Pastor Mark Mikels – July 20,
\n2008<\/p>\n
“EVENT #3 – FUTURE-FACING!”<\/p>\n
“Becoming Spiritual Decathletes”<\/p>\n
(“Connecting With Christ” Series – Part
\n43)<\/p>\n
Mark 13:1-37<\/p>\n
Intro … “Spiritual Decathletes” … that’s what we are in the process
\nof becoming. Our training manual is drawn from the last six chapters of
\nthe Gospel According to Mark. Our Coach and Key Example is none other
\nthan Jesus Christ himself.<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago we saw Jesus participating in the first event (as it
\nwere) of the great Spiritual Decathlon that occupied the final 8 days
\nof his earthly life … “Temple Cleansing” we called it.<\/p>\n
Last week he took on the second … “Question Handling”. Notes on both
\nare available in the foyer this morning and at our church website.<\/p>\n
Today I would focus our attention upon …<\/p>\n
Christ’s Third Great Challenge …<\/p>\n
PREPARING his followers to be effective<\/p>\n
“FUTURE – FACERS”<\/p>\n
This challenge grew out of a most typical comment made by one of Jesus’
\ndisciples as he and they were leaving the temple grounds one afternoon.<\/p>\n
As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him,<\/p>\n
“Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”<\/p>\n
That comment had probably been thought if not uttered by every Jewish
\npilgrim that was in the capitol city that Passover Season.<\/p>\n
The temple was an awesome place – it was the one place, in fact, that
\ngave the Jews some tangible reason to believe that they were uniquely
\nblessed by God and that they were still His Specially Chosen People. It
\nwas a statement of worship as well as wonder.<\/p>\n
These “country boys” from Galilee were suitable impressed. That was one<\/p>\n
of the benefits of coming to the “Big City” at least once every year
\n…<\/p>\n
Each time they came, they were re-introduced to the splendor and the
\nmagnificence of the things around which their faith was built.<\/p>\n
I’m sure that awe-struck disciple expected Jesus to do no more than nod
\nhis head in agreement. As though to say …”Magnificent indeed!”<\/p>\n
However, Jesus didn’t “just nod his head in agreement” … instead, he
\nresponded with a most troubling prediction.<\/p>\n
“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone
\nhere<\/p>\n
will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”<\/p>\n
It’s almost like Jesus said, “Well, enjoy it while you can because the
\nday is coming when it will be nothing but a heap of rubble!” Talk about
\npopping someone’s bubble!<\/p>\n
They must have all been stunned … God was going to allow His
\nMagnificent Temple – His House on earth – to be destroyed again; just
\nlike it had been 600 years earlier? How could it be; how soon would it
\nbe?<\/p>\n
Questions like that just can’t be left un-uttered for long. And so Mark
\ntells us … (verse3-4)<\/p>\n
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter,
\nJames, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these
\nthings happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be
\nfulfilled?”<\/p>\n
When will this horrible thing happen and what will be the warning sign?
\nIn other words, is there a way that we can be warned and be prepared
\nfor what will surely be some terrible days? How should we approach (or
\nface) the devastating future that is obviously coming?<\/p>\n
And in response to their question, we see Jesus taking on this third
\nchallenging task … “The Challenge of Preparing His Followers to be
\neffective “Future-Facers”.<\/p>\n
We today find ourselves on both sides of that task … we both need to
\nbe prepared and we need to know how to prepare others.<\/p>\n
So then, how are we who belong to Christ supposed to “Face the Future”?<\/p>\n
In Jesus’ answer to his four questioning disciples, we can discern<\/p>\n
Two Specific Steps of Preparation.<\/p>\n
The first step he took was to …<\/p>\n
STEP #1 … DESCRIBE THE FUTURE – (The Signs of the Times)<\/p>\n
These are the “signs” of the “times” we live in – times characterized<\/p>\n
by stress and strain – tumult and turmoil. Man’s days upon this earth<\/p>\n
have been like this ever since Adams’ Fall. Man’s days upon this earth<\/p>\n
will be like this until the “End of Time”.<\/p>\n
* NATIONS in Turmoil – verse 8<\/p>\n
“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.<\/p>\n
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.<\/p>\n
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”<\/p>\n
* NATURE in Turmoil – verse 9<\/p>\n
There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.<\/p>\n
* FAMILIES in Turmoil Because of CHRIST – verse 12-13<\/p>\n
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children
\nwill rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men
\nwill hate you<\/p>\n
because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.<\/p>\n
* CHRISTENDOM in Turmoil – vs. 5 and vs. 21<\/p>\n
“Many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,’ and will deceive many.<\/p>\n
False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and<\/p>\n
miracles to deceive the elect–if that were possible.<\/p>\n
