Published: October 22, 2023 | Speaker: Mark Freitag | Series: Gospel of Mark - Part 88 | Scripture: Mark 13:7-13
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we're in Mark chapter 13 once again but because it's been a couple of weeks that I've been here like to to read beginning at the first verse in chapter 13 down through
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verse 13 again just to set the context for the verses we'll look at this morning and remembering that it is a discourse so it's somewhat difficult to
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just pull things out of that context so ma Mark 13 beginning at verse 1 and as he was going out of the temple
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one of his disciples said to him teacher behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings and Jesus said to him do you see these great buildings not
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one stone shall be left upon another which will not be torn down and as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning him
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privately tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled and Jesus began to say to them see to it
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that no one misleads you many will come in my name saying I am he and will mislead many and when you hear of wars and rumors of wars do not be frightened
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those things must take place but that is not yet the end for nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom there will be earthquakes in various places there will also be
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famines these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs but be on your guard for they will deliver you to the courts and you will be fogged in the
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synagogues and you will stand before Governors and Kings for my sake as a testimony to them and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations and
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when they arrest you and deliver you up do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say but say whatever is given you in that hour for it is not you who speak but it is the Holy Spirit and
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brother will deliver brother to death and father his child and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death and you will be hated by all on account of my name but the one
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who endures to the end he shall be saved let us let us pray our heavenly father we do take up as we just sang the the
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Angels cry holy holy holy Lord God Almighty we ask father that that you when your word you would use the Holy Spirit
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to speak to our hearts help us to understand these things help us to walk in these things of Jesus instruction and father we ask
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that again you would build your church that you may be glorified in her we ask in Christ's name
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amen I know nothing of birth pangs obviously pangs obviously see in fact my my history of watching my children being born um for me uh tells
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kind of a pitiful Story I mean I'm I'm the one whose blood pressure uh goes up just thinking about going to get a flu shot um so anything along this
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line um is well I'm a wimp you would think after three children that when the fourth one came along I'd be able to handle those my my
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role as being the lamas coach we went through all the training and uh I think I got a D minus uh for it but I remember when our youngest was
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born it was becoming obvious that in the birthing center that the doctor was not going to make it he was at the hospital and it was a tough delivery he wasn't going to make it and the nurse was kind
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of she had to take over and at one point she turned to me with some washcloths and she said go put these under cold water and I said for her and she said no
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for you you're really peaked so I know nothing of birth pangs so I I I I can't speak to that feeling I
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can't speak to the pain or the suddenness that they come on but that's what Jesus use scripture
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does described in several places using using this metaphor of the birth pains the contractions that come that say sometimes suddenly sometimes with great
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pain but they anticipate something coming they are temporary but they anticipate something new that is to come and Jesus In this
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passage is telling them I I'm going to describe for you the the birth pangs it's not the end but it anticipates the end but I'm saying
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this because many Believers even among these early disciples and now even centuries later
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misread the birth pangs they misread the things that we see around us on a daily basis and and you're bombarded with that
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are you not I mean I'm I'm having to to teach myself don't touch that little box I there are times I wish I could just it's expensive so I'm not but I have
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several Hammers and and and I you open your phone or your your computer and the networks and the internet are bombarding you with birth pangs and photos and
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videos of happenings in the world the Geneva academy of international humanitarian law and human rights cataloges conflicts around the
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world just in the Middle East and North Africa alone there are 45 armed conflicts going on as we speak Cyprus Egypt Iraq Libya as well as the
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one dominating the headlines Israel in Africa 35 non- International conflicts in Mali
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mosm Beek Nigeria senagal Sudan Asia 19 conflicts in Afghanistan India Myanmar Pakistan the Philippines Ukraine
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in Europe among the seven conflicts going on going on today Mal malova azerbajan and the country country of
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Georgia Latin America Six conflicts armed conflicts going on as we speak in Mexico and Mexico and Colombia wars and rumors of
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wars I think he's telling them you'll see Wars and you'll hear about wars going on in other places not to mention earthquakes in the past 24 hours as of
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5:30 last night according to the internet 24 hours 116 earthquakes around the world in the past 7 Days 858 earthquakes
