of Palm Sunday to proclaim that Jesus is king — the coming king. Ironically, Jesus’ triumphal entry marked the beginning of an onslaught of attacks against him by the leaders in Jerusalem. Each group of leaders attacks Jesus with accusations, questions, and criticism. They questioned his identity. They questioned his theology about the resurrection. They questioned his standing as a Jerusalem citizen under Rome’s authority.

But they were not the only ones on the attack. Jesus symbolically cursed a fig tree. It shriveled and died. People could not help but realize that Jesus’s curse of the fig tree represented his judgment upon Israel. They had been tried and found wanting. Once again, Jesus attacked the temple. He wanted to defend the temple, but there was such evil going on there that he had to drive out the moneylenders.

Today’s text represents the only good thing Jesus found in Jerusalem when he arrived. Besides the praise of those who welcomed him into Jerusalem, the only good thing reported now is this woman’s gift, this widow. Nobody else seemed to notice it. But Jesus sat down and was watching. He watched as the rich people poured in their contributions to the temple treasury. Their loud displays of giving attracted the attention of many listeners. But nobody seemed to be watching when this widow came by. Nobody noticed when she gave her two pennies. But Jesus noticed. Of all the people who gave that day, Jesus drew attention to her and her gift. Why is that so?

This phase of the chronology of Christ Also includes his condemnation of the religious leaders and his prayer over Jerusalem, which he weeps over the city. He came as the king of Israel, but he was not accepted. The leaders did not receive him. He was not appreciated at the temple. And the only positive sign he draws attention to is this widow’s gift.

He knew this woman.

He knew that she had given all that she had. How did he know that? Did he assume it was because she was dressed poorly? Many people could have been dressed poorly and yet have been rich. No, he knew it because he knew her. Jesus knows all things. He knows you, and he knows me. He knows us inside and out. He knows how good we are and how bad we are. He knows what’s in our bank account. He knows what we have and what we can afford. He knows what we give.

Years ago on the mission field, we used to travel with a ministry team to villages in other parts of the country. We would go to churches and preach in those churches. But often, we would also put on dramas with our students. I remember one of the dramas that we performed. It had to do with the subject of giving. I remember one of the props we had for that drama. We had taken a photocopy of a 500 peso bill. Then, we enlarged that copy so that it was huge. Then we printed it out. In the drama, one student would put something in the collection plate. She would pull out that huge 500 peso bill. She would place it in the collection plate. But before she did that, she would lift it so everyone could see it. Her character wanted to make everyone know how generous she was.

I thought of that when I read today’s text. That was what was going on in the temple that day. Lots of people were giving who had lots of money. They were given out into the open so everyone could see it. They were giving loudly and obviously. Jesus had taught his disciples that they should not give that way. He taught them that they should give privately and in secret. He taught them they should give and only announce it to their heavenly father. But the people who gave in the temple that day wanted their giving to be noticed. But Jesus had taught that if others see our giving, that notice will be our only reward.

This widow in today’s text gave so littl that her giving could hardly be noticed. The only one who saw it was Jesus, who was looking for it. In contrast to all the other givers, her gift was noticed by Jesus. I want to believe that Jesus notices my giving. But the reason that Jesus saw this woman’s gift is that Jesus already knew her. The secret to appropriate giving is a relationship with God. This woman’s giving was appropriate because she had an honest faith in God.

He taught about investment.

I want to draw your attention to the lesson from last week. Remember that Jesus had taught a parable to the disciples. He taught the parable of the Minas. In that parable a nobleman was going to a foreign country to be crowned king. He gave his slaves some money to invest in his absence. When he returned, he saw that his slaves were accountable for their investment while he was away. Most of his servants had invested what he had given them. But one of his servants had refused to invest what he had given him. That nobleman called that servant wicked and lazy.

What caused this servant to be criticized by his master? He was criticized because he had been given something but refused to invest it.

There are many things that the Lord has given believers in Christ. One of the messages of the parable of the Minas is that each believer is responsible for investing what his Lord has given him. That includes much more than just money, but money is in the picture. Today’s text serves as an illustration of that fact. The widow that Jesus saw had very little to invest. She had no property. All she had to live on was two small coins. But when she came to the temple that day the Lord impressed her that she should give to the temple. All she had was two small coins. The question possibly tempting her was, why not just give one of the coins and keep the other? This was a free-will offering, after all. No one expected her to give everything. No one would be impressed by her gift. Her gift would be practically meaningless with all this elaborate giving around her. And yet she chose to give all. She decided to give more than what was expected.

He taught about giving by faith.

Jesus taught a lot about faith. He encouraged people to live by their faith. He encouraged them to overcome their fears and live by faith. This widow served as an illustration of how to do that. In his parable of the Minas, the wicked and lazy servant would not invest what he was given because he was afraid. But in today’s story, this widow overcame her fear and gave everything out of faith. She is the one positive example of something happening in Israel during Christ’s presentation. Of all the negative things that were going on at the time this one positive thing was noted by Jesus. This woman, who would hardly be noticed in the crowd, got Jesus’ attention. She got Jesus’ attention because she had the faith to overcome her fears and give more than expected.

