Who Will Be Left Behind?

hey everybody I'm pastor Jeff Durbin with apologia Church I want to thank you all so much for watching the content right here on apologia Studios channel well you're about to watch is a sermon a message from apologia church's worship service and again I want to thank you all so much for watching for liking for commenting for sharing the sermon itself we truly believe that it's important for the Christian Church to have an engagement in the public square with the Word of God so we thank you so much for partnering with us to send this out across the world I just wanted to say something before you actually watch this and that is that I'm not your pastor though I'd love to be I am NOT your pastor and it's very important as you're watching this you know that it's God's design for individual Christians to be part of a local Christian Church under the care of qualified faithful biblical elders and so as much as we love all of you watching these sermons and we're thankful to God that God uses them to bless you to encourage you I do want to encourage you as a minister of the gospel to get plugged into a local body of believers particularly I think important a reformed church would be it would be best but we want to encourage you to get plugged into a solid biblical church where you can fellowship where you can worship where you can serve where you can be connected that is vitally important and actually a biblical command and so as much as again as we love for your participation your partnership and we are so thankful to God that he's using these in your lives we want to encourage you to get plugged into a local church you can though actually partner with apologia church as we proclaim the gospel and provide a defense of the biblical gospel all around the world you can do that by going to apologia studios.com you can partner with us by becoming all access when you do you help to make all of this possible and you get all of our TV shows our after shows and apologia academy all of that and you're a part of all that God is doing with us in the world to proclaim Herald the gospel of the kingdom you can partner with us and I want to say one last word about that do make sure that none of your giving and partnership towards apology a chirp Church interferes with your giving your worship your tithes your offerings to a local body of believers in your area so thank you again so much for watching these and sharing them god bless you if you would open your Bibles to the Gospel according to Matthew Gospel according to Matthew chapter 24 again we are really at the ends of the sort of summary of the Lord Jesus discourse on the Mount of Olives this is that passage the passage of the Great Tribulation and as you all get there it was important for us as the elders here it has pastors to make sure that we were faithful in our handling of Matthew 24 so much is its stake with this passage this section of Scripture is in the synoptic Gospels we talked about that Matthew 24 mark 13 Luke 21 it's in the synoptic Saul 3 and this particular passage has been used throughout church history by people to teach a biblical perspective of the quote end of the world and we don't have to reach back into history we could do that study showing how many times people would have apply this text to their own time period and say that there were they were that terminal generation we could go back in history and do that of the really countless times that's happened throughout church history but we really don't need to go farther than really our own last generation if you live through the 80s and 90s early 2000 you know if you were a believer within the church in the West at that time how much of a fervor there was particularly at the turn of the millennium for the end times the end of the worlds we're gonna talk about that today I want to as I have argued demonstrate that what we have here in Matthew 24 mark 13 Luke 21 the Olivet discourse this actually the Great Tribulation is not something that was quote new during the Ministry of Jesus but this was the expectation I told you two things and I've mentioned it all year long expectation of messiahs kingdom as it entered into the world you had two things promised salvation to judgment and the specific judgment that was promised in the Old Testament about the Messiah's Kingdom was a specific judgment related to the covenant breakers and the Lord Jesus is the lord of the covenants he is that servant that was promised the Messiah the king and now he comes into Jerusalem and ighting the leadership promising them judgment in their generation and then we have the Olivet discourse today we are in again the summary the wrap-up portion and the title of today's message is left behind again if you've been a Christian in the West for any period of time in the last generation particularly you know that's very popular left behind very popular series of books very popular movie even Nicolas Cage got in on the action I think mostly they pay debts but it is what it is we've got Nicolas Cage and so this is a popular perspective and when you hear this today in churches really in the West when you hear left behind there's a particular presupposition behind that and that is that the wicked are left behind and the righteous are swept away the righteous are taken away so the question we want to answer today as we unpack the text and let the Bible speak is one ask this question who did Jesus say would be left behind now I'm going to encourage you in here in this congregation if you're new of you're visiting or if you're watching this via the internet or wherever you're getting this I'm going to encourage you today to allow the text to speak and to allow your traditions to be tested we always argue as Christians and we should for Sola scriptura scripture alone is a sole and fallible rule of faith and practice for the church this is the reference point for truth God's revelation of himself as self a testing word no tradition no quotation from early church fathers holds the weight that God's Word does and so I want to ask you if you're committed to Sola scriptura and testing even very beloved Christian traditions and so the text before us today is Matthew chapter 24 and we're gonna start in verse 32 here now the words of the living in the true God from the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as this branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves you know that summer is near so also when you see all these things you know that he is near at the very gates truly I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things take place heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away but concerning that day an hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven nor the son but the father only for as were the days of Noah so will be the coming of the Son of man for as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day when Noah entered the Ark and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away so will be the coming of the son of man then two men will be in the field want to be taken one left two women will be grinding at the mill want to be taken and one left therefore stay awake for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming as far as the reading of God's holy word let's pray together as a church and ask him to bless us God helped me as a minister of the gospel