Episode 3

The Road to the Resurrection: The Widow & The Discourse (North OC)

In this sermon's third installment of 'The Road to Resurrection,' Eric Ennis delves into the final week of Christ, focusing on two crucial stories: the offering of the poor widow and the Olivet Discourse. Ennis explores the context and significance of these narratives, highlighting the contrasting behaviors of the religious leaders and the widow, and Jesus’ prophetic teachings about the destruction of the temple. He encourages the congregation to place their security in God, remain watchful, and stay steadfast in their faith.

00:00 Introduction to The Road to Resurrection

01:18 Context and Background of Luke 20

02:30 Understanding the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Teachers of the Law

06:59 The Offering of the Poor Widow

09:47 The Magnificence of the Temple

12:56 Jesus Foretells the Destruction of the Temple

15:22 The Olivet Discourse Begins

20:00 The Human Condition and Persecution

20:50 Facing Betrayal and Finding Family in the Church

21:56 Personal Stories of Faith and Family Challenges

25:39 The Destruction of the Temple: A Historical Perspective

29:07 Apocalyptic Language and Its Meaning

35:21 The Son of Man and Everlasting Dominion

38:13 Final Reflections and Communion

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OC Church of Christ

Transcript
Eric Ennis:

We are on a study series called The Road to Resurrection, and

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we're looking at the last week of Christ.

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Now, I had warned the worship team

and all staff beforehand that, Hey,

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I'm gonna need as much time as I can

today because I am covering two topics.

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That's very interesting.

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And here's the irony of this.

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One of the stories I'll be covering

is probably one of the most common

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stories we talk about all the

time in our church fellowship.

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Uh, every contribution, this is

one of the top picks that we go to.

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The very next thing that we talk about

that's by the, in case you didn't get the

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hint, it's the offering of the Poor Widow.

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Uh, the very next story is what's

known as the olive discourse.

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And I have never seen a sermon

preached on this in my 30 years

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of this sur of this church.

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And depending on how today goes,

it may be another 30 years before

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we see a sermon on this again.

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Um, but I'm gonna try to go through it

how these two stories and, and what Jesus

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is talking about really go together.

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Because oftentimes what happens when

we read the Bible, we, we kind of go in

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and, and read a story and then forget

that things happen beforehand and after,

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and there's context to what's happening.

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And so as we dive into Luke 21, know

that we're on a mission for Jesus looking

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at the cross and ultimate resurrection.

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And I'm gonna begin with Luke 20 verse 45.

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I'm gonna back up just a moment.

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Again, Marcel covered Luke 20 last week,

but I want to give just a little bit of

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context to what I'm gonna be going into.

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Uh, by the way, I put these other

verses up there and Matthew and Mark,

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in case you want to do a deeper dive

yourself of parallel scriptures on

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what we're gonna be covering today.

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So Luke 20 verse one.

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I'll start here just to

give us some context.

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One day as Jesus was teaching the

people in the temple courts and

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proclaiming the good news, the chief

priests and teaches the law together

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with the elders, came up to him.

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Tell us by what authority you're

doing these things they said,

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and who gave you this authority?

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So this is what Marcel

talked about last week.

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Jesus was being confronted in the temple.

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He's at the temple and he's being

confronted by these different groups,

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chief priests or Sadducees, the Pharisees,

the the teachers of the law, the scribes.

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And he's being challenged.

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He's being challenged politically.

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He's being challenged theologically,

and he's having to answer back.

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I'm gonna skip ahead.

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To talk about these groups here.

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'cause I, I need you to understand

who's having these discussions.

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'cause oftentimes we hear these

names, Sadducees, Pharisees, teachers

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of Law, and we think they're the

same thing and they're actually not.

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In fact, they oftentimes

don't like each other.

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The only thing they seem to agree

on is they don't like Jesus.

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That's about the only

thing they got in common.

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So who are these people?

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The Pharisees are very strict religious

leaders, uh, oftentimes known as rabbi.

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They're very respected by the people.

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Uh, the way I think of them is,

is a quote from The Dark Knight.

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If you've ever seen that film,

and if you haven't, you should.

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But there's a line in there that says

you either die a hero or live long

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enough to see become of the villain.

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And that's how I see the Pharisees,

the Pharisees during the Maccabean,

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uh, revolt, where the people that

held the Jewish nation together,

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which is why they're so respected.

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But over time, uh.

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Their need for recognition and

their desire for authority and

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specifically, uh, their altering

of scripture to match their, their

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traditions will sideline them.

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But they're a minority group in

the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Ruling

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Council, and they're resisting Rome.

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They don't like the Hellenization.

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The Greek influence.

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The Roman influence.

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So that's who the Pharisees are, the

Sadducees, they're the cheap priests.

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They're the ones who control

the temple at this time.

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They only believe in the tour and

a little interpretation of that.

