WEBVTT 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:37.899 Good morning. And let me say Happy New Year. 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:43.179 Can you believe it? We are already here, the 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:46.340 end of the year, the last Sunday of the year. 00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:50.119 Today we will conclude Advent. And we will do 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:53.740 the very last study from moving on the Advent, 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:56.979 hoping for the first coming of Jesus and going 00:00:56.979 --> 00:01:00.240 through that, to now the last part, which is 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:03.100 the second Advent, the second coming of Jesus. 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:06.239 So as we begin this study, please join me as 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:12.310 I pray. Lord, it's been a beautiful season. Thank 00:01:12.310 --> 00:01:16.530 you for the fruit of hope, for the fruit of salvation, 00:01:16.629 --> 00:01:21.170 of renewal that you have given us. What a joy. 00:01:23.010 --> 00:01:25.310 And I can't believe that we are here already 00:01:25.310 --> 00:01:28.290 at the end of 2025 and we're standing in your 00:01:28.290 --> 00:01:32.909 presence, Lord, encouraged because we know that 00:01:32.909 --> 00:01:37.480 we are following you. And as we follow you, Lord, 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:43.340 there is something that is so precious to us. 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:48.959 And that is your return. As we reflect on these 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:52.400 things today, Lord, give us insight, perspective. 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:56.819 That we may serve you well until the very end. 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:01.260 And use me in your grace and in the power of 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:09.009 your spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The 00:02:09.009 --> 00:02:12.129 last study on the series on Advent today is the 00:02:12.129 --> 00:02:17.009 returning king. I want to show you a couple of 00:02:17.009 --> 00:02:21.090 pictures together. And I want to ask you something. 00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:25.729 What does celebrating Christmas have to do with 00:02:25.729 --> 00:02:31.930 caves in the desert? Now you may look at those 00:02:31.930 --> 00:02:34.569 pictures and I know you don't know the answer. 00:02:34.629 --> 00:02:38.050 That's why I'm asking. Because I want to tell 00:02:38.050 --> 00:02:42.930 you the answer. Those caves in the desert that 00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:46.430 you see here are in a place called Masada in 00:02:46.430 --> 00:02:52.750 Israel. And in 1947, in those caves, there were 00:02:52.750 --> 00:02:57.710 some manuscripts that were discovered. They were 00:02:57.710 --> 00:03:03.710 placed in these jars and they were able to remain 00:03:03.710 --> 00:03:08.550 for centuries like that. until their discovery 00:03:08.550 --> 00:03:13.150 in 1947, and this became known as the Dead Sea 00:03:13.150 --> 00:03:17.370 Scrolls. And for us Christians, the Dead Sea 00:03:17.370 --> 00:03:21.189 Scrolls were very important because they included 00:03:21.189 --> 00:03:24.210 most of the books that we have in the Old Testament, 00:03:24.250 --> 00:03:28.889 and some of them were almost in complete condition. 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:33.500 And what that meant for us is that we could go 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:36.460 back to our Bibles and confirm whether the text 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:39.080 we have today matched the old text that they 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:43.740 had even before Jesus. And the answer was, yeah, 00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:46.939 a good match. So it was very important for us 00:03:46.939 --> 00:03:50.020 as Christians because it corroborated the veracity 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:56.300 of the Bible that you can trust the text. But 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:59.900 it was also important for two reasons. Two of 00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:02.560 the prophets of the Old Testament that talked 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:07.280 about the coming of the Messiah had been criticized 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.060 by some people saying, oh, those things were 00:04:10.060 --> 00:04:14.460 written after the fact. After Jesus came, that's 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:16.519 when those things were written, but they were 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:19.000 written in a way that made it believe they were 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:23.279 written before. Because the prophecies were so 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:28.699 precise. But now those people were silenced by 00:04:28.699 --> 00:04:30.899 the evidence because these manuscripts included 00:04:30.899 --> 00:04:34.480 the book of Isaiah and also the book of Daniel. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:39.899 What did Isaiah say about this Messiah that was 00:04:39.899 --> 00:04:44.339 going to come? Isaiah said it this way. By the 00:04:44.339 --> 00:04:47.259 way, you can see these manuscripts in Israel, 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:49.939 in Jerusalem, at the museum. They are right there 00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:53.019 on display for everyone to see. But this is what 00:04:53.019 --> 00:04:59.339 Isaiah said. a child is born. To us, a son is 00:04:59.339 --> 00:05:03.319 given, and the government will be on his shoulders. 