WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.799 This podcast is a ministry of Grant Parkway Baptist Church. 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:08.320 Helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:14.080 For more information about Grant Parkway, visit GrantProquay.org. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:15.039 Amen. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:15.599 Amen. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:16.079 Let's pray. 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.000 Lord Jesus, thanks that that's true. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:23.039 The Bible says in Romans, in the book of Romans, where sin did abound, grace did abound all the more. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:24.960 And that's where songs like that come from. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:29.280 It doesn't mean that, okay, so just let's sin a lot because God's got a lot of grace. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:29.760 No. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:39.200 Grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness and to live upright and moral lives in this present life while we wait the blessed appearing of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.200 That's what the book of Titus teaches us. 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:43.439 And so, Lord, we're grateful for grace. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:51.520 But grace has a sense of authority to it, it shapes, it informs how we live, and it conforms our appetites to the things of the gospel. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:53.439 And so do that today, we pray. 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:55.280 We listen now in Jesus' name. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:57.280 And everyone said, Amen. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:58.079 You can have a C. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.920 If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open it up to Matthew chapter 24. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:07.040 If you're a guest, we're in a series where we're looking, and we're in a series entitled 40 Days to the Cross. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:08.560 And we started 40 Days Out. 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:14.319 And for us, you need to know this that the ministry of this church is not just preaching on Sundays and singing on Sundays. 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:15.840 That's a big part of it. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:17.599 And teaching on Sundays. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:21.920 It's also during the week, we'll send out things, we write things, different pastors here write things. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:29.280 And so 40 days out from Good Friday, we started sending things to you to think about and to say, hey, think digestively about this. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:33.599 And so, but we've been looking at things that Jesus said, you know, the closer he got to the cross. 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:36.719 And so I'm going to start reading today in Matthew chapter 24. 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:37.599 And look at me. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:39.680 Jesus will be dead in two days. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:41.200 He knows it full well. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:43.760 And what he says is from that perspective. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:45.120 And so you've got to ask yourself. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:49.040 I asked this question about three weeks ago, and somebody said, Oh, I wish you wouldn't ask that. 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.280 And so I took that as a sign I should ask it again. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:52.719 So let me ask it again. 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:58.159 If you knew you were going to be dead in two days, what would you do on the last two days of your life? 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:00.959 Because this is what Jesus does. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.799 He's walking out of the temple. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:04.959 Matthew chapter 24, verse 1. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:10.000 Jesus left the temple and was going away when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.879 But he answered them, You see all these, do you not? 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:18.879 Truly I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:27.840 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:35.199 And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:40.319 And you'll hear wars or rumors of wars, and see that you're not alarmed, for this must take place. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:42.240 But the end is not yet. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:51.280 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places, and all these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:57.520 Then they will deliver you to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:02.000 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:09.439 Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray, and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:12.000 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:20.960 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:29.280 One of the ways, one of the simplest ways you can tell that God is in control of the affairs of this world. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:35.120 It's in the words of Jesus, how often he uses the word then, and then and then and then. 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:38.240 Jesus never speaks about circumstance like it's out of control. 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:40.400 He never acts like, oh my gosh, I don't know what to do. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:41.120 What are we gonna do? 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:42.319 It's then this is gonna happen. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:47.280 There's a sequential nature to the way Jesus talks about, and then this, and then this, and then this. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.719 And so, what do we take away from what Jesus says in these 14 verses? 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:52.639 Here's the title for the sermon this morning. 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:53.759 Here's what you take away. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:55.840 What to do when things go crazy. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:57.599 What to do when things go crazy. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:01.280 Because this all starts with the disciples come up to Jesus, they're coming out of the temple. 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:06.719 Big, beautiful, ornate building, and all these elaborate buildings around. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:09.280 And they say, Hey, Jesus, check this out. