Standing Firm
CCCAG July 11, 2021
Scripture- Matt 24 1-14
Today I want to talk about some things that are going on in our world that will probably affect us in the near future.
I have a social media friend who is a pastor in Roanoke VA who posted a story about the first transgender female to compete in the Miss USA contest.
So, we have a biological man, who identifies as a woman, beating out all the other women in his state, who is now one of the favorites to represent our country at the Miss Universe pageant.
Ladies, We have some strong women in this church, and I like strong women. I don't know how many of you are feminists, but if I was a female and all these men kept kicking our butts in our competitions I would be getting very upset at this point.
It is complete insanity at this point.
I never thought I’d live to see a practical demonstration of the complete destruction of a society that is described in Romans 1. I thought it would take generations to accomplish, but in reality it took less than 1- about 30 years.
We went to teaching evolution in the schools in the 1950’s. Really that’s when the clock started but it didn’t really kick in until the late 60’s. This was the denial of God as creator described in Romans 1:21.
The free love movement began in the mid-1960’s and into the 70’s, and exploded in the 80’s. Romans 1:24-25
Homosexuality became accepted, and now celebrated- Romans 1:26-27
Now we are here- listen to the Word of God, written 2000 years ago, describe modern America-
Rom 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
The pressure to conform to this complete moral degradation in our culture in incredible.
We talk about cancel culture-. If you don’t know what that is, it’s when the progressives turn all of their weapons upon someone who doesn’t agree with them, and totally ruin their lives. This is becoming more and more used in our culture, and north of us it’s even worse
They are burning church’s in Canada, arresting pastors for speaking out, and online, the censors are doing everything they can to silence dissent.
This raises some questions for us as followers of Jesus to consider-
1. How are we to live in these troubled times?
2. How do we keep ourselves from growing fearful?
3. How do we represent Jesus to those who don’t know him?
4. How do we stand firm in a day where it seems like nothing in this world or our lives is standing firm?
Turn to Matthew 24
If you get nothing else out of today’s message- understand this-
None of this is catching God by surprise.
Jesus knew days like this would come- Days where his followers would have a sense of unease, a sense in their gut that there is something wrong, and even worse, out of our control.
Jesus knew that his followers would be tempted to compromise so as to avoid trouble.
In my prayer time, God has led me to read and reread Hebrews 12 where it talks about the shaking that God will do in the last days. It reminds me of the first time you go ice fishing in the winter- you’re not quite sure how thick that ice is, so you gingerly walk across it feeling for week spots.
That’s what God is doing right now- He is shaking us as believers so that all of the spiritual weakness we have on us will fall off. God the Father is preparing a beautiful bride for His son, and these hard times that are coming are the beauty treatments we all must endure before that great day where we meet HIS Son and be with Him forever.
But it’s going to mean many of the earthly things we put our hope and faith in will be torn down.
This is what Jesus is describing in Matt 24.
Matt 24:1-14
24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, a' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Prayer- that God’s people will stand in the day of evil
If you were to read Matthew 24 just by itself without recognizing the context in which it was written, it can be one of the more frightening parts of the bible, because it deals with the future, and it’s not a pleasant picture.
Jesus is speaking prophetically- to tell us what is going to happen and to prepare us for it so we are not taken by surprised so that we can live a life that is pleasing to God no matter what happens around us.
Jesus empathically tells us that he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
But how do we do that?
What principles can we apply to our thinking, actions, and spirit to accomplish this?
Let’s look at 3 principles seen in this scripture and others to do just that.
The first principle of standing firm is Don’t put your hope in this world
Let’s break it down a little-
In the first few verses of this chapter, Jesus followers are calling His attention to the large, thick walls and massive buildings of Jerusalem, particularly on the temple mount as they walked east out of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives.
Therefore, when Jesus stated that no stone was going to be left on another, it threw them for a loop. They needed some clarification.
Remember in Matt 20, James and John tried to use their mom to get a high position in the kingdom they thought was coming.
James and John probably had their seats picked out in the castle, and business cards printed and ready to hand out. Perhaps they were thinking Jesus meant, “There will be no stone left on another” meant, “I’m building a much larger and more glorious city”.
They wanted some clarification of what Jesus meant here- they had their whole focus on their future and their status in life.
Instead, Jesus gives us the first principle on standing firm- have your focus in the right place.
His disciples were looking at the strength of the walls of Jerusalem, and the majesty of the temple and their future role in Jesus’ earthly kingdom as their hope.
Jesus immediately told them the truth about both- This world in general and our personal lives in particular are very transient.
Ask yourself this- how many times in your life have things that you thought were absolutely sure of have proven themselves changeable?
Examples-
• September 10, 2001- we were all sure that Islamic terrorism was something that happened overseas.
• How about our culture would be struggling to define what the difference is between a male or a female.
• The idea that some millionaire playboy from New York ever becoming president was laughable.
That’s why the bible tells us not to put our hope in the things of this world. God is shaking His church awake in these last hours crying out “Look up! For your salvation and redemption- His Name is Jesus is coming in the clouds to take you home!”
A few minutes ago, I referred to this verse in Hebrews. This is that verse-
Heb 12:26-27
26 At that time his voice shook the earth (at Mt Sinai) but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." e 27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire." f
Lord Jesus change our hearts so that we might obey your command to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”
Second principle of standing firm- understanding that trouble will come
Jesus spoke of wars, rumors of wars. Pestilence (diseases, epidemics, and plagues). These are things that those who live on in this fallen world are to expect.
If you are a Christian wanting to live a life pleasing to God, you have the additional possibility of - persecution, mocking, prison, and death.
We really need to take a moment and consider that, because it’s coming.