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They don't believe in

like the resurrection, for

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instance, or any resurrection.

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Um, but they're in charge of all

the ceremonies, all the finances.

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So when Jesus is overturning the

tables in the temple, he's directly

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going against the DUIs and they are

in charge of the Sanhedrin, and they

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have a lot of political power because

they've been given it by Rome, which is

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why the people don't like them because

they're very much in line with Rome.

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And then you have this third group.

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The teachers of the law also, not

those scribes, they're the ones

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who are copying down scripture.

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Now these guys are oftentimes aligned

with the Pharisees, but sometimes

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not These guys are legal scholars.

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Uh, also they are known to be brought

in to kind of help interpret things.

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So these are very powerful groups

at this time at the Temple.

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I just wanna make sure you understand the

major players here because here we go.

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Into this next verse in Luke 2045 to

47, while all the people were listening,

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so all the people were listening to

Jesus having this discourse with these

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groups who are all very powerful.

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Jesus said to disciples, beware

of the teachers of the law.

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They like to walk around and flowing

rows and love to be greeted with respect

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in the marketplaces and have the most

important seats in the synagogues.

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And in the places of honor at banquets,

he's calling out their vanity.

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He's calling out, man, this is what

they truly love, but here we go.

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They devour widow's houses and for

show, make lengthy prayers, these

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men will be punished most severely.

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You can imagine this would get

the ire of those two groups.

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Yep.

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When he's just called them out and

said all they care about is, is

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their shall, their religion has

become a means by which they dominate

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the people rather than serve God.

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And he has this line,

they devour widows houses.

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What is that about?

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Well, oftentimes women would

not receive inheritances.

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Uh, if their husbands died, it would

go to their sons and in some cases

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the estates would be transferred to.

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Teachers of the law, and they would

run their estate for them as a

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trust, but sometimes that would be

mishandled and these poor widows

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would suffer the consequences.

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And so he's just mentioned this,

talking about the most powerful

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people in the temple and that he

turns his attention to somebody else.

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And I put continue here because

oftentimes when we read the Bible,

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we hit a chapter and we end the

chapter and we think, okay, I'm done.

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But the chapters work to help

us understand what's, you

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know, how to reference things.

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But that doesn't mean that

the story ends there, right?

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And so I, I want, you know, as much as

I love chapters and verses, I think an

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unintended consequences, we read a chapter

a day, you know, keeps God at obey.

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I don't know, you know, we love

this idea of keeping your chapter.

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We stop, but the idea

is the stories going.

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And here we go in Luke

21, as Jesus looked up.

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He saw the rich putting their

gifts in the Temple Treasury.

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He also saw a poor widow put

in two very small copper coins.

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Truly, I tell you, he said, this poor

widow has put in more than all the others.

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All these people gave their gifts out

of their wealth, but she, out of her

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poverty, put in all she had to live on.

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He's comparing this widow to these

teachers of the law, these Pharisees,

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these Sadducees, these groups here.

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That outta their abundance give.

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And he says she gave hardly anything.

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In fact, the coins that she's

giving is what's known as a leptin

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in Greek or might in English.

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They're very small.

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They're one 64th of a common day's wage.

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And so I, I quickly did some math

based on minimum wage here, and it's

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basically like someone working a full

day and just dropping in a couple

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dollars and that's all they got.

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And this is all she's got.

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And when I say it's a very small

coin, that's what it looks like.

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These are very small coins

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and this is what she has

and this is what she gives.

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And God is calling out these Pharisees

who, man, they could write the big

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checks, they could put it in there.

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And he says, what influence should she

have or what, what influence should

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they have in comparisons to hers?

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None.

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And I think this is hard

for us here in our politics.

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You know who writes the biggest checks?

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The biggest donors.

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They get the seats, you know,

they, they get the influence,

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but that's not true with God.

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Those who write the biggest

checks don't, but those who give

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the most outta their heart do.

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So he's making this comparison here.

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He's talking about these teachers

of the law and, and they put

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their confidence in their, in

their vanity and in their wealth.

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And here's this poor woman who,

here's what she has, and she gives it.

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And then the Bible keeps

going into Luke 21, 5.

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Some of his disciples were remarking about

how the temple was adorned with beautiful

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stones and with gifts dedicated to God.

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Notice the disciples don't get it.

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What's their focus right now?

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Look at this temple,

how magnificent it is.

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Jesus just pointed out this

woman who just gave two coins.

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That's matters.

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And what do they get excited by?

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Man, look at this amazing building.

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Look how awesome it looks.

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So Jesus.

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Is gonna help redirect them again.

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I want to explain a little bit

about the temple because again, uh,

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most of us haven't been to Israel.

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You've probably never seen a temple,

uh, or seen the temple, uh, in

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its heyday 'cause we were never

alive because it was destroyed.