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:10.400 And this is pretty impressive. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:12.080 And it's like Jesus doesn't even look up. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:16.720 He just says, I'm telling you, not one stone will be left upon another of all these buildings. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.199 And they're like, We're so disturbed by that. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:20.240 That's verse one and two. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:22.720 And then verse three later, they're on the Mount of Olivet. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:24.480 That's kind of where they kind of hung out. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:30.480 And they come to Jesus privately and they said, Now, tell us, that was a little kooky, what you said back there. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:32.079 Unpack what you meant. 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:38.639 And then Jesus starts in in verse 3, and he kind of starts saying, Hey, this is the way it's going to be in verse 4. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.920 He says, See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:52.240 And Jesus starts talking about the future when things, and by the way, I we we've got to stop preaching Christianity in the church, and you've got to stop believing Christianity. 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:55.839 It's the way I escape hard times. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.319 That's not the biblical gospel. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:00.319 And you'll see that in the Bible this morning. 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:13.120 Uh and so, but just keep in mind, God's so in charge of this, Jesus speaks of it in terms of, and then, and then, and then, how can he speak so authoritatively about something? 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.040 Because he's over it all. 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:21.519 And it's not God's like some mad scientist up in the heaven mixing up these crazy potions and making the world go crazy. 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:25.279 No, the world is going crazy because people don't believe God. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:28.720 Because at our core, we want to be God. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.120 And so, what do we do when life goes crazy? 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.639 And by the way, anybody's life ever been just out of control where you just thought, I cannot handle one more piece of bad news. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:37.439 Anybody? 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:38.399 Yeah. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:52.000 Got a call this week from a family in our church that said, hey, we're having our uh hot water heaters installed, we're changed out, and one of them's in the attic, and the repairman in the attic uh was not looking and stepped and made a hole in their ceiling. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:06:01.519 And not only that, it got better when they when they got it finally hooked up, he didn't connect the drain pipe correctly, so water began to seep down out of their ceiling of their two-story house. 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:06.240 And the wife is sick, and she just is like, uh and she's telling the husband, hey, can you come home and deal with this? 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:07.279 I'm like, man, why didn't you call me? 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:08.319 Because I'm driving on the way. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:09.839 Just, I mean, what else can be bad? 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:19.199 I mean, this my wife's been sick for a month, and some guy, some yeah, he put a ceiling, a foot through a hole in my ceiling, and somebody else this week said, Hey, called me and just said, Hey, just pray for Isa. 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:20.079 I said, Well, what do you need? 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:21.519 And I said, Do I need to come to your house? 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.199 My wife and I, we just we fight about everything nowadays. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:27.759 And I said, Well, what do you mean you fight about everything? 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:29.680 We fought about breakfast this morning. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:32.160 I mean, I just resent her when she starts talking. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:33.920 I just think, shut up. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:36.399 And I'm like, You're not supposed to think that? 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:37.600 Wait a minute. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:38.800 I digress. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.160 Anyway, no, it's gonna get crazy, okay? 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:43.439 So that's not the issue. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:44.399 It's going to. 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:46.399 So the issue is, what do you do? 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:52.319 Jesus, very practically, very sovereignly, kind of, those two words are not mutually exclusive. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:00.399 Very practically and very sovereignly lays out these things and says, hey, here's what you do when it starts getting, when this all starts going down and getting crazy. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:04.000 Number one, focus on what's coming, not just on what's happening. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:05.199 Look at verse 4. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:10.319 See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and will lead many astray. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.399 And you'll hear wars or rumors of wars. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:16.240 See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:18.000 But the end is not yet. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.680 See, God is in control of the end, and he says, It's not yet. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:28.399 Verse 7, for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there'll be famines and earthquakes in various places. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:33.040 And all these, see, here's where we get focus on what's coming, not on what's happening. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:35.040 Jesus says in verse 8, don't miss it. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:38.399 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:40.800 The beginning of the birth pains. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:45.360 Now, I've never had a baby, uh, but it looks like it's painful, okay? 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:49.519 Uh, and yeah, all you women are like, shut your mouth already, okay? 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:59.920 Because I used to say this after our first child, I didn't say this, but when we were pregnant, I would I would use the pronoun we, we're pregnant, we're having a baby, we're going to the hospital. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:07.439 And I said that on the way, pulling out of our apartment to go to the hospital, to have Madison on the day we were scheduled, and all that good stuff. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:11.759 One of my buddies in the living apartment complex, I saw him walking, and one of the window goes, Hey, what are you doing? 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.519 I said, We're going to have a baby. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.519 After what happened that day, I never said that again. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.399 Because we got there in Memorial Southwest, up there on 59 and Beach now. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:28.639 We got there, checked in and everything, and everything was going good, and they gave my wife some potosin because it makes labor happen or whatever. 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:32.720 And there's a thing called an epidural that you get that blocks the pain. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:33.840 And I was like, awesome. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:39.600 Had my wife hooked up these monitors and you can see when contractions, and is your pain, you know, on a scale of one to ten, what is it? 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:40.879 It's always a ten for me. 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.360 Give me drugs and give me drugs now, okay? 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:47.200 But my wife is like from little house on the prairie, she's gnawing on a stick. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:48.159 Oh, it's not bad. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:54.960 And I'm watching the monitor go up and I'm like, because she said, tell me, by the way, when your wife's in labor, she's mean also. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:02.159 If you're single or if you're married and you haven't had kids yet, when your wife gets pregnant and starts having a baby, you're gonna get called some stuff. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:03.679 Don't hold it against her, okay? 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:05.440 Because she just, cuckoo. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:08.399 It's just something endorphins in the brain or something. 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:12.159 My wife's sitting there, and I'm looking, oh, here comes a contraction, and she's like grabs me. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:13.919 She goes, I can feel the contraction. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.919 Tell me when it peaks and starts down, okay. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.000 Get your hand off my neck, I can't breathe. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.240 Uh but but the doctor comes in. 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:21.200 It's a crucial point. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:24.000 We're like, okay, we're dilated and we're just gonna get into all that. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.639 And I'm like, whoo, okay, uh, okay. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:32.240 And he says, Hey, I just took your wife's blood platelet, her platelet count is too little, it's too small. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:35.600 If I give her the upidural, I'll run the risk of paralyzing her. 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:37.200 And I just reached out and grabbed him. 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:40.320 Just instantly, you are not gonna do that. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:42.879 You talk about harming my wife, I'm gonna get you. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:45.120 And so he was like, Yeah, yeah, we can't. 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:47.279 And so you're gonna have to have this baby naturally. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:54.000 And so, not only did that little news that the baby didn't turn, it's supposed to be face up or face down, whatever it's supposed to be, it was the wrong way. 00:09:54.159 --> 00:10:01.120 And so my wife gave birth to an eight-pound, 12-ounce baby girl who was faced the wrong way, all natural. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.279 Yeah, that wasn't what I was thinking. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:10.639 I was kind of thinking, and so after that, because the birth pain, I never said we had a baby. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:12.559 People come, hey man, congratulations. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:14.159 I didn't go, yeah, we had a baby. 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:16.960 I was like, people came out of my wife. 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:19.519 She has power. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:21.120 She should see that. 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:24.639 I mean, because we're, and the doctor came in and said, All right, we're ready to go. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:27.279 And it was like Transformers, it's like a set of the moon. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:33.279 Shia LaBeouf showed up, the ceiling opened up, lights came out, the end came off the bed, and I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:34.879 And the doctor said, You go over there. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:36.240 And I said, Yes, ma'am, right over here. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:37.519 I stand right over here. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:38.799 We didn't have a baby. 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:39.840 Here's what did not happen. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:44.240 You're like, what has this got to do with focusing on what's coming, not on what's happening? 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:46.720 Because Jesus says, Heaven, this all starts going down. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:49.519 It's just the beginning of the birth pains. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:55.840 Like, hey, I've set this thing up to wean you off every way of thinking except the truth found in the gospel. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:57.840 This is just the beginning of the birth pains. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:02.559 And so, when all this is going down, I mean, the doctor looked at my wife and said, Are you ready? 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:04.320 I need you to sit up and push now. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:13.039 And my wife, like an alien, some head come out of her, grabbed the rails of the bed, sat down, boom. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:21.919 And at no point, because the doctor was going, push, push, push, that's it, that's it, you're doing it, you're doing it, you're doing it. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:34.080 And I'm like, the room is spinning, I got cold sweats, and I'm like, at no point did my wife go, this hurts too much. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:35.919 Make it go away. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:38.879 Did you women? 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:44.159 No, no, no, she called me some names. 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:51.600 But here's the thing this thing that inflicts so much pain on my wife, okay? 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.759 This thing that would kick my wife, and she was like, oh, she just kicked my blood, I gotta go to the bathroom. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:56.799 I'm like, what? 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:00.799 Oh, she's got her feet up on the backside of my rib cage. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:02.159 I don't want to hear that. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.679 That's creepy. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:05.600 Don't tell me that thing. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:14.879 After it came out with all this blood and just pain, Lama's breathing, that's a laugh in the devil's hell. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:15.919 That doesn't work. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:17.919 I don't care what you say. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:19.759 You might as well hypnotize your wife. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:22.720 I'm her Lama's coach. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:27.200 I'm down there going, and she's like, oh, your breath stinks. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.799 Stop breathing on me. 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:30.480 What? 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.200 I want my money back on that Lama's class. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:42.480 But the second that thing came out and they cleaned it all up and wrapped it up, they laid it in my wife's lap and she was bawling, going, oh, why? 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:47.919 Because my wife focused on what was coming, not just on what was happening. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.600 Which is why Jesus says these are just the beginning of birth pains. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:56.320 Focus when it gets crazy, focus on what's coming, not what's just happening. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.720 Secondly, this gets personal, Jesus says. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:04.639 Verse 9, all that nations and kingdoms, it's all great as long as it happens over there to them. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:13.440 Jesus says in verse 9, and they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:18.320 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.000 See, this gets very personal. 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:21.200 They'll deliver you up. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:23.200 It's great as long as it's over there. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:25.840 That's not a problem. 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:31.519 When ISIS had those Egyptian Christians lined up and they went to Behatam, those cats sang. 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:37.120 Somebody said, What do you think of that happened in America? 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:38.320 I don't know. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:44.240 If we'd have been singing or we'd have been calling for a lawyer or begging for mercy or whatever, I'd like to think we'd all sing. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:47.919 Because it's going to get personal. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:50.159 It's just going to get personal. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:51.360 That's what Jesus says. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:52.399 He always made it personal. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:55.039 When he asked the disciples, hey, who do men say that I am? 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:59.679 They're like, some say Moses, some say Elijah, some say one of the prophets, and Jesus made it personal. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:01.120 Who do you say that I am? 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:07.120 Our life, our culture is going to ask us that question on a daily basis. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:10.000 Who do you say that Jesus is? 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.759 Are you going to cheat because things are kind of tight in the economy? 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:16.159 You're going to lie and cheat on your expense report? 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:20.240 Because you're making a statement about Jesus when you do that. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.320 You're saying, you're not sufficient. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:23.919 I've got to take care of this. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:25.840 I got to get mine. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:27.759 I'm going to get mine. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:29.519 I'm going to look out for myself. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:32.720 Jesus says this this gets personal. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:37.279 He says, tribulation, hatred, falling away, betrayal, more hatred. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:38.799 False prophets, by the way. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:40.720 Let me just say this about false prophets. 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:43.200 They're not always easy to recognize. 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.399 They're not people on TV that are going, there is no God, just do what you want. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:49.679 Sometimes they have a Bible, they're on TV, and they have. 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:50.879 See, here's a problem. 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:56.639 That you have a television network and multiple ones that are dedicated to Christian broadcasting, which I think is good. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:58.080 Christian broadcasting is good. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:02.159 But here's the thing: there's not that many solid preachers to go around. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.159 So you get some kooks on there. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:07.120 And so just be careful when it talks about false prophets. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:16.159 Just be careful that you don't get locked in because sometimes people get you so bogged down in the minutia of their opinion and off on some tangent. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:18.320 Before long, you've lost the gospel. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.200 And you say, Well, what do you mean? 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:26.720 Here's what I mean Christianity is a historical faith. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:27.919 It's a historical religion. 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:32.480 In other words, that there's things that have been true for a long time. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.600 And every once in a while, people get up with a Bible open. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:41.440 And they say crazy things like, I need you to give me$65 million so I can buy a jet. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:45.440 That would be a false prophet. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:50.000 Or they say things like, in case you're like, what are you talking about? 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:57.600 There's a preacher in Atlanta that told his congregation, I want y'all to raise$65 million so I can get a jet, so I can fly around and preach the gospel. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:05.200 Hey, don't ever love me so much that you let me say crazy things like that. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:11.759 Like if I ever say anything crazy like that, I want all you men just to bum rust the stage and just beat me, just beat the snot out of me right here. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.279 We'll put it on the internet. 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:16.080 That'd be great. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:19.200 Church attacks false prophet, film an 11. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:21.840 But sometimes, he thought they're not there. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:30.879 Sometimes they're just so they've got this take or they've got this inside, they've got this revelation on Christianity that nobody else has, and pretty soon, you're down there. 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:32.159 Be careful. 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:33.120 Be careful. 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:36.480 Jesus just says, hey, uh, focus on what's coming, not what's just happening. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:38.000 Secondly, this gets personal. 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:42.240 Thirdly, Jesus says this don't confuse pragmatism with Christianity. 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.600 Don't confuse pragmatism with Christianity. 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:46.240 What do you mean? 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:47.200 Verse 12. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:47.919 Look at it. 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:54.559 After he says, hey, many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:58.480 And because lawlessness will be increased, stop right there. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:01.200 Because lawlessness will be increased. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.840 The Greek word for sin is Hamartia. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:06.000 Hamartia means missing the mark. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:07.359 This the target is here. 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:08.400 You miss the target. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:10.640 You sin and fall short of the glory of God. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:14.400 And Jesus says, when the disciples are like, hey, check out these buildings. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:15.440 Isn't this really cool? 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:20.400 Jesus says, You better not find, you better not fixate on these buildings and get ready for what's going to come. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:24.640 Because this is going to come, this is going to get off the chain in just a matter of time, boys. 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:26.240 This is where this is all headed, okay? 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:32.799 Christianity is not the way I escape, it's the way I engage a culture that is going to come unhinged. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:39.200 He says, because of the increase of lawlessness, because many will fall away because of all this stuff. 00:17:39.359 --> 00:17:40.319 Look at me, beloved. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.960 It's going to be real tempting to look around and kind of go, this God thing just doesn't work. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:51.359 I've been a Christian for three years and I'm not happy as I want to be. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:55.680 I love Jesus, but my marriage is so hard. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:01.599 Oh man, we raised our kids in the faith, and now they're just going off the deep end. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:04.480 Because lawlessness will increase. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:06.400 Here's what Jesus is saying. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.839 It's going to be easy to look around and think, why isn't this working? 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:13.200 If this is true, why isn't the culture getting better? 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:16.640 Because we are a law unto ourselves. 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:18.000 No one's guilty anymore. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:19.279 Have you realize that? 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:26.000 No one says that kid up in Virginia, a 20-year-old kid trying to get into a bar. 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:28.480 Oh, this is a race issue. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.960 No, the legal drinking age is 21. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:34.079 And if you try to get in a bar when you're 20, you're breaking the law. 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:35.839 One of my kids said, How do you know? 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:40.640 Because your dad got two tickets from the alcoholic beverage commission when I was 15 and one when I was 16. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.680 We call them the ABCs, the alphabet cops. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:45.440 Why'd you get a ticket? 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:49.599 Because the legal drinking age, back then, I think it was like 18 or something. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:51.920 And I said, Your dad broke the law. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:52.559 Oh. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:53.599 Oh. 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.519 Well, kids in my school drink all the time. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:56.799 They're breaking the law. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:01.759 Well, some parents, you know, they have parties at their house and they take up all the keys in a bowl. 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:05.680 And you know, that's an insecure mom that needs those kids to like her. 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:11.519 So you gotta take it. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.640 I gotta put on probation. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:18.799 Be careful. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.200 Lawlessness is so much increased. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:21.599 Look at me. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:22.079 Look at me. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.200 Don't check out on me. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:31.680 You can break any law in America and turn around and oh, oh, my rights are being violated. 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:36.559 And social media will stir up and we'll have a parade or a march or a demonstration in your order. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.680 You can reach in a car and grab a cop's gun. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:41.759 Uh-oh. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:44.240 Y'all are looking like, are you going there? 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:45.200 Yeah, we're there. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:46.799 We're there as a country. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:51.200 You know, somebody, when I sent an email on Friday, just talking about the cup, somebody said, Are you saying racism's not an issue? 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:52.559 No, racism's an issue. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:54.720 There are racists all over the place. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:55.839 Maybe some in this room. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:57.359 You need to repent if you are. 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:02.960 But here's the deal: you cannot use that as an excuse for breaking the law. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:05.440 Because that's how lawlessness increases. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:08.640 Just like Jesus said, lawlessness will increase. 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:10.240 And look at the other part of the sentence. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:15.759 He says, hey, verse 12, and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:19.519 People just throw their hands up and go, I don't want, I don't want to care anymore, God. 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:20.319 Are you kidding me? 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.240 I've been loving Jesus for a long time. 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:24.640 And this world is just screwed up. 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:25.519 Yeah. 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:36.640 Why do you think the Bible talks about that we shine as lights, as stars in the universe as we hold out the word amongst this crooked and depraved generation as we hold forth the word of life? 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:42.640 If lawlessness didn't increase, there would be no fitting context for the gospel. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:43.839 Let me say that again. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:49.119 If lawlessness didn't increase, just like Jesus says it's going to, there would be no context for the gospel. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:50.480 Who needs to get saved? 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:51.839 Who needs to be born again? 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.119 Who needs the good news? 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:56.960 Who needs forgiveness or redemption if there's no law to break? 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:06.000 Be careful that this culture doesn't sell you a bill of goods in the name of racism or in the name of entrepreneurship or in the name of social action. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:06.880 Whatever. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:14.640 Jesus says, Because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:18.079 That's what I mean when I say don't confuse pragmatism with Christianity. 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:20.720 Don't look around and say, oh, well, this is not working. 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:21.839 It's just not working. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:23.759 I thought this would get better, but it's not. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.160 Fourth thing Jesus says is persevere. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:27.599 Persevere. 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:29.039 That's in verse 13. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:30.559 I want you to look at verse 13. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.640 I want you to circle one word in verse 13. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:36.000 I want your brain to kind of sober up right now for a few minutes. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:39.759 Verse 13, he says, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:41.200 Circle the word one. 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:48.960 But the individual, the person, the one who endures to the end will be saved. 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:50.000 Now, what does that mean? 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:56.880 Does that mean that that my salvation, my faith is like a trophy at the finish line, and only if I get there am I gonna get the trophy? 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:57.519 Not at all. 00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:58.319 Look at me, beloved. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:01.119 I talked on this in my class and when Missing night right back here. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.519 And I teach back there, but I preach in here. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:05.359 So I can go more in depth back there. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:08.240 But somebody's like, hey, would you ever talk about these things in church? 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:10.559 And I thought, yeah, I don't mind at all. 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:12.880 We got some hidden knowledge back here. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:18.000 And so I'm going to give you four things that I said in my class among the 68 things that I said. 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:20.880 Because back there, I just go crazy, okay? 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:26.160 I have a big whiteboard with a marker, and I can draw stuff, and it's crazy. 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:28.160 But we've got one more week this week. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:29.440 Come join us. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:31.119 What do you mean? 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:33.519 Only those who persevere to the end will be saved. 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:34.240 Look at me. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:35.599 I get questions. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:41.519 Most of the questions I get, especially about your kids, really are about the doctrine of perseverance. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:52.960 Because, well, my kid did, one lady said, Well, my son, you know, uh he prayed the prayer when he was 13, but he was 14, he got into drugs and went off the deep end, and he was killed in a drug deal in Las Vegas when he was 27. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:55.920