as a shepherd over your people how many be faithful with your word help me Lord today to communicate in a way that glorifies you that is faithful to the text help me to communicate in a way that gives you praise help me God to communicate faithfully once you communicate on all of your word about your kingdom about your judgment about your covenants about the end of the age I pray that you would allow me to get out of the way the glorified father in this message help us to understand what you mean by being left behind in Jesus name Amen so as just a quick burst in summary I will not go over the entire passage but as a summary you'll remember that Jesus had just indicted all of the religious leadership is he comes into Jerusalem he told them he was gonna die and rise again he comes right into Jerusalem you have all of the pomp and the circumstance of of course the moment of the the leaves coming down and you have Jesus coming into the temple to cleanse it second coming to that temple to cleanse it as the Levitical priests was to do you have the fig tree moment where Jesus curses the fig tree says no more fruit ever again from you you have Jesus giving the parables of judgment upon that generation telling them what was gonna happen to them that he tells them their houses left to them desolate he tells them he he bones about Jerusalem Jerusalem the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her Jesus then leaves after indicted them promising them judgments their generation the people he was talking to his audience he then departs from the temple area and goes to the Mount of Olives and I have stress and I will do it again in this message that it is no accident of the text that Matthew tells us that God and Carnot's Yahweh coming as a man departs from the temple and goes over to the Mount of Olives that direction and then gives this discourse there that of course if you know your Bible is the same direction that Yahweh left when he went from the first temple and pronounced judgment on the first temple before its destruction so here we have now an reenactment of that moment of Yahweh's departure going to the Mount of Olives telling them the temple is going to be destroyed which is precisely what we have at the beginning of Matthew 24 what we call the all of that discourse this discourse that contains the promise of Great Tribulation very important Jesus tells them as the disciples are freaking out about the temple the buildings it was magnificent Jesus just said judgment upon that generation and now they're saying we'll look at the temple look at all these things and Jesus says do you see all these things there should not be left one stone standing upon another that's a very big deal in a Jewish context second temple Jews would have seen that as a very big deal the destruction of the second temple that was prophesied by the way in Daniel chapter 9 hundreds of years before Jesus came that the Messiah would bring atonement make atonement for iniquity bring in everlasting righteousness for it make an end of sin he'd be cut off and then that second temple would be destroyed exactly what occurred in the life and after the life of the Messiah and his ministry but Jesus says that temple is being destroyed not one stone off of another we do know from history of course that the early Christians were predicting its destruction in the New Testament itself but we know that when the Roman Jewish war happened we know that the armies of Rome actually did sack that city in the temple and took the temple apart not one stone standing upon another exactly as Jesus predicts in this discourse so Jesus is actually speaking to that generation he talks about this generation this generation we talked about the meaning of that word throughout the Gospels Kanaya that used is used of that generation the current generation then living we talked about the fact that this is coven ental God promised salvation when the Messiah came and judgment judgment on who the covenant breakers very specific promises in the Old Testament of covenant 'el curses coming down on the covenant breakers so now we have in the life and ministry and story of the Messiah all of these pertinent details converging together actually in this moment that Jesus is in in the Olivet discourse Jesus of course warns his his followers in Matthew 24 that they can actually escape he tells them what to look for when you see this happening then flee don't go back and get things don't return immediately leave we talked about how in church history you can look at bishops pastors early church fathers like Eusebius who writes about the destruction of Jerusalem and actually uses Matthew 24 as an apologetic as it already happened jesus warned his people about the coming destruction in Jerusalem and Eusebius uses Matthew 24 as preterist past in fulfillment it already happened this vindicates Jesus in his life and ministry him as Messiah where did those Christians go well because of this prophecy of what to look for they fled the city to a town called Pella and they were spared there we talked about the Old Testament Kingdom expectation all the verses from the Old Testament from Genesis on that predict that when Messiah comes all the nations are going to obey Him that he would have the entire world his kingdom would spread it would start small Daniel - like a stone and become a mountain that fills the entire earth isn't an amazing that Jesus talked about the kingdom of God in the same way not like my friend says like the 82nd airborne dropping and hitting the earth but Jesus talks like Daniel the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed it was the smallest of their classification of seeds and when it grows it becomes a tree as large as a man small to large growth like leaven in a lump of gel it goes in and it permeates the entirety of the loaf the kingdom promises that all the nations tribes tongues languages were going to come and worship and serve Yahweh that God's Torah his law justice would go forth from the people of God into the world you have a perspective of the rule of Messiah where the nations now Psalm 22 return to worship Yahweh that was the expectation we of course talked about Matthew 24 in the language problem how we often come to this text with only 25 minutes of the movie the last part of the movie we don't understand context the beginning the characters the foundation the worldview the backgrounds and we come to the end of the movie see a little bit of it and try to interpret things like lightning striking from the east to the West birds of prey coming on a carcass Eagles coming we try to interpret things like the Sun being darkened the moon not giving light like Oh literally stars are gonna hit the earth not understanding that Jesus in that section is literally quoting from the Old Testament promises of destruction upon nations that whole section there 29 through about 31 Jesus is quoting the Old Testament verse by verse from Zechariah to Daniel to Isaiah 13 and these what this wording is wording that was used very familiar to those Second Temple Jews who knew their Torah and the Tanakh that this is God talking about his kingdom the nations coming to God judgment upon people now Jesus of course in 32 here we are from the fig tree learned it's lesson as soon as this branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves you know the summer is near this is important