03/16/2025- Cody Harlow- Mark 13:13-23

sing Hallelujah now and ever we confess Christ Our Hope in life [Music] and what truth can call the TR Soul God is good God is good where is his praise and goodness known in our Gra Redeemer love who holds our when fears arise who stands above the stormy Tri who sends the waves that bring us night the shore the rock of Bri oh sing hallelu Our Hope brings Eternal oh sing hallelu now and we can press Christ Our Hope and life [Music] andto the grave what will we see Christ he lives Christ he lives and what reward will Heaven bring evering life with him there we will rise to meet the Lord then sin and death will be destroyed and we will feast in Endless Joy when Christ is our for [Applause] more oh sing hallelu our hop fre Eternal oh sing [Music] Hallelujah now and we confess Christ Our Hope in life [Music] and oh sing hallelu our H PR Eternal oh sing hallelu now and ever we confess Christ Our Hope in life and now and never we

confess [Music] Christ I was reminded a few days ago my question was why is a 71 year old almost 71 one guy still have to be a deacon why do I still need to be a deacon and the answer was that I got back was part of what your job is is to be trained some of these young guys people so you see them right across the front here I I told Malachi said you go get six of your buddies and get them up here that's the easy way to do it okay uh but I was also reminded that whenever I first started coming to this church about 52 years ago you know down through the years you don't always get it right you're going to make a mistake you're going to mess something up you know sometimes you're going to sin and you have to ask forgiveness uh so if these guys mess up don't worry about it they're learning something and they'll get it right the next time okay let's pray heavenly father thank you today for this opportunity again and thank you for these young guys that are helping us out uh someday they'll be our deacons and our elders and our missionaries and our workers out here that are witnessing on a job and we're thankful for for them in Jesus name amen our catechism this morning and boy I've got this fine print to read I'll see if I can get this done the question is what does a sin whereby our our first parents fell from the state wherein they were created and here's the answer Genesis 3:6 so when the woman saw that the tree was was good for food and it was Delight to the eyes and that the tree was desired to make one wise she took of the fruit and ate and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate and then Genesis 3:12 the man said the

woman who gave whom you gave to be with me she gave me first FR of the tree and I ate uh to the woman he said I will surely multiply your pain and child bury in pain and you shall bring forth children you desire shall your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you and to Adam he said because you have first listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree which I commanded you you you shall not eat of it cursed is the ground because of you in pain and you shall eat of it all the days of your life I I hope the pastor or somebody will finish this out here because there's Grace after that okay kind of that kind of stops it short all right we friends come on up we're all ready come on we we're ready to St our Bible version come on come on [Music] everybody okay are you guys ready to recite your Bible verse are you all ready we're going to start out with John 316 and 17 guys say it really loud okay are you ready for God world only ever God his into the world [Applause] [Music] are you ready out for us [Music] you I will search [Applause] us are you guys all ready okay Jesus or afraid Fai in God and Fa in there are many rooms in my father's house I am going to am you [Applause] that was fantastic

[Music] you feel the world is broken we do do you feel the Shadows deep but do you know oh that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through we do do you wish that you could see it all made [Music] new it's all creation GR is a new creation coming it is it's the glory of the Lord to Be The Light Within all it is is it good that we remind ourselves of this it is is anyone Worthy is anyone is anyone able to break the seal and open the scoll the lion of Judah who conquered the grave he is D through of the Lamb who di to ransome the S is he Worthy is worthy of our blessing and honor and glory is he worthy of [Applause] [Music] this does the father truly love he Among Us he and is Jesus our Messiah oh forever love Hees does our to dwell again with [Music] us is anyone Worthy home is anyone able to break and seal and open the scroll the lion of Judah who conquered the grave he is David true and the L to Ransom the slave from every people and tribe every nation and time

he has made us the kingom and priest to God to r with the sun is he Worthy is he worthy of all blessing and honor and glory is he Worthy is he worthy of is he Worthy is he worthy he [Music] [Applause] [Music] who has he the oceans in his hands who hased every grain of S Kings and Nations tremble at his voice oh creation Rises to behold God Seated on his throne come let us adore him Behold our King nothing can compare come us [Music] adore who has felt the nails upon his hand be all the guilt of sinful men God Eternal humble to the Grave Jesus Savior risen out to R beh God seated on his thr how let us adore behold the king nothing can compare come let us adore you will rain for you will R