* The SIGN of the Ultimate Turmoil … vs. 14 and 19<\/p>\n
When you see `the abomination that causes desolation’ (let the reader
\nunderstand) standing where it (he) does not belong then let those who
\nare in Judea flee to the mountains … because those will be days of
\ndistress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world,
\nuntil now – and never to be equaled again.<\/p>\n
Here’s where things really get ratcheted up … the times of turmoil
\nwill culminate in the appearing of the one who actually promises an end
\nto all turmoil – the one who actually brings about a time of world-wide
\npeace.<\/p>\n
Speaking of this world-wide hero, Daniel the prophet says …<\/p>\n
“The ruler who will come will destroy both the city and the sanctuary.<\/p>\n
He will confirm a covenant with many. And on a wing of the temple, he
\nwill set up an abomination that causes desolation …” (9:26-27)<\/p>\n
“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and
\nwill<\/p>\n
abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that<\/p>\n
causes desecration.”<\/p>\n
Here’s how he is described in the Book of Revelation (13:1-4)<\/p>\n
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven
\nheads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous
\nname. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a
\nbear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon (devil) gave the beast
\nhis power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the
\nbeast seemed to have had a fatal wound,<\/p>\n
but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and
\nfollowed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given
\nauthority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked,
\n“Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”<\/p>\n
The beast, this man of with Satanic Power, this Anti-Christ is THE
\nSIGN, that the end of all things is, in fact, near. Everything else is
\njust “business as usual” in this fallen sin-filled world. The “beast”
\nwill seek to bring in peace by eliminating all opposition to his cause
\n–<\/p>\n
“He will be given power to make war against the saints”.<\/p>\n
(Rev. 13:7)<\/p>\n
The saints of Jesus’ Day, in the days immediately following the Birth
\nof the Church, thought that they were, in fact, living in the final
\ndays themselves.<\/p>\n
The saints were persecuted by both the Jews and by the Romans. They
\nfled for their lives on more than occasion and from more than one
\nlocation.<\/p>\n
The glorious temple that had so captivated Jesus’ disciples was
\nabsolutely demolished by the Roman Armies in 70 AD.<\/p>\n
Various Caesars were honored as divine and the Roman Empire brought a
\nsignificant degree of peace to the world for over 1000 years.<\/p>\n
But the end has not yet come … even though it would seem that the
\nearth has experienced a kind of “trial run”.<\/p>\n
Caesar was not the “Beast” though many of the Caesars were beastly.<\/p>\n
The ultimate “sign” is yet to appear.<\/p>\n
And so human history has continued for some 2000 more years and<\/p>\n
the “signs of the times” have continued to characterize that history.<\/p>\n
You read the headlines of any day’s paper and you see the “signs”
\nplaying themselves out … The world continues in turmoil and is being
\nmade ready for the one to whom the unsaved will willingly and eagerly
\nyield their allegiance.<\/p>\n
But the end will come … the “signs of the times” will finally be
\nplayed out … God will intervene and bring an end to all this
\nsin-caused turmoil.<\/p>\n
And that brings us to the final thing that Jesus pointed out … we
\ncan anticipate one day …<\/p>\n
* THE END of Turmoil – vs. 24-26<\/p>\n
“But in those days, following that distress, `the sun will be darkened,
\nand the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the
\nsky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’<\/p>\n
“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great
\npower and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from
\nthe four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.<\/p>\n
It’s interesting that prior to this verse Jesus has used consistently
\nsaid “You” as he spoke of the things that would be unfolding …<\/p>\n
“You will be handed over …” “All men will hate you …”<\/p>\n
“Whenever you are brought to trial …”<\/p>\n
All these things (up to verse 23) he knew they would experience
\npersonally. However in this passage he says,<\/p>\n
“At that time, men will see …<\/p>\n
And, of course, we now know that that was no slip of the tongue. The
\nthings spoken of in verses 24-26 they did not get to see and we don’t
\nknow whether or not we will get to see them either.<\/p>\n
But the point is … there is coming an End to all earthly turmoil and
\nthat end will come with the Glorious Appearing of the Lord Jesus
\nChrist. All men will see Him …<\/p>\n
That is how the future (in broad strokes) is going to play out.<\/p>\n
Describing the Future is definitely the first step in preparing someone
\nto face it effectively. So now that we know how it is going to play
\nout, how do we ready ourselves and how do we ready others for it? How