God blesses those who give as a demonstration of their faith, those who look for the need and fill it, and those who dare to show that they trust God by how they give. This woman gave sacrificially. She gave very little, but it was all she had. That means that she gave more than anyone else. She gave more than the rich people pouring their money into the collection plates. She gave more than the people who were prominent and prominently known for their giving.

We recently concluded a fundraising program here at our church. The Penny Crusade program is an annual fundraising program for international missions. Even though we’re a small church, we collected much for that cause. There are a great many of our churches that are small and yet contribute significantly every year to that program. Every year, I’m amazed at how much a group of small churches in a small denomination collects. Having been on the mission field for many years, I know how grateful people are to receive mission funds. For many, those funds represent a large percentage of their livelihood. Many ministries are affected by the gifts from these small churches. Most of us will never be able to visit these ministries in foreign countries. But we can invest in those ministries by faith through our giving.

He taught about trust.

The widow in today’s story is also an illustration of living the kind of life that Jesus called us to live. She gave because she trusted God to take care of her. She overcame her fears and trusted God to make good on her investment. She could give all because she trusted God to make up for her loss. She may not have known where her next meal was coming from, but she knew who it was coming from. That is the kind of attitude that Jesus commends. He wants us all to learn to trust the way that widow trusted. It isn’t just in the area of finances that we need to learn to trust.

We need to learn to trust God for our future. As I talk to people regularly one of the things I hear most often is that they are afraid of what is happening in the world today. They see things are getting worse and worse. Young people are scared to raise children. Older adults wonder if they are going to survive. People who have little are wondering if they’re going to make it. People who have lots are wondering if they’re going to keep it. There is an attitude of fear that is prevalent today. Now, there are many reasons for that kind of fear. Looking at what’s happening today, we will find many causes for that fear. But God does not want us to fear. He wants us to learn to trust him instead. He wants us to trust him with all our hearts and lean not on our understanding. He wants us to put our fate in his hands. He wants us to trust him amid the turmoil. That is never easy to do. But if we do not learn the lessons of trust, our environment will always defeat us.

In today’s story the widow had learned to trust. She had learned to put her fate in the hands of her heavenly father. She had learned that her destiny did not depend on how much money she had in her pocket. Her destiny did not depend on who was king. Her destiny did not depend on who was in control of the temple. Her destiny was not dependent on the fate of her nation. Her life was simple. She had put her life in the hands of a loving God. She had learned to trust in God.

He taught about sacrifice.

Jesus had taught his disciples that they were to live a life of sacrifice. He served as an example of that sacrifice. He said his goal in life was not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. He was in Jerusalem then because he had a date with destiny. That destiny was not the crown. It was the cross. He had taught his disciples that if they wanted to follow him, they must take up their cross and follow him. There’s only one reason to take up a cross. The cross is an instrument of punishment and death. The cross is a death sentence.

It took the disciples a long time to recognize this truth that Jesus was teaching. But after his resurrection, they understood that they were also being called on to sacrifice their lives. With every confidence in a resurrection, all but one of those disciples eventually sacrificed his own life as well.

The lesson we are learning today is that as believers in Jesus Christ, we also are called to sacrifice. We may have plans. But following Jesus may call on us to alter those plans. We may have expectations. But following Jesus may call on us to put aside those expectations.

Today’s text does not tell us the whole story. We do not know whether this widow intended to give both coins. But perhaps the Holy Spirit spoke to her and told her to make that sacrifice. She recognized His voice and made her choice. The Holy Spirit is in each one of us. He will give us opportunities like that to show our faith in God by going above and beyond the world’s expectations. When he does so, may we obey his prompting and give more.

For further study:

Rowlandson, W. H. The Gospel according to St. Mark, with prolegomena. 1869. pp. 59-60.

Sabin Marie Noonan. The Gospel According to Mark. Liturgical Press 2006. pp. 111-113.

Sadler, M. F. The Gospel According to St Mark. 1884. pp. 290-291.

Sawyer Leicester A. First Gospel Being the Gospel According to Mark. Walker Wise 1864. p. 39.

Schweizer Eduard and Donald Harold Madvig. The Good News According to Mark. John Knox Press 1970. pp. 258-260.

Solly Henry Shaen and Sunday School Association. The Gospel According to Mark: A Study in the Earliest Records of the Life of Jesus. Sunday School Association 1893. pp. 175-176.

Story Cullen I. K. The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Mark: From the Jordan River to the Open Tomb. Xulon 2004. pp. 230-232.

Stubbs Charles William. The Gospels According to S. Matthew & S. Mark. J.M. Dent; J.B. Lippincott 1901. pp. 141-142.

Sumner, John Bird. A Practical Exposition of the Gospel According to St. Mark in the Form of Lectures. London: J. Hatchard, 1847. pp. 398-401.

Sweetland Dennis M. Mark: From Death to Life. New City Press 2000. pp. 156-159.

Swete, Henry Barclay. The Gospel According to St. Mark: The Greek Text. London: Macmillan, 1913. pp. 274-277.

Taylor Joseph Judson. The Gospel According to Mark. Sunday School Board Southern Baptist Convention 1911. pp. 163-164.