I want you to consider that every one of the disciples (with the exception of Judas) that followed Jesus were persecuted for their faith. All were beaten, imprisoned, ridiculed, driven away from their homes, lost property, and with the exception of John, were killed for their faith in Jesus.
One of the greatest examples of this after the apostles died was a man named Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John.
He lived during the time of Emperor Commodus of Rome (Gladiator), about 155 AD. Widespread persecution of Christians had begun again under his father Emperor Marcus Aurillius, and got worse under Commodus.
At 89 years old, Polycarp was Bishop of the church in Smyrna, and was accused by his enemies of leading people not to worship the gods of Rome. In fact, the charge against him was ironically atheism because they didn’t recognize the God of the bible.
I’m going to read you the story of his arrest and martyrdom taken from Fox’s Book of Martyrs
POLYCARP REFUSES TO DENY JESUS
After his arrest, Polycarp was being taken into the arena, a voice came to him from heaven: “Be strong, Polycarp and play the man!” No one saw who had spoken, but our brothers who were there heard the voice.
The Proconsul (Roman governor of the area) asked him whether he was Polycarp. On hearing that he was, he tried to persuade him to deny Jesus, saying, “Have respect for your old age, and swear to the godhood of Caesar. Repent, and say, ‘Down with the Atheists (which was to say, there is no other gods but Caesar and those recognized by Rome)!’” Polycarp looked grimly at the heathen multitude in the stadium, and gesturing towards toward the crowd, he said, “Down with the Atheists!”
Knowing what he meant, the proconsul again urged him “Swear,” urged the Proconsul, “reproach Christ, and I will set you free.”
“80 and 6 years have I have served him,” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
“I have wild animals here,” the Proconsul said. “I will throw you to them if you do not repent.”
“Call them,” Polycarp replied. “It is unthinkable for me to repent from what is good to turn to what is evil.
“If you despise the animals, I will have you burned.”
“You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and is then extinguished, but you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. Why are you waiting? Bring on whatever you want.”
They tied him to the executors pole which was surrounded by oil soaked wood to burn him at the stake. Then the fire was lit, and the flame blazed furiously. We who were privileged to witness it saw a great miracle. The fire shaped itself into the form of an arch, like the sail of a ship when filled with the wind, and formed a circle around the body of the martyr. Inside it, he his flesh was not burnt, but like bread that is baked, or gold and silver glowing in a furnace.
16. THE DEATH OF POLYCARP
Eventually, when those wicked men saw that his body could not be consumed by the fire, they commanded an executioner to pierce him with a spear. Such a great quantity of blood flowed that the fire was extinguished. The crowd were amazed at the difference between the unbelievers died in the arena and the elect, and many were won to saving faith in Jesus the Christ.
I read you this story this morning to show you something-
Polycarp’s death was not just the result of a momentary empowering of the Holy Spirit, although God’s Spirit was definitely within him. It was the extension of a life lived for God.
I don’t know where you are today in life. The news of the day might have you fearful. You may be questioning your faith in God. Most of us spend a great deal of time around people who don’t believe in God, or around those that claim Jesus as Lord, God, Savior, and King but don’t live what they believe. You might be counting the cost, and asking yourself,
“Is following Jesus worth it?”
I encourage you- don’t let your heart be troubled. Don’t give into cynicism. Don’t give into fear.
See these situations for what they are- hurting people crying out for hope but because of the deception of this age we live in, cannot see the way out.
Continue to pray that you have the faith of a Polycarp, and through your dying to yourself, your pride, and your reputation among those you live and work with many will come to faith in Jesus.
That leads us to our final principle that will help us stand firm in these last days-
Third principle- Don’t put your hope and trust in people.
When I say don’t put your trust in people, I mean don’t allow yourself to be shocked when they act like fallen people.
The scriptures we read tells us the love of most will grow cold. The neighbor you helped rake leaves or shovel snow last weekend might be the one who eventually turns you over to the authorities when Christianity becomes illegal in this country.
How do I know that’s going to happen? Jesus said so.
John 2:24-25
24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
Jesus understands the frailty of human hearts.
Jesus even predicted that one of his best friends, Peter would deny he even know him, and hours later it came true.
Yes, even The man who Jesus called Rock failed him. Sometimes God allows us to go through those dark periods of sin and failure so it gets to the point we are so deep in the hole we have dug for ourselves that we can’t see anything else but our own pride and arrogance.
A corollary to this is when a leader in the church fails us.
The failure of a leader in the church can really cause a lot of heartache among the followers of Jesus.
It has even hit me recently when one of my spiritual heroes was found to have been living a double life. After Ravi Zacharias death it was found out that for years he had been guilty of very significant sexual sin up to and including possible sexual assaults.
It makes you question, “How can one of the greatest apologists for the Christian faith who has ever lived have such a glaring life of sin outside of the spotlight?”
The answer to that is to remember this simple fact- “we are all just dirt having a spiritual experience”. While I don’t excuse leaders or even members of the church having unrepented sin in their lives, especially when it comes to forcible sexual sin- that’ makes me want to beat the devil out of someone. Saying that, I also understand that we all have our blind spots, and we have an enemy that is waiting to pounce from that weak area to use it to bring us down.
That is why we never put our trust in a human, but only in Christ Jesus our LORD. To do otherwise is idolatry.
In closing,
If we are going to stand firm in these day of evil, these last days before the return of Jesus, these three principles of
Don’t put your hope in this world
Understanding trouble will come and
Not putting your hope and trust in people, but only in the LORD Jesus.
All three can be boiled down to one command that our LORD Jesus gave us-
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (peace, strength, Godly focus, and courage) will be given to you as well.
Altar call-
Salvation