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:07.800 And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:12.939 God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of 00:05:12.939 --> 00:05:16.459 the greatness of his government and peace, there 00:05:16.459 --> 00:05:20.939 will be no end. He will reign on David's throne, 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:25.339 and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding 00:05:25.339 --> 00:05:28.240 it with justice and righteousness from that time 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:32.259 on and forever. And the zeal of the Lord Almighty 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:38.560 will accomplish this. Isaiah told us that there 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:40.639 was going to be a child that was going to be 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:44.600 born who was going to be called Almighty God. 00:05:45.740 --> 00:05:49.220 And this child that was going to be born was 00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:52.920 going to be a king. That was going to have the 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:57.019 kingdom of King David. And his kingdom was never 00:05:57.019 --> 00:06:05.600 going to end. Wow. How could a child be born 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:12.139 and have a kingdom and be called God? You must 00:06:12.139 --> 00:06:14.600 remember these prophecies were written about 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:20.730 700 years or so before Christ. Then Daniel. The 00:06:20.730 --> 00:06:24.870 other prophet also prophesied about this king, 00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:27.689 about this Messiah, but he said something very 00:06:27.689 --> 00:06:32.209 different. And in Daniel, we are told the vision 00:06:32.209 --> 00:06:35.089 that prophet Daniel wrote about in chapter 7. 00:06:35.189 --> 00:06:38.689 And this is what the prophecy says. As my vision 00:06:38.689 --> 00:06:43.310 continued that night, I saw someone like a son 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:49.740 of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:53.560 the ancient one and was led into his presence. 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:59.199 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:04.019 over all the nations of the world. So that people 00:07:04.019 --> 00:07:09.620 of every race and nation and language would obey 00:07:09.620 --> 00:07:13.860 him. And his rule is eternal. It will never end. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:19.699 His kingdom will never be destroyed. So now you 00:07:19.699 --> 00:07:23.800 have Daniel talking about this king who is going 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:27.379 to have that kingdom that will never end. But 00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:30.439 wait a second. That king is coming in the clouds 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:34.920 of heaven. So you have Isaiah and you have Daniel 00:07:34.920 --> 00:07:37.480 both talking about this king that is going to 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:41.360 come. And Isaiah introduces him as, oh, he's 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:45.889 a baby born, a child. And Daniel says, oh no, 00:07:45.930 --> 00:07:48.410 he's like a son of man. He looks like an adult 00:07:48.410 --> 00:07:51.810 that is coming in the clouds. So it's like, how 00:07:51.810 --> 00:07:54.389 could this be? Do they connect? Are they talking 00:07:54.389 --> 00:07:59.550 about the same thing? Now we know. Then they 00:07:59.550 --> 00:08:04.189 didn't. Because now we know. As you enter to 00:08:04.189 --> 00:08:06.730 the New Testament and you read the announcement 00:08:06.730 --> 00:08:11.230 of the birth of Jesus, how these things connect. 00:08:12.940 --> 00:08:17.660 Because when we are told in the Gospel of Luke 00:08:17.660 --> 00:08:21.279 that when the announcement of Jesus is given, 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:26.680 it's specifically mentioned in connection to 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:30.639 these prophecies. You will conceive and give 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:35.460 birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He 00:08:35.460 --> 00:08:39.720 will be very great and will be called the son 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:44.179 of the most high. The Lord God will give him 00:08:44.179 --> 00:08:47.360 the throne of his ancestor David, and he will 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:51.940 reign over Israel for how long? Forever, and 00:08:51.940 --> 00:09:03.679 his kingdom will never end. This event gave us 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:07.379 the name. Of this person that Isaiah was writing 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:09.960 about. A child that was going to be born. That 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:11.820 was going to be a king. That was going to establish 00:09:11.820 --> 00:09:14.759 a kingdom. Of David that will never end. And 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:17.580 now. In the announcement he tells us this is 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:21.940 Jesus. Wait but you also said Isaiah. That this 00:09:21.940 --> 00:09:25.679 guy was going to be known as almighty God. Yes. 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:35.820 Jesus. God. Was born. As us. Human like us. So 00:09:35.820 --> 00:09:38.080 that he could be the savior of the world. But 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:42.460 one day. He was going to establish his kingdom. 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:47.919 And at the beginning of this time. Of his ministry. 00:09:47.940 --> 00:09:52.080 As this Messiah. As this king is identified as 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.899 Jesus. He establishes his ministry. He starts 00:09:56.899 --> 00:10:01.679 proclaiming the gospel. He dies. Then he resurrects, 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.559 he appears to the apostles, and then he's going 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:08.759 to ascend to heaven. And at the end of the Gospels, 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:12.019 once you get to that section where Jesus now 00:10:12.019 --> 00:10:14.720 has died, resurrected, and you begin the book 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:18.519 of Acts, it tells us that the apostles were thinking 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:23.580 about something. Then they gathered around him 00:10:23.580 --> 00:10:28.480 and asked him, Lord. Are you at this time going 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.759 to restore the kingdom to Israel? Because Jesus, 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:36.440 you are the Messiah that Isaiah talked about, 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:39.600 that Daniel talked about, so we're waiting for 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:42.519 the kingdom that will never end. Are you going 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:49.259 to establish it now? And Jesus says to them, 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:53.799 it is not for you to know the times or dates 00:10:53.799 --> 00:11:00.419 the Father has set. by his own authority. So 00:11:00.419 --> 00:11:03.879 I'm not going to tell you when this will happen. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.860 And it's like, oh man, I wish you would have 00:11:07.860 --> 00:11:10.419 given us the date and the time exactly because 00:11:10.419 --> 00:11:13.259 isn't that what people want to know? When is 00:11:13.259 --> 00:11:15.960 Jesus going to come back? In fact, this year 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:20.159 because of the war, the war in Israel, many Christians 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:22.399 were already predicting Jesus is coming back 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:26.200 this year and here we are. But Jesus says, look, 00:11:26.360 --> 00:11:29.440 I know you want to know, but it's not for you 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:32.580 to know yet. This is something the Father, by 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:36.279 his own authority, will determine. And then he 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:38.279 continued, and he told them, but you will receive 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:42.259 power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and 00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:45.659 you will be my witnesses, where? In Jerusalem, 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:51.139 and in all Judea, and where else? In Samaria, 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:53.740 and where else? and to the ends of the earth. 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:56.120 I know that you want to know about the return 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:58.539 and the establishment of the kingdom, but I'm 00:11:58.539 --> 00:12:00.759 going to tell you what you need to know is that 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:04.620 you need to now become my witnesses and take 00:12:04.620 --> 00:12:07.299 the gospel to the nations. That is what is going 00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:12.500 to be your focus. As he was talking to them about 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:17.200 these things, he was taken up before their very 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:22.240 eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. and 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:28.000 they were looking intently up. Just like that, 00:12:28.059 --> 00:12:34.059 into the sky, as he was going. And when suddenly, 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:42.759 two men dressed in white stood beside them. And 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:45.539 they speak to them, and they say, Men of Galilee, 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:52.200 why do you stand here looking into the sky? The 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:56.919 same Jesus who was being taken from you into 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:03.100 heaven, what will he do? Will come back in the 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:08.620 same way you have seen him go into heaven. Bingo. 00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:14.460 That's Daniel. Daniel saying that the Messiah 00:13:14.460 --> 00:13:18.440 was going to come down in the clouds from heaven 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:23.080 to establish his kingdom. And Jesus now ascends 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:26.559 to heaven. And the angel said, hey, he's going 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.899 to come back. And now we connect. Yes, the prophet 00:13:31.899 --> 00:13:34.720 Isaiah and the prophet Daniel were talking about 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:39.000 the same Jesus. The king that was going to establish 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:42.740 his kingdom. But Isaiah talked about the beginning. 00:13:42.940 --> 00:13:46.980 The Messiah coming and he was born a child. And 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:49.559 he established his kingdom. He ascends to heaven. 00:13:50.409 --> 00:13:52.669 But then Daniel is talking about the Messiah 00:13:52.669 --> 00:13:56.389 coming back in the clouds. And the Bible says 00:13:56.389 --> 00:14:00.789 that one day when Jesus comes back, he's going 00:14:00.789 --> 00:14:04.029 to come back and his feet are going to touch 00:14:04.029 --> 00:14:07.409 the Mount of Olives and that mount is going to 00:14:07.409 --> 00:14:11.669 be divided into like a big earthquake. The Bible 00:14:11.669 --> 00:14:13.730 gives us lots of details about these things that 00:14:13.730 --> 00:14:17.649 will happen in the future. But what we realize, 00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:23.899 Is that the New Testament and the ministry of 00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:30.320 Jesus ends with the hope of his return. And therefore 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:34.759 to follow Jesus. means that we who are followers 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:38.679 of Jesus are awaiting for the returning king 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:42.159 that ascended to heaven on that day after he 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.659 had taken care of the sins of humanity so that 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:48.879 he could break the power of Satan, break the 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:51.740 power of sin, break the power of death, and now 00:14:51.740 --> 00:14:54.960 bring salvation and restoration to all things. 00:14:55.840 --> 00:15:00.720 And that Jesus will one day return when we do 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:07.330 not know. But in the meantime, we are concerned 00:15:07.330 --> 00:15:10.049 about the very same thing that Jesus gave the 00:15:10.049 --> 00:15:12.950 first Christians. And that is, be my witnesses 00:15:12.950 --> 00:15:15.370 and take the gospel to the world. And that is 00:15:15.370 --> 00:15:17.529 what we will continue to do until Jesus returns. 00:15:19.610 --> 00:15:22.850 But that makes me realize that following Jesus 00:15:22.850 --> 00:15:30.289 is really about a journey. Many Christians think 00:15:30.289 --> 00:15:35.990 of their salvation simply in these terms. I believe 00:15:35.990 --> 00:15:39.350 in Jesus. I'll die one day and I'll go to heaven. 