Preaching the Gospel Comes With Suffering - Mark 13-14

Mark 13:5-10 (ESV)

And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.

Jesus has just predicted that the Temple in Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. He didn’t say when.   We know by history it will be about 35 years later, in 70 A.D. that the Temple was destroyed.  We don’t know if this is the time He is referring to, or if He was referring to a Temple in the end times.  What we do know is some signs that He said would take place in prior to the Temple being destroyed.  But, again, we don’t know what end He is referring to.  There are great arguments for many interpretations.   What we do know is that before this all takes place several things are going to take place.  In the above verses we have some of those things:

1. False teachers will come to lead them astray. 
2. False christs will come claiming to be Jesus. 
3. These false teachers and false christs will lead believers astray. 
4. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Nations will rise up against nations. 
5. Earthquakes will be increased.  
6. Famines will take place. 
7. Believers will be delivered over to legal courts.   
8. Believers will be beaten.
9. Believers will bear witness of Christ before authorities.
10. The Gospel will be preached. 

Jesus calls all the above, simply the beginning before the end, birth pains.   God intends to use trauma and tragedy to bring forth the proclamation of the gospel.   Note the last verse:

And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.

That is the key to the timing of all this.  The question is, was that what happened at Pentecost ... 

Acts 2:5

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

... and therefore the Temple falling at 70 A.D. was the time He was referring to?  Or, will there be another time, after all nations hear the gospel, in the end times? 

Whenever it takes place there is going to be devastation and trauma.  But for the purpose of furthering the Gospel.   God uses suffering to spread the Gospel.  That is our take-a-way from these verses.   In order for the Gospel to be heard, suffering must be had. 

What Does God Do With Bad Servants? Jeremiah 22-26

Jeremiah 23:1-4 (ESV)

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD.

God will replace those who do not do their job for Him.  Note here:

1 Samuel 15:10-11 (ESV)

The word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night.

God puts men in place to serve Him.  If they fail to serve or serve in the wrong way (as in the above shepherds) he will remove them.  

God removed Shebna from ruling:

Isaiah 22:15-18 (ESV)

Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master’s house.

God removed Eli and his two sons, because of their evil:

1 Samuel 4:17-18 (ESV)

He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

God removed the elders of Israel:

Isaiah 3:13-15 (ESV)

The LORD has taken his place to contend;

he stands to judge peoples.

The LORD will enter into judgment

with the elders and princes of his people:

“It is you who have devoured the vineyard,

the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

What do you mean by crushing my people,

by grinding the face of the poor?”

declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

God will remove those He chooses to serve Him who fail to do so.  

Why Trauma? Job 32-34

Job 33:29-33 (ESV)

“Behold, God does all these things,

twice, three times, with a man,

to bring back his soul from the pit,

that he may be lighted with the light of life.

Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;

be silent, and I will speak.

If you have any words, answer me;

speak, for I desire to justify you.

If not, listen to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Elihu has decided to speak up.  He was fearful at first because of his age:

Job 32:4-6 (ESV)

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

“I am young in years,

and you are aged;

therefore I was timid and afraid

to declare my opinion to you.

But when he gets started, he can’t stop.  He is telling Job to pay attention to him.  For a young man to demand to be heard by the aged goes against societies’ norms.   

It is not, however, Elihu’s age and his decision to speak up that carries the most weight in the above lines.   He is telling job that he is well aware that God has put job into a pit.  Not just once!  Not just twice!  But has done so three times!  His loss of material goods.  The loss of his children.  The loss of his heath.   Elihu confirms with Job that his suffering has been severe.  But why?  This is the key to Elihu’s statements.  Why ... 

... to bring back his soul from the pit,

that he may be lighted with the light of life.

Elihu may not know that God has declared Job righteous (Job 1, 2), anymore than the other three friends of Job knew.  But Elihu sees God using these trauma moments to sharpen Job and to lighten him with the light of life.   Elihu’s statement is that God uses all these bad events in our life to shape us and to bring us closer into a walk with him.  James said it this way:

James 1:2-4 (ESV)

Testing of Your Faith

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

God allows trauma events into our lives to conforms us more to the image of His Son.  

Worship God’s Presence - Psalms 48-50

Psalms 48:12-14 (ESV)

Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,

consider well her ramparts,

go through her citadels,

that you may tell the next generation

that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will guide us forever.

This above verses are from a song about the City of God, Zion (Jerusalem).   This is a city that God chose to put His presence in and His holiness upon:

Psalms 132:13-14 (ESV)

For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling place:

“This is my resting place forever;

here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

The writer of the above lines (The Sons of Korah) are drawing attention to the Jerusalem and instructing the reader to walk through Jerusalem and admire the power of her protection.   Geographically and physically, Jerusalem was the perfect fortress.  It was surrounded by deep valleys on three sides.  The fortress was strong.   The writers are telling the reader to observe and consider her strength.  They are even asking them to worship and trust its strength.  

But if that is true, how do we balance verses like this:

Psalms 33:17 (ESV)

The war horse is a false hope for salvation,

and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Psalms 20:7-8 (ESV)

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

They collapse and fall,

but we rise and stand upright.