[Music] will you will Earth you will r [Music] you [Music] will you [Music] will you will [Music] R Seated on his throne come let us adore him behold King nothing can compare come let us Behold our God Seated on his throne come let us adore him Behold our King nothing can compare come let us adore [Music] [Applause] and so Lord we do thank you for uh this day and we thank you for the time that we get to have together as Thomas comes forward uh to lead us in our little children's time I pray that uh uh you would give him the words to say and uh Lord we just love you so much and we thank you for each person that's here uh May the word of God fall fresh on our hearts this morning in Jesus name amen all right children it's time to come down for the children's lesson if uh you're new here this morning uh we uh do this on the first of every month the first Sunday it's for our uh Family Worship Sunday and then uh the kids come up and I give a a lesson and they get a little little treat at the end so uh if you're new here and you want to join us please please we we'd love to have you all right guys all right here let me get

my my notes Here all right well guys I got to say I'm tired this morning every day I get up and I walk and I make myself lunch for the day I get breakfast I walk to the car and I travel 45 minutes to work to church and then I have to walk from that end over here all the time and I'm just tired do you any you guys ever get tired of doing things over and over again yeah like what waking up to early yeah school yeah playing the same games over and over again okay well you know we when we do things over and over again we can't get tired of doing them physically but you know there's another type of tired that we can get we can get tired of hearing the same old thing over and over again now I can guarantee you some of you have parents or grandparents who tell you the same stories over and over and over again expecting a laugh is that true okay how about a rule is there a rule that your parents tell you over and over and over again yeah like what what kind of rules do you guys have don't be don't be silly okay yeah what's another one yes you right there all right well oh in the back there you have a you have a rule that you have to follow what's that what about you Micah what do you got yeah well H how about this do you ever hear your parents say things like uh don't do that again right yeah they'll say things like that or back in my day we never had school buses to travel to school right we had right we have to walk no I don't know if you guys hear that my that's that's more my parents generation thing but yeah you know we get we hear things over and over again I can guarantee you you're not going to that's

not going to stop your parents are going to keep telling you some of those rules over and over again well I got to tell you that this happens sometimes with the word of God too do you know that sometimes we hear the same story in Sunday school or in Weare or a church over and over again sometimes we hear the same verse over and over again and we might be tempted to be like oh I've heard this so many times can we move on for example example how many of you guys have heard John 3:16 more than once before and you know what judging by how good you guys said it up here I can guarantee you you guys have said that a lot and heard it a lot and do you know why we as parents and and Educators and church people help want you guys to say it over and over again do you know why there's a saying that we yes uh Sophia stuck in your head so you remember oh get stuck in your head yeah but we really don't say that you want to get stuck in your head what do we say we want you to know it by heart yeah that's right we want you to know it by heart well um I have something here I want to show you what's this no it's real is this a real sword yeah hey just so you guys know whenever you guys uh have a real sword and you pull it out you need to pull it out nice and slow like this and then gaze upon it as if you have just woken up from a deep sleep and a bad Nightmare and by holding it and looking at it all of life and everything comes back into view and you know who you are okay that's how you're supposed to unsh the sword yeah this is a sword you know what's a sword good for yeah sword fight absolutely yeah you know back in the day we didn't have guns as Mr Jim wanted me to pull out an AR-15 like that illustration won't translate we right we have a sword back in the day

they would use this and they would use it to cut things and even cut down their enemies okay and a sword is is really only good for uh cutting down things that you can see like wood rope enemies okay um but a sword while it's very very powerful at cutting down those kinds of things um and changing things it's not very powerful for cutting down things that are invisible okay invisible things like your heart now I'm not talking about your heart that's beating right now to cut that right it is possible to cut that but that's not what I'm talking about I'm talking about the part of you that you can't see the part of you that only God sees and the part of you that needs to change in order to know God and be part of his family now the Bible talks about a sword out there does any of you guys know that there is a sword out there that cut to the heart and change it Malachi not Malachi he's Josiah sorry the sword of the spirit what is that sword it's God's word it's God's word that's right God's word is the Bible says is sharper than any two-edged sword piercing bone and Marrow okay the Bible is the sword that can get to your heart now what's John 3:16 oh no don't don't memorize it what is it though it's a verse that's found where in the Bible which is God's word yeah John 3:16 is God's word and what is God's word follow follow with me guys here what is God's word Rosie exactly what I had he could say so many different things that God's word is the truth and in the verse we heard that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and the truth will set you free and it sets us free from sin and it sets us Death so tell me someone tell me what is the truth that's found in John

