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The Coming War of Jesus – Part 4
Luke 21:5-36 (29-36)
October 4, 2020

Well, we’ve been enough weeks on this now that you are well aware
Of the topic of discussion here with Jesus and His disciples.

• They commented on the beauty of the temple.
• He told them He’d tear it down.
• They asked when?
• And Jesus has answered.

I suppose you could really divide His answer into 3 main categories.

THE ALERT (5-19)
Before answering Jesus gave the disciples a warning they needed to hear.
THIS WAS OUR FIRST THREE POINTS.

#1 DON’T BE DECEIVED BY OPPORTUNISTS
Luke 21:8

• Those who mislead people by claiming they have answers to the end.

#2 DON’T BE DISMAYED BY ORDINARY EVENTS
Luke 21:9-11

• Often times those false teachers use tumult and tragedy, as a catalyst for proving the end is upon us.
• Jesus reminded that not all disturbances are indicators of the Day of the Lord judgment.
• Many are just the result of the sin curse and a fallen world.
• Wars and earthquakes have been going on for a long time.

#3 DON’T BE DISTRACTED BY OPPRESSION
Luke 21:12-19

• Jesus revealed that along with wars and disturbances the disciples could also expect persecution.
• But none of these things should distract them from their primary calling which is to preach the gospel to the world.

So we would say that Jesus first sounded an alert to the disciples.
They were clearly interested in the end,
Jesus wanted to make sure that their interest didn’t open them up
For deception or distract them from their main purpose.

We might say that the next category would be THE ANSWER (20-28)
Where Jesus actually answered their question of “When?” and “What?”
WE SAW THIS LAST WEEK

#4 DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY OBLITERATION
Luke 21:20-28

• The fact is that the end will be terrible.
• There will be an Abomination of Desolation where the Anti-Christ desecrates the temple and declares himself to be god.
• Jerusalem will be totally laid waste.
• People will fall by the sword.
• There will be signs in the cosmos that will terrify men

In short, it will be the days of God’s vengeance
On those who did not recognize the time of their visitation.
They refused to see Him the first time, and thus they are under God’s wrath.
But God will use this time of turmoil to make sure they see Him the second time.

And yet the message from Jesus is that His disciples should not fear this,
For this will be God’s wrath and we have been
Saved from the wrath of God through Jesus.

In fact, Jesus said, (28) “But when these things begin to take place straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The coming of Christ will mean death to His enemies,
But it will mean salvation to His followers.

Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”

That was the message of Jesus.
So we have heard THE ALERT
We have heard THE ANSWER

This morning we’ll enter the final category which is THE ADMONITION.

These are the commands of Jesus
Regarding how we are to respond and live
In light of the information Jesus has given us.

It is the explanation of Jesus
Regarding how the church should respond
To the announcement of His return and coming judgment.

And this final segment includes the final 3 points of the sermon.
#5 DON’T DOUBT MY OATH
Luke 21:29-33

In verse 29 we receive a simple parable from Jesus.
• No doubt the parable serves as a break from the heavy truths of the reality of the coming days of vengeance.
• What Jesus just described is heavy and harsh as He speaks of the judgment of the wicked and His return.
• But He is moving into a new point and this parable provides a perfect segue into that new point.

(29-30) “Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near.”

Jesus is simply referring to common observations from nature
That indicate to us that we are about to move into a new season.

I’ve heard them my whole life, as have you.
How do you know when winter is over?
How do you know when you’ve had your last freeze?
• When the mesquite tree leaves out because “Mother nature can’t fool the
mesquite tree”.
• When the buzzards return because “Buzzards don’t like frozen food”

We know that when that happens “summer is now near”.
Since in Texas we only get 3 days of fall and 5 days of spring,
When the freeze is over, it’s about to get hot.

We understand what Jesus is talking about.
We know what it is to recognize a sign of the seasons.

Someone could come up to you and say, “I’m afraid summer might never come this year”

But you saw the buzzards landing on a leafed out mesquite tree
And you know they’re wrong.

(31) “So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.”

When the events start to take place, as Jesus said they would,
You know that the rest of the events will follow.
When the war of Jesus starts, you know He will finish it.

You don’t necessarily know when exactly you can predict the first 100 degree day, but you know it will come.
AND NO ONE CAN TELL YOU OTHERWISE.

And THIS IS AN IMPORTANT reminder from our Lord since you all know that we live in a world of MOCKERS.

2 Peter 3:3-10 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

• No, He has not yet returned.
• No, all of the promises have not yet been fulfilled.
• But, we’ve seen the first signs come true.
• We’ve seen the leaves on the fig tree.
• So we know the rest is coming.