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on average just this past week Alaska 6.7 magnitude Japan 5.7 Afghanistan 6.3 earthquakes Wars rumors of wars and
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don't forget famines 4 9 million people live in areas where there are famines today 350
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million people is estimated live in countries where they don't have enough to eat there are chronic food shortages because of drought and
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famine and if I read the names of some of these countries that are most affected you will see and there are those who believe that all of these things that Jesus speaks of are separate
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Wars earthquakes famines well I don't think Wars cause earthquakes but I think Wars can cause famines or at least the food shortages
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that have the same result of a famine because you know as we read many of these countries Afghanistan Ethiopia Sudan Syria Haiti
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Pakistan they're in food short is because of War because there are people who have no humanitarian thought in their brain at all that the humanitarian
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Aid sits on the border of their country and is either used for their own richness or they're not allowed to feed
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their people with that food all of these things Jesus says however are birth Banks they are not the end they're beginnings of the birth
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pains they're those contractions that tell you something is coming they're sudden but they are not the end but what does he mean by that are
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are we not supposed to care about these things are we not supposed to pray for and care for and know how to react when we hear of Wars rumors of wars earthquakes and famine around the world
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well Jesus is answering the disciples question but he's answering in a way that they're not really expecting he's telling them what
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is going to happen between his first and second Advent and I believe this passage that we are looking at today is one that is an overview uh of time to the end of
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the world the next section beginning at verse 14 I think he zeros in on the destruction of Jerusalem and the prophecy of that great event and then
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the final section of chapter 13 specifically of the time of the the end of the world but here and I take it and
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not everyone does but I take it is not just to these disciples these men who knew Jesus knew Jesus who were with him broke bread with him
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traveled with traveled with him but for all believers these are things that we ought to take when he says you that we can
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personally Jesus has already told them in verses 5 and six see to it that no one misleads you he's he's saying look be attentive see to it look at
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these things that no one deceive you no one mislead you those false Christ who claim to be Jesus himself come to judge the
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Earth don't be deceived by them they pervert the scriptures they try to teach you something that is not true or they
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twist the truth in order to gain you as their followers and they use my name he says for evil purposes do not be deceived do not be duped do not be
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misled by them that's coming from the outside so we are to be on our guard for those who would come in this way but now
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he says in verse 7 and you hear and of wars and rumors of wars do not be frightened and in verse n he says be on your guard literally it is look to
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yourselves and and it's the Greek is emphatic you look to yourselves you yourselves look at your own thoughts look at your own reaction
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to these things and again I believe that Jesus Point here is don't
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misapprehend God's Providence as many believers do
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some are so distraught by the world events that they become paralyzed to even live even live life some are convinced as we heard some in Sunday
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school this morning I've read the back of the book and we win and they believe that all men will be created all men women and children
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will somehow be be converted I mean that they will they would the world will be at peace that we will see that that that that this will happen here on on Earth
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before Jesus before Jesus returns and Jesus says you'll hear and you'll see and you'll experience some of these things Wars
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earthquakes famines but these are just the beginnings of the paint but the end is still not still not yet there will be these things the wars
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the earthquakes the famines but there will also be other troubles there will be War because nations rise up against Nation he says a
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nation thinks that it's Sovereign over others and they will rise up and there will be conflict kingdoms rulers Kings will aside to go for territory or to become a
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supreme Kingdom these things will happen but you'll also have other troubles verse 9 you will have troubles
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from the world be on your guard for they will deliver you to the courts and you will be fogged in the synagogues he's actually talking about local courts they're actually called Sanhedrin not
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the big capital S Sanhedrin in Jerusalem but the little ones the little local courts they'll drag you in he
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says and they will offer you no sympathy these rulers these Kings these local courts because for my
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sake they will drag you in and they will falsely accuse falsely accuse you and you will stand in tribunal before
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them and you'll have beatings and you'll have imprisonment in verse 12 we see that the some of the troubles that we will have will be from our own
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relations brother will deliver brother to death and a father has child and children will rebel against their own parents and have them put to