3:16 Samuel that God loved the world what else Rosie that he sent his son to die die yeah that he loved us so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for our sins so that we may have everlasting life and never perish the good news is that he did that for us so that we didn't have to die do you know that because of our sin we could never pay back the debt that we owe to God and therefore we would have to perish but because Jesus came we don't have to pay that Deb debt back he paid it for us and now we get to have life isn't that wonderful news that is a wonderful truth and you know what when this truth becomes real in your heart it's something you never get tired of hearing so next time you guys are in Sunday school or in week here and you hear a verse or you hear a story and you're tempted to be like roll your eyes and be like oh I've heard this one before instead remember that God's word is a sword it's powerful and it's meant to change you okay all right let's pray dear heavenly father thank you so much for this time and thank you for your word thank you that it is sharp and it pierces us and it changes us and it's by your word that we can uh have our hearts changed and and know you and have life and all that Lord the blessings are abundant and they overflow Lord we thank you for that we pray for each and every kid here and uh we pray that you would uh that you would Pierce their hearts and change their hearts that your word would become alive to them and that they would love you um and Lord we pray now for uh them as they go from here that that you would keep them safe and help them to uh to understand uh what Pastor Cody has to say uh to them and we pray all these things in Jesus name amen all right kids we have come over here and then you guys can get a little

treat um just a quick word uh to our uh folks with children even like myself you might feel like everyone is staring at you when you have a wiggly kid don't worry about it please don't worry about it we love having Wiggly kids in the church okay uh that's how it is is for us on a normal Sunday okay so feel at ease you're welcome here and so are every single child that we have uh we believe conviction that if uh a church does not have Wiggly children that that is a dying church and so uh we are happy for all the Wiggles so there we go and uh so we figured that we'd hype them up on some sugar before we send them back if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to the Book of Mark chapter 13 Mark chapter 13 we are in a series on the end times don't worry I'm tying it into John 3:16 um but the whole thing that we're talking about is the end times okay uh recently many of our people had to evacuate in our area due to fires uh and for many Property Owners that's a very scary thing word was gotten out quickly that you could lose your life if you stay so run don't even grow go in and grab the Necessities just get the living things and go and our thoughts and our prayers are with uh the families that have lost property uh especially the Hufford family uh we want to pray for them and uh remember them and we are praying for you guys now as Jesus Departed the temple in Jerusalem for the last time the disciples they were marveling at the Grandeur of the temple this is the temple guys uh this is a 35 acre complex that was designed to be full of marble and gilded gold it was a beautiful place that sat high upon the hill the highest point in all of Jerusalem for everyone to look at this is herod's

Temple and everyone said wow this is a beautiful building and the disciples they said Jesus look at this isn't this just a magnificent building and Jesus instead he says not one stone will be left upon another and after walking down that Hill it's very steep there it's about a th000 foot Decline and incline it's quite the hike he says they the the disciples ask them on the Mount of Olives when will these things be what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished so we have a time question when we have a sign question what will be the sign and this isn't just about the the the Temple's fall it's about the end of the age now it's a fancy word it's called eschatology it's a study of the end times it's not an optional thing for Christians to believe it's actually core for us to have a grasp of uh it impacts how you live it impacts your perspective on everything and it's an important issue but it's not an issue to divide over right everyone's got different views of it it starts with Creation in Genesis it ends with consummation and Revelation and it's all tied together by John 36 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life God exists he created us for his glory and he loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus fully God and fully man to live a sinless life on our behalf he was tempted like us yet he never sinned and he obeyed the father perfectly he didn't even have a bad thought and he died on the cross for our sins so that anyone whosoever that's you believes in Him should not perish forever in hell but have eternal life Abundant Life in heaven and that's the gospel Martin Luther called this the gospel in a nutshell and it's the hope that sustains