00:15:40.529 --> 00:15:44.450 And then that's it. All nice and happy forever 00:15:44.450 --> 00:15:48.710 in heaven. And I hope that is fun because, you 00:15:48.710 --> 00:15:51.629 know, just playing harps with little wings for 00:15:51.629 --> 00:15:55.009 eternity doesn't sound very fun. But hey, that's 00:15:55.009 --> 00:15:57.850 better than hell, I guess. You know, and some 00:15:57.850 --> 00:16:02.570 people think of salvation just in those terms. 00:16:02.690 --> 00:16:07.620 I die, I go to heaven. But actually, it's so 00:16:07.620 --> 00:16:12.860 much more than that. And there are certain things 00:16:12.860 --> 00:16:19.139 that are going to happen. The moment I became 00:16:19.139 --> 00:16:22.580 a follower of Jesus, I stepped into this road 00:16:22.580 --> 00:16:25.179 of following Jesus. But there's a whole history 00:16:25.179 --> 00:16:29.679 behind me as we just read Isaiah and Daniel and 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.820 the Gospels and the life of Jesus and the promise 00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:36.220 of his return. But also there's a whole road 00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:39.480 ahead of me in the future that I have not yet 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:45.159 been at. And I am in this road driving my car 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:50.139 until I get to that future. We already looked 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:53.960 at what was behind us. Isaiah, Daniel, the Gospels. 00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:57.919 But what is ahead of us? What is this map or 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:03.879 this road? As a summary of this, because this 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:06.519 is not a study on eschatology per se, on the 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:11.900 events of the end of times, I want to give you 00:17:11.900 --> 00:17:17.140 just a top picture of what the Bible did prophesy 00:17:17.140 --> 00:17:20.460 and the things that the Bible says about the 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:24.099 Messiah himself. He would be born in Bethlehem, 00:17:24.099 --> 00:17:30.089 that he would die and resurrect. Then we are 00:17:30.089 --> 00:17:32.910 told that after that he ascended to heaven with 00:17:32.910 --> 00:17:35.730 the promise that he was going to come back. The 00:17:35.730 --> 00:17:39.630 Bible says that one day he will return. And Thessalonians 00:17:39.630 --> 00:17:42.150 tells us that when Jesus returns at that moment, 00:17:42.230 --> 00:17:45.069 those of us who are still alive will be glorified 00:17:45.069 --> 00:17:48.210 and will become sinless and immortal and will 00:17:48.210 --> 00:17:50.710 be with the Lord forever. So when Jesus returns, 00:17:50.990 --> 00:17:53.829 something very important will happen to us. And 00:17:53.829 --> 00:17:56.289 those that were already dead in Christ will resurrect 00:17:56.289 --> 00:17:59.029 at that moment. That's what the Bible says very 00:17:59.029 --> 00:18:02.410 clearly in Thessalonians. So that we will grieve 00:18:02.410 --> 00:18:09.309 with hope. When will Jesus return? We do not 00:18:09.309 --> 00:18:14.289 know. So every time that you see someone on YouTube 00:18:14.289 --> 00:18:18.950 telling you that, hey, Jesus is going to come 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:23.009 back this time, this time. I know every season, 00:18:23.150 --> 00:18:27.000 every era. human history, ever since the ascension 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:30.700 of Jesus, political things happen that make you 00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:32.839 feel like maybe this is it. Maybe this is it. 00:18:33.420 --> 00:18:36.420 And it's okay to feel like that. Maybe it is. 00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:40.200 Maybe it's not. We do not know. But we know that 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:43.059 it's coming down the road. And sometimes we're 00:18:43.059 --> 00:18:46.299 like the kids. Guys, have you taken a road trip 00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:50.440 with your parents? A long one? What is one question 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:54.710 that you like to ask your parents? Oh, every 00:18:54.710 --> 00:18:57.150 adult knows the answer. They've been traveling 00:18:57.150 --> 00:19:00.789 with you? Ah, did you like to ask the question, 00:19:00.970 --> 00:19:04.089 are we there yet? How much longer? Are we there 00:19:04.089 --> 00:19:08.349 yet? Right. And we, as we follow Jesus, are like 00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:11.269 that too. We're saying, God, are we there yet? 00:19:11.329 --> 00:19:16.289 Are you coming back yet? Is this it? And then, 00:19:16.309 --> 00:19:19.549 not only Jesus is going to come back. But there's 00:19:19.549 --> 00:19:21.950 a kingdom that the Bible talked about that was 00:19:21.950 --> 00:19:25.450 going to be established. Jesus reigning in Jerusalem 00:19:25.450 --> 00:19:30.650 in the throne of King David. And the Bible says 00:19:30.650 --> 00:19:33.809 that he's going to reign until he puts all his 00:19:33.809 --> 00:19:36.789 enemies under his feet. And the ultimate enemy 00:19:36.789 --> 00:19:41.910 that will be destroyed is death. And then he 00:19:41.910 --> 00:19:46.130 will submit everything to the Father. And at 00:19:46.130 --> 00:19:49.650 that point, There's going to be a final judgment 00:19:49.650 --> 00:19:53.029 where that final judgment is the final resurrection 00:19:53.029 --> 00:19:56.970 for judgment that Daniel talked about. And all 00:19:56.970 --> 00:19:58.829 of this is described in the book of Revelation 00:19:58.829 --> 00:20:01.670 as well. And after these things happen, then 00:20:01.670 --> 00:20:05.549 the new heaven and the new earth will be established. 00:20:06.670 --> 00:20:10.849 So this is kind of like a summary of what the 00:20:10.849 --> 00:20:13.230 prophets mentioned and what the Bible says about 00:20:13.230 --> 00:20:17.859 these things. In the midst of so many denominations 00:20:17.859 --> 00:20:22.200 here at ACB represented in our community, yeah, 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:24.160 the way people interpret all of these things 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:26.619 change. Some people say, well, that's symbolic. 