It is confirmation from our Lord not to allow doubters and scoffers
To cause us to think it might not happen.

In fact, there is a very serious (though often difficult to understand) promise from our Lord here.

(32) “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.”

OK, so I’ve told you about the view known as PRETERISM.
• The view that believes all the promises of the end were fulfilled in the past.
• Hyper-Preterism even says that Jesus has already returned and the
resurrection has already occurred, etc.

That view primarily arose because of an inability to reconcile this verse.
• They read it, knew a generation in the Bible is 40 years,
• So everything must have occurred within the next 40 years
• And AD 70 and the destruction of the temple became the focused event.

• Granted they saw no signs in sun and moon and stars or dismay among
nations or the roaring of the sea.
• Every eye did not see the return of Jesus as was promised.
• We did not see the Anti-Christ, his abomination of desolation or the battle of
Armageddon

But in order to reconcile this one verse
All of those things were spiritualized and the preterist view was born.

We certainly don’t agree,
But it does force us to deal with the problem of the verse.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “this generation will not pass away until all things take place?”

A scoffer could use that verse to try and discredit the second coming altogether
Saying that Jesus was wrong, and it didn’t happen.

But there is a translation possibility here that I think gives us the answer.

The Greek word of “take place” is GINOMAI

And the aorist verb form here has many facets regarding timing
When you translate it.

For example, it can also be translated “begin to be” or “begin to take place”

TURN TO: LUKE 1:12-20

So you recognize the story about when the angel met Zacharias and told him of the coming birth of John the Baptist.

In that announcement there were many things that were prophesied as to that which would take place.
(13) You will have a son
(13) You will name him John
(14) You will have joy and gladness
(15) He will be great and filled with the Holy Spirit
(16) He will turn many back to the Lord
(17) He will be a forerunner to the Messiah and will make the people ready
Those were the promises.

You also remember that Zachariah doubted it
And in verse 18 said, “How will I know for certain?”

And here was the angel’s answer.
(19-20) “The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Notice the angel said “you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place”

“take place” is the same word GINOMAI that Jesus used.

Now, let me ask you, when did Zacharias regain his ability to speak?

Luke 1:62-64 “And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.”

The angel said you won’t speak until “the day when these things take place”
• But when Zacharias spoke, John had yet to enter ministry.
• He had not yet turned any hearts back to the Lord.
• He had not yet served as a forerunner.

In fact, all that had happened was the very first part of the prophecy, namely that he was born and named John.

So we understand what was said and what was meant.

What was clearly meant was that “you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things BEGIN to take place.”

In my opinion that is the best way to read Luke 21:32.
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things [begin to] take place.”

With that understanding we have no problem
Seeing the destruction of the temple in AD 70 as the beginning,
And as something that this generation actually saw.

But that doesn’t mean that everything has happened yet.
It only means that the destruction of that temple was like when the first leaf appears on the fig tree. That was the start of the war.
• When you see that, know the rest is coming.
• When you see the first leaf, know more leaves will arrive, and eventually summer will be here.

THAT IS THE POINT BEING MADE HERE.

To which Jesus goes on to say:
(33) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

WHAT IS HE SAYING?
THIS WILL HAPPEN.
• Don’t doubt My oath.
• Don’t let mockers discourage you or deceive you or cause you to doubt.
• Don’t let the delay cause you to give up.

You may only see the leaves today,
But trust Me, summer is right around the corner.

He is coming.
Acts 1:9-11 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

And church our conviction to this end is absolutely essential.
The second coming is the final consummation of all that Christ did.

It is the day of His judgment.
It is the day of His righteous kingdom.
It is the day of the fullness of His salvation.

We do not yield on things like the virgin birth or the crucifixion or the resurrection.

WE CANNOT YIELD ON THE SECOND COMING EITHER.
• It doesn’t matter how long it takes.
• It doesn’t matter how hard it gets.
• It doesn’t matter how loud the scoffers become.
• We are resolute, He is coming!

2 Peter 3:10 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

Hebrews 9:27-28 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Jesus does not want His church to wobble for one instance
Regarding the certainty of His return.
IT WILL HAPPEN.

Don’t Doubt My Oath
#6 DON’T BE DOMINATED BY OBJECTIONABLE LIVING
Luke 21:34-35

When Peter wrote that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

He went on to ask:
2 Peter 3:11-12 “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”

If Christ is going to destroy this world and all the evil in it, does that give you any insight as to how you might want to be living?