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Uh, but maybe you don't

know much about it.

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This is a mockup in Israel.

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It's a scale drawing because it

has been wiped off the earth.

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Um, it's almost a football

field just to scale alone.

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It's huge.

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It's massive.

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If you see that little door, I'll try

to point out to you that little door,

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that's the door you would enter in.

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This is the road that

Jesus would've taken.

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Palm Sunday d enter as

coming off the hill.

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This is the heart of the

temple is right here.

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On both sides.

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You have the gentile court

and the Jewish court.

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Uh, the gentile cord is where the

woman could also go, which is where

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she's putting her two copper of corns

is, it's connected to the temple.

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This is the temple mount here.

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It's also being overlooked

by heritage troops.

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Oh, they did not like that,

but it's a massive structure.

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It's huge.

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But to give you some concept and how

big this is, I want you to just take a

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look at these walls here and this large

area, just to give you some context.

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The size of the temple

Mount is about 36 acres.

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In case you don't know what 36

acres is, because, let's face

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it, math and numbers and art.

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Strong suit here in America.

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I know this 'cause I'm a teacher.

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Um, an acre is about the

size of a football field.

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So the temple mount is about

almost 36 football fields.

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The whole mount itself,

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the walls, oh, the temple itself is

twice the size of the Roman form.

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So you haven't been to Rome?

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The Roman form's massive.

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The temple mount, the temple

itself is twice the size.

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The walls leading up to it

are about 150 feet tall.

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I try to find an object

that's about 150 feet tall.

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Just to get in comparison,

the Arc Day triumph is about a

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little over a hundred feet tall.

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So if you get an idea of the little

people there and how tall the walls

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are, it's a massive structure.

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So you could see why the Jewish people

were very proud of this thing, but

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also took a lot of security in it.

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In fact, many people

would swear by the temple.

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Because they felt the

temple was so strong.

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And here's Jesus, you know, and here's

the disciples going look at, look

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how great this temple is after just

commenting about this poor widow.

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And Jesus is gonna come in and kind

of obstruct them, because for them,

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the temple is the center of Jewish

worship for them, the temple is

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what the Jewish nation has to live

for, because that's how they see it.

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This is where all the festivals are.

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This is where the sacraments go.

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This is where they see themselves.

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Uh, getting forgiven is at the temple.

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It's connected to their identity.

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Even to this day, it's still connected

to the nationalism and there's a lot

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of expectation that the Messiah was

gonna rule over Jerusalem and restore

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this temple, and restore, uh, the

nation, as the nation in the world.

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And that was the expectation of

this messiah, of wanting to be king.

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Instead, Jesus is going to say, after

all this gifts dedicated to God.

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But Jesus said, as for what you see here.

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The time will come when not one

stone will be left on another.

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Every one of them will be thrown down.

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Mind blowing.

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Mind blowing.

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They could not perceive that.

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You know, we hear all the time that

empires rise and empires fall and

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there are people go, the American

Empire, it's gonna fall someday.

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But we look at our military and

our military might, I don't know

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if you know this, anything about

America, but the number one, uh.

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Our, our air force in the

world is our, the Air Force.

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The second largest air force in the

world is the United States Navy.

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Amen.

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We are massive.

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Some people applaud this.

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Again, we are massive in strength

and so the thought that we could ever

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fall, it's just like, what do you mean?

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How could that be?

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And when they looked at the temple

and looked at the hot thought

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that God is in his presence there,

there's no way it could fall.

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And Jesus going, every stone's

gonna be overturned here.

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This thing that you're trying

to put your security in.

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Don't, don't.

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This is the rubble still

left from that destruction.

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You could actually see the

burn marks on these rocks.

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Now, what's hard is, is is the scale.

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These rocks are about the size

of cars, just to give you scale.

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They're massive stones.

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When Herod built this temple.

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He did so out of his own ego.

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He wanted it to be magnificent, one

of the great wonders of the world.

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And so the thought that this was

gonna be destroyed, there's no way.

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And Jesus is going, yeah, it's gonna go

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teacher.

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They asked, when will these things

happen and what will be the sign

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that they're about to take place?

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So, man, this is crazy.

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This is gonna happen.

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When's this gonna happen?

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And what's gonna be signs?

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What are we gonna look out for?

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And I wanna remind you that this

is a conversation that Jesus

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is having with his disciples.

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He's instructing them.

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Sometimes when we read the Bible, we

think that Jesus is talking personally

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to us, and that's good to some degree.

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We want to hear the lessons

that he has to teach.

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But we also to realize that sometimes

we're watching a conversation

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between Jesus and his disciples.

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There's lessons to be learned there,

but just know there's a conversation

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being had here and Jesus talking to

his disciples because they have just

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had their minds blown yet again.

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By Jesus.

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Now here's where we're

gonna have some fun today.