Most of the prophets will later warn the nation to not trust in the walls of Jerusalem. How, then, can the Sons of Korah instruct them to trust in the walls and the citadels (a Hebrew word for castle or fortress)?  

The difference between this psalm and the verses in the prophets is the presence of God.  Note what the Sons of Korah write earlier in this song:

Psalms 48:3 (ESV)

Within her citadels God

has made himself known as a fortress.

What they are calling for is to walk through the city and see the presence of God.  They don’t want them to see brick and mortar.  They want them to see the Spirit of God in the midst of the city.  When the nation disobeys God, God will remove His presence from the city and Jerusalem will not longer be admired, or trusted.  

It is God’s presence that brings us strength.   It is not a building, a fortress, a horse, an army, a government, a church, a family or any other man-made tool. It is the presence of God that gives us safety. That is what we admire in worship.   

Memorial Services - 2 Samuel 1-4

2 Samuel 1:23-24 (ESV)

“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!

In life and in death they were not divided;

they were swifter than eagles;

they were stronger than lions.

“You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,

who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

These verses are part of David’s lament over the death of Saul and Saul’s son, Jonathan.  Although Saul had attempted to kill David on many occasions, David still lamented his death and the death of Jonathon, David’s best friend.   Although Saul had little spiritual life, David still found something to praise in his death.   

This past week I went to a funeral of a friend’s father.   There was absolutely no spiritual conversation.  There was none that I heard.  There was, like above, praise and admiration for a life lived well.  That is a good thing.  But it was a sad thing, as well, in that no spiritual conversation took place in that public memorial.   This is true about Saul as well.  David does not praise Saul’s walk with God because Saul had little, if not none.  (I know nothing about my friend’s father.  Only that there was no public mention of spiritual connection with God.)

In our deaths, a memorial lament is always a good thing.  But let us live our lives in such a way that the conversation of our physical and earthly life are subservient to the conversation about the spiritual and, now, heavenly life.   May the talk at our death memorial be more about Him than us.  

Sing of God’s Glory - Exodus 13-16

Exodus 15:19-21 (ESV)

For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

This is the song that Moses and his sister, Mariam put together to commemorate the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea. The entire point of the cross was to bring Israel to this point of praise and adoration.   Note what God said at the time of this destruction on Pharoah and his army:

Exodus 14:15-18 (ESV)

The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

God said, “I will get glory over Pharoah and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen.”  This song is the outcome of that destruction.   God expects us to commemorate the great and mighty acts He does.  The book of Acts, it technically called, The Acts of the Apostles.  It is a history book to commemorate the great works God did in through the Apostles.  God wants us to commemorate His works in us and through us.  He wants us to commemorate what He has done.  The Lord’s Table is for that very reason.   We are to sing the marvelous works He has done for us and through us.  God is to be glorified by them.  

We Stand On The Ressurection of Christ - 1 Corinthians 15-16

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (ESV)

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Paul is about to close the letter he is writing to the church at Corinth.  The church is in a bad spot.  They are emphasizing the wrong things, allowing the wrong things to run free in their church and they are being hyper critical of Paul and his message. Paul, as he reminds them above, was the one who introduced to them the resurrection of Christ.   He uses several verbs in the above two verses to open these final two chapters.   They tell us a story and they gives us instruction for our own personal use:

1. Paul is writing to remind them of what he previously told them.  This is no new material.  They were in the place where they needed to go back to be reminded what they had heard, learned and accepted.  This is true for all of us.  Sometimes we just need to be reminded. 

2. Paul has preached to them the resurrection of Christ.  The Greek word for preached is euaggelizō. It is where we get our English world evangelize.  Paul is reminding them that they, at one time, needed to be evangelized.  He was fearful he had to do this again.  Sometimes we need to be preached at to remember where we started.  

3. They had received the Gospel message Paul preached.  This is vital to Paul’s argument in these two chapters.  He is reminding them that they had received the Gospel message.   They had brought the message near their hearts to believe it. 

4. They not only received it, they stand on it.  Paul reminds  them that they not only received it, but they were established in it.  Their security and stability were grounded in the Gospel.   We, too, stand secure on the resurrection of Christ. 

5. This receiving and standing on the Gospel is how they are being saved.  This does not mean they are not saved.  It means that their salvation is coming to fruition based upon the resurrection of Christ.  Their receiving the Gospel is the sole reason they can claim salvation.  

6. He now gives them his warning.   He tells them this is all true, if they hold fast to the resurrection and didn’t believe in vain.   He is not telling them that they can lose their salvation.  He telling them that failure to hold to the resurrection of Christ is to believe in vain.   It is absurd to say you are a believer in Christ and, at the same time, deny the resurrection of Christ.  This is where the chapter is going.   

Paul wants them to know he has presented the truth of the resurrection.  They have believed it.  Now is not the time to question it.   We stand strong and stable on the resurrection of Christ.  We are not to allow others to sneak into the church to question that major doctrine of our belief.  He will state in this chapter the following:

1 Corinthians 15:16-19 (ESV)

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Our hope is entirely based upon the resurrection of Christ.