because what's important in Scripture is to allow the text to do the speaking amen yes to let the immediate context do the speaking to of course go and see what all of scripture says about a particular thing but it's important as we look at this passage this is 24 Matthew's already remarked about a fig tree in 21 go back really quickly to 21 18 remember just recall that passage we unpacked it Jesus in verse 18 of chapter 21 it says in the morning he was hungry too this he he was returning to the city he became hungry and seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to and and found nothing on it but only leaves and he said to it may no fruit ever come from you again and the fig tree withered at once so Jesus of course very obviously symbolically now has just left the temple has just cleansed the temple as the Levitical priest was called as the scriptures say was supposed to happen come the first time come back find disease and take the whole thing down Jesus now cleanses the temple and now he's departing he's hungry fig tree and he says no fruits ever again from you of course we know what that's speaking judgment upon them no more fruit God's coming to judge remember though that Jesus said in Matthew 21 no more fruit from you again who's he talking about them who's he talking about those covenant breakers Israel at that time no more from you now this is important and you might be asking okay pastor Jeff get to the point what's what's the big thing here well I'm gonna stress that Jesus is just a few chapters before said no more fruits coming from you ever again judgment upon you but it's interesting because Tim LaHaye used to be my homeboy I used to read Tim LaHaye all the time now he believes in the Lord he believes in all the essentials of the gospel he's a brother in Christ but I'm gonna argue his eschatological position has done a lot of damage to the church and our witness in the world in many ways I used to love Tim LaHaye and one of the things that Tim LaHaye was known for is he actually argued that this particular part of the Olivet discourse is actually a prophecy about Israel becoming a nation again now what's interesting here is as you read this tax and you look at the context before and after and all the rest ask yourself the question do you see any prophecy here of Israel becoming a nation any discussion of that whatsoever absolutely not I want to argue that it's actually eisegesis it's reading into the text something that's not actually there Tim LaHaye used to argue in his books I read them and I believe them to the degree that I used to always go to Borders Books and Music just to get a copy of The Jerusalem Post so I could find out about all the current events in Israel because I did believe that at the beginning of the new nation of Israel in 1948 the formation of the nation I did believe that that was the terminal generation and that we at the very end at any moment we could be raptured because I was taught in Bible College and in Bible study I was taught that in 1948 that fig tree began to have leaves it was the beginning of the nation of Israel to the degree that many people that adopted that perspective listen to this they believed that in 1988 the rapture was gonna occur why well just consider for a minutes if Jesus is talking about that generation that sees Israel become a nation again well what's a generation biblically about 40 years and so what do you have 1948 - what 1988 which is why the book was written 88 reasons that the rapture will be in 1988 and when it didn't happen in 1988 there was a new book 89 reasons why the rapture will be in 1989 right this is what occurs when you don't allow the text to speak and you read things into it there's a German descent and I just want to stress to you brothers and sisters you have to understand how committed people were to this particular interpretation that's not in the passage they just said this is Israel becoming a nation again and we've got a generation well it's 2019 Israel became a nation in 1948 that's far beyond the bounds of biblical generation brothers and sisters it doesn't work it isn't biblical you have to read that idea into the text is that what Jesus was teaching there well we need to consider also that point Jesus says this generation throughout the New Testament Gospels you see generation used often talking about them that generation adulterous perverse wicked generation who you generation is known as people living at that time their lifespan nothing in the passage about Israel being a nation nothing that's eisegesis next I want you to see something here just to show you another example of gee and a fig tree illustration go to Luke 13 just quickly I want you just to take a peek at this particular passage is another example of Jesus talking about a fig tree but it's interesting because Jesus does use the symbol of the fig tree but throughout the New Testament this is interesting its judgment and in Luke 13 you see the example of the fig tree and look what it says verse 1 there was some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices and he answered them do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way no I tell you who was he talking to those people but unless you repent you will all likewise perish or those eighteen on whom the Tower of Siloam fell and killed him do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem no I tell you but unless you repent you will all likewise perish what's that judgment and notice what Jesus says after verse 6 and he told this parable a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none and he said to the vine dresser look for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none cut it down why should it use up the ground and he answered him sir let it alone this year also until I dig it a dig around it and put on manure then if it should bear fruit next year well I'm good but if not you can cut it down what's that again another example of just a fig tree being used there as judgments no fruit it's getting cut down you need to repent or you will also perish Jesus says fig tree no fruit a little more time and no fruit means it's getting cut down are you starting to see a pattern in the Ministry of Jesus about how he's talking to his generation those Jews living at that time warning them of impending judgment you need to repent in a hurry because it's going to happen to you also and Jesus says no fruits it's getting cut so again this is used this example of a fig tree by Jesus but it's typically in terms of condemnation and judgments now you have examples of course from the Old Testament Jeremiah 813 that's a discussion about a fig tree but it's referring to judgments Hosea 2:12 again another example of a fig tree but it's judgments Psalm 105 33 judgments fig tree used judgments Jeremiah 5:17 another example go read those later example of a fig tree being used in terms of judgment no fruit getting cut down all the rest but notice how Jesus uses the example of the fig tree listen what he says from the fig tree learn its lesson so he's saying think about the fig tree and take a lesson from the tree as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves you know that summer is near so he's saying remember the fig tree and think about it learning a lesson by it he says when its branch becomes tender and it starts to put out leaves you know that summer is near you