It's all about Jesus: The Olivet Discourse (Pt.3)

Part 3 of 3

Jesus’ teaching on deception, persecution, and tribulation found in the Olivet Discourse culminate and point to one specific moment:

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”-Mark 13:26-27.

Jesus’ teaching on the end of days is not intended to encourage us to set dates, or to try and identify the anti-Christ, or decipher the meaning of the blood moons; but instead he instructs us to be on guard and remain alert for what is coming:

“No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”-Mark 13:32-33.

By declaring that no one knows the day or the hour of his return, it is clear that Jesus never intended for us to focus on his return as an event to be diagramed, studied, and forecast. The assurance from Jesus of his return is to guide us toward living a life that honors God so that when he returns we will be found ready:

“It’s like a man going away; He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!”-Mark 13:34-37.

The Gospel of Matthew drives home this point with three amazing parables: Parable of the Virgins, The Parable of the Talents, and the Parable of the Sheep and Goat.

The Parable of the Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) encourages us to evaluate our own spiritual condition in light of his coming. In the parable, ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were unprepared and had failed to fill their lamps with oil. Five were wise and took oil with them so that they would be prepared in case the bridegroom was a long time in coming. When the cry rang out that bridegroom was coming the five foolish virgins were forced to leave and go buy oil because their lamps were going out. Because they were unprepared they were shut out of the wedding banquet. It is a dangerous thing to believe that you can wait until the last minute to begin living for Christ. He will come when you least expect it and you will find yourselves shut out of the kingdom because you were not prepared for his coming.

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) teaches us how to invest our lives in light of his coming. This passage describes how the Lord will reward those who are good stewards of the faith, gifts, and talents that God has given each of us to use for His glory.

 

The Parable of the Sheep and Goat (Matthew 25:31-46) teaches us how to invest in others in light of his coming:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Jesus declared that whatever you do for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Jesus teachings on the Mount of Olives are designed to condition us to live for God, reject sin, embrace holiness, and to do the work of God until he comes to receive his church.

Are you ready?

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

It's all about Jesus: The Olivet Discourse (Pt. 2)

(Part 2)

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”-Mark 13:9-13

Jesus never sugar coated the Christian life. His teaching from the Mount of Olives confirms that Jesus foresaw that in addition to the deception that would come upon the earth in the last days there would also be an increase in persecution towards those who call themselves followers of Christ. Jesus warned that those who followed him would fellowship in his sufferings and be hated by all men because of him.  

He warned that as the persecution comes there will be a great falling away or turning from the faith:

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.”-Matthew 24:9-10.

Yet through all the hatred, betrayal and persecution the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached to all nations. Persecution and the preaching of the gospel will go hand in hand.

In addition to the deception and persecution that will plague the earth will also come a time of tribulation that will be unequaled to anything else in history:

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong- let the reader understand- then let those who are Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now-and never be equaled again.”-Mark 13:14-19.

It is during these days that the antichrist will arise and pollute all that is holy. Persecution will break out against the people of God. It will be a dreadful time to live upon the earth. Even the earth and heavens will be shaken:

“But in those days, following that distress, “’the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; that stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”-Mark 13:24-25.

Because of the severity of what is to come, Jesus instructed his disciples to be careful and pray that they may escape it:

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”-Luke 21:34-36.

Deception, persecution, and tribulation are coming and together they point to a specific event: the second coming of Christ!

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

 

It's all about Jesus: The Olivet Discourse (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving north and half moving south.”-Zechariah 14:4.

Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament Prophet Zechariah proclaimed that when the Lord returned (at His second coming); He would come back to a specific location east of Jerusalem known as the Mount of Olives. It was from this site, after His resurrection, from which Jesus chose to ascend into heaven:

“After he had said this, he was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.-Acts 1:9-12.

So it isn’t surprising that when Jesus taught regarding the end of days and His second coming that he communicated the majority of his teaching from the Mount of Olives. This teaching is commonly referred to as the Olivet Discourse. The Olivet Discourse can be found in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke; and although there are subtle differences between them in style and emphasis, they each relay three very significant truths regarding deception, persecution, and tribulation that will prevail on the earth in the last days.

