Until that Day
Luke 21:5-19 November 14, 2004
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17All men will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By standing firm you will gain life.
CCI: While all of history is heading toward an ultimate climax, we are called to faithful service today.
Intro: Throughout history and in almost every culture there are beliefs and stories or myths about the end of the world. Even Stephen Hawking, the eminent philosopher and scientist, speaks of the eventual end of the universe as we know it when everything will come crashing back into nothing.
On December 21, 2012, according to the Chiron Communiqué, the Mayan calendar declares that the age we are in now will end and the stars will introduce the World of the 5th Sun.
“Rape, murder, earthquakes and floods, single-parent families, war, AIDS. They’re all part of God’s plan to destroy Earth within the next 10 years, according to Rev. Carl Holland of York Assembly of God in York County, VA.” And while Reverend Holland’s words are a bit strident, TV preachers, popular authors, and flamboyant clergymen are bringing a similar message to millions of Americans.
The Hopi Indians, believe we are in a tribulation period. The Muslim believes there will be a judgement at the end of time when your good deeds and bad deeds will be weighed and you will rewarded accordingly.
During the time of the plagues in Europe, people believed the end was at hand and so they stopped working and they stopped planting. And in the Epistle this morning, we read Paul’s injunction was that if the people did not work, they were not be given a share of the food in the community. This warning was not a statement about welfare reform. In Thessalonica the people were so sure Jesus would return soon they stopped working or caring for themselves.
Whenever there have been times of social upheaval, concern about the end times has risen to a fever pitch. It even was happening in Jesus day.
The night of Jesus arrest, he and the disciples were walking through the temple grounds. The disciples were amazed by the splendor of the temple and Jesus told them that one day it would be destroyed. The disciples were shocked! The temple had been rebuilt and remodeled, it was the place where God dwelled, how could it be destroyed, when would this happen? And Jesus responded with words of warning and words of instruction.
First, he said, “Don’t be deceived.” Deception is all around us. Earlier this Summer the Christian Science Monitor told of a group of students at the University of North Carolina who were doing DNA sampling of fish from a local fish market. As they worked, something seemed wrong and they discovered that the local fish monger was selling grunt as snapper. The grunt is normally much cheaper and when he changed the label and put some dye in the skin, he was able to raise the price 4 times. Tim Duffy, a consumer advocate, has said, "The profits in mislabeling fish can equal or exceed [those of] drug dealing." Deceit, we are victims every day and seldom know it.
However, Jesus is concerned about our being deceived about something much more important than fish. Jesus knew that people would be so concerned with the things surrounding the End, that some would simply be swept away be speculation. He was afraid that his followers would be fooled by charlatans who might claim they have inside information of God’s plans. There is no questions these charlatans have come and gone. The end has been predicted hundreds of times since Jesus ascended. In 1000, in 1033, in 1186 and 1534 and 1666. In the last 45 years there have been no fewer than 24 dates set and missed. At times people have sold their belongings and gone out to the hills to wait, at other times they bought extra supplies to prepare for a time of tribulation.
As human beings we are fascinated by the unknown, however, Jesus did not want us to get all caught up in foolish speculation. Don’t be deceived. If someone tells you Jesus is due back at such and such a time, don’t listen! That is not say he will not come, simply, don’t be deceived. When we are tricked into believing foolish speculation, the world sees us as fools, not fools for Jesus, just fools. And that does not advance the cause of Jesus.
Jesus first word of warning was don’t be deceived. While the end is coming there is much to do in the meantime. So the
Second word is, “Don’t be afraid, don’t worry.” We live in an interim time. This is a time when we know the end is near, but it is not yet. This world is a dangerous place. Jesus understood that. War, earthquake, disease, plague and persecution, these things will happen. We live in a world where humans pursue their own goals. We live in a world where greed and violence rule the night. At times we become convinced that it could never get any worse than it is right now and God will have to step in or all will be lost. In London in 1666, that was certainly the case, the plague was devastating the population, as many as 100,000 died and then the great fire of London swept through destroying 13,200 homes or 80% of the city. The people were certain the end was near. Yet life went on we live in the interim. And Jesus says, don’t be afraid.
When Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, people were certain the end was at hand. The city had been besieged and many had starved to death. People fled into the hills and children were left as orphans. And Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid.”
In parts of the world today Christians are being persecuted for their faith. Churches in Bagdad and Mosul and Tikrit are being bombed. Christians in the Philippines have been kidnaped and killed. Protestant and Pentecostal churches in Russia are being threatened with closure. Christians in China have been arrested for gathering in unauthorized churches. Betrayal, persecution and even death await followers of Jesus all around the world. We live in the interim, and Jesus words are “Don’t be afraid.”
But I must admit, I can look at others who are bravely standing for Jesus in other parts of the world and encourage them to be strong and not be afraid, but when I face uncertainty, when I find myself in the interim, fear often raises its head. When I look at finances of our church, I begin to feel fear. When I think about the debt that so many of my friends are struggling with, I fear for them. When I talk to people whose sons and daughters are fighting the the war in Iraq, I find myself afraid. When I hear hatred being spoken by people who call themselves Christians, I am afraid. When I see brothers and sisters in my denominational family talking about splitting because they can no longer get along, I am afraid. When I see the marriages of people I care about coming apart at the seams, I am afraid.
It is as if there are storms all around the world. The ones that are distant, I can dismiss, but the ones close to home hurt. That is when I need to hear the voice of Jesus say, “In this interim time, don’t be afraid. Make up your mind not to worry beforehand.” And as is always the case, Jesus is right. The worry and fear that we let fill our hearts, is worthless. We live in a world where there is strife and conflict and violence and hatred, but we do not have to be overwhelmed by it.
Jesus words to us as we wait for the end, are don’t be deceived and don’t be afraid. And then
Finally, he says, “Stand firm.” Deceit and fear become a part of our lives when we back down from what we know is right. As we live in this interim, we have been given a mission. The mission Jesus gave the entire church is “Go and make disciples of all nations.” That mission for us has been translated this way, “Be Christ’s presence in your world.” There are many ways we can be Christ’s presence in this interim time. One church I read about had teams that weekly cleaned gas station restrooms, just to be kind. An organization called the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation encourages school teachers to help children learn to be kind. On their December calendar there are these suggestions, “give someone a hug;” “Invite a new classmate over,” “Comfort a sad student.” As followers of Jesus, these things should be natural! Today, November 14 is the last day of World Kindness Week! If we are going to stand firm for Christ, Kindness is certainly a good place to start.
And as we stand firm, we can tell people why kindness is important. Tell others of the kindness Jesus has shown for you. Share you story with others and let the story of what how Jesus has given you meaning touch their hearts too. Show others his love. Don’t be afraid to speak the name of Jesus Christ for Jesus has promised that he will give you the words to say when you face questioning. Stand firm and fear and deception will not gain a foothold.
APP: All of history is heading toward a conclusion: Jesus will return and establish his reign and God will bring justice and judgement to the world. However, we are not to be concerned about the when or how of the end. Those who deceive try to explain it. However, followers of Jesus are called to faithful service until the end. The hope and confidence of the believer is the Kingdom of God where one day God will reign and rule. Today we are called to live under the rule of God as a sign of that day when all will bow in worship and obedience. Therefore, do not be deceived, don’t be afraid, and stand firm, God is with you, God will deliver you, God will protect you. Place your trust in Him today and you can know peace even when it seems like everything is falling apart.