know that you've gotten to the destination the time is up so the fig tree here is an example in a lesson for us Jesus says think about this when you see all these things happening he says you know the time is up and so jesus says that so also when you see all these things pause stop for a second so when you see all these things what does the Lord Jesus referring to when he says when you see all these things the things that he related all throughout the Olivet discourse starting with the destruction of the temple the promise of its destruction what's he tell them wars and rumors of wars persecution all the rest and we've demonstrated throughout this series that all those things happens in that generation but Jesus in the discourse doesn't have this detached statements about the founding of the new nation of Israel now a totally separate discussion this is in the Olivet discourse with promises of judgment on them and he tells him when you see all these things you know the time is up and so he says following that truly I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things take place brothers and sisters look at the placement of that particular verse it's in verse 34 what is verse 34 come after 33 32 31 30 15 5-1 all these things and the answer to the challenge of whether or not Jesus is a false prophet is that all of these things in fact did happen in that generation exactly as Jesus promised now notice this I want to just point this really neat keep at part here what's this this is really cool remember that I told you the word for coming is parasya and I told you that that that's not an Old Testament word I told you that that was a quote Caesar word it was a Rome word it was a word used about the royal appearing of Caesar or the king the word was used and known as when Caesar went away for a long period of time he would return back to the city the inhabitants of the city would come out and they would come to the gates of the city to meet him and his royal appearing his parasya but he didn't come to go and disappear the parousia was coming with a consequential presence he was coming to be among them into the word parasya related to the Caesar coming to the city the inhabitants coming to meet and him coming to reside with them notice that when Jesus talks about his parasya his royal appearing is coming he says you'll know that he is near at the very gates now Jesus of course promises here truly he says all these things this generation heaven and earth verse 35 will pass away but my words will not pass away two ways to look at that I think importance this is really really important for us as Christians today with all the attacks on the Word of God and Aaron see God preserving his word and a text show the text to the tradition of the text all of that Jesus says heaven and earth to pass away my words will by no means pass away take that Joseph Smith take that Charles taze Russell take that all who would deny that God has preserved his word in history heaven and earth will pass away my words will by no means pass away but it's interesting because this particular promise is actually right after prophecy so it's not simply that God's Word is not going to disappear from among us I think that's there but it's also the assurance that all these things are guaranteed and they are true amen I've given promises they will not pass away it's going to happen but there's where I think most of you have been waiting you've been waiting for this moment verse 36 this section but concerning that day an hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven nor the son but the father only now just a quick side on this this is very important how many guys have ever spent any time doing evangelism or missions with Mormons Jehovah's Witnesses Unitarians and anybody like that you've probably heard and you've probably seen this come up a number of times and Pastor James debates with those who would deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is this is one of the chestnut verses people will run to to try to demonstrate that Jesus is not Yahweh in the flesh he is not divine why because here's how it goes is God all-knowing and the answer is what yes he's all-knowing Oh then Jesus isn't God well why would you say that because Jesus says right here in the Olivet discourse he doesn't even know the timing of his coming I would say in judgment but he doesn't even know now if you know your Bible and you know theology what the Bible says about Jesus you know that from the old testament to the new it says that Messiah is God and man think of the premiere Christmas verse Isaiah 9:6 through 7 when it talks about Messiah what's it say a son a child and who is he el Gabor the mighty god the father of eternity so from old and new you've got the Messiah is God and man truly God and truly man and I want you to consider this that is no argument against the deity of Jesus Christ at all it's actually a pretty pitiful argument because the New Testaments remarks on the humanity of Jesus and how Jesus humbled himself and became obedient even to the point of death see here's the glory I think of the Incarnation just consider this for a moment because this goes far beyond theological battles and very heady things Jesus is God from all eternity in intimate fellowship and relationship with the father John chapter 1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God he created all things nothing's come into being except through him and God the word became flesh and dwelt among us Jesus is God he's eternal from eternity into eternity you are God there's only one God and yet Jesus is fully God but not simply gone he is truly one of us that's the glory of the Incarnation this God that we've offended that we were Abell against and shake our fists at this God that we challenge every day of our lives loved his people enough so much to condescend to walk among us to experience what we experienced in this broken corrupt and dark world see here's the glory of the Incarnation that gets missed at this point I think is that Jesus humbled himself humbled himself and he experienced all that we taste and experience in this life you could talk about loss you could talk about grief you could talk about pain you could talk about all those things and that glory of the Incarnation is that you're bringing it to a God that has met you in that pain God my body hurts Lord this is so painful God please help me he understands pain in a way that you and I will never touch we will never get close to he understands pain he understands abandonment he understands lies malicious lies he understands injustice he understands all of those things and he meets us in that pain because he humbled himself God becoming a man it's one of the things that I used to say in counseling and I encourage you to please use this I would sit with people who have endured the ugliest that this world has to offer truly the ugliest things I won't even mention from the pulpit I can't and I was first tell them look if you turn your back on Christ you've lost all meaning you've lost all meaning to the pain you've experienced because if we are all just random results of evolutionary processes being banging on the surface of the cosmos then what happened to you just happened no more tears no more meaningful reason to cry over it if Jesus isn't who he says he is and this word isn't true then we are all just cosmic accident