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There you go.

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This is what's known as

the All of It discourse.

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Uh, there are many books on the

next civil passages, uh, alone.

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Just many books about this.

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And I gotta try to sum all this up,

uh, without getting too controversial.

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And all of about another 15 minutes.

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Um, so I might go an extra little

five, but just know there's a lot to

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be said here a lot and I know this.

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And then we're starting

to biblical prophecy.

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Oh my gosh, which side are you?

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Are you a millennialist?

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Are you a post millennialist?

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Are you pre millennias?

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Which side?

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And we jump into that

place and I realize that.

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So let me throw out an

olive branch to you.

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We can all agree no matter which side

you wanna play here, we can all agree

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that there'll be a time of tribulation.

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We'll, we believe that Christ

will return, the righteous will be

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resurrected, and those not of God

will be judged and separated from God.

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We can at least agree on this.

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So just know as we go down this

road and I'm about to head down it.

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If, if you start to get weighed a

minute, wait a minute, just let's,

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let's remember what we agree on.

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Okay, just stay here.

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You know, I might take us down

a few rows, but we all agree

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we're all brothers of Christ.

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We'll all give each other hugs at the end.

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Um, but here we go.

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Come on, bro.

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Come on.

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I'm gonna try to keep this simple.

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Uh, believe me, I, I started reading this

and going down the hole, uh, this week.

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I, I was asked last week to talk on this

and, uh, Dallas looked at me with ever

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eager eyes going, please cover this.

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Um, I do not want to.

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Uh, and I got it.

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I understand.

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But I wanna remind us that

Jesus is giving pastoral care

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and guidance to his disciples.

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He's trying to help them, but there

are some questions for our personal

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application, for our lives here.

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First, where do you put our security?

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That's a great question to

think through with this topic.

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And the second, how are we supposed

to live when life is outta control?

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These are two great questions for

your own personal heart and life

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as we drive through this area.

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Let's get into it.

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First up, where do we put our security?

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Do we put our security in our wealth, our

honor, our reputation like the Pharisees

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and the Sadducees and the teachers of law?

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Do we put our temple in great

structures, in great might in great

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wealth, in great opulence, or we like

the poor widow and put our security in?

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God?

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Alright, where do we put our security?

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What matters to us most?

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I was talking with, uh, Chad Hoffman last

week and, and talking about the stock

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market and, uh, in case you've not been

paying attention, it has not been great.

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Um, I stopped looking, but is

that where my security's in?

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Is that where my trust is

in, where my trust in God?

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And I think this story reveals

that, which is why it's been put

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there with these other stories.

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But the ex part, how should we live

when our life is outta control?

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Let's get into verse eight.

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Here we go.

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The all of it discourse.

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We'll see how this goes.

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He replied, watch out

that you are not deceived.

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For many will come in my name,

claiming I am he, and the time is near.

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Do not follow them.

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When you hear of wars and

uprisings, do not be frightened.

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These things must happen first.

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But the end will not come right away.

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Then he said to them, nation

will rise against Nation

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and Kingdom against Kingdom.

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There'll be great earthquakes and famines

and PEs and various places, and fearful

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events, and great signs from the heavens.

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So his first thing is, listen,

when all this is starting to

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go down, don't be deceived.

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There'll be a bunch of people walking

around going, follow me, follow me.

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You know, the end time's

new year, time is coming.

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Here we are.

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Don't follow them.

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But also don't be frightened.

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God's got this again, back to where

do we put our security and how do

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we live when life is outta control?

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And then he goes on with that verse 10,

about these nation will rise up against

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nation and kingdom against kingdom

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wars, earthquakes, famines.

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And certainly we could see that

in the last a hundred years.

380

:

We can look at the last two, two world

wars and, and the war is in between.

381

:

And go, man, it feels like this is right

now, but we could also go back 500 years.

382

:

And they probably would've said, you

know, what it feels like right now.

383

:

And they would've also felt

like that right after the

384

:

destruction of the Jerusalem.

385

:

And they would've been,

it feels like right now.

386

:

And every society feels

like this is right now.

387

:

And that's kind of the point.

388

:

It's the point of human condition.

389

:

Stay watchful, stay mindful.

390

:

But times will get tough.

391

:

But before all this, they will seize you.

392

:

And again, remember he's

talking to disciples.

393

:

They will seize you and persecute you.

394

:

They will hand you over to

synagogues and put you in prison.

395

:

You'll be brought before Kings

and governors and on and all

396

:

on account of my name, and so

you will bear testimony to me.

397

:

But make up your mind not to worry

beforehand how you'll defend yourself.

398

:

For, I'll give you words and wisdom and

wisdom that none of your adversaries

399

:

will be able to resist or contradict.

400

:

You'll be betrayed by parents, brothers,

sisters, relatives, and friends.

