WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.180 So that is our prayer, that is our delight, and 00:00:02.180 --> 00:00:04.440 that is our hope that we look for him. Junior 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:06.120 Church, if you will be dismissed at this time 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:07.660 through the back doors as they're making their 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:11.099 way out. If you open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:19.620 5. No, Matthew chapter 10. I was just in Matthew 00:00:19.620 --> 00:00:22.079 5 for a while and it just was kind of muscle 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.440 memory, I guess. I don't know. Some of you just 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:27.359 had a heart attack. Please, no, don't go back. 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:34.579 We're in 10. Verses 16 through 23 this morning 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:41.200 will be our text. Jesus speaking to the 12 there 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:43.340 gathered right before they are sent out on their 00:00:43.340 --> 00:00:47.880 first mission. He says, Behold, I send you out 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:51.420 as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:56.299 wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware 00:00:56.299 --> 00:00:59.310 of men. for they will deliver you up to councils 00:00:59.310 --> 00:01:02.649 and scourge you in their synagogues. You will 00:01:02.649 --> 00:01:04.769 be brought before governors and kings for my 00:01:04.769 --> 00:01:08.069 sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 00:01:08.989 --> 00:01:11.250 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about 00:01:11.250 --> 00:01:14.189 how or what you should speak, for it will be 00:01:14.189 --> 00:01:16.310 given to you in that hour what you should speak. 00:01:16.769 --> 00:01:19.810 For it is not you who speak, but the spirit of 00:01:19.810 --> 00:01:23.489 your father who speaks in you. Now brother will 00:01:23.489 --> 00:01:26.409 deliver up brother to death. And a father his 00:01:26.409 --> 00:01:29.510 child and children will rise up against parents 00:01:29.510 --> 00:01:32.849 and cause them to be put to death. And you will 00:01:32.849 --> 00:01:37.230 be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who 00:01:37.230 --> 00:01:41.109 endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute 00:01:41.109 --> 00:01:44.090 you in this city, flee to another. For surely 00:01:44.090 --> 00:01:47.250 I say to you, you will not have gone through 00:01:47.250 --> 00:01:50.950 the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 00:01:51.790 --> 00:01:55.290 Would you bow with me in a word of prayer? Father, 00:01:55.349 --> 00:01:57.189 we thank you this morning, Lord, for your word. 00:01:57.250 --> 00:01:59.489 Lord, we thank you for the privilege we have 00:01:59.489 --> 00:02:02.989 to assemble, to praise, Lord, to sing worship 00:02:02.989 --> 00:02:06.269 to your name. And I thank you for the message 00:02:06.269 --> 00:02:09.310 and song, Lord. Oh, Father, we as your people 00:02:09.310 --> 00:02:12.710 are an expectant people. We're expecting the 00:02:12.710 --> 00:02:16.430 arrival of our Lord. Even so, come. Lord, today 00:02:16.430 --> 00:02:18.949 would you help us, Lord, as we gather, Lord, 00:02:18.990 --> 00:02:21.909 to hear from heaven. Lord, would you please feed. 00:02:22.409 --> 00:02:24.530 your people with the bread from on high, the 00:02:24.530 --> 00:02:26.969 living bread, the true bread that has come down 00:02:26.969 --> 00:02:29.550 from heaven, which is Christ himself, the true 00:02:29.550 --> 00:02:31.270 bread that we'll celebrate in the sacrament just 00:02:31.270 --> 00:02:33.889 in a few moments. God help us, Lord, this morning 00:02:33.889 --> 00:02:39.150 we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. In February of 00:02:39.150 --> 00:02:43.490 2015, 21 young Christians were captured by ISIS 00:02:43.490 --> 00:02:47.729 militants in Libya. These men mostly were Egyptian 00:02:47.729 --> 00:02:50.689 migrant workers just looking for a better life. 00:02:51.530 --> 00:02:53.789 They were captured, they were tortured, and then 00:02:53.789 --> 00:02:56.430 they were given a choice. They could renounce 00:02:56.430 --> 00:02:59.629 their faith and live, or they could continue 00:02:59.629 --> 00:03:04.289 to confess Jesus Christ and die. All 21 of them 00:03:04.289 --> 00:03:07.789 refused to deny Christ. This is on video. Many 00:03:07.789 --> 00:03:09.830 of you probably had seen it as it was televised. 00:03:10.689 --> 00:03:12.569 Some of the men were heard whispering. Their 00:03:12.569 --> 00:03:17.490 final words were, Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, Lord 00:03:17.490 --> 00:03:22.469 Jesus. This was their final words. Just moments 00:03:22.469 --> 00:03:25.669 before they were beheaded. I was reading a report 00:03:25.669 --> 00:03:28.969 this week in Nigeria. It is estimated that over 00:03:28.969 --> 00:03:31.750 52 ,000 people have been killed during the last 00:03:31.750 --> 00:03:35.669 14 years for being a Christian. According to 00:03:35.669 --> 00:03:37.689 the International Society for Civil Liberties 00:03:37.689 --> 00:03:42.250 and Rule of Law, at least 14 million have been 00:03:42.250 --> 00:03:45.550 uprooted. 8 million have been forced to flee 00:03:45.550 --> 00:03:49.340 their homes to avoid being hacked to death. Five 00:03:49.340 --> 00:03:51.379 million have been displaced and are now living 00:03:51.379 --> 00:03:55.460 in refugee camps. When we hear stories like this, 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:58.780 we realize that Jesus' words in Matthew 10 are 00:03:58.780 --> 00:04:02.219 not just an ancient warning for an ancient people. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:07.199 They are words for disciples in every age. Behold, 00:04:07.219 --> 00:04:11.659 I send you out as sheep among wolves. Our text 00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:15.360 is Matthew 10, verse 16 through 23. The Lord 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:18.660 is preparing his disciples for the cost. I'm 00:04:18.660 --> 00:04:22.740 being faithful to him. The context. It's been 00:04:22.740 --> 00:04:24.720 a few weeks since we're here because of homecoming. 00:04:25.339 --> 00:04:28.180 The context, Jesus has called the 12 apostles 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.699 to them. He's getting ready to send them out. 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:34.600 He's given them power to heal diseases and leprosy, 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:37.519 but also to cast out demons. That's a demonstration 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.629 that the kingdom of God was at hand. So they're 00:04:40.629 --> 00:04:42.769 getting ready to embark upon this first missionary 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:46.529 tour throughout Israel, but only Israel. If you 00:04:46.529 --> 00:04:49.290 look at verses 5 and 6 of the text, it says, 00:04:49.490 --> 00:04:52.110 Jesus says, do not go into the way of Gentiles, 00:04:52.149 --> 00:04:54.870 do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but go 00:04:54.870 --> 00:04:57.529 rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 00:04:58.310 --> 00:05:01.790 You're not to leave this geographical area, is 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:04.529 what Jesus was saying. And here's one message. 00:05:05.430 --> 00:05:07.610 Preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:05:08.430 --> 00:05:10.230 Now, if you're really going to understand Matthew's 00:05:10.230 --> 00:05:12.050 gospel, you have to understand how he composed 00:05:12.050 --> 00:05:14.670 the book. This book is not written chronologically. 