there are no goal-directed forces in the world we live we die and were gone were absolutely gone when we die that was dr. will provine famous atheists his interpretation of the world so what I would say to people who were hurting and had been hurt by others I'd say don't abandon Christ he's the anchor for meaning in your pain however I would say coming to Christ for salvation and for forgiveness means you're coming to the God who meets you in your pain I talked to people who were kidnapped and kept in Chains in dark rooms for days people violating their body doing things to them that no one should ever do to another human being and I would say to them you have a savior in Jesus the god man who knows what it's like for people to take you and to do things to your body that they ought not do that's the glory of the gospel and the Incarnation that's the God that we worship in in Philippians chapter 2 the Apostle Paul addresses Christ as God who humbled himself and took upon the form of a servant and became obedient even to the point of death this is the answer for those who would attempt to use this passage and Jesus saying even the son doesn't know the day an hour why because Jesus in the Incarnation humbles himself and there were attributes divine attributes that were veiled during the Incarnation and the glory of it was it was to save me to save you if you belong to him all of that that unbelievable humility that's what Jesus is speaking about here think about it Jesus bled Jesus could be beaten and broken Jesus could in the Incarnation die all under the sovereign power and will of the Father but if you look at verse thirty-eight sorry 37 for as were the days of Noah so will be the coming of the son of man for as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day when Noah entered the Ark and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away so will be the coming of the Son of Man two men will be in the field want to be taken one left two women will be grinding at the mill want to be taken in one left therefore stay awake for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming I want to talk to you as we look at this passage about the power of tradition I believe this passage when you let it speak is fairly simple and understandable but I Montauk as we approach the passage about the power of tradition all of us are impacted by our teachers now God is ordains and given pastors and elders and teachers in the church to teach God's people but pastors words are not the final word nor are they the ultimate word even our pastors need to be tested and filtered through Scripture Paul is tested by the Bereans there's a there's a beautiful part of Acts where it actually says that the Berean Christians were more noble minded than the ones in Thessalonica because when the Apostle Paul came to them they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what the Apostle Paul was saying was so we need to test our traditions our teachers and our pastors is this biblical is this matching up with what God says but tradition is very powerful we could have held on to a belief for decades of our Christian life just assuming that it's true for example when I say the words left behind to the modern church in the West there's a particular context that's automatically understood I want you to consider this a couple of years ago when left-behind had sort of a reboot by the way it was an awful movie Nicolas Cage on an airplane people disappearing left behind it was just poorly written poorly filmed bad cinematography bad acting it was just bad all the way around I think like Nicolas Cage has done some great movies he's a phenomenal actor in many ways but it's like he entered into the realm of Christian film and he had to sort of like bring himself down right Christian film oh this totally has to stink right the story is just bad but listen when the film came out I remember that across my feet and social media I was seeing constant shares of the new Left Behind film Nicolas Cage and some of the movies marketing actually had a common thing that evangelicals in the West understands somebody's in the field they're left behind and there was a picture that came up in my feet and it was shared so many times and it was like left behind like get ready for the film and what was it it was a person in a field and he's behind he's like looking up and he's left behind and the context in all the comments was I can't wait to get out of here I'm praying for all those who will be left behind there's an understanding of that story when you hear left behind who and the popular thinking is left behind the wicked are left behind for the righteous to be taken away that is the presupposition left behind unbelievers believers snatched away that is the understanding Nicolas Cage got it but in this text who is actually left behind again let's allow our traditions to be tested and look at the text one more time as in the days of Noah so think about no one his story what did Noah do he was a preacher of righteousness what's he do he's building that Ark by the way notice that Jesus actually thinks that the story of Noah is actual history it's real history so this is God in the flesh talking about the story of Noah Noah's Ark and the flood coming to sweep all away and he's talking about it as real history as in the days of Noah so also and so Jesus is making a comparison here in terms of his judgments coming with the days of Noah so think about Noah's building that Ark who escaped Noah and his family who was swept away in the flood the wicked the unrighteous so Jesus gives you something to anchor here think about Noah how did Noah escape in the ark what happened the floods of judgment came and they swept the unrighteous away so the question is who according to Jesus here was swept away and Noah's day the wicked the unrighteous who according to Jesus and his anchoring this with Noah who was left behind the righteous Noah and his family the amazing thing is that I was in Bible College reading this text unpacking it and all I ever saw was the rapture all I ever saw was the wicked being left behind two men in a field one is taken and ones left standing still I wish we'd come on you know it I wouldn't you DC Talk fans I know you're in here right come on some of you guys are 90s Christians right some of you guys are definitely more than 90s Christians yeah it's a famous song right now you know the song DC Talk 90s III remember I told the story before I was overseas doing mortal combat the tour and at night I was a professing believer at the time and ever we finished the show all the actors would like leave and go out on town I had a little walkman Walkman cassette tape kids you'll never understand Walkman and I would just sit in my room knowing that everyone's going out to do things they shouldn't be doing and I would just say you know keep me strong help me to avoid this and I would listen to DC Talk and I'm telling you I listened to that song over and over and over two men walking up a hill one disappears and ones left standing still I wish we'd all been ready now what is the understanding of that song the two men walking up the hill one disappears one left standing still I wish you'd all been ready because that unbelievers been left behind but amazingly as you look at the text and think about what Jesus is anchoring the story to it's Noah who brothers and sisters