the believer through all of the trials that we will go through including things like the end of days and we're going to learn four major points about someone or something called the abomination of desolation so let's stand together in honor of God's word as we read Mark 13: 13-23 God's word says this and you will be hated by all for my name's sake but the one who endures to the end will be saved but when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not be let the reader understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains let the one who is on the housetop not go down nor enter his house to take anything out let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak and allas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days pray that may not happen in winter for in those days there will be such tribulation as had not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will be and if the Lord had not cut short the days no human being would be saved but for the sake of the elect whom he chose he shortened the days and then if anyone says to you look here's the Christ or look there he is do not believe it for false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray if possible the elect but be on guard I have told you all things beforehand and so Lord we do pray that you would help us to understand your word we pray as we talk about these principles that are contained in this passage that they would fall fresh and new on our hearts help us Lord to have a firm foundation built upon the Salvation that we have in Christ I pray that if there's anyone here that does not know you as their lord and savior I pray that today would be that day that they respond by faith and uh are born again God we ask that you would be with with us give us understanding Lord in Jesus name amen

you can be seated I was told I need to preach fast this morning so listen fast I guess I don't know um so who is the abomination of desolation right Matthew's gospel it adds uh a little tagline there of as spoken of in the Book of Daniel this was be a person that desecrates the temple we know that this was fulfilled uh by Antiochus epiphanies that was in 168 BC but Jesus here he points to a future event tied to the destruction of the temple and this happened in 70 AD when uh Titus General Titus came and he uh uh destroyed Jerusalem this is a a picture painted in 1851 by David Roberts depicting the destruction of Jerusalem on that day 1.1 million Jewish people died zero Christians by the way no Christians and that's because they all fled they all listened to God's word what it says here and they got out of Dodge as quickly as possible now there are many Christians that see this passage as not being fulfilled back then instead pointing to an antichrist some Christians they see a future man desecrating a rebuilt Temple tied to a seven-year tribulation after a Rapture others they see the word fulfilled and the gospel advancing around the world wherever you land uh on this study the word of God and be fully convinced in your own mind okay I'm pretty much going to leave it there we have lots of disagreements where's my sister Sandy I love you I love you very we always have lots of good discussions and debates we always say we need to sit down and talk about this a little bit more uh but you know Unity doesn't mean that you agree about 100% of everything right it means that you can look past each other's differences so um regardless of when this prophecy is fulfilled when it's ultimately fulfilled Jesus he gives us some crucial lessons about how we are to live with hope based upon the salvation of Jesus Christ when persecution and

hardship comes let's take a look at them firstly oh this is uh yeah this is a Jewish Home here uh just in case if you're curious when Jesus says go out and uh um well I think I got that order wrong here it's the time of Sorrow I'll go back to that there should be a time of Crisis that's super weird Okay so the PO first point here is a time of Crisis that's the second Point sorry I apologize deeply about that um it's a time of Crisis it says when the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not be this is the only place in Mark where he addresses his readers by saying let the reader understand it's the only place that that appears years now something would happen in the future that this passage will help the reader understand it's a time of Crisis Jesus he says in response to this revealing to flee from your home don't even go inside don't go in don't get your belongings imagine that a tornado warning comes okay as a parent you're rushing to get the kids into the basement you don't even grab the essentials because survival is the key there's no time to Pack toys no time to grab snacks you are just fleeing and that's the urgency that Jesus describes here kids it's like when um your parents tell you that you need to hurry up you need to hurry fast you need to get going okay because something is big is happening and you need to follow as quickly as possible the homes in Israel they look like this this is why he says don't go back inside right don't go inside to grab anything because people they would uh be on their patios which was outside this was kind of the first century air conditioning and they would go out and walk down these steps out and flee to try to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible it's like when a flight attendant tells you to that you need to if you need to evacuate to leave all of your belongings behind and proceed to