00:05:15.329 --> 00:05:17.110 If you look at it chronologically, it's going 00:05:17.110 --> 00:05:20.209 to trip you up. Instead, he's marshalling passages 00:05:20.209 --> 00:05:23.170 from elsewhere, and he's focusing more on catechism, 00:05:23.189 --> 00:05:26.610 more on instruction. Now, the first 15 verses 00:05:26.610 --> 00:05:30.829 of chapter 10 apply only to the 12 original apostles 00:05:30.829 --> 00:05:34.189 in their first mission. But beginning in verse 00:05:34.189 --> 00:05:37.990 16 in our text today, you start to see the horizon 00:05:37.990 --> 00:05:41.870 expanding, and it will include the wider mission 00:05:41.870 --> 00:05:44.329 of the church throughout history, even going 00:05:44.329 --> 00:05:48.009 to the Gentiles. There are just five points this 00:05:48.009 --> 00:05:50.629 morning. And I'm not very creative, but these 00:05:50.629 --> 00:05:54.350 all begin with B, so I used them. Verse 16, behold. 00:05:55.269 --> 00:06:01.069 17 and 18, beware. 19 and 20, be calm. 20 and 00:06:01.069 --> 00:06:05.089 21, 22, be prepared. And the latter part of 22 00:06:05.089 --> 00:06:08.709 and 23, be faithful. Let's look at these this 00:06:08.709 --> 00:06:11.629 morning. First, verse 16, behold. Behold, I send 00:06:11.629 --> 00:06:14.550 you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, 00:06:14.769 --> 00:06:20.089 be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Now 00:06:20.089 --> 00:06:22.269 think with me. Can you ever imagine a shepherd 00:06:22.269 --> 00:06:25.350 deliberately sending his flock of sheep into 00:06:25.350 --> 00:06:28.600 a wolf -infested land? I mean, no shepherd would 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:30.439 ever do that. In fact, the shepherd is there 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:33.939 to protect the sheep from the wolves. But this 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:37.100 is exactly what Christ, who is the good shepherd, 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:41.060 did. See, he starts, he's talking to the twelve. 00:06:41.819 --> 00:06:44.720 He says, behold. Hey, listen up. Take note here. 00:06:45.259 --> 00:06:47.019 What I'm getting ready to say is very important. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:51.660 I am sending you out. You are my sheep. And you 00:06:51.660 --> 00:06:54.100 will be going out into a land full of wolves. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.519 Now we know it is normal for a predator to go 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:01.100 after prey. But Jesus said, I'm sending the prey 00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:04.680 to go after the predator. So what is Jesus doing 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:07.620 here? He's giving them an advance warning that 00:07:07.620 --> 00:07:09.959 the mission they are about to embark upon will 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:15.000 not be easy. He's purposely, he knows the dangers 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:18.680 that await them. He is purposely sending his 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:23.500 apostles out into hostile territory. Why would 00:07:23.500 --> 00:07:26.670 he do that though? Because those who live in 00:07:26.670 --> 00:07:29.310 hostile territory are the ones who need to hear 00:07:29.310 --> 00:07:32.509 the message. The kingdom of God is represented 00:07:32.509 --> 00:07:37.709 by the sheep. The weakness of sheep. And yet 00:07:37.709 --> 00:07:39.610 the kingdom of God represented by the weakness 00:07:39.610 --> 00:07:42.569 of sheep is going to overcome the violent world 00:07:42.569 --> 00:07:45.930 of the wolves. I think here we see one of those 00:07:45.930 --> 00:07:47.930 other kingdom paradoxes. If you look through 00:07:47.930 --> 00:07:51.269 the gospels and when Jesus is talking about his 00:07:51.269 --> 00:07:54.420 kingdom, it is full of paradoxes. For example, 00:07:54.540 --> 00:07:58.100 he says, the way up is down. If you're going 00:07:58.100 --> 00:08:01.240 to be exalted, you must humble yourself. If you 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:04.139 want to save your life, you've got to lose it. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:08.160 You want to be great in the kingdom of God? Then 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:11.279 you be the servant of all. All you want to get, 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:15.519 then you must give. And if we're going to win 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.699 the world, we must go out as sheep amidst wolves. 00:08:19.530 --> 00:08:21.670 Now you might think that since the apostles are 00:08:21.670 --> 00:08:24.430 going to be preaching to Israel that their Messiah, 00:08:24.670 --> 00:08:26.810 their king had come, they would receive a warm 00:08:26.810 --> 00:08:29.389 reception. I mean, that's good news. You might 00:08:29.389 --> 00:08:31.930 even expect for Israel to roll out the red carpet 00:08:31.930 --> 00:08:35.509 and welcome these men and their message. And 00:08:35.509 --> 00:08:38.470 Jesus says, no. Instead of being welcomed, you 00:08:38.470 --> 00:08:41.950 will be hated. You will be ridiculed. And you 00:08:41.950 --> 00:08:44.070 will be persecuted for your faithfulness to me. 00:08:45.269 --> 00:08:48.169 Since they are going out into a land inhabited 00:08:48.169 --> 00:08:51.309 by wolves, he says you need to be wise as serpents, 00:08:51.409 --> 00:08:56.750 shrewd and cunning, and harmless as doves. So 00:08:56.750 --> 00:08:58.730 in other words, don't be stupid like sheep. Yes, 00:08:58.730 --> 00:09:01.610 you're sheep, but I don't want you to be naive 00:09:01.610 --> 00:09:04.049 or stupid like a sheep is. I want you to be shrewd. 00:09:05.110 --> 00:09:07.750 I want you to have cunning, if you will, even 00:09:07.750 --> 00:09:10.909 the cunning of a serpent, meaning to be sensible. 00:09:11.610 --> 00:09:15.539 Be aware of what is going on around you. But 00:09:15.539 --> 00:09:19.480 you need to be shrewd without causing harm. Harmless 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:22.740 as doves. So you have the serpent's shrewdness 00:09:22.740 --> 00:09:27.500 without the malice of the serpent. So serpents 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:29.200 have venom. So I want you to be as shrewd as 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:31.080 a serpent, but you don't have the venom or the 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:34.519 poison they have. In fact, he says to his sheep, 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:38.259 he says, you are to be harmless. But not naive. 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:44.960 Not gullible. But gentle. Humble. Meaning, you 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:46.779 are going to experience a lot of frustration, 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:50.200 a lot of opposition, but do not let the opposition 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:53.000 and the difficulty you encounter cause you to 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:57.659 be bitter or revengeful or even seek retaliation 00:09:57.659 --> 00:10:01.559 upon your enemies. You sheep are being sent out. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.100 Don't you go try to destroy the wolves. Rather, 00:10:04.179 --> 00:10:07.179 you seek to save them. Seek to convert them. 00:10:08.199 --> 00:10:09.940 So when we think about the Christian, the mission 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:13.059 of the church, we are to be wise and we are to 00:10:13.059 --> 00:10:15.279 be innocent. But that's how you navigate life 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:17.620 in a fallen world. Friends, even today in the 00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:19.899 21st century, we need to be wise and we need 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:21.980 to be innocent. We need to be shrewd, but we 00:10:21.980 --> 00:10:25.139 need to be harmless. Behold, I'm sending you 00:10:25.139 --> 00:10:28.039 out as a sheep in the midst of wolves. Beware. 