401

:

They will put some of you to death and

everyone will hate you because of me,

402

:

but not a hair on your head will perish.

403

:

Stand firm, and you'll win life.

404

:

But before all this takes place,

you guys are gonna be persecuted,

405

:

but you're gonna bear testimony to me.

406

:

Even in the toughest persecution,

you'll reveal God through it.

407

:

Sometimes when we're going

through hard times, we feel like,

408

:

why am I going through this?

409

:

Why is this happening?

410

:

And God's going, you're showing my glory,

and it says, you'll be betrayed by whom?

411

:

All the closest people to you, parents,

brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends,

412

:

when you're trying to live this life,

those closest to you will reject you.

413

:

Which is why it's so important that

this church isn't just a congregation,

414

:

but we are the family of God because

some people don't have family.

415

:

Uh, I help out in the campus ministry

and one thing that's been very

416

:

different helping out with this campus

ministry than my experience was how

417

:

many of them grew up in the church.

418

:

It's just different.

419

:

It's a different

perspective that they have.

420

:

There are things that they see that I

was like, I never saw it that way because

421

:

they grew up in a different environment.

422

:

When I told my parents I'm gonna

get baptized, they were like, why?

423

:

My dad's first question, how much

money has this church taken from you?

424

:

My dad's first question, I'm

like, dad, I give a contribution.

425

:

Um, because again, it's an offering,

you know, because again, they do a lot.

426

:

All right, as long as it's not too much.

427

:

That was my dad's full response.

428

:

My mom was like, how no, we're gonna

go back to our church, come back.

429

:

Like, mom, you haven't

been to church in 10 years.

430

:

Yeah, but we're gonna go back.

431

:

It was hard.

432

:

It was real hard.

433

:

And now the campus ministry is like, Hey

guys, stop going home to your parents.

434

:

'cause stay with us for a little bit.

435

:

You know, hang out.

436

:

Like it's, it's a different environment.

437

:

'cause for their home life is,

man, they're not being persecuted.

438

:

In fact, their parents

are like, get out, go, go.

439

:

You know, it's a differing environment.

440

:

It's amazing.

441

:

To go home and pray with your parents.

442

:

What?

443

:

That's a thing.

444

:

Come on.

445

:

Who knew?

446

:

You can go share your

faith with your parents.

447

:

Come on, go do that.

448

:

That's crazy.

449

:

We have to be the family

of God for people here.

450

:

We can't just be a place where

people come see us on a Sunday.

451

:

We give a hug and see you next week.

452

:

If we are, we've just become

a congregation and we stop

453

:

being what God wants for us.

454

:

'cause some people need us to be a family.

455

:

Right.

456

:

And thus, that's what we need to be.

457

:

I'm gonna point this back out

and that verse 16 says, they'll

458

:

put some of you to death.

459

:

Everyone will hate you because of

me, but not a hair of your head will

460

:

perish, stand firm, and you'll win life.

461

:

Um, this verse had more

comfort for me before I started

462

:

shaving my head, but amen.

463

:

Um, but the idea that they

will put you to death.

464

:

But not a head or hair or perish.

465

:

And people go, man, look at Jesus.

466

:

He contradicts himself.

467

:

He's not that stupid.

468

:

He just said the same sentence.

469

:

He, he, he knows what he's talking about.

470

:

'cause what he's saying

is, yeah, you might die,

471

:

but not the least bit of you will perish.

472

:

Not the least bit of you.

473

:

The thing that you know, in case you

don't know, this hair is dead as it

474

:

grows up, as it gets outta your head.

475

:

I feel like an expert on hair.

476

:

I shouldn't be.

477

:

But as it gets outta your,

your head, it's actually dead.

478

:

That's why you can cut it.

479

:

It doesn't feel anything.

480

:

And Jesus saying, even that won't

perish because when you're with

481

:

me, stand firm, just stand firm.

482

:

Now you can feel like as you're reading

this, man, this is a lot of defense.

483

:

Right now we're just being attacked.

484

:

That's all it is in Matthew.

485

:

It gives a little more context and

the gospel of the kingdom will be

486

:

preached in the whole world and

as a testimony to all nations.

487

:

And the mean will come.

488

:

Yeah.

489

:

But as this persecution ISS

coming, as this harsh is happening,

490

:

my name will be preached.

491

:

It'll go out because of you.

492

:

Now, here's what's tough, and

here's probably the controversy

493

:

with the olive discourse.

494

:

Is what's Jesus talking about is some

people will argue that Jesus is gonna go

495

:

back and forth talking about the temple

destruction and the end of the age and,

496

:

and so one sentence we'll be talking

about the temple, another sentence,

497

:

he'll talk about the end of the age.

498

:

And that is one belief and there is a

lot of great scholars and people smarter

499

:

than me that absolutely believe that.