the nearest exit just go and flee to your Fields uh Jesus he goes ahead and he says don't even grab your cloak don't go back for that and that's important because the cloak was like your first century coat it was a very valuable thing it was the most valuable possession that most Jewish people had if you take off your cloak in order to do some work out in the field don't go back and go grab it it's not worth it just flee as quickly as possible and yet when these things happen we can go without fear and why can't Christians live in times of tribulation in times of pers ution in times of of Trials well it's because John 3:16 it promises eternal life for us he's our ultimate safety it's not about anything else other than what's your relationship like with Jesus Christ he's our safety no matter what we leave behind it's also a time of Sorrow that's Point number two for Christians they see this season as a time of Despair and anguish and Jesus shows us how to show love during times of sorrow and there's two ways here firstly is there's a cause for pity what does he say in verse 17 alas for women who are pregnant and nursing infants in those days the word alas is the same word used as woe it's it's it's a cry of Anguish it's a cry of Sorrow the motive of Christ's heart was for for pregnant women for for nursing mothers in those days you ever had to go somewhere quickly as a parent and you're trying to grab everything and just you're you're you're late for a doctor's appointment maybe you were late for church this morning you're like where are your shoes you know I I know that's the conversation that we had this morning we got to go we got to be there at 8:15 we got to move come on kids you haven't brushed your hair you haven't brushed your teeth you can't say hello Hallelujah to people when you haven't

brushed your teeth right so we're trying to get PE uh our kids to uh to move quickly but the ancient world was a man's world women didn't have rights they couldn't even testify in the court of law women and children were the most vulnerable they were treated like objects not people and yet Jesus is moved with compassion compassion for them and Jesus's compassion it reflects his heart from John 3 16 God's love does not abandon us when times get hard when you're battling with sickness when you're struggling when at work when you're battling addiction when your stress is through the roof God's love does not abandon us in those hard times it gets us through times and this also teaches us something about biblical manhood and headship and protection over those that are the most vulnerable real manhood is not just about exercising Authority and power with indiscretion but it's power under control set in the direction for others benefits to be a blessing to people that are around us not for our own gain and we see the love that Jesus has for children he doesn't tell women to leave their children behind but instead is moved by the burden that that woman would experience and the nursing mother would have it also gives us this call to prayer he says pray that may not happen in winter in Israel the winter is the wet it's the rainy season which greatly impacts travel sometimes it would completely prohibit it you couldn't go anywhere for weeks at a time and so Jesus he directs his disciples to pray that it would not happen in winter and that teaches us a couple of things that you should write down one is that God controls the weather okay he brings the storms he brings the warmth every raindrop Falls by his his power but it also secondly teaches us that Prayer Changes Things

Jesus he invites us to pray because prayer changes circumstances in situations over time it's also thirdly a time of tribulation anyone else tired of the word unprecedented in the news I I I'm tired of living in unprecedented times I decided to look that up on Google um yeah so we got unprecedented times you got uh the war of 18 12 back here unprecedented uh you got World War I right there unprecedented World War II unprecedented and then uh 1987 it just takes off and uh that's that's where we are today we are we are in unprecedented times apparently and we hear it in the news and we're just kind of like oh great what is it now you know we got that was really popular in in covid right it's unprecedented we forget that we live through small B small pox measles chalera typhoid scarlet fever Rocky Mountain spy fever all sorts of stuff economy crashes they say it's unprecedented but you know it it dipped in 1929 and and 1987 19 uh two 2000 2008 we you know we the fact is is that we live in unprecedented times because a lot of people don't know their history the this event though that Jesus talks about is actually an unprecedented event okay so I talked about how overused it is and now I'm stealing it okay he says that nothing in the world or its history would ever compare to it that includes Noah's flood the plagues of Egypt the bombs dropped in the world wars whether you believe it's a past event or not whether you believe it's a future event or not we learn the truth about God's intervention in verse 20 it says and if the Lord had not cut short the days no human being will be saved but for the sake of the elect whom he chose he shortened the days so the bad news is that it's really really really

bad times and the good news is that these will be really really short times the times of tribulation could cause all Humanity to get wiped from the Earth but God is involved he's not alth he's not indifferent he is present and he is in control and Jesus also clearly teaches the doctrine of election here the elect are those whom God has chosen to save by his grace and if you're trusting in Christ that's you um in Ephesians chapter 4 uh 1 verse4 it says even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him that's what he says yet yet it's a comforting truth that God he loves his people and he will not allow them to be destroyed by evil and yet Humanity in general is spared for the sake sake of the elect and the days are shortened because of God's love according to John 3:16 he won't let his elect perish he's preserving his people for eternal life also fourthly this is my last point you can all say thank the Lord a time of deception doesn't mean I'm wrapping it up I'm going to preach fast okay Jesus at the very beginning of this teaching he says see that no one leads you astray see Jesus he is so much more concerned about warning about deception rather than the Antichrist because it's a greater threat deception is a much greater threat than persecution to the gospel so what does that mean it means that we should live spiritually Discerning lives look at verse 21 and if anyone says to you look here is the Christ or look there he is do not believe it people cling to Hope even Christians and for us we have to ask ask ourselves what do we hope in where is our trust when we hope in something that means that we believe in it that we rely on it that we lean upon it in in John 3:16 when he records the words whosoever believes in him it's not talking about some sort of abstract