00:10:28.740 --> 00:10:33.440 Verse 17. But beware of men, for they're going 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:36.460 to deliver you up. Listen, these men. Beware 00:10:36.460 --> 00:10:39.840 of men. These are the wolves that Jesus just 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.240 spoke of. And Jesus begins to lay out the ill 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:45.379 treatment that the disciples are going to encounter. 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:47.179 They're going to deliver you up to councils. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.700 They're going to scourge you. They're going to 00:10:49.700 --> 00:10:53.899 bring you before governors and kings. But if 00:10:53.899 --> 00:10:58.240 you look closely at this treatment, this is exactly 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:01.899 how they treated the Lord first. Before the church, 00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:04.240 before his apostles will ever experience this 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:07.399 abuse, Jesus will first experience it, and then 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:09.860 he's going to set the example for his disciples 00:11:09.860 --> 00:11:14.480 to follow. In John 15, Jesus said this, If the 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:17.659 world hates you, know that it hated me before 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:20.500 it hated you. If you were of the world, the world 00:11:20.500 --> 00:11:23.279 would love its own. Yet because you are not of 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.220 the world, but I chose you out of the world, 00:11:26.379 --> 00:11:30.159 therefore the world hates you. Remember the word 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:32.220 that I said to you, a servant is not greater 00:11:32.220 --> 00:11:35.559 than his master. If they persecuted me, they 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:38.399 will also persecute you. If they keep my word, 00:11:38.539 --> 00:11:41.659 they will also keep your word. So look, it says 00:11:41.659 --> 00:11:45.259 you're going to be handed over to councils. Jesus 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:48.080 was handled over to the Jerusalem council, the 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:52.360 Sanhedrin. He was brought before Pilate. He was 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:55.139 scourged before he was even brought to Pilate. 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:59.590 And he says likewise. the followers of Christ, 00:11:59.789 --> 00:12:02.029 you too are going to be handed over to councils, 00:12:02.330 --> 00:12:05.929 to governors, to kings. Those are all civic authorities, 00:12:06.070 --> 00:12:08.730 by the way. Councils, governors, kings. That 00:12:08.730 --> 00:12:11.850 you also be scourged in the synagogues. Meaning 00:12:11.850 --> 00:12:14.570 the persecution that his church is going to experience 00:12:14.570 --> 00:12:17.009 is going to come from civic authorities, but 00:12:17.009 --> 00:12:19.210 also from religious authorities. They get it 00:12:19.210 --> 00:12:23.149 from both ends. Excuse me. But why are they being 00:12:23.149 --> 00:12:27.649 persecuted? He said, for my sake. The church 00:12:27.649 --> 00:12:30.049 is going to be hated, treated with contempt, 00:12:30.190 --> 00:12:33.149 and persecuted simply because they belong to 00:12:33.149 --> 00:12:36.649 Christ. The church, we, the church, we don't 00:12:36.649 --> 00:12:40.110 belong to the world. And the world hates the 00:12:40.110 --> 00:12:44.730 church just as it hated Christ. Christ was giving 00:12:44.730 --> 00:12:48.769 his disciples an advance warning. He said, listen, 00:12:48.850 --> 00:12:50.750 this is why I need you to listen up. Behold, 00:12:50.809 --> 00:12:54.250 listen carefully. You need to be shrewd as a 00:12:54.250 --> 00:12:56.110 serpent because men are going to seek to hurt 00:12:56.110 --> 00:12:58.679 you. In fact, they're going to seek to kill you. 00:12:59.340 --> 00:13:04.440 Be aware of that, but don't retaliate. Do not 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:08.000 hurt those who are hurting you. You'd be harmless 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:11.899 as a dove. And the disciples, they were willing 00:13:11.899 --> 00:13:15.059 to suffer for his sake as a testimony to him. 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:18.919 See, the testimony that arises from being persecuted, 00:13:18.980 --> 00:13:22.740 it's not comfortable, but it is very credible. 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:26.179 The apostles being willing to suffer because 00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:29.259 they were convinced of the truthfulness of the 00:13:29.259 --> 00:13:31.679 message they were preaching. They were convinced 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:34.480 of that. And their witness, now notice, their 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:36.879 witness is going to now extend beyond Israel. 00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:39.500 Back in verses 5 and 6, he said, don't go outside 00:13:39.500 --> 00:13:42.960 of Israel. But now, he says, this testimony will 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:45.820 be to Israel and to the Gentiles, if you look 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:48.820 down at verse 18. So in other words, the church's 00:13:48.820 --> 00:13:51.899 mission, the church's witness, The church's testimony 00:13:51.899 --> 00:13:56.000 will be international. But how is this going 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.379 to gain that international audience? Through 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:02.419 suffering. We don't have time, but you can look 00:14:02.419 --> 00:14:04.500 over in the book of Acts, and you will see the 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:07.379 persecution of the apostles, just as our Lord 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:10.659 warned them of here in Matthew chapter 10. But 00:14:10.659 --> 00:14:13.799 it was this suffering that caused the gospel 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:18.440 to spread and to expand. In Acts chapter 8, Stephen 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.940 was martyred in Acts chapter 7. And Saul, who 00:14:21.940 --> 00:14:24.080 would later become Paul, was there consenting 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.740 to his death. And a great persecution arose against 00:14:26.740 --> 00:14:29.039 the church, Acts 8 .1, which was at Jerusalem. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:31.500 That's where the church was. And they were all 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:33.639 scattered throughout the regions of Judea and 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:36.820 Samaria, except the apostles. They stayed behind 00:14:36.820 --> 00:14:39.860 in Jerusalem. Therefore, those who were scattered, 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.919 I love verse 4, went everywhere. And what were 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:45.639 they doing? Preaching the word, preaching the 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.179 gospel. So it starts in Jerusalem, goes to greater 00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:53.480 Judea, into Samaria. See, here's the thing. Satan 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:55.779 has always sought to use persecution to stop 00:14:55.779 --> 00:14:58.059 the spread of the gospel. He will use the threat 00:14:58.059 --> 00:15:00.340 of physical violence to keep you in fear so that 00:15:00.340 --> 00:15:02.840 you don't open your mouth. But it was really 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.779 ironic. In fact, this was the tool that our Lord 00:15:05.779 --> 00:15:09.559 used to make his message known. The church has 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:13.120 never been stopped because of persecution. Persecution 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:16.100 has always purified the church. It has always 00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:19.960 made the church stronger, not weaker. But the 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:22.559 age of persecution did not die off with the apostles. 