were swept away the wicked who is left the righteous Noah and his family were left behind the wicked are swept away and so Jesus of course in the story says they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away so will be the coming of the Son of Man two men will be in the field one will be taken one is left two women will be grinding at the mill one will be taken one is left in the context of Noah the wicked are swept away the righteous are left and I wanted to say this this is where it gets really this is where starts to test us a lot because you see I want to argue that when we say things like don't bother polished polishing brass on a sinking ship we destroy the churches witness in our culture when pastors and teachers tell people your ultimate hope is getting raptured out of here the worst this world gets the better it is for you because you're gonna be taken away while the wicked are left behind when we tell people that we destroy the witness of the church and the advance of the kingdom of God in history it's so important because I'm gonna just point you to another story it's a theme throughout scripture and it's a thing we had better grab ahold of and I'm gonna show it to you it's so important because it's amazing how the church in history knew this truth and we seem to have forgotten and I'm gonna argue this listen the Christian Church because we've forgotten the this particular truth that runs throughout the Bible we are not a threat to most nations you see when we act like the mission of the church is about my private individual relationship with Jesus and going quote to heaven one day like that's the summary of all things we truncate the gospel to like my personal private relationship of Jesus and going to heaven one day we are not a threat to any nation we come to why because building Bible studies in basements for your personal romantic relationship with Jesus isn't a threat to China it's not a threat to North Korea it's not a threat to nations when it's just about all you and your intimate relationship with Jesus and being snatched away one day you know what is a threat to nations and nations have realized it throughout history what is a threat is Christians that come with the truth that Jesus is the king of kings ruler over all the world and he's coming to bring his gospel the good news of the kingdom to bring this entire nation to the obedience of Jesus that church is a threat to any nation when you teach a nation that Jesus has the ultimate say and Caesar isn't Lord he is Lord that Christian Church is a threat to any nation when we've gutted this truth about the righteous remaining in the land and the meek inheriting the earth when we got that from the minds of Christians we make the church impotent in our culture and I want to argue that all the talk cultural decay going on around us today in the church all around the world in the West in particular when you see people that don't even know what a boy is and a girl is when you see gay mirages when you see all of the brokenness sexually economically in families all the rest I want to say that is the unpaid debt of the church I'm going to argue that it's our fault and I want to argue that there's reasons for it why do Christians turn blind eyes to this why are they so disengaged from the culture I'm going to say it's not hanging on nothing there are particularly s-- of course there's a number of things but there are particular beliefs about our purpose the Kingdom in the future that impact our labor in the world's Sodom and Gomorrha another story about people being left behind who was destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah the wicked who's left behind in lands the righteous in Psalm 37 it was what Jerry wrote read today before service just to go there I'm not gonna read the whole song it's a long one but I do want you to see in terms of from Psalm 37 one of the war songs for the church the battle songs of the church in Psalm 37 1 it says fret not yourself because of evildoers think about it as a church if we're singing if we're singing Psalm 37 if this is in our hearts if this what we believe about the world in the future think about what we will be doing look what God says fret not yourself because of evildoers be not envious of wrongdoers for they will soon fade like grass and wither like the green herb trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart verse 8 refrain from anger and forsake wrath fret not yourself attends only to evil for the evildoers shall be cut off but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land in just a little while the wicked will be no more though you look carefully at his place he will not be there but sound familiar verse 11 does it sound familiar the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundance peace keep reading through that passage you'll see one of those war songs for God's people talks about the wicked being cut off and the righteous inheriting the land by the way sound familiar who who said that the meek shall inherit the earth who said that that's Jesus he knows his Psalms and his perspective of the church and our mission in the world is very different than we have today in the West very ver different indeed next I just wanted you to see a really amazing connection I I I know that this isn't in Matthew 24 but we're talking now in terms of the righteous are left behind what's the theme in scripture the meek inheriting the earth all those different things I wanted you to see something here because I think it's beautiful but it is connected to the Olivet discourse so just bear with me and look at this I think it's amazing Luke 21 go there it's it's Luke's version of the Olivet discourse and look what he does here in Luke 21 starting in verse 29 this is his he says this and he told them a parable look at the fig tree and all the trees see and all the trees as soon as they come out and leaf you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near so also when you see these things taking place look what Luke says you know that the kingdom of God is near you catch that so how what does Luke add in his version of the Olivet discourse here something that Matthew doesn't actually have but does Luke's giving now I think an interpretation and understanding when you see all these things you know that the kingdom of God is near and somebody might say hey I thought that John and Jesus taught that it arrived with Jesus coming the answer is yes the kingdom of God had arrived with Messiah and by the way it had to come during the time of the Roman Empire the fourth Kingdom according to Daniel chapter 2 that's what the Bible teaches about the timing of the coming of the kingdom however what did you have happening during the time of Jesus you have Jesus coming with the kingdom bringing a new covenant the veil is ripped there's an earthquake and yet the temple is still hanging around they're still doing animal sacrifices people are still going to Temple and you know what for no good reason because there's a once for all sacrifice completes so there is believe in Jesus generation an element of now of the kingdom and not yes because there were things that had to occur in that generation before the kingdom came and its full power and its glory that Old Covenant needed to be taken away taken down so when Jesus says you see all these things referring to all the judgment on Jerusalem