500

:

I don't necessarily hold that view.

501

:

I think what Jesus is talking about

is the destruction of the temple.

502

:

Yeah, so that's my personal belief and

I, and I'm gonna walk you through why.

503

:

And again, we can Absolutely.

504

:

Again, we can go back to what we agree on.

505

:

There's a tribulation.

506

:

Christ will come, we'll all be good.

507

:

But I absolutely believe what this passage

is actually talking about as a temple.

508

:

Not to say there's not lessons to

be learned about our life and what's

509

:

to come, but I do believe this is a

conversation that Jesus is getting

510

:

his disciples ready for, because that

temple's gonna be destroyed and he's gonna

511

:

make sure they remind them that, hey.

512

:

I'll be gone after the

resurrection, but you'll be here,

513

:

but everything's gonna be okay.

514

:

And I think that's the conversation.

515

:

But again, I recognize there's, there's

great theologians on both sides of this.

516

:

But I'm gonna go with this is

talking about the temple and,

517

:

and I'll make the case we can,

happy to have a discussion later.

518

:

Here we go.

519

:

Verse 20.

520

:

When you see Jerusalem being

surrounded by armies, you'll

521

:

know that its desolation is near.

522

:

Then let those in Judea flee to

the mountains and let those in

523

:

the city get out and let those in

the country not enter the city.

524

:

For this is the time of punishment and

fulfillment of all that has been written,

525

:

how dreadful it will be in those days

for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

526

:

There'll be great distress and

land and wrath against this pe.

527

:

This people, they will fall

by the sword and will be taken

528

:

as prisoners to all nations.

529

:

Jerusalem will be trampled

on by the Gentiles until the

530

:

time of the Gentiles are.

531

:

Fulfilled the church of Jerusalem was, you

know, after Jesus resurrection became the

532

:

church, but then it's gonna be overthrown

and its destruction will be imminent.

533

:

This is the arch of Titus.

534

:

It's in Rome.

535

:

It, it's celebrating a Roman

general, the Roman general who

536

:

would conquer Jerusalem in 80 70.

537

:

So Jesus is gonna make this

preach about this temple.

538

:

He says, some of you in this generation

is gonna see it, and in fact, less than

539

:

40 years later, the temple is destroyed

and it's destroyed by this general named

540

:

Titus who would be celebrated in Rome.

541

:

And in fact, on the engraving

of this is this picture here.

542

:

Now, in case this is harder to see,

I have a differing image of it.

543

:

And it's this.

544

:

This is the Romans carrying off

the emblems from the temple.

545

:

They'll actually take the altar

and burn, uh, sacrifices to the

546

:

Roman gods on the Jewish altar as a

way of saying your God is nothing.

547

:

We've just conquered it.

548

:

And this is still in Rome today, the

celebration of we conquered Jerusalem.

549

:

And so you can see how devastating

this would've been for the early

550

:

church to see this temple destroyed

and Jesus is warning them.

551

:

Yes, this will come.

552

:

And it'll be hard for people, in fact

run fully to the mountains when it does

553

:

Verse 25.

554

:

There'll be signs in the sun

and the moon and the stars.

555

:

On the earth.

556

:

Nations will be in anguish and perplexity

at the roaring and the tossing of the sea.

557

:

People will faint from terror,

apprehensive what is coming on

558

:

the world for the heavenly bodies

will be shaken at that time.

559

:

They will see the son of man coming

in a cloud with power and great glory.

560

:

When these things begin to take

place, stand up and lift your heads

561

:

because the redemption is drawn near.

562

:

Now again, some people think he's

just talked about the temple and

563

:

now he's talking about end times

and and I understand the belief,

564

:

you know, these signs of the

sun and the moon and the stars.

565

:

But he's actually quoting a

differing verse, a verse in Isaiah.

566

:

By the way, I'm gonna come

back to this son of man part.

567

:

I'm just pointing it out.

568

:

Don't worry, I'm gonna, I see it.

569

:

I'm gonna come back to it.

570

:

But I wanna read the verse in Isaiah

that he's referencing and why I still

571

:

believe he's talking about the temple,

because when we hear this apocryphal

572

:

language, man, it can be confusing.

573

:

Yeah.

574

:

What does this mean?

575

:

But we are also our 21st century

people reading ancient Hebrew.

576

:

They speak a little different than us.

577

:

For instance, there's, there's 12

phrases in Hebrew that say None has

578

:

liked this before and none after.

579

:

Like for instance, in Josiah,

there's no king like Josiah before,

580

:

and there's no king like Josiah.

581

:

After then Hezekiah comes in.

582

:

No king like Hezekiah before,

no king like Hezekiah.

583

:

After we can understand apocryphal

language, Jesus himself engages in it.

584

:

When he says things like.

585

:

If your eye cause you a sin, gouge it out.