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:26.679 The church continues to shine the light of Christ 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:30.179 in a dark, fallen world, and it continues to 00:15:30.179 --> 00:15:34.019 face the hostility of a dark, fallen world. Think 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:36.320 of Nigeria. Think of Libya. Think of North Korea. 00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:39.700 We could go on. Therefore, the church, even today, 00:15:39.940 --> 00:15:44.480 continues to be hated. And it will face the ire 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:47.539 of men who will seek to dim its light and silence 00:15:47.539 --> 00:15:50.720 her witness. People do not want the prophetic 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:54.139 voice of the church. Now, knowing that persecution 00:15:54.139 --> 00:15:57.960 is coming, what is the church to do? Be calm. 00:15:58.019 --> 00:16:01.419 Look at verse 19. But when they deliver you up, 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:04.980 don't worry about how or what you should speak. 00:16:05.620 --> 00:16:07.399 For it will be given to you in that hour what 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:10.240 you should speak. For it is not you who speaks, 00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:12.620 but the spirit of your father who speaks in you. 00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:16.320 Notice he says when they deliver you up, not 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:20.940 if they deliver you up. The church is to expect, 00:16:21.100 --> 00:16:25.659 in every age, some sort of suffering. But he 00:16:25.659 --> 00:16:31.100 says, do not worry. Don't be anxious. Just be 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:33.440 faithful. Don't worry about what you're going 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:36.620 to say in that hour of trial, because God is 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:38.379 going to be there to give you the words, and 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:40.320 he will give you the strength that you most need 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:42.879 in the moment you most need it. And you can easily 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:44.899 see that. I mean, the Bible is full of these 00:16:44.899 --> 00:16:48.429 examples. In Acts chapter 26, remember the Apostle 00:16:48.429 --> 00:16:51.190 Paul had been arrested, and he was allowed to 00:16:51.190 --> 00:16:53.809 give a defense before King Agrippa, before being 00:16:53.809 --> 00:16:57.169 sent off to Rome. And in Acts 26 .1, notice what 00:16:57.169 --> 00:16:59.750 Paul said. Then Agrippa said to Paul, you are 00:16:59.750 --> 00:17:02.190 permitted to speak for yourself. So Paul stretched 00:17:02.190 --> 00:17:04.589 out his hand, he answered for himself, and I 00:17:04.589 --> 00:17:06.150 didn't take the time to, we're not going to read 00:17:06.150 --> 00:17:08.990 it. Verses 2 all the way down to verse 23 is 00:17:08.990 --> 00:17:11.869 Paul's defense. And he gives an excellent defense 00:17:11.869 --> 00:17:15.390 and an incredible testimony before Festus. and 00:17:15.390 --> 00:17:18.829 also Bernice, and King Agrippa was there. And 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.170 it's a gripping testimony. So much so that King 00:17:22.170 --> 00:17:27.029 Agrippa in verse 28 says, Paul, you almost persuade 00:17:27.029 --> 00:17:30.890 me to become a Christian. What haunting words 00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:34.289 that I'm sure that Agrippa is remembering even 00:17:34.289 --> 00:17:38.650 today. You almost persuaded me. But God, the 00:17:38.650 --> 00:17:40.970 point here is God strengthened the Apostle Paul. 00:17:41.150 --> 00:17:43.490 He gave him the words that he needed to speak 00:17:43.490 --> 00:17:46.069 before the king. You see the same thing in Acts 00:17:46.069 --> 00:17:48.609 chapter 4. Peter and John had been arrested in 00:17:48.609 --> 00:17:50.630 the temple for preaching in the name of Christ. 00:17:50.849 --> 00:17:53.029 They were beaten. They were held in custody. 00:17:53.130 --> 00:17:56.029 And then Peter was given a chance to give a defense 00:17:56.029 --> 00:17:58.470 before the governing authorities. Now keep in 00:17:58.470 --> 00:18:01.930 mind this Peter who weeks earlier or months earlier 00:18:01.930 --> 00:18:04.410 would have been the one who denied Christ three 00:18:04.410 --> 00:18:07.710 times before servant girl. But in Acts chapter 00:18:07.710 --> 00:18:10.869 4, you see a whole new Peter. And I do want to 00:18:10.869 --> 00:18:13.569 read this, beginning in verse 8. Then Peter, 00:18:13.650 --> 00:18:16.309 filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers 00:18:16.309 --> 00:18:19.349 of the people and elders of Israel, this is an 00:18:19.349 --> 00:18:21.450 august body here. These are the ruling authorities. 00:18:22.470 --> 00:18:25.269 If we this day are judged for a good deed done 00:18:25.269 --> 00:18:27.210 to a helpless man, because they killed a man, 00:18:27.869 --> 00:18:30.450 by what means is being made well, well, let me 00:18:30.450 --> 00:18:33.049 tell you about it. Let it be known to you all 00:18:33.049 --> 00:18:36.059 and to all the people of Israel, And notice the 00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:38.920 boldness of Peter. That by the name of Jesus 00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:41.859 Christ of Nazareth, whom you, and he's speaking 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:45.339 to elders and rulers, whom you crucified, whom 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:49.440 God raised from the dead, by him this man stands 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:51.740 before you here whole. It's not by Peter and 00:18:51.740 --> 00:18:55.400 John, it's by Christ. This Christ is the stone 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.880 which was rejected by you builders. But it's 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:00.599 not rejected, it's become the chief cornerstone. 00:19:01.710 --> 00:19:04.190 And just so you know, nor is there salvation 00:19:04.190 --> 00:19:07.349 in any other, for there is no other name under 00:19:07.349 --> 00:19:10.849 heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 00:19:12.170 --> 00:19:15.309 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John 00:19:15.309 --> 00:19:19.410 and perceived that they were uneducated, untrained 00:19:19.410 --> 00:19:22.470 men, because these are erudite scholars who are 00:19:22.470 --> 00:19:26.109 judging them, they marveled, and I love this, 00:19:26.190 --> 00:19:28.890 and they realized they'd been with Jesus. The 00:19:28.890 --> 00:19:32.430 Holy Spirit was with Peter, giving him the right 00:19:32.430 --> 00:19:35.430 words, bold words, to say at the moment that 00:19:35.430 --> 00:19:38.109 he needed to speak. And you can read the apostles 00:19:38.109 --> 00:19:40.410 were beaten. They were imprisoned. They were 00:19:40.410 --> 00:19:43.049 dragged into courts. They were flogged. They 00:19:43.049 --> 00:19:44.609 were brought before kings. They were brought 00:19:44.609 --> 00:19:47.349 before governors. And the whole time, the Holy 00:19:47.349 --> 00:19:49.769 Spirit was with them, strengthening them, giving 00:19:49.769 --> 00:19:53.049 them words they needed to speak. You're like, 00:19:53.109 --> 00:19:55.589 yeah, but those are the apostles. Right, we're 00:19:55.589 --> 00:19:59.440 not. But even today, Christians who are persecuted 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:02.740 for their faith and given an opportunity to speak, 00:20:02.819 --> 00:20:05.319 the Holy Spirit will be with them to give them 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:07.359 the words and the strength they need in that 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:09.960 moment. Who was the one strengthening those 21 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:13.299 martyrs on that beach in Libya? The Holy Spirit. 