kind of belief it's an it's a belief that determines how we live John Calvin he said that we are faith we are saved by faith alone but the faith that saves is not alone in other words when we say that we have faith and we believe God and we take him at his word there's a tangible change in who we are in our very nature where do our priorities lie what are the things that we actually love and being secure in Christ means taking his word seriously not being persuaded by the world and what it has to offer in terms of hope it means rejecting teachers that say that Jesus is coming on a certain date means not being led astray uh by false teaching Jesus he said in verse 22 for false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray if possible the elect now there's all sorts of groups and organizations that they want you there they want your money they want your your your um Allegiance you ever gotten one of those emails from a uh an African prince promising you Millions false teachers they are spiritual scammers just like that guy and instead of offering hope what they do is they try to steal your soul and you might be wondering well is that me here's what Jesus said he said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand false christs and Prophets they're going to show signs and wonders Accord according what Jesus said and many they're going to make you feel good about yourself but never called to repentance the word signs and wonders there it means literally miraculous

signs and a inspiring works that's kind of scary isn't it Jesus he warns that many false teachers they will perform miracles in order to lead people astray and this is why we must be secondly spiritually alert Jesus he said but be on your guard I have told you all things beforehand over and over again in Jesus's teaching on the mount he instructs Us in verse 5 see that no one leads you astray verse 9 be on your guard verse 33 be on your guard keep awake verse 35 stay awake verse 37 stay awake you think Jesus is trying to tell something Think Jesus is trying to warn us about something Jesus is warning the disciples about the coming future that would take place in their lifetime but also he's warning us about the future as well therefore keep alert and stay awake because your faith will be tested now if U if you were told that there's a massive storm coming it's a storm of a century let's assume that we're on the east coast and it's a huge hurricane can't evacuate and you need to be prepared right hopefully you don't just sit on the couch and watch the news and you know just kind of eat Cheetos or whatever it is that you snack on waiting for the storm to come hopefully you take time to prepare so the question is is how can you be prepared first and foremost and most important thing is that you must be a follower of Jesus Christ Jesus he came to this earth and he died to save Sinners Like Me and like you so turn from trusting in yourself and your own righteousness and place your full trust in Jesus Christ alone remember that it is his sheep that hear his voice and so do you hear the voice of Christ calling you today if you do you trust in him you repent of your sins you believe in him him it's as simple as that and you commit yourself to him and then if you do that talk to someone about it talk to me talk to Miss Susie talk to one of the elders talk through

it next as we see here Jesus he says I've told you all things beforehand the Bible is enough for our life it contains everything that we need to live in Holiness right now it doesn't go into detail about everything but the principles appli to our lives universally thirdly you have to answer that question is are you ready are you ready honestly assess where you're at if Christ were to return right now are you ready for that those who are saved we say yeah I'm ready I'm woohoo yeah let's go Jesus he said in verse 13 but the one who endures to the end will be saved and how do we endure do we just grin and bear it like like a a dentist doing a root canal or something like that just kind of no that that's not Christian endurance Christian endurance is by resting in the presence of God by knowing the faithfulness of God it's not about our ability to save ourselves it's not our ability to our ability to endure it's about Jesus's perfect obedience and resting in that because he has the ability to preserve us and those who belong to Christ endured to The End by resting in him we live in a time where many people have prayed a prayer for fire insurance I worked as a student Pastor for many years and there was one teenager they were about 19 years old and that they I had a relationship with them and I said uh have you ever prayed to receive Christ they said oh sure I've done that loads of times I asked Jesus into my heart when I was three when I was seven when I was 13 when I was 14 when I was 16 and here I am now now the Bible never talks about that Matthew chapter 7: 21- 23 it says not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven what is that will it is repenting of sins and believing on Christ but on that day many will say to me Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your