586

:

I don't think he's literally meaning

gouge it out, or You must eat in

587

:

my flesh and drink in my blood.

588

:

Again, I don't think he's saying that.

589

:

I think he's being hyperbolic here and

I think we can understand that and this,

590

:

this language that they're using, he's

quoting an ancient prove, uh, prophet that

591

:

also uses this kind language is trying to

give imagery to something catastrophic.

592

:

So let me read to you, Isaiah.

593

:

Listen, a noise on the mountains

like that of a great multitude.

594

:

Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms like,

like an like nations massing together.

595

:

The Lord Almighty is ma

mustering an army for war.

596

:

They come from far away, lands

from the ends of the earth, the

597

:

Lord, and the weapons of this

wrath destroy the whole country.

598

:

Whale for the day of the Lord is near.

599

:

It will come like destruction

from the almighty.

600

:

The stars of the heaven and their

constellations will not show their light.

601

:

The rising suns will be darkened.

602

:

The moon will not give its light.

603

:

See, I will stir up against them.

604

:

The meads, their bows will strike

down the young men, Babylon.

605

:

The jewel of the kingdoms

will be overthrown by God.

606

:

I think what Jesus is referring to,

that this temple and Jerusalem has

607

:

become like Babylon and it's gonna

be overthrown just like Babylon was.

608

:

I don't think the heavens and

the stars stopped showing the

609

:

light when Babylon was conquered.

610

:

I think what he's doing is referencing a

language that's apocryphal, that's saying,

611

:

Hey, this is gonna be catastrophic.

612

:

And I think when Jesus is

referencing this verse here, he's

613

:

not talking about the end times.

614

:

I think he's talking about this

destruction of this temple.

615

:

It's gonna be like

nothing you've ever seen.

616

:

And in fact, it has been because

that temple has yet to be rebuilt.

617

:

When Solomon's temple was

destroyed, it was rebuilt by Ezra.

618

:

Whenever Ezra's temple was

rebuilt it, it was done by Herod.

619

:

Since Head Edward's Temple has been

destroyed, it has yet to be rebuilt.

620

:

2000 years later, I think

that's what he's referencing

621

:

in verse 29.

622

:

He told them this parable, look at the

fig tree and all the trees when they

623

:

sprout leaves, you can see for yourself

and know that summer is near even.

624

:

So when you see these things happening,

you know that the kingdom of God is near.

625

:

Truly, I tell you, this generation.

626

:

Again, he's talking to disciples.

627

:

This generation will certainly not pass

away until all these things have happened.

628

:

Heaven, earth will pass away.

629

:

My words will never pass away.

630

:

He's looking as disciples and

going, some of you're gonna

631

:

live, in fact, a generation now.

632

:

We go, well, what's a generation?

633

:

Think?

634

:

40 years.

635

:

40 years in the desert,

you know, 40 years.

636

:

And in fact, we estimate the timeframe

from this destruction is about 37 years.

637

:

He was almost to the year.

638

:

That this temple was gonna be destroyed.

639

:

He said, this generation will see it all.

640

:

You're gonna go through hardship.

641

:

So what's his response to them?

642

:

What's his encouragement?

643

:

Be careful.

644

:

Or your heart's we laid down

with carousing and drunkenness

645

:

and the anxieties of life and

that day will close on you.

646

:

Suddenly like a trap for will come on.

647

:

All those who live on the face

of the whole earth, be always on.

648

:

Watch and pray.

649

:

So you'll be able to escape all that is

about to happen and that you'll be able

650

:

to stand before the son of man each day.

651

:

Jesus was teaching at the temple and

each evening he went out to spend the

652

:

night on the hill called the Mount of

Olives, and all the people came early in

653

:

the morning to hear him at the temple.

654

:

So what's our response to this?

655

:

What's, what should be their

response and what should be ours?

656

:

Be careful.

657

:

Don't let our hearts be weighed

down with all the anxieties

658

:

of life, but be on watch.

659

:

And pray, and I think that's

still good advice for us to be on.

660

:

Watch.

661

:

You know, every time I get in the car,

I put on a seatbelt, not because I'm

662

:

expecting to be an accident, although

sometimes driving to LA I feel like it,

663

:

but I put on these seatbelt as assurance.

664

:

So every time I'm pray, I'm

just putting it on as insurance.

665

:

God, I, I'm watchful, but I don't

live in fear, but I also don't get

666

:

distracted by the anxieties of life.

667

:

Yeah,

668

:

so what are our practicals?

669

:

Wow, that was a lot.

670

:

I just sat through a bunch of prophecy

and, and what does all this mean for me

671

:

today as I leave here on a Sunday morning?

672

:

Come on.

673

:

Well, I think first put

your security in God alone.

674

:

If your security's in anything

else, I think there's a problem.

675

:

Yeah.