you know that the kingdom of God is near now I wanted you to see this because I think it's beautiful go to Galatians chapter 4 and look at Paul writing before the destruction of the temple this is all related to what's happening here judgments in the first century generation look at Galatians chapter 4 I think this is one of the most powerful things related to this discussion of judgment on the covenant breakers the sweeping away of that Old Covenant order and the coming of the New Jerusalem here's what it says in Galatians chapter 4 it says this he's trying to give a story about sons and heirs and he talks about Hagar and Sarah tell me verse 21 you who desired to be under the law do you not listen to the law for his ruin that Abraham had two sons one by a slave woman and one by a free woman he's talking to people who were trying to bring people back under the ceremonial aspect of the law the circumcision he's saying you do that you put yourself back under that again crisis of no benefit to you you have fallen from grace you've denied the gospel you want to put people back under that Old Covenant order the sign of circumcision you want that he says let me tell you the story Abraham has two and he says this verse 23 22 for it is written that Abraham had two sons one by a slave woman one by a free woman but the son of the slave was born according to the flesh while the son of the free woman was born through promise now this may be interpreted out goroh Klee these women are two covenants one is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery she is Hagar now Hagar is Mount Sinai in air and Arabia she corresponds listen Paul writing before the destruction of Jerusalem to the present Jerusalem for she is in slavery with her children but the Jerusalem above is free and she is our mother for it is written rejoice o barren one who does not bear break forth and cry aloud you were none Labour for the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband now you brothers like Isaac our children of promise but just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit so also it is now what's that saying all those slaves of the present Jerusalem all those slave children persecuting you the sons of the free persecuting you the heavenly Jerusalem he says this but what does the scripture say verse 30 cast out the slave woman and her son for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit the son of the freewoman so brothers we are not children of the slave but of the free woman here watch Paul's telling a story listen closely of interestingly to Jerusalem's to listen if you've been wondering how does it connect to the book of Revelation I'm about to tell you my interpretation here in Galatians 4 before the destruction of the temple Paul is talking about two Jerusalem's a slave Jerusalem and a free one one that is present then persecuting the Christians but we are children of this heavenly Jerusalem the one that is from above so there's a war between two Jerusalem's and in slave Jerusalem and a free Jerusalem and Paul says we are sons of the free we're being persecuted just like in the Old Testaments same thing slaves son cute in the free one it's happening Paul says to us right now but what's about to happen to the slave woman to the present Jerusalem she's about to be cast out to hearing it are you seeing it now with the eye of faith that that old Jerusalem was about to be destroyed and cast away to make room for the new Jerusalem and of course you have the story in the book of Revelation we're not going to unpack it all today I'll just challenge you to go look at it Revelation chapter 17 you've got all harlot you've got a with Babylon on her head drinking the blood of the Saints and the martyrs of Jesus persecuting the Christians wearing purple and scarlet the priests colors riding the Roman beasts and John says that beast is about to turn on the woman make her desolate and burn her with fire I would argue that that's the adulterous covenant breaking wife of Yahweh who's about to be judged and taken away Rome is gonna do it revelation 17 to make way for go ahead and go because I know you're itching for it it's a revelation 20:1 now this book is filled with symbolism and imagery that John is borrowing from the Old Testament we need to keep that in mind look what it says verse 1 of 21 then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God here it is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband I would argue that the book of Revelation is A Tale of Two Cities its Tale of Two Cities the harlot wife the adulterous wife that God talked about in the Old Testament who has put away to make room for the Bride of Christ the New Jerusalem the heavenly City that comes out of heaven from God and hits the earth and invites the earth come and drink but I wanted to point us all to how Jesus talks about our mission this is a place you can go to the text if you want it's not just hang with me go there later I want you to think about when Matthew who wrote this in the Olivet discourse starts his gospel he starts it talking about Jesus coming out of the temptation in the wilderness where he's offered all the kingdoms of the world and he defeats Satan in Matthew chapter 4 I'll read it to you verse 17 it says this as he comes out of the wilderness from that time Jesus began to preach saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and in verse 23 it says this and he went throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom Jesus comes out of the temptation and he's preaching the good news about God's kingdom do we know what that means today can we articulate what it means that the kingdom is good news for the world because that's what Jesus was preaching the kingdom and it's goodness it's goodness for the world in Matthew chapter 5 just right after this Jesus gives the most famous sermon in the history of mankind the Sermon on the Mount and as he tells us about the blessings he says verse 3 blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are those who mourn for they should be comforted and here's Jesus blessed are those blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth think about just one chapter later in Matthew chapter 6 how Matthew tells us about the story of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount we are then moving into the prayer that I hope you all know because it's Jesus prayer how he teaches us to pray we've done whole sermon series on this but I just want to remind you of it when Jesus is talking about the kingdom and the gospel of the kingdom and the meek inheriting the earth when he tells the church to pray this is how he tells us to pray he says verse 9 of chapter 6 pray then like this our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name that is saying God hole eat be your name may it be hole eat may people holy your name where everywhere father let them holy your name let people holy it see it as set of parts distinct they see you as holy treat you as holy we're supposed to pray that way God your name be holy in our governments in our families in our communities God be holy today in the world and he says this your kingdom come your will be done here it is this is where Christians today detach what are you praying for God may your name be holy and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven is that even our perspective today as the Church of the