Jesus begins his teaching by pointing to several signs that will herald the nearness of His coming:

“Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”-Mark 13:5-8.

It is significant to note that of all the signs to which Jesus could have pointed to initially; the first he pronounces is the flood of rampant religious deception that will prevail on the earth just prior to his coming. He warns that there will be many false teachers and false prophets that will come. They will claim to speak and teach on Christ’s behalf. Some will even go as far as to claim to be Jesus and many will follow them believing that they are the Messiah.

 Equally, if not more concerning, is the erosion of morality, the discounting of holiness, and the abandonment of absolute truth that is plaguing the church. Many wolves in sheep’s clothing have infiltrated the Body of Christ preaching a message of false grace. William Booth, Bible preacher and founder of the Salvation Army, warned that this day was approaching when he said:

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”

Jesus warned his followers from the Mount of Olives to be prepared and that the increase in religious deception is a sign of his soon return.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

It's all about Jesus: The Parables (Pt. 2)

(Part 2)

 “He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or ever a hundred times.”-Mark 4:2-8.

The parable of the sower is unique in that it is one of the only parables that Jesus takes the time to explain to his disciples.

Jesus begins his explanation of the parable by referring to the seed that is sown: “The farmer sows the word.”-Mark 4:14. The seed Jesus refers to in Mark 4:2 is the Word of God. After identifying the seed, Jesus then goes on to use the parable to explain how the Word of God, once it is scattered, will be received by those who hear it.

 The people receiving the seed are the types of soil.  The parable identifies four different types of soil upon which the seed is scattered; including the hard path, rocky soil, thorny ground, and good soil. The inclusion of numerous soils indicates that we can expect a lot of mixed reaction and response to God’s Word.

The beauty of this parable is that God’s Word, the seed, never changes; it’s the hearers that are different. The seed is broadcast on all kinds of soil; because the gospel message is for all people. It isn’t reserved for certain individuals but rather it is scattered among all types. However, how we receive it has eternal implications.

All four soils are exposed to the seed but the results vary depending upon what type of soil the seed falls upon:

“Some people are like the seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”-Mark 4:15

These are the hard-hearted. Those who have not accepted Christ or whose conversion is incomplete; having sought forgiveness but have never repented of their sinful lives. This is evidenced by their unregenerate lives. The word is sown, but because it is not truly received, Satan takes it away.

“Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.”-Mark 4:16-17.

These are those who embrace the benefits of the gospel but are too shallow to stand and remain during the hardships, trouble, and persecution that come with following Christ.

“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”-Mark 4:18-19.

These are those who have conformed to the pattern of this world. They are bound up by the worries of this life and have been seduced by the deceitfulness of wealth. The word of God they had once readily received has been choked out, forgotten, and rendered virtually ineffective.

“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”-Mark 4:20.

These are those who allow God’s word to sanctify their souls, renew their minds and transform their lives. God’s word will always produce an amazing harvest in soil that is prepared to receive and accept it.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

It's all about Jesus: The Parables

(Part 1)

 “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “They are ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!” Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?”-Mark 4:9-12.

The teachings of Jesus were a foundational part of His life and ministry; as Jesus did not teach simply to educate minds but rather he taught to transform lives. For better understanding and application we have broken down his teachings into three segments: The Sermon on the Mount, The Parables, and The Olivet Discourse. Last week we completed our overview of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus taught regarding the attitudes and actions that should characterize a follower of Christ. This week we will be looking at Jesus and the parables.

What is a parable? A Bible parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

It was prophesied long before the coming of Jesus that God would use parables to speak to His people:

 “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouths in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from old-what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.”- Psalm 78:1-3

This passage was fulfilled in Christ according to Matthew 13:34-35:

“Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parable3s, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Jesus spoke so extensively in parables; with over 30 parables recorded throughout the gospels, his disciples began to question why he used them so often:

“He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!”-Mark 4:11-12.

Jesus’ answer may sound confusing, but a careful reading unearths this modest truth: Those who love truth will understand the parable and those who do not love truth will not understand the parable.

 

Every parable has a significant truth associated with it and God intends for us to learn them and apply them to our lives. However, with so many parables it would take too long to study every one recorded in Scripture; but we can take time to breakdown and study one parable that has become known as the “parable of all parables” (the Parable of the Sower).