00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:29.400 Oh, well, that's literal. That's this, that's 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:32.660 that. That's fine. You can deal with that part. 00:20:32.859 --> 00:20:40.039 But this is basically the map. And where am I 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:45.660 in that map? Well, you are here. We are in between 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:48.420 the ascension of Jesus and his return, and we 00:20:48.420 --> 00:20:51.980 have one mission, to go and make disciples. Waiting 00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:56.019 for his return, and when he returns, the prophecies 00:20:56.019 --> 00:20:59.059 of Daniel, seeing the Son of Man coming down 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:02.299 the clouds of heaven, he was given authority 00:21:02.299 --> 00:21:06.799 and dominion, and all peoples of the earth worshipped 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:15.359 him. That is going to happen. And therefore, 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:19.799 as a follower of Jesus, I am concluding this 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:23.279 year thinking, oh, well, we have a few days left. 00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:27.619 Maybe it will be. Maybe it won't. But as I am 00:21:27.619 --> 00:21:31.720 fulfilling this year, thinking, okay, not yet. 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:35.359 So we'll continue hoping, and we'll continue 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:38.019 driving the car, and we'll continue on this road. 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:44.500 But that reminded me of something. Many years 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:47.319 ago, when I was a teenager, we decided to take 00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:53.359 a trip, a road trip, a long road trip. At that 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:58.140 time, I was living in Santiago, Chile, and we 00:21:58.140 --> 00:22:01.420 did a road trip through Argentina, you know, 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:03.920 the Andes Mountains, and go through that into 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:08.500 the flat area of Argentina. Flat, I mean, flatter 00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:13.539 than Texas. It's like flat. You could see the 00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:19.619 highway straight ending in the horizon. And we 00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:22.200 were going through Argentina. We were going to, 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:25.059 our destination was going to be Paraguay. We 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:28.420 were going to go to Uruguay, to the beach there 00:22:28.420 --> 00:22:31.660 too. And there was going to be a main event with 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:35.140 missionaries and pastors in Paraguay that we 00:22:35.140 --> 00:22:40.220 were going to attend. So it was a fun trip. But 00:22:40.220 --> 00:22:43.920 as we were in the car, there were moments in 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:47.720 which just helping Dad, because we were all young 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:51.380 at that time, we couldn't help drive. But I could 00:22:51.380 --> 00:22:55.460 help Dad stay awake while driving by reading 00:22:55.460 --> 00:22:59.819 the signs of the road as they would come. Oh, 00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:02.660 curve to the right. So I would see the sign and 00:23:02.660 --> 00:23:07.740 say, Dad, curve to the right. Then curve to the 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:10.990 left. Dad. Curve to the left until we got to 00:23:10.990 --> 00:23:14.750 Argentina. And then it was just flat. Not many 00:23:14.750 --> 00:23:20.349 signs after that. But then we kept doing that 00:23:20.349 --> 00:23:23.190 to help because it was like, I forgot, maybe 00:23:23.190 --> 00:23:28.750 three days that we drove. A long road trip. It 00:23:28.750 --> 00:23:32.650 was so helpful to have the signs ahead of us 00:23:32.650 --> 00:23:35.349 to be aware of what's coming and be conscious 00:23:35.349 --> 00:23:37.849 so that we would not fall asleep while driving. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:42.480 But the moment I stopped paying attention to 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:46.920 the signs and I fell asleep, there was no one 00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:50.180 to tell dad, hey, this is the sign that is coming. 00:23:50.299 --> 00:23:53.859 And because it was a long road and because it 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:57.940 was late at night, dad fell asleep while driving. 00:23:59.900 --> 00:24:03.900 And before you knew it, it was just a matter 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:08.579 of seconds. It was like... And I woke up. Like 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:15.240 this. And we exited the car, not through the 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:17.319 door, but through the front opening where the 00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:21.720 glass was before. The windshield completely gone. 00:24:24.819 --> 00:24:28.059 So we got out. Thankfully, we were all okay, 00:24:28.099 --> 00:24:31.400 except for my sister that she got a wound on 00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:35.960 her arm. And the car was like on its side, like 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:39.039 this. But thankfully, the windshield did not 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:42.380 break. It just came off. And there was a bus 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:47.059 behind us that was coming, full of tourists. 00:24:47.900 --> 00:24:52.480 And the moment they stopped, all these guys came 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:56.380 down and then came, surrounded us, made sure 00:24:56.380 --> 00:24:59.500 that we were okay. And everybody together, let's 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:03.599 grab this car. Boom, back on its four wheels. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:10.849 Put the windshield back. And we kept driving 00:25:10.849 --> 00:25:16.250 to our destination. And when we got to Paraguay, 00:25:16.250 --> 00:25:18.529 we took the car to a mechanic so that everything 00:25:18.529 --> 00:25:20.230 could be fixed because we put the windshield 00:25:20.230 --> 00:25:26.990 back but we had to hold it. And it's not because 00:25:26.990 --> 00:25:29.789 we were cheap. It's because there was nothing. 