\ndo we become “world-class future facers”?<\/p>\n
Here we take our lead from Jesus Himself …<\/p>\n
Step one: “Describe the Future” …<\/p>\n
STEP #2 … DIRECT THE DISCIPLES – (How To Face The Future)<\/p>\n
Here’s where the rubber meets the road … Lots of believers know what
\nthe Bible teaches about the future – but not all of them face it the
\nway that Jesus directed.<\/p>\n
Tucked away in these verses are five specific “directives” that we must
\nmaster if we would become effective “future facers”.<\/p>\n
* BE ALERT … Don’t Be Deceived By False Messiahs<\/p>\n
Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come<\/p>\n
in my name, claiming, `I am he,’ and will deceive many.” (vs. 5)<\/p>\n
At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!’ or,
\n`Look, there he is!’<\/p>\n
do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and
\nperform signs<\/p>\n
and miracles to deceive the elect–if that were possible. So be on your
\nguard …<\/p>\n
(21-23)<\/p>\n
Key Point … the more troublesome the times the more people there will
\nbe who will purport to speak for God … Be alert to falsehood.<\/p>\n
* BE CALM … Don’t Be Alarmed By Scary Headlines<\/p>\n
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.<\/p>\n
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (vs. 7)<\/p>\n
Remember … all these things are “signs of the times” they are not
\ndefinitely “signs of the end” … Remember … You know the whole story
\n– keep the big picture in view.<\/p>\n
* BE PREPARED … Don’t Be Surprised If Things Get Personal<\/p>\n
You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local
\ncouncils and flogged<\/p>\n
in the synagogues … All men will hate you because of me. (vs. 9, 13)<\/p>\n
Sometimes our faith will BE the issue – As John wrote 2000 years ago in
\nhis first letter to the churches, “the spirit of antichrist is already
\nat work in the world” (1 John 4:3)<\/p>\n
We should not be surprised if sometimes that “spirit” stirs up
\nopposition to the things of Christ even as if the Anti-Christ himself
\nwere already in charge.<\/p>\n
* BE STEADFAST … Don’t Give Up.<\/p>\n
“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands<\/p>\n
firm to the end will be saved.” (vs.13)<\/p>\n
Standing firm is an indication of our belief in the plan of God and in
\nour trust in the power of God. Don’t allow tough times; don’t allow
\nopposition or even persecution to cause you to waver. Stay hooked up
\nwith Christ’s people and with Christ Himself. Experience the fullest
\npossible expression of the salvation that he has provided for you!<\/p>\n
* BE PRODUCTIVE … Don’t Forget The Gospel<\/p>\n
“And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” (verse 10)<\/p>\n
Here as much as anything else is the factor that has caused such a
\ndelay in the Coming of Christ … the gospel must be preached in all
\nnations. Jesus’ disciples didn’t even know how big the world was! Their
\nworld was the Mediterranean World. For over 1400 years the worlds
\nbeyond were unknown.<\/p>\n
Today the world has been pretty fully identified, analyzed and
\ncategorized. The languages of men have been identified as well and
\nphenomenal efforts are being made in fulfillment of this directive.<\/p>\n
Millions upon millions have viewed and responded to the Jesus Film and
\n10 of thousands of missionaries are scattered throughout every nation
\non earth.<\/p>\n
The Gospel – the Good News of Christ – is being taken throughout the
\nworld and the Father is patiently waiting the completion of that task.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile … we ourselves are called upon to be productive in our own
\ncorner of the world. Sharing the Good News of Christ whenever and
\nwherever we can.<\/p>\n
Be ALERT<\/p>\n
Be CALM<\/p>\n
Be PREPARED<\/p>\n
Be STEADFAST<\/p>\n
Be PRODUCTIVE<\/p>\n
That’s how world-class Future-Facers face the future!<\/p>\n
Our final thot hopefully will provide a stimulus to you to add an
\naddendum to this message yourself …<\/p>\n
Final Thot …<\/p>\n
JESUS himself was an Incredible FUTURE-FACER!<\/p>\n
Consider how he FACED His Own Future –<\/p>\n
How he applied these DIRECTIVES in his own life!<\/p>\n
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Pastor Mark Mikels – July 20, 2008 “EVENT #3 – FUTURE-FACING!” “Becoming Spiritual Decathletes” (“Connecting With Christ” Series – Part 43) Mark 13:1-37 Intro … “Spiritual Decathletes” … that’s what we are in the process of becoming. Our training manual is drawn from the last six chapters of the Gospel According to Mark. Our Coach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[10,3],"archive_item":"http:\/\/archive.org\/details\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com--becoming-spiritual-decathletes--becoming-spiritual-decathletes-part-4","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermons\/154"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermons"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sp_sermon"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonlifecommunitychurch.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}