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death disapproval scorn for you believe that you're one of those Jesus Freaks aren't you and you'll have rejection and as he
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says even threats or attempts to kill you but we will also have troubles from
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natural man verse 13 and you will be hated by all on account of my name those who reject the spirit the scriptures say the natural man does not
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get the spirit he rejects the spirit of Christ the cross the idea of the cross the idea of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ is offensive to
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them and you will be hated just because of jesus' of jesus' name there will be a universal hatred because of your relation to
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Christ the Christians will be hated simply because they claim his name you you bear his name Christ ones
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Christians and you dare to pray in the name of Jesus Christ but also we know that the hatred will be because everything that the name
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of Jesus Christ expresses and implies is offensive to them what one God one one mediator between God and man are you
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kidding there are many roads to God are there not they don't appreciate the message that I am the way Jesus said the truth and the life no one comes to the
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father but by me but you see outside of Christ scripture Christ scripture says they are enemies of God they don't like to hear the message
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you are without hope because you are without God in this this world and you will be hated he says because of my name simply because you
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dare to name my name misapprehend God's Providence in these things I believe is what Christ is warning us about here ja Alexander wrote
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this mistake is not theoretical but practical because it confounds the beginning with the end of a disciplinary process and unnerves men for exertion
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and endurance by the hope of Speedy and immediate resit when a long course of trial and of suffering is still before
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them we want to read God's Providence we want to look out and say well this happened because of this and this is happening because of this or this is the signal of the end and yes we've talked
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about those who have said oh I'm I can read the signs and Christ is coming on such and such a day and this and this will happen and Jesus says no these are
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the beginnings of the birth pangs it it may happen at the end of one of these things or during one of these things but this is not the sign of my
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coming and you need to look to yourselves you need to understand these things troubles will come there will be persecution there will be these things that come against you these things that
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we hear the things that you experience but what I find in scripture is that even when all of these things
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and I am one of those that I have to remind myself turn the radio off turn the TV off turn down the noise of
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man but I find in scripture there are countless times where God graciously gives us a gift gift along with the message of judgment the message that
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this is a Fallen World in need of a savior he gives us Mercy he gives us Grace and even In this passage I think we see it in verse 9 he says be on your
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guard for they will deliver you up to the courts and you will be fogged in the synagogues and you will stand before Governors and Kings for my sake as a testimony to them I I I think
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what he's saying is you've got a captive audience they brought you in because of the name of Christ and you have this opportunity to
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tell them who Christ really is and a reason for the hope that is within you because you follow me and know me as
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the Messiah they'll deliver you to to make your stand before them and and you have this captive audience they will hear your testimony and your witness to
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me as the Christ in verse 10 he says and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations the gospel the the good news of
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Christ's Advent and his call to be born again to a New and Living Hope will be proclaimed it will be taught it it will
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be explained be explained everywhere in second Timothy chapter 2 Paul is talking about his his mission and he he calls it my gospel and he says
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I'm I'm suffering remember Jesus Christ remember his sacrifice for us and my gospel for which I suffer he says I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as
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a criminal but then he adds this interesting and wonderful but I may be in prison he said I may be in hardship and I'm imprisoned as a
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criminal but the word of God is Not imprisoned see the Jesus says the the word will be proclaimed my people will stand and and
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they will give their account for what has happened in their lives and the gospel will go forth I don't know if he's looking forward to that that great
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day when when the fullness of the Gentiles is has come in but he is saying that gospel will be preached and even Paul himself so in his lifetime in the
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known world then that the gospel had gone forth in all the world and of great comfort to Believers as as individuals I believe but also as
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a church is verse 11 and when they arrest you and deliver you up do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say but say whatever is given you in that hour for it is not you who speak
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but it is the holy spirit we we have this great gift we we're not alone we're not standing before and giving our defense by by just our Our Own Strength
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we will fail but he's saying the holy spirit will give you what to say in that hour take no thought beforehand he says
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it it means don't be anxious don't the holy spirit will speak now the now the Greek is hard for me to get but what I