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

It’s all about Jesus: The Sermon on the Mount (Pt.5): Persecution

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”-Matthew 5:10.

It is fitting that the section of Scripture we commonly refer to as the Beatitudes ends with a blessing over the persecuted.  You can be certain that if you live your life according to God’s Word; ultimately you are going to face persecution.

Even as we speak Christians are being persecuted throughout the world. Twenty one Coptic Christians were recently beheaded in Egypt at the hands of the terrorist group ISIS with an additional 147 killed by Somali militants at a university in Kenya just days ago. Those who were executed were singled out and massacred for no other reason than being followers of Jesus Christ.

However, this should not surprise us. Jesus declared that, we as Christians would face insult, persecution, and false accusations:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”-Matthew 5:11.

In light of this, should we remain silent regarding our faith?  Should we cower to their threats? Should we back off of our firm belief in God’s righteous standards because we are being labeled as bigots?

Absolutely not! In fact Jesus tells us to rejoice:

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”-Matthew 5:12

We should not only anticipate persecution but we should prepare ourselves for it by arming ourselves with the Gospel message.  Jesus goes on in Matthew 5 to tell us that instead of hiding our faith and staying silent in regards to Christ we are to prevail, proclaim, and live the Gospel:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”-Matthew 5:16.

Persecution is proof that God’s righteousness and the gospel message are infiltrating the kingdom of darkness. Jesus declared we are to be the salt of the earth and light to the world! Persecution should not silence the Body of Christ; it should awaken us! God has given us the life transforming message of forgiveness and repentance to carry to a world steeped in darkness.

Civilizations, leaders, and religious zealots have attempted for centuries to silence the message of Christ by imprisoning, persecuting, and executing those who hold to and proclaim the teachings of Jesus. And although the Kingdom of God has suffered violence; it has continued to flourish and grow. So let us rejoice when we are persecuted for righteousness sake, because it demonstrates that the Kingdom of God is impacting the darkness and the gospel message is reaching the lost.

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

It’s all about Jesus: Our Passover Lamb

“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.”-1 Corinthians 5:6-7.

Without understanding the story of the Passover lamb it is hard to appreciate the statement Paul made here to the church in Corinth. The story of the Passover lamb was more than a bedtime story told to children. It was a legacy ingrained into the hearts and minds of every Israelite; so that when Paul referred to Jesus as “our Passover lamb” everyone understood clearly Paul’s inference.

So where did the idea of a Passover lamb originate? The Passover lamb was the animal that God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice, while they were in captivity in Egypt, on the night God struck down the first born sons of every household. This was the final plague that God used against Pharaoh that ultimately led to him releasing the Israelites from bondage. In the book of Exodus 12:5-13 we read how the Israelites were instructed by God to select a year-old male lamb without blemish or defect. At sunset they were to slaughter the lamb and apply the lamb’s blood to the door post and thresholds of their homes. If they obeyed God in this, He promised that He would cause the destroyer to pass over their homes. However, any home without the blood of the lamb would have their first born son struck down in the night. The lamb used in this sacrifice became known as the Passover lamb.

God instructed Israel to remember that night and observe the Passover feast as a lasting memorial:

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord-a lasting ordinance.”-Exodus 12:14.

Paul recognized that the Old Testament Passover lamb, although a reality in that time, was a mere foreshadowing of a better and final Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. Paul wasn’t the only one to see this. John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus, declared “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”(John 1:29). Peter described Jesus as “a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19). The Apostle John described him as “A Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.” (Revelation 5:6).

Jesus qualified to be our substitutionary sacrifice because he too was chosen at the prime of his life; without the spot or blemish of sin, to die for us. Through his sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice giving people a way to escape death and the hope of  eternal life with God.

Just as the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their homes caused God’s judgment to pass over Israel; so Christ’s blood applied to the doorposts of our hearts causes God’s judgment to pass over us.

“How much more, then will the blood of Christ, who through the Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.”-Hebrews 9:14.

Just as the Passover feast was memorialized with a meal; so today we remember Christ’s sacrifice through the receiving of Holy Communion. When we receive the bread and the fruit of the vine we are receiving the Passover Lamb. Today truly is all about Jesus; so let us “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the World!”