00:20:14.019 --> 00:20:15.839 Giving them the privilege and the opportunity 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.640 and the courage not to deny Christ. See, our 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:22.440 job is not to worry what we're going to say. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.920 What is our job then? Be faithful. Be a faithful 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:29.859 witness to Christ, whatever it costs you. And 00:20:29.859 --> 00:20:31.420 then trust that God is going to give you the 00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:34.079 words you need in that hour. Now, let me just 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.519 say something here as a side note. God's promise 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:39.279 to give us the words does not mean we should 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:42.740 be passive or irresponsible or not prepare. I 00:20:42.740 --> 00:20:44.720 have heard some preachers say, we don't need 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:46.819 to study. You just get up in the pulpit and you 00:20:46.819 --> 00:20:49.180 speak on the fly because God's going to give 00:20:49.180 --> 00:20:51.039 you the words you need in that moment and they 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.960 will use this text. That's not at all. That's 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:56.700 a terrible exegesis. That's not what he's saying. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:00.220 You and I are to be prepared. In fact, 1 Peter 00:21:00.220 --> 00:21:02.960 3 says, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:05.759 and always be ready to give a defense to everyone 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:09.539 who asks you a reason for the hope that is in 00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:13.180 you with meekness and fear. You ought to be able 00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:14.799 to give a credible witness. You better be prepared 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:17.740 to stand for Jesus. But what our Lord is saying 00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:20.940 in this passage is that any anxiety, give that 00:21:20.940 --> 00:21:23.599 to the Lord, let that be surrendered to God, 00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:26.819 and he's going to be with you. We are to behold. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:32.420 We are to beware. We are to become and be prepared. 00:21:32.539 --> 00:21:37.579 Verse 21. Be prepared for what? Even family members 00:21:37.579 --> 00:21:40.289 might turn against you. Brother against brother, 00:21:40.430 --> 00:21:42.269 father against child, children against parents, 00:21:42.450 --> 00:21:45.630 causing them to be put to death. And then verse 00:21:45.630 --> 00:21:47.910 22, he moves from family to everyone. Everyone's 00:21:47.910 --> 00:21:50.970 going to hate you for my name's sake. I can't 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:54.170 imagine this. Family members turning against 00:21:54.170 --> 00:21:56.349 you for the cause of Christ, turning you into 00:21:56.349 --> 00:21:58.910 authorities and having you put to death. Documented 00:21:58.910 --> 00:22:02.069 cases throughout church history. A hatred for 00:22:02.069 --> 00:22:05.609 Christ will sever even family ties. Many throughout 00:22:05.609 --> 00:22:08.140 the ages have lost. siblings and parents and 00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:11.019 children because of their faithfulness to Christ. 00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:13.220 A few weeks ago or a few months ago, Todd Kincaid 00:22:13.220 --> 00:22:15.420 on a Sunday night was here serving there in Rome, 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:17.759 working with like Bangladesh refugees and others, 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:20.859 primarily predominant Muslim countries. And when 00:22:20.859 --> 00:22:23.079 they are baptized, they have people in their 00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:25.740 church today in Rome who have no contact with 00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:27.319 their families because they are dead to their 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:29.920 families because they were baptized in the name 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:32.440 of the triune God because they are faithful to 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:35.480 Christ. And if they go home, if they go back 00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:37.609 to Bangladesh, they die. There's a bounty on 00:22:37.609 --> 00:22:41.029 their head. But our loyalty, listen, our loyalty 00:22:41.029 --> 00:22:43.750 to Jesus must surpass even our loyalty to our 00:22:43.750 --> 00:22:46.210 family. That's not my demand. That's Christ demanding 00:22:46.210 --> 00:22:50.049 that. In Luke chapter 14, he says, if anyone 00:22:50.049 --> 00:22:52.470 comes to me and doesn't hate his father and his 00:22:52.470 --> 00:22:54.130 mother and his wife and his children and brothers 00:22:54.130 --> 00:22:57.910 and sisters, even his own life, well, he can't 00:22:57.910 --> 00:23:01.529 be my disciple. He demands that level of loyalty 00:23:01.529 --> 00:23:05.549 because he's worthy. No one can come above Christ. 00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:11.500 Not even your children. We see the hatred that 00:23:11.500 --> 00:23:13.440 grows from family members in verse 21. He says, 00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:15.299 hey, but you're going to be hated by all. Verse 00:23:15.299 --> 00:23:22.319 22. Why? He says, for my namesake. You really 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:24.519 want to follow me? Do you know what it's going 00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:27.779 to cost you? So it's because we're associated 00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:29.680 with Jesus. But let me ask you this. Why does 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:33.220 the world hate Jesus? We love him. Why does the 00:23:33.220 --> 00:23:38.380 world hate him? Because he's light. He's truth. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:43.380 He is holiness. And he exposes the darkness and 00:23:43.380 --> 00:23:46.799 the evil of the world. In John 3, Jesus said 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:51.559 this. This is the condemnation. That the light, 00:23:51.700 --> 00:23:54.859 that's Christ, has come into the world. But men 00:23:54.859 --> 00:23:58.079 love darkness rather than light because their 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:02.480 deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:06.660 hates the light. This is not morally neutral 00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:09.799 people. They're bent toward evil. This is the 00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:13.599 depravity of man and does not come to the light. 00:24:14.980 --> 00:24:18.559 See, the gospel of Jesus Christ exposes sinners. 00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:22.900 It exposes our sin and the world hates that exposure. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:27.200 The message of the gospel is that we must repent 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:30.039 of our sin. We must surrender to Christ and we 00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:34.670 follow him. But the world, the world apart from 00:24:34.670 --> 00:24:37.930 Christ, they love autonomy. The world loves the 00:24:37.930 --> 00:24:40.509 right to do what they want to do when they want 00:24:40.509 --> 00:24:42.609 to do it. And Christ does not allow for that. 00:24:43.569 --> 00:24:47.289 He doesn't. You have a new Lord. Let me give 00:24:47.289 --> 00:24:50.630 you one example. And it's an easy example because 00:24:50.630 --> 00:24:54.230 it's so prevalent and easily seen in our society 00:24:54.230 --> 00:24:57.349 in the sexual deviation perversion of our culture. 00:24:58.029 --> 00:25:01.789 The church has always proclaimed from the beginning, 00:25:02.670 --> 00:25:06.910 That sexual activity is restricted by God's design 00:25:06.910 --> 00:25:09.210 of one, now I have to say this now, biological 00:25:09.210 --> 00:25:14.269 man and one biological female in a covenant union 00:25:14.269 --> 00:25:18.650 of marriage until death separates them. That's 00:25:18.650 --> 00:25:21.650 it. Anything and everything outside of that is 00:25:21.650 --> 00:25:26.089 sin. Morally wrong. That knocks out, that forbids 00:25:26.089 --> 00:25:29.920 fornication. Any type of sexual activity before 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:31.420 marriage doesn't matter if it's homosexual or 00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:34.039 heterosexual. Any sexual activity. Boys will 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:35.859 not be boys and all this is just people fooling 00:25:35.859 --> 00:25:39.940 around. It's sin before a holy God. Living together 00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:42.240 before marriage, it's on the rise. Doesn't matter. 00:25:42.299 --> 00:25:45.059 It's not practical. It is evil. It is sinful. 00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:48.200 The church has always stood for that. And we 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:49.980 don't need to tolerate it. We need to expose 00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:53.210 it. And people get mad. And then we can come 00:25:53.210 --> 00:25:55.150 to, before we get to the other easily things, 00:25:55.190 --> 00:25:56.630 what about the people get married and divorced 00:25:56.630 --> 00:26:00.970 and married and divorced? It's not right. Marriage 00:26:00.970 --> 00:26:04.769 is a union, a covenant before God taking sacred 00:26:04.769 --> 00:26:06.630 vows that you're not dissolving that covenant 00:26:06.630 --> 00:26:10.630 until death separates you. Then, of course, we 00:26:10.630 --> 00:26:13.650 have homosexuality. And so many today try to 00:26:13.650 --> 00:26:15.890 twist and pervert the scriptures to allow for 00:26:15.890 --> 00:26:18.390 that. You can't do it, friends. It's impossible 00:26:18.390 --> 00:26:23.019 to do. And then we have the blight of transgenderism. 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:24.779 Men thinking they're women. Women thinking they're 00:26:24.779 --> 00:26:28.900 men. Friends, it's insanity. It's Rome. And the 00:26:28.900 --> 00:26:32.539 message that I just spoke is odious to the world. 00:26:33.059 --> 00:26:35.980 They hate it. And if you mess with one of the 00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:38.779 world's idols, which is sexual autonomy, they 00:26:38.779 --> 00:26:40.740 will hate you and they will seek to silence you. 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:43.420 Anyone who speaks out on this matter is in danger 00:26:43.420 --> 00:26:47.319 of being silenced, canceled, shunned. What do 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:49.990 you think got John the Baptist killed? Do you 00:26:49.990 --> 00:26:52.289 remember there was King Herod? King Herod was 00:26:52.289 --> 00:26:54.410 sleeping with his brother Philip's wife Herodias. 00:26:55.250 --> 00:26:57.549 And John the Baptist looked at the king and said, 00:26:57.609 --> 00:26:59.930 hey, that's against the law of God. You can't 00:26:59.930 --> 00:27:03.190 do that. And the lady, Herodias, said, well, 00:27:03.269 --> 00:27:05.630 watch me. And she had his head put on a platter. 00:27:06.690 --> 00:27:11.289 He was killed for that message alone. Jesus says, 00:27:11.369 --> 00:27:15.130 whoever does not forsake all that he has cannot 00:27:15.130 --> 00:27:19.480 be my disciple. You want to follow him? Because 00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:22.460 man is depraved, he hates light. He hates those 00:27:22.460 --> 00:27:24.700 who bear witness to light. It has always been 00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:26.799 this way. It will always be this way until the 00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:29.259 time when Christ returns. It's not going to change. 00:27:29.579 --> 00:27:31.740 So the church, you must be calm. You must be 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:34.299 prepared. And finally, you must be faithful. 00:27:35.079 --> 00:27:38.299 Look at verse 22, the latter part. But he who 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:41.859 endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute 00:27:41.859 --> 00:27:44.640 you in the city, flee to another. For assuredly, 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:46.339 I say to you, you will have not gone through 00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:49.190 the cities of Israel. Before the Son of Man comes. 00:27:50.769 --> 00:27:54.230 Even in the face of persecution and possible 00:27:54.230 --> 00:27:57.630 martyrdom, the disciples must remain loyal to 00:27:57.630 --> 00:28:01.730 Jesus. You cannot, you cannot abandon Christ 00:28:01.730 --> 00:28:05.430 because it becomes too hard. Just consider the 00:28:05.430 --> 00:28:07.950 book of Hebrews. There are warning passages. 00:28:08.130 --> 00:28:10.970 You do not turn your back on Christ. Remaining 00:28:10.970 --> 00:28:13.789 true with your loyalty to Jesus, it may cost 00:28:13.789 --> 00:28:18.890 you your life. But then you will be saved. Although 00:28:18.890 --> 00:28:21.710 you must remain faithful to Christ, that does 00:28:21.710 --> 00:28:24.230 not mean you must stay where you are being persecuted. 00:28:25.269 --> 00:28:27.529 If they persecute you in this city, Jesus said, 00:28:27.549 --> 00:28:29.150 well, move on to the next. You don't have to 00:28:29.150 --> 00:28:32.329 keep casting your pearls before swine. Look at 00:28:32.329 --> 00:28:34.190 the Apostle Paul. You see that in his ministry. 00:28:34.309 --> 00:28:37.789 He was persecuted. He would move on. Fleeing 00:28:37.789 --> 00:28:42.650 is not cowardice. It is prudence. Now, sometimes 00:28:42.650 --> 00:28:46.339 it is more prudent to stay. Sometimes people 00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:48.099 say, you know what, even if it costs me my life, 00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:50.980 I'm not moving. I'm staying here. I think of 00:28:50.980 --> 00:28:53.640 Sandy's pastor back in the time when the city 00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:55.299 of Juarez was under great, tremendous violence. 