00:25:29.829 --> 00:25:38.579 I told you, flat, horizon, nothing. I'm in this 00:25:38.579 --> 00:25:42.579 long road trip called following Jesus that it 00:25:42.579 --> 00:25:45.680 keeps going and going every year and going and 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:49.000 going and going. And I'm desperate for the signs 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:52.059 so that I will not fall asleep on the wheel. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:26:00.720 So that I will be able to follow Jesus and stand 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:03.279 firm till the very end so that when he comes 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:14.930 back, We will be awake and fulfilled. So it took 00:26:14.930 --> 00:26:18.029 time to ask the apostles, what are the road signs 00:26:18.029 --> 00:26:20.890 that you want me to be aware of? Because Jesus 00:26:20.890 --> 00:26:24.289 hasn't come yet. I was hoping, but he hasn't. 00:26:24.450 --> 00:26:30.650 So I keep hoping. Keep driving. And the apostles 00:26:30.650 --> 00:26:33.009 talked about these things. And there are three 00:26:33.009 --> 00:26:38.480 signs of the road. that they are giving us. The 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:43.400 first one is from the Apostle Paul. Paul is reflecting 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:46.039 about the return of Christ and the things that 00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:48.339 are going to happen in the future. And he says, 00:26:48.380 --> 00:26:51.900 Pablo, you're surrounded by people that live 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:55.059 for themselves. They do not know the Lord. Their 00:26:55.059 --> 00:26:57.200 hearts are closed. Their eyes are closed to the 00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:02.400 Lord. They just live for themselves. Their destiny 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:07.420 is destruction. Their God is their stomach. And 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:10.339 their glory is in their shame. Their mind is 00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:16.000 set on earthly things. That is the family where 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:19.059 you're in. That is the job that you're in. That 00:27:19.059 --> 00:27:22.480 is your office people. That is your company. 00:27:23.019 --> 00:27:25.400 It's like you are the only follower of Jesus 00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:28.339 and you're surrounded by people that are just... 00:27:28.809 --> 00:27:31.069 Living for themselves and their minds is set 00:27:31.069 --> 00:27:38.490 on earthly things. But Pablo, you. Our citizenship 00:27:38.490 --> 00:27:45.089 is in heaven. And we eagerly await a savior from 00:27:45.089 --> 00:27:51.210 there. The Lord Jesus Christ. You may be surrounded 00:27:51.210 --> 00:27:54.380 by people that are not following the Lord. Who 00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:56.200 are just living for the here and now, but not 00:27:56.200 --> 00:28:02.079 you. You are a citizen of heaven. That is who 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:09.259 you belong to. Jesus, the king of heaven. And 00:28:09.259 --> 00:28:14.779 one day, by the power that enables him to bring 00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:18.099 everything under his control, he will transform 00:28:18.099 --> 00:28:21.200 our lowly bodies so that they will be like his 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:25.059 glorious body. When Jesus returns, the resurrection 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:30.000 and glorification will take place. Pablo, this 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.700 is who you are. You are a citizen of heaven. 00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:40.539 Don't forget who you are. Remember your identity. 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:45.000 You're going to be worried about the job promotion. 00:28:45.420 --> 00:28:48.200 You're going to be worried about the bills. You're 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:51.079 going to be sad. That as a third culture person. 00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:54.500 You have family here. You live in this other 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:58.880 country. And you never seem to have like a permanent 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:02.880 home. And people don't get you. Because it's 00:29:02.880 --> 00:29:05.799 like some people have a place. And you don't. 00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:13.240 But don't forget. You are a citizen of heaven. 00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:18.869 And therefore continue living this year. As a 00:29:18.869 --> 00:29:23.029 citizen of heaven, you are not working to make 00:29:23.029 --> 00:29:27.069 a living. That's everybody else. Citizens of 00:29:27.069 --> 00:29:30.710 heaven are working to make an impact. And that 00:29:30.710 --> 00:29:35.049 is what you will continue to do. So, sign number 00:29:35.049 --> 00:29:38.430 one, don't forget who you are. Keep driving, 00:29:38.609 --> 00:29:41.609 but don't forget who you are. Citizen of heaven, 00:29:41.789 --> 00:29:47.779 keep driving. And don't get back down. By everything 00:29:47.779 --> 00:29:50.900 else that everybody else is concerned about. 00:29:51.380 --> 00:29:54.240 Because they are not citizens of heaven. But 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:57.500 you have a savior that is going to come back. 00:30:01.140 --> 00:30:05.299 Wow, that's nice. I think I need to hear that. 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:14.880 I'm a citizen of heaven. Is there another sign? 00:30:15.099 --> 00:30:18.480 Yes, there's another one. And this one is from 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:22.200 the Apostle Peter. Peter wrote a lot about these 00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:24.599 things too. He's the one that told us that the 00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:27.039 current earth as we know it is destined to be 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:31.420 destroyed by fire before God establishes the 00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:34.500 new heaven, the new earth, where we will be with 00:30:34.500 --> 00:30:37.779 him forever. And Peter, when he talks about these 00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:40.940 things, he says it this way. In keeping with 00:30:40.940 --> 00:30:44.880 his promise, Because remember, he was standing 00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:48.240 there looking up, seeing Jesus go up and the 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:50.259 angels talk to him and say, hey, why are you 00:30:50.259 --> 00:30:52.059 looking up? This Jesus is going to come back. 00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:57.660 So in keeping with his promise, I do not know 00:30:57.660 --> 00:31:00.859 you, but we are looking forward to the new heaven 00:31:00.859 --> 00:31:04.700 and the new earth where righteousness dwells. 