676

:

I think our security can only be

in God also, do not be seated.

677

:

Man, there is gonna be people

that'll pop up all the time saying,

678

:

this is the way God should go.

679

:

This is the way we should go.

680

:

This is what's happening in the world.

681

:

This is what's going on.

682

:

No, we're gonna follow Jesus.

683

:

And as these things pop up, we're not

gonna live in fear and in speculation,

684

:

but we're gonna be watchful and we're

gonna pray and we're gonna stand firm.

685

:

'cause those who stand firm

686

:

will make it to the end.

687

:

Yeah,

688

:

I say I'll come back to the son of man.

689

:

So I start heading to communion.

690

:

I'm gonna take a detour into

Daniel because the son of man

691

:

is the favorite term that Jesus

loves to talk about himself as.

692

:

That's what he commonly

refers to himself as.

693

:

He is the son of man.

694

:

What's this son of man about?

695

:

It's coming from a, a vision

of Daniel in chapter seven.

696

:

And he has these vision of four

great beasts, and each beast

697

:

represents a different nation.

698

:

And there's all kinds of beliefs

on what those nations would be.

699

:

Is it, uh, the Babylonians

and the the Mead Persians and

700

:

the Greeks and the Romans.

701

:

And you know, obviously it's

apocryphal, we don't fully know.

702

:

But this idea that there's be this fourth

beast that was more powerful than the

703

:

others that would ultimately be destroyed.

704

:

Let's read Daniel.

705

:

In my vision at night, I looked and

there before me was one like the son of

706

:

man coming with the clouds of heaven.

707

:

He approached the ancient of days

and was led into his presence.

708

:

He was given authority,

glory and sovereign power.

709

:

All nations of people of

every language worshiped him.

710

:

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that will not pass away, and his kingdom

711

:

is one that will never be destroyed.

712

:

I think the reason.

713

:

Jesus loved referencing himself as

the son of man is because as he's

714

:

going through the hardship, he's

seeing what's on the other side.

715

:

He's seeing that he will be given glory

and sovereign power in all nations

716

:

and people will worship him and it

will be an everlasting dominion.

717

:

I think sometimes in our lives we,

we think of the timeline of our

718

:

birth and our death, and thus the

beginning and the end, but Jesus is

719

:

reminding us here that there's a birth.

720

:

And there's a death.

721

:

But that's just a part of the

timeline because the timeline

722

:

keeps going after this.

723

:

And I think that's what gave him

encouragement because the son of

724

:

man was given authority by God.

725

:

He has risen up from death and

destruction of this world to heaven,

726

:

and he's taken up the kingdom over

the world and to think this is what

727

:

Jesus sees in himself as a son of man.

728

:

And I think this is what he sees as

he's going to the cross that very week.

729

:

As someone who's gonna have to once

again leave the death and destruction

730

:

even his own death, but he'll be risen

up to heaven seated at the right hand

731

:

of God where he'll take up his kingdom

and a dominion that will be forever.

732

:

As it says his, he was given

authority, glory and sovereign power.

733

:

All nations and people of

every language worshiped him.

734

:

His dominion is an everlasting

dominion that will not pass away.

735

:

He may pass away, but his dominion won't.

736

:

Yeah.

737

:

Why?

738

:

'cause he'll be resurrected

again and that kingdom when one

739

:

that will never be destroyed.

740

:

I think as we walk into communion

here and we think through it,

741

:

what do we get out of today?

742

:

I think we get outta the fact

that our security, once again

743

:

goes back to who Jesus was and is.

744

:

He was a man who walked with us,

died for our sins and resurrected.

745

:

And his kingdom lasts forever, and

we get to be a part of that kingdom

746

:

as long as we stand firm to the end.

747

:

Let's pray.

748

:

Father, as we come before you, uh, we

are grateful, uh, for the love that

749

:

you have for us, uh, the love that

given us and the hope that you bestow.

750

:

Father, as we, as we.

751

:

Walk through these final weeks or

this final week of Jesus and in

752

:

these final days, um, we realize

that they're not final days

753

:

because his dominion still stands.

754

:

Yep.

755

:

God, nothing can shake us with you

And God, as we go to the cross, uh, we

756

:

see the son of man leaving death and

destruction and rising up in power.

757

:

Uh, in resurrection and it gives

us hope that our life isn't a

758

:

timeline of, of birth and death,

but it's birth, death and beyond.

759

:

And father, I pray that we have the

heart to put our security in you,

760

:

to trust in you, God, to not fear, to not

give way, to speculation, but to always

761

:

have our hope in you as we watch and pray.

762

:

Waiting an expectation for the

day we're reunited with you.

763

:

God, knowing that in you is perfection

and ultimately perfect love.

764

:

And Father, we pray all

this in your son's name.

765

:

Amen.

766

:

Amen.

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