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.980 Everyone, it was a city of about 3 million people, 00:28:58.019 --> 00:29:01.059 and about half of it fled. A million and a half 00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:03.660 people fled. And her pastor had an opportunity 00:29:03.660 --> 00:29:05.839 to come to the states and take a pastorate here 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:08.339 in the states. And literally, there was a time 00:29:08.339 --> 00:29:10.359 when he walked outside and his neighbor was being 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:12.450 riddled with bullets. Walking out of Costco, 00:29:12.650 --> 00:29:15.150 the crank wreck, made someone's gun down right 00:29:15.150 --> 00:29:17.609 there. Violence was everywhere. People afraid 00:29:17.609 --> 00:29:20.549 to leave their house. And I said, Jorge, why 00:29:20.549 --> 00:29:22.410 did you not leave? You had the opportunity to 00:29:22.410 --> 00:29:23.950 come. And he said, what kind of shepherd would 00:29:23.950 --> 00:29:26.009 I be if I left my sheep when they needed me most? 00:29:27.349 --> 00:29:29.029 He said, if it cost me my life, I was going to 00:29:29.029 --> 00:29:32.789 stay. The Apostle Paul, though, you see in his 00:29:32.789 --> 00:29:35.509 ministry, when persecution began, he'd leave 00:29:35.509 --> 00:29:37.869 that city and go to the next. By the way, this 00:29:37.869 --> 00:29:41.700 allowed the gospel to spread very rapidly. Now, 00:29:41.700 --> 00:29:45.460 this section of text closes with a promise. Jesus 00:29:45.460 --> 00:29:50.099 says, You will have not gone through all the 00:29:50.099 --> 00:29:52.299 cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:56.559 Now listen, I've read a lot. I've read every 00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:58.900 different interpretation. This is a very difficult 00:29:58.900 --> 00:30:00.720 verse, and there are many different interpretations. 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:02.460 I'm going to give you the one I think works the 00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:05.079 best and fits context. Let me just say right 00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:07.460 now, it's not referring to the second coming 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:09.660 at the end of the age. How do you know that? 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:11.230 Because he's saying, hey, you twelve, you're 00:30:11.230 --> 00:30:13.170 on a preaching tour in Israel, you won't even 00:30:13.170 --> 00:30:14.730 get through all of Israel until the Son of Man 00:30:14.730 --> 00:30:18.869 comes. Well, that was done at Pentecost, by the 00:30:18.869 --> 00:30:20.789 way, even before then, and the Son of Man has 00:30:20.789 --> 00:30:23.950 not returned. So now notice, pay attention, see 00:30:23.950 --> 00:30:25.390 if you can follow this line of argumentation 00:30:25.390 --> 00:30:28.650 here. He tells the twelve, you're going to go 00:30:28.650 --> 00:30:30.410 on a preaching tour, you're going to go through 00:30:30.410 --> 00:30:32.509 Israel, strictly Israel, don't go up to verses 00:30:32.509 --> 00:30:35.690 5 and 6, don't go anywhere else. And you won't 00:30:35.690 --> 00:30:37.589 even make it all the way through until the Son 00:30:37.589 --> 00:30:40.579 of Man comes. He doesn't say Son of Man comes 00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:44.500 again. He says until the Son of Man comes. Now 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:48.359 that language, the Son of Man coming, is borrowed 00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:50.839 from a text in Daniel chapter 7, and we see it 00:30:50.839 --> 00:30:53.559 various places in Matthew's Gospel. Now let me 00:30:53.559 --> 00:30:56.640 give you the text in Daniel 7. I was watching 00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:59.119 in the night visions, and behold, one like the 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:02.960 Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven, 00:31:03.079 --> 00:31:05.500 he came to the ancient days. This is a vision, 00:31:05.539 --> 00:31:07.720 friends. The Trinity's not split up by this. 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.809 This is a vision. And they brought him, that's 00:31:10.809 --> 00:31:12.750 the son of man, near before him, that's the ancient 00:31:12.750 --> 00:31:15.809 of days. Then to him, the son of man, was given 00:31:15.809 --> 00:31:20.009 dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, 00:31:20.109 --> 00:31:22.410 nations, and languages should serve him. His 00:31:22.410 --> 00:31:24.789 dominion is an everlasting dominion which will 00:31:24.789 --> 00:31:27.410 not pass away and his kingdom the one which will 00:31:27.410 --> 00:31:30.970 not be destroyed. Okay. That's Daniel's vision. 00:31:31.970 --> 00:31:34.369 So Daniel sees the son of man. What's Jesus' 00:31:34.569 --> 00:31:37.970 favorite title for himself? Son of man. He uses 00:31:37.970 --> 00:31:40.720 it all the time. And Daniel sees the Son of Man 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:43.180 coming to the Ancient of Days. That's God the 00:31:43.180 --> 00:31:46.019 Father seated on his throne. And it says at this 00:31:46.019 --> 00:31:49.960 time, Daniel's time is still future, the Son 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:53.980 of Man was given an everlasting kingship over 00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:57.079 all the earth, over all people. Now the Son of 00:31:57.079 --> 00:32:00.900 Man is coming before God to be crowned as king 00:32:00.900 --> 00:32:04.220 over all people. Notice this coming is not on 00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:06.359 the earth. He says he's coming in the clouds 00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:11.000 of heaven. That's Daniel 7. So the coming is 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:14.000 speaking of a heavenly enthronement when this 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:17.440 son of man is vindicated and pronounced as king. 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:24.119 Now this is referring to Jesus' coronation. Keep 00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:25.839 in your mind, when was Jesus crowned as king? 00:32:26.099 --> 00:32:30.779 When was the kingdom inaugurated? This view is 00:32:30.779 --> 00:32:35.779 further supported by Matthew 26. Jesus, now we 00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:38.279 skip forward 16 chapters. He's standing there 00:32:38.279 --> 00:32:40.539 before the religious authorities. But he kept 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:43.279 silent. The high priest said to him, I put you 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:46.740 under oath by the living God. Tell us if you 00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:50.119 are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said, it 00:32:50.119 --> 00:32:53.039 is as you said. And then he quotes Daniel 7. 00:32:53.579 --> 00:32:55.420 Nevertheless, I say to you hereafter, you will 00:32:55.420 --> 00:32:58.259 see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand 00:32:58.259 --> 00:33:00.119 of the power and coming in the clouds of heaven. 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:04.680 Okay, so he's referring back to Daniel 7. When 00:33:04.680 --> 00:33:07.980 did Christ receive the kingdom from his Father? 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:13.039 The Lord Jesus suffered. He was crucified, buried, 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:16.140 and yet the third day he was vindicated and raised 00:33:16.140 --> 00:33:20.400 from the dead by the Father. He ascended 40 days 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:23.299 later into heaven. We don't make much of the 00:33:23.299 --> 00:33:25.160 ascension, but we should, and I've tried to do 00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:27.539 this here in this church. 40 days later at the 00:33:27.539 --> 00:33:30.420 ascension, he enters into heaven. He is crowned 00:33:30.420 --> 00:33:33.980 as king at his ascension. And that is known in 00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:38.220 church theology as Jesus' session. He goes in. 00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:40.640 He receives the kingdom. He's seated at God the 00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:43.400 Father's right hand. His being seated is known 00:33:43.400 --> 00:33:46.539 as his session. And from there, he rules from 00:33:46.539 --> 00:33:49.700 the Father's right hand until all his enemies 00:33:49.700 --> 00:33:52.539 are placed under his feet. Till his enemies are 00:33:52.539 --> 00:33:55.160 made his footstool, the Bible says. The kingdom 00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:59.400 was inaugurated. It came when Christ was crucified. 