00:31:04.700 --> 00:31:09.259 Oh, it's going to be awesome. When we're finally 00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:12.759 with the Lord in that new creation, free from 00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:15.180 all this corruption and death and suffering, 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:22.059 that will be exciting. But until then, Pablo, 00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:28.799 since you're looking forward to this, make every 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:33.619 effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at 00:31:33.619 --> 00:31:43.259 peace with Him. Oh, we're getting a little bit 00:31:43.259 --> 00:31:51.799 more personal here. Exactly. Because Jesus is 00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:55.140 going to come back. This Jesus that you are following 00:31:55.140 --> 00:32:05.500 today, are you ready for his return? Are you 00:32:05.500 --> 00:32:11.680 ready? If you have stuff in your life that is 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:18.299 not aligned with him, don't wait until he returns 00:32:18.299 --> 00:32:22.000 to then regret that you did not take care of 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:25.759 your business when you should have. Now is the 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:29.599 time, as you await for his return, make sure, 00:32:29.619 --> 00:32:32.339 Pablo, that you make every effort to be found 00:32:32.339 --> 00:32:36.119 spotless, blameless, and at peace with him. So 00:32:36.119 --> 00:32:39.859 take care of your business. Get your life in 00:32:39.859 --> 00:32:46.440 order. Don't wait anymore. And I know what he 00:32:46.440 --> 00:32:52.640 means. Because sometimes we are following Jesus, 00:32:52.819 --> 00:32:56.200 but we're not being faithful in how we're following. 00:32:57.839 --> 00:33:01.279 And there are things in our lives, sometimes 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:05.559 secrets, sometimes things that Only a few people 00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:09.940 know things that are not part of what God called 00:33:09.940 --> 00:33:14.539 us to be. And therefore, you have no peace. You 00:33:14.539 --> 00:33:17.599 feel shame and guilt and fear, but no peace. 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:22.259 And if Jesus is going to come back, Peter says, 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:29.980 why wait? Make it a priority this year to get 00:33:29.980 --> 00:33:33.349 your marriage in order. to get your life in order, 00:33:33.430 --> 00:33:36.549 to take care of those addictions that are enslaving 00:33:36.549 --> 00:33:41.549 you. Take care of your life now. And I'm here 00:33:41.549 --> 00:33:46.009 to tell you that you are in a community where 00:33:46.009 --> 00:33:49.789 we have a ministry called Core Journey that is 00:33:49.789 --> 00:33:55.569 designed to walk with you in this place of misalignment 00:33:55.569 --> 00:34:00.140 so that you can... Address these things in confidentiality, 00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:02.720 but also with the help that you need. Because 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:05.000 what we desire is for you not just to follow 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:13.300 Jesus, but to follow Jesus well. So the second 00:34:13.300 --> 00:34:17.860 road sign tells me, hey, put your life in order. 00:34:17.960 --> 00:34:20.179 Make sure everything is aligned with the Lord. 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:26.929 And I needed to hear that. But there's a third 00:34:26.929 --> 00:34:29.889 one. And this one comes from the apostle John. 00:34:30.710 --> 00:34:34.989 John is the one that wrote the gospel of John. 00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:37.090 He's the one that wrote the book of Revelation 00:34:37.090 --> 00:34:38.989 that told us all these things that were going 00:34:38.989 --> 00:34:43.610 to happen. And when he is reflecting about these 00:34:43.610 --> 00:34:45.389 events that are going to happen with the return 00:34:45.389 --> 00:34:49.570 of Christ, he simply says, Pablo, if I have a 00:34:49.570 --> 00:34:51.829 word of advice for you as you are awaiting the 00:34:51.829 --> 00:34:55.329 Lord to return and as you are following him, 00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:59.420 This is what I would say. Now, dear children, 00:34:59.679 --> 00:35:07.519 continue in him. Simply that. Continue in him. 00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:12.500 So that when he appears, we may be confident 00:35:12.500 --> 00:35:18.099 and unashamed before him and his coming. He has 00:35:18.099 --> 00:35:23.159 saved you. He has gifted you. He has called you. 00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:27.420 He has positioned you. And if you are where God 00:35:27.420 --> 00:35:29.960 called you to be, if you are doing what he called 00:35:29.960 --> 00:35:34.119 you to do, then remain faithful. Continue in 00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:37.539 that place. Don't let anything move you to the 00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:40.239 right or to the left. Stay where God has called 00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:45.760 you to be. Continue in him. Because the time 00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:49.460 will come where you will get discouraged. The 00:35:49.460 --> 00:35:52.900 time will come where you will get confused. The 00:35:52.900 --> 00:35:56.699 time will come where the cost, Of serving God. 00:35:56.860 --> 00:36:01.059 Will feel too high. And in those moments. You 00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:03.579 may be tempted to say. I'm done. This is too 00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:10.920 much. But don't. Don't be done. Unless the Lord 00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:12.820 is done. And he's calling you to something else. 