name and cast out demons in your name and do Mighty works in your name now I'll declare to them I never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness true and saving faith is about receiving God it's about living our life in light of that truth of the transformation look at what Jesus said in Luke chapter 6 why do you call me Lord Lord and not do what I tell you everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them I will show you what he is like he is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on The Rock when a flood arose the stream broke against that house and could not shake it because it it had been wellb built you want eternal life you come to Christ you abide in Christ you continue in Christ for us it's all about Jesus it's not about our works it's not our about our obedience it's all about being in Christ so whether you believe that Jesus is coming right now very soon whether you believe his return is far off whether you believe in a Rapture or not you and I are called to trust in Jesus to be diligent to discern and to endure until he comes so trust in Jesus he was crucified he rose again and he is going to return to save you and keep you forever if you are in him and if you are in him stand firm and if you're not then you have the opportunity to repent of your sin and to believe the gospel which has been described four or five times today to you maybe you haven't been it here in a while and orever and that's okay Jesus he meets you where you are John 3:16 isn't just a verse it's a promise that if you believe in him you're a part of his family forever so talk to me we'd love to discuss what that means for you head heart hand this is one of the things that we do at the end of every Service as we talk about one of the things that God wants us to know from the passage uh one of the

things that we should believe from the passage from what we've learned and then how that lives out practically that's our hands so there you go head God he wants you to know that he will sustain you through every trial and trusting in Jesus ensures that your endurance and your salvation so don't get caught off guard trust in Christ today live for him don't wait just give yourself to him that's all it is heart God he wants you to believe that trusting in Jesus is your only sure hope carrying you through life's trials to eternal life so don't trust in your experiences your Works your actions anything like that don't think that you're not as bad as others I'm the worst person I know trust in Christ Jesus today and lastly hand God he wants you to trust in Jesus daily through prayer Bible reading and trusting in Him alone to guide you and to preserve serve you through any trial now we're going to uh close out our service today um in kind of a different way uh because we've got a team that is going to be going to North Carolina and uh so at this time I want to invite our team that's going to North Carolina to come forward with Missouri disaster relief and we're going to take some time and pray over these folks and so if you're going to North Carolina please come on up yeah he's coming and likewise if you got uh some folks that you want to uh if if you know these folks and you want to come up and pray over them uh church family if you would just come up and uh pray over our folks as they go on Mission so we got the the bises uh the webs we got the reads is that it Diana okay and and anyone else and uh our church family that wants to come forward and lay hands on them as they go from here to North Carolina to assist in disaster relief now's the last last opportunity

okay I'm also going to pray over our food as we go down to the uh gymnasium as uh we close out the service so Lord thank you so much for this time that we get to have together thank you for uh us being able to commission missionaries to go and to do good work um not just in our community but around the world uh Even in our own Nation God uh we pray that you would uh give them good opportunities to share the gospel as they go to North Carolina I pray uh especially for so many people in Appalachia uh Lord those are my people that's I grew up in the Appalachians and so I just pray that you would uh uh give them good opportunities to share the truth of the Gospel with them Lord I Thank you for each one of them uh the different skills and talents and gifts that you've given is just a blessing and I pray that they would go forth with the Missouri Baptist disaster relief team uh to go and to minister thank you for them we pray for your protection and we pray that it would be uh abund an abundant blessing uh to them and to everyone they come and contact with Father we also want to lift up to you uh just our luncheon today uh thank you for each hand uh that's in there that's uh work to create to make all that chili for us and uh to set everything up thank you for Susie thank you for the Weare team uh thank you for each person that's in there Lord uh that is uh working to make today uh just special Lord thank you for our little friends that came forward to share your word uh I pray that that word would uh fall deeply into their hearts that would bear fruit in the years to come that they would be born again to a living hope God we thank you for uh faithfulness that you have towards us and the promise that your word never returns void so help us to walk in life of that today as we uh learned a lot uh and had to get kind of a 5,000 foot view I pray that you would give us

understanding on what it means to live faithfulness even in the midst of trials and tribulations help us to lean on you each and every day in Jesus name amen amen right y'all are dismissed thank you