00:33:59.779 --> 00:34:02.569 He's buried. He rose again. He ascended into 00:34:02.569 --> 00:34:06.170 heaven. He came before his father and received 00:34:06.170 --> 00:34:10.570 his kingdom. And Christ right now currently rules 00:34:10.570 --> 00:34:13.070 from heaven, but the kingdom now is expanding 00:34:13.070 --> 00:34:16.010 beyond the borders of Israel into all nations 00:34:16.010 --> 00:34:18.809 until the time that he returns in final judgment. 00:34:20.150 --> 00:34:21.789 I'm going to give you a summary and see if I 00:34:21.789 --> 00:34:24.880 can clear up any loose ends. The coming of the 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:28.079 Son of Man in Matthew 10 .23 is referring to 00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:31.000 Jesus coming to receive his kingdom. It marked 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:36.500 the end of a specific mission to Israel. Before 00:34:36.500 --> 00:34:38.900 that, the apostles were not to leave Israel. 00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:42.179 After that, they were to go into all the nations. 00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:44.559 Look at Jesus' final words in the Great Commission. 00:34:44.860 --> 00:34:47.380 Go and make disciples of whom? All the nations. 00:34:48.170 --> 00:34:51.469 The universal kingdom of Christ was established 00:34:51.469 --> 00:34:55.650 at his ascension. And at that moment, the church's 00:34:55.650 --> 00:34:58.230 mission was broadened from those narrow borders 00:34:58.230 --> 00:35:02.050 of Israel to expand into the entire world. But 00:35:02.050 --> 00:35:04.869 until that time, until that happened, these 12 00:35:04.869 --> 00:35:09.329 men were to only minister where? To the cities 00:35:09.329 --> 00:35:11.449 of Israel. And he says, you're not going to make 00:35:11.449 --> 00:35:13.269 it all throughout Israel before the Son of Man 00:35:13.269 --> 00:35:15.750 comes. Comes where? Into his kingdom, before 00:35:15.750 --> 00:35:17.989 the kingdom is annihilated, death, burial, resurrection, 00:35:18.210 --> 00:35:21.469 and ascension. That's Matthew 10, 23. When we 00:35:21.469 --> 00:35:23.690 get to Matthew 24, at the Olivet Discourse, he 00:35:23.690 --> 00:35:25.670 is going to talk about the final return of the 00:35:25.670 --> 00:35:28.309 Son of Man to the earth and final judgment. Now, 00:35:28.329 --> 00:35:29.710 I know you could have a lot of questions, and 00:35:29.710 --> 00:35:31.730 I know I spoke very quickly there, but I really 00:35:31.730 --> 00:35:33.409 think that's a good interpretation. It's the 00:35:33.409 --> 00:35:35.809 best I have. I've read a lot. I think it fits. 00:35:36.250 --> 00:35:37.969 Everything else did not fit. And if you want 00:35:37.969 --> 00:35:39.670 to argue about it, hey, have at it. I'm fine 00:35:39.670 --> 00:35:41.710 because we're good. Because there's a lot of 00:35:41.710 --> 00:35:43.550 people that would say, some say it's Pentecost. 00:35:44.630 --> 00:35:46.869 Men like Calvin, Theodore Boza, and St. John 00:35:46.869 --> 00:35:50.230 Chrysostom from the 4th century. I don't know. 00:35:50.289 --> 00:35:52.769 I think this works. So take it as you want. But 00:35:52.769 --> 00:35:54.750 that's what I think it means. So now let me just 00:35:54.750 --> 00:35:56.190 summarize. Let's go to the close. Give me the 00:35:56.190 --> 00:35:57.849 two -minute warning here, all right? We're down 00:35:57.849 --> 00:36:03.619 to it. Now what? As a follower of Christ. You 00:36:03.619 --> 00:36:05.719 are to sanctify the Lord in your heart and follow 00:36:05.719 --> 00:36:10.199 him implicitly. But you are to expect there to 00:36:10.199 --> 00:36:13.559 be opposition. Do not be caught off guard because 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:16.980 your life is not easy. Don't be caught off guard 00:36:16.980 --> 00:36:19.440 because your life is marked out for suffering, 00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:23.599 because some are. Faithfulness, fidelity to Christ 00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:30.570 will often bring suffering. But don't quit. Persevere 00:36:30.570 --> 00:36:33.530 in this race that God has given you to run. And 00:36:33.530 --> 00:36:35.409 let me say to moms and dads and to grandparents, 00:36:35.690 --> 00:36:41.510 I beg you, I beg you, teach your kids this. We 00:36:41.510 --> 00:36:44.690 have adopted a soft prosperity theology in the 00:36:44.690 --> 00:36:47.869 church in the Western world. That somehow being 00:36:47.869 --> 00:36:49.750 with Jesus is going to make life better and there's 00:36:49.750 --> 00:36:52.630 no promise of that whatsoever. I was thinking 00:36:52.630 --> 00:36:54.170 about this message and I was thinking yesterday 00:36:54.170 --> 00:36:57.059 and I was thinking about my own son. What would 00:36:57.059 --> 00:36:59.059 I have wanted him to do if he's 21, if he's a 00:36:59.059 --> 00:37:01.539 young man in his 20s standing on a Libyan beach 00:37:01.539 --> 00:37:03.780 saying you either deny Christ or you save your 00:37:03.780 --> 00:37:06.940 life or you lose your head. I'll lose your head, 00:37:06.980 --> 00:37:10.260 son, to the glory of Christ. And that would kill 00:37:10.260 --> 00:37:14.260 me. But don't deny your Lord. But are we prepared 00:37:14.260 --> 00:37:17.440 to do that? See, we're not. If we're just getting 00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:19.500 cotton candy and games and silly things all the 00:37:19.500 --> 00:37:22.880 time. Friends, this is a sobering thing. Jesus 00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:26.230 said this is what you expect. Teach them. It 00:37:26.230 --> 00:37:29.150 might come. It may not. But look to the church. 00:37:29.210 --> 00:37:31.349 Look to those people who have suffered for Christ. 00:37:31.530 --> 00:37:33.389 And God's going to give you the strength and 00:37:33.389 --> 00:37:35.570 the wisdom. And he'll give you the words when 00:37:35.570 --> 00:37:39.150 you need them. And God will not abandon his people, 00:37:39.250 --> 00:37:41.969 especially in the dark season. He's with you, 00:37:42.010 --> 00:37:46.429 friends. He is for you. He is with you. And don't 00:37:46.429 --> 00:37:49.809 quit because your salvation is proven by your 00:37:49.809 --> 00:37:52.650 perseverance. Perseverance does not earn it. 00:37:52.670 --> 00:37:55.860 It's grace through faith. Perseverance proves 00:37:55.860 --> 00:38:00.039 it. Endurance is the mark of a true disciple. 00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:05.179 We persevere only because God in his grace is 00:38:05.179 --> 00:38:08.860 preserving us until that final day. Don't lose 00:38:08.860 --> 00:38:12.760 your reward, folks. This is the mission of the 00:38:12.760 --> 00:38:16.980 church throughout the ages. Let's pray. Father, 00:38:17.019 --> 00:38:18.820 we thank you for your word, and Lord, I thank 00:38:18.820 --> 00:38:20.739 you for your help, and Lord, I pray that you 00:38:20.739 --> 00:38:23.869 would use Perhaps unclear words of mine, I don't 00:38:23.869 --> 00:38:27.329 know, Lord, to stir someone up in their spirit, 00:38:27.429 --> 00:38:31.369 Lord. God, use this word, Lord, the best we could 00:38:31.369 --> 00:38:35.449 execute it, to minister to the saints that are 00:38:35.449 --> 00:38:38.929 gathered here, but to awaken sinners. Lord, no 00:38:38.929 --> 00:38:41.690 doubt there may be some who still, Lord, are 00:38:41.690 --> 00:38:45.449 apart from Christ. They've never, ever identified 00:38:45.449 --> 00:38:47.190 with him. They've never bowed the knee to him 00:38:47.190 --> 00:38:50.760 and surrendered in faith. God, awaken them. to 00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:53.699 their soul's peril. Awaken them to their soul's 00:38:53.699 --> 00:38:57.920 delight in Christ. Father, help us to trust you 00:38:57.920 --> 00:38:59.719 to do this and not in the power of persuasion. 00:39:00.059 --> 00:39:01.980 We ask God that you would meet with us now at 00:39:01.980 --> 00:39:04.280 the table, the table of the Lord, which is given 00:39:04.280 --> 00:39:06.659 to us. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.