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understand here is at the idea but say whatever is given to you there there is the language of that may be given to you there there is a note of contingency
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here or as the Garian say strongly expressive of expressive of contingency but as it is given and is if is given he says speak that and nothing
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else it's a strong encouragement in the form of a command do not mix your own Thoughts with the words of the Holy Spirit he
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will give you what to say in that hour and you are to speak that you are not to try to try to add anything to it you are a vehicle
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you're a mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit he is your defense attorney let him speak but there is a caution and I've never experienced this
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but I've read of it or heard of it a perversion of this verse that is to be avoided and I speak to myself as a minister as a preacher
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but there are those who take this as well this is every Sunday I don't need to prepare anything I don't need to study I just need to remember it is the holy spirit and they get in the pulpit
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and say whatever they want to say or think they ought to say because they misinterpret this verse the context should tell you that is wrong
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that it is truly a perversion the context of course is in this day when you've been delivered and brought before a tribunal to give your
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account and I think the the warning is when we read the the words of Paul the foolishness of the message preached that is the preaching of the true gospel the truth as it is in Christ
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the foolishness of the message preach should not be confused with the foolish foolishness of the messenger
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preaching he's not referring to preaching but to a apologetics and defense before defense before councils do not be anxious he says or distracted but fearlessly face those who
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oppose the gospel because the holy spirit will strengthen you and speak in that
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hour Jesus exhorts his disciples be prepared for the worst but he doesn't leave us there he's going on in this passage and reassuring
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his disciples that those who persevere and those who those who endure will see the end they will have their reward he does
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not answer their question up in verse four when will these things be when will all these things take place he does not answer
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them what they want as a specific point in time in time but he rather tells them that enduring to the end will be salvation enduring to
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the end you will have full Deliverance too many Believers I think read into the scriptures are kind of at least what was
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spoken of in my childhood as a poana optimism it's this irrepressible everything will be be
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fine but they are like those that Jeremiah speaks of they have healed the Brokenness of my people superficially God says saying peace peace but there is no peace not the
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peace that they Envision JC riy writes let us understand that we live in a day of election and not of universal conversion there will
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be no Universal peace until the Prince of Peace of Peace appears but again to me in this day in this age too many Believers listen to
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the human voices of apocalyptic dunesday prophecies and I don't care whether the initials are fox or
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CNN there are people who present and inculcate fear in the heart of many of their
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listeners it doesn't matter whether you're conservative or liberal but the fears and anxieties I think that are raised day by day by these voices they begin to color your
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every thought and your every decision how I spend my money how I treat my children how I make my plans for the future how I live and God would not have
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us do that again misapprehension of the Providence of God is what is warned against here I
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believe in Jeremiah 17 we read blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord he describes him as a tree planted by streams of water and he he's ever full
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of sap and green he will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit I believe those are the Believers
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that Jesus would speak to here blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord in all of these things Wars rumors of wars famines drought troubles
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from outside and within even our own families Jesus tells his disciples what are not the signs they are they have asked about but instead I think he
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teaches them that them that Wars National turmoil International conflicts or natural as we call them natural disasters are not the end of all
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existing troubles that troubles that persecution family hatred or enemies of God and enemies of Jesus Christ himself do not signal his return but there is
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the promise of rescue to all who hold out in faith until he returns to gather his own let us
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pray our heavenly father again we ask that you would Grant to our minds an understanding to our hearts a faith and a will to obey you to continue to cling
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to you to read the word word to meditate upon it and to as our brother prayed that we will not just be hearers of the word but doers and we ask again build
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your church Lord Make Her glorious in your sight and bring her to yourself as your bride in Christ's name we pray amen you please rise for the benediction
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from second from second Timothy chapter Paul writes it is a trustworthy
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statement for if we died with him we shall also live with him if we endure we shall also reign with him if we deny him he also will deny us if we are faithless
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he remains faithful for he cannot deny