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:15.539 Unless the Lord is done. And he's positioned 00:36:15.539 --> 00:36:17.760 you to something else. Don't be done. Because 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:21.119 you are tired of driving your car. The road ahead 00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:29.760 continues. But live in such a way that when he 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:35.699 returns, he can see you and say simply one thing 00:36:35.699 --> 00:36:38.880 and one thing only, well done, faithful servant. 00:36:39.579 --> 00:36:42.639 You did what I called you to do. You did it with 00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:49.599 your best. You were faithful. Well done. And 00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:53.000 that requires that we followers of Jesus remain 00:36:53.000 --> 00:37:00.559 faithful to his calling. And this is it. Remain 00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:05.659 faithful. Keep your focus. You are a follower 00:37:05.659 --> 00:37:08.599 of Jesus and that is what we did this year and 00:37:08.599 --> 00:37:11.119 that's what we will do next year and for as many 00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:13.800 more years the Lord decides to take before returning. 00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:24.800 I needed to hear that. Because it is true. We 00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:28.440 get discouraged at moments or we get tired. We 00:37:28.440 --> 00:37:32.199 may think plan B or plan C. Always to remember 00:37:32.199 --> 00:37:35.579 that there's only one plan that I need to be 00:37:35.579 --> 00:37:38.639 faithful in and it's plan A. The one that the 00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:45.139 Lord gave us. So this is the word of advice from 00:37:45.139 --> 00:37:47.929 the apostles. For us who are following Jesus 00:37:47.929 --> 00:37:53.909 and are waiting for his return. May 2025 end 00:37:53.909 --> 00:37:58.710 strong as a follower of Jesus. And may 2026 be 00:37:58.710 --> 00:38:02.849 a year in which we are living like citizens of 00:38:02.849 --> 00:38:06.969 heaven. Where we are waiting for the Lord to 00:38:06.969 --> 00:38:12.969 come back. We are living to make an impact. Following 00:38:12.969 --> 00:38:16.369 the Lord. Faithful to his calling. And we're 00:38:16.369 --> 00:38:18.750 going to make it a priority to put our life in 00:38:18.750 --> 00:38:22.710 order because when he comes back, I just want 00:38:22.710 --> 00:38:25.889 to be simply a follower of Jesus that was faithful 00:38:25.889 --> 00:38:30.190 to the Lord, the Son of God that came, that ascended 00:38:30.190 --> 00:38:33.130 to heaven, and will one day return to establish 00:38:33.130 --> 00:38:38.869 his kingdom that will never end. So with this 00:38:38.869 --> 00:38:42.909 in mind, What the Bible is simply calling us 00:38:42.909 --> 00:38:46.670 to do is to live with eternal perspective. So 00:38:46.670 --> 00:38:51.510 I'm asking you today, are you living with eternal 00:38:51.510 --> 00:38:58.090 perspective? Are you thinking beyond just the 00:38:58.090 --> 00:39:01.610 next semester and your graduation from high school 00:39:01.610 --> 00:39:04.849 and the college plans? Are you thinking beyond 00:39:04.849 --> 00:39:08.179 that? Are you thinking beyond the dating relationship 00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:10.760 where you're at now and the potential marriage 00:39:10.760 --> 00:39:13.719 and then having a family? Are you thinking beyond 00:39:13.719 --> 00:39:19.059 that? When is the last time that you were looking 00:39:19.059 --> 00:39:22.400 forward to the return of Christ? Are we living 00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:25.679 our lives with eternal perspective? Because if 00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:30.019 we are not, as we worship the Lord together at 00:39:30.019 --> 00:39:32.659 the end of this study, let's simply tell the 00:39:32.659 --> 00:39:37.440 Lord, Lord. I look forward to your return. And 00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:42.000 let me live the rest of my life serving you. 00:39:42.860 --> 00:39:47.380 As if you could return anytime. Because I want 00:39:47.380 --> 00:39:52.159 to be a follower of you. That is living to make 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:55.340 an impact for your glory. And that is what we 00:39:55.340 --> 00:39:58.920 desire. Join me as we stand in God's presence 00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:03.840 together. Let's read. These words from the Apostle 00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:08.199 Paul out loud together. Therefore, my dear brothers 00:40:08.199 --> 00:40:12.639 and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. 00:40:13.000 --> 00:40:16.519 Always give yourselves fully to the work of the 00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:20.019 Lord because you know that your labor in the 00:40:20.019 --> 00:40:26.440 Lord is not in vain. Never in vain when it's 00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:30.500 done for the Lord. Lord, we stand in your presence. 00:40:31.230 --> 00:40:34.650 with hope, with perspective, with anticipation. 00:40:35.550 --> 00:40:41.309 Because the day will come when the Son of God 00:40:41.309 --> 00:40:47.989 will come in the clouds. And on that day, our 00:40:47.989 --> 00:40:53.789 faith will be sight. And on that day, these bodies 00:40:53.789 --> 00:40:57.409 that are mortal and sinful will be transformed 00:40:57.409 --> 00:41:01.960 in the blinking of an eye. glorify to be like 00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:09.059 you and with you forever. What a hope. And it's 00:41:09.059 --> 00:41:12.599 in that hope that we end this year. And it's 00:41:12.599 --> 00:41:16.880 in the same hope that begin the new year. For 00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:26.519 the glory of your name. Amen. Thank you for tuning 00:41:26.519 --> 00:41:30.690 in to the ECB Sermon Podcast. Whether near or 00:41:30.690 --> 00:41:33.869 far, if you are looking for community or are 00:41:33.869 --> 00:41:37.429 in need of prayer, we welcome you to engage by 00:41:37.429 --> 00:41:42.909 sending us an email to office at ecb .asia. If 00:41:42.909 --> 00:41:45.389 God is calling you to support our ministries, 00:41:45.510 --> 00:41:48.110 you will find giving options on our website. 00:41:48.909 --> 00:41:52.369 And remember to join us next week. God bless 00:41:52.369 --> 00:41:52.610 you.