Living God is that our perspective today as the church Christ help meet in the world that we're supposed to pray God you will be done here here where I'm at on this earth as it is in heaven that's the prayer Jesus commands us to pray people ask you know as apologia church is involved in all kinds of ministry and missions here in the world trying to actually change things like legislation to say you shouldn't kill babies anymore you shouldn't murder children anymore that whole mission there's a reason for that biblically there's lots of reasons but I'll tell you the heart behind of the driving force is this prayer Laureles you will be done here what's God's will concerning marriage we know what's God's will concerning families we know what's God's will concerning babies we know and so our prayer daily and our knees it's supposed to be God your will be done here and now and what does Jesus talk about we talked about his authority he says Matthew 28:18 2:20 all authority in heaven and on earth past tense has been given to me he says go therefore because of this because I have it all he says go therefore and do what to make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to obey that's the mission of the church that was Jesus perspective of the kingdom but here's a really important end to this whole thing I just have a couple more words here to say to you I'm gonna read a passage and then send you off I think we've truncated the gospel I think we've truncated to one thing justification through faith the heart of the gospel died for it we are justified through faith alone in Christ alone because it his work alone you have to be willing as a Christian to die for that truth if you deny that truth you're outside of the faith but we've truncated the gospel to this single thing justification through faith that's it personal relationship with Jesus just occations in faith that's it but Jesus came proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom it was bigger than justification through faith we're talking about the kingdom of heaven in the Ministry of Jesus you see the Old and New Testaments do not have everything moved down to the simple thing of my private relationship with Jesus listen this is summary today and it's the end thing I want to argue that the Old and New Testaments aren't talking all the time and only merely about going to heaven one day is it true that you do as a Christian go to heaven yes is it true you have eternal life in Jesus alone yes is it true for you today in Christ yes but is the message of the scripture is simply about going to heaven one day I would argue that the old a new testament perspective is that the real story is that heaven is coming into the earth that the story of the kingdom of heaven is about god bringing heaven and earth together again heaven into Earth you see here's what I would argue our role is to bring the music the Loree the worship and the culture of heaven into the earth that's our mission through the proclamation of the good news and salvation and Jesus alone we are bringing heaven into Earth and if you want I think one of the most spectacular and beautiful portraits of its I'm gonna point you to revelation 22 and then we're done I'm just gonna read it and maybe make one side comment I want you to look at 22 6 again I argued and I would argue biblically and historically the book of Revelation was written before the destruction of Jerusalem but that's another subject but look what this says verse 6 to 22 and he said to me these words are trustworthy and true and the Lord the God of the spirits of the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place and behold I'm coming soon blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book I John am the one who heard and saw these things and when I heard and saw him I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me but he said to me you must not do that I'm a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words at this book worship God and he said to me do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is near let the evildoer still be evil and let the filthy still be filthy and the righteous still do right in the whole we still be holy behold I'm coming soon bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done I'm the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last the beginning in the end blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and that they may enter the city by the gates outside of the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and one who loves and practices falsehood isn't it interesting that in this vision of the New Jerusalem this city is an interesting the outside the city are sinners brothers and sisters if this is heaven one day are we gonna be in heaven in a cube with sinners hanging outside the gates for all eternity this is clearly a vision of the New Jerusalem and the life the waters of life coming out of the city here's what it says I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches I am the roots and the descendant of David the bright morning star the spirit and the bride say come and let the one who hears say come and let the one who is thirsty come let the one who desires take the water of life without price the call coming out of the New Jerusalem God's bride God's city that's hit the earth the call is this to the world you want to live you want life come and drink from the waters of life come and drink from the waters of life Jesus will give life and it will bubble up to eternal life that's how the Scriptures talk about it so I believe that the mission of the church seeing as we've been left behind is to inherit the earth and to expand the kingdom and rule of the Messiah to the end of 1st Corinthians 15 all enemies subdued under his feet and then Paul says when the last enemy is subdued death will then finally be done and that's where Jesus doesn't come Paul says to bring the kingdom it says he delivers the kingdom over to the father dot finished so you've been left behind go in the world let's pray father I pray you bless the messages that have gone out they do continue to use them for the glory of Jesus his kingdom I pray that you would allow us as a church to be used by you to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and your excellency to the world I pray that you would use us in mighty ways that bring you praise I pray that you protect us from the enemy protect us from slander protect us from lies protect us from our own sin protect us from gossip protect us from pride so that we can be used by you God to advance your kingdom Lord let win our families to You Lord win this community to you when the state to you win this nation to you and use us please as the means to do it in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Apologia Studios

Views: 87,071

Keywords: jeff durbin, apologia studios, apologia church, jeff durbin debate, eschatology debate, left behind movie, who will be left behind, rapture, rapture debate, john hagee blood moon, are we living in the end times, end times, end times debate, signs in the heavens, nicolas cage left behind, great tribulation, olivet discourse, end times proof, end of the world, postmillennialism, strange trumpet sounds, preterism, preterist, preterist debate, kenneth gentry

Id: bveSBOi-rSk

Length: 72min 16sec (4336 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 12 2019