Of course it does!
You’d choose “holy conduct and godliness”

And then Peter continues:
2 Peter 3:13-15a “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…”

• If He is going to come and destroy this wicked world for its wickedness
• And set up a new world were righteousness dwells
• Then “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless”.

And by the way you should look at the delay in His return
As Him being patient while you get your act together.

And finally Peter says:
2 Peter 3:17-18 “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Which is the same warning Jesus gave.
And don’t be deceived while you wait.

If judgment is coming on evil,
Then perhaps you should consider not being evil.

Well that’s precisely the warning Jesus gives here.
Don’t be dominated by objectionable living.

“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;”

What a serious warning!

When Jesus tells you not to let your heart be “weighted down”
The word there is BAREO which means “burdened, troubled, or overcome”

It speaks of a person who has given himself to wanton pleasure.
• Here Jesus mentions “drunkenness”
• The word for “dissipation” refers to nausea that accompanies being drunk
• And Jesus mentions “the worries of this life”

Mark 4:18-19 “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

You put it together and we’re talking about a person
Who gives no thought to the coming judgment. Or if they do give thought to it, they don’t let it affect their behavior or their lifestyle.

Welcome to a warning that America needs to hear.
Welcome to a warning that the American church needs to hear.

Drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, gambling, foul language, indecency, etc.

People who even though they know the Lord will return and judge evil, DON’T SEEM TO CARE
Because they happily participate in it any time they so desire.

Jesus warns against that!

In fact He says that “that day…not come on you suddenly like a trap;”

It’s like a deer feeder.
• It offers to the deer everything it wants for happy living.
• The deer gets consumed, craves the corn, and BOOM
We are reminded of His warning back in chapter 17 when He told us of the days of Noah
Luke 17:26-27 “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

He told us the days of Lot
Luke 17:28-30 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”

And of course He gave us that sobering warning:
Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot’s wife.”

He is talking about being ready for that day!

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

The temptation to pursue the pleasures of this world is a trap!
It’s a trap!

It is Satan’s way of keeping people distracted and entertained
So that they are not ready for the day of Christ’s return.

(35) “for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.”

It is coming.
Be ready for it!

Romans 13:11-14 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

Get ready!
Luke 12:43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.”

YOU UNDERSTAND THE POINT.
• Do you believe Christ is coming?
• Do you believe He is coming to destroy evil and set up a righteous kingdom?

• Then why in the world would you live in wickedness?
• Why in the world would you spend all your passion and resources to obtain things in this world?

This is the application of Jesus to His answer.

SINCE
• Days of vengeance are coming
• He will judge the wicked
• He will destroy this world and create a new one where righteousness dwells.

Don’t doubt what He said.
Don’t be dominated by objectionable living.
Be ready!

And finally:
#7 DON’T BE DEFEATED BY THE OPPONENT
Luke 21:36

Here we come to the CONCLUDING STATEMENT of Jesus’ answer.
• He’s warned them of the dangers of deception and distraction.
• He’s explained to them the vengeance that was coming.
• And He’s told them how they should live as they wait for the day.

And now, He leaves them with one last word of admonition,
And it is regarding the importance of prayer.

“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength”

“have strength” is a Greek word
That actually means “to prevail or to overcome”.

Luke 23:23 “But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.”

The call here is for the disciples to understand that they are in a battle.
There is a real temptation that occurs in this life.
• The temptation is to let your guard down regarding the end.
• The temptation is to sort of move the coming of Christ to the back burner.
• The temptation is to become consumed with the things of this life.

• Maybe it is to be deceived by all those opportunists…
• Maybe it is to be distracted by the tumult of life and quit ministering…
• Maybe it is to be discouraged and doubt that Christ will ever come back…
• Maybe it is to be dominated by the worries of life…

Wherever it comes from, it is the understanding that
The temptation and battle of this world
Is to ultimately live for this kingdom and not the next.

And according to Jesus, this is a battle which must be overcome.

Consider those 7 letters to the churches in the book of the Revelation.

Each of those churches has different issues and different struggles.
• Ephesus has left her first love.
• Smyrna is persecuted and facing death.
• Pergamum is compromised with false disciples.
• Thyatira is worldly and consumed with the world.
• Sardis is dead and no longer focused on their mission.
• Philadelphia is tired and needs strength to finish well.
• Laodicea has totally missed the point, their fake and don’t know it.

They all have their differing issue.
But in one sense the command to every one of them is the same.

Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”

Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”

Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”

Revelation 2:26 “He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;”

Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

Revelation 3:12 “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”

Revelation 3:21 “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

It is a consistent message with Jesus, to all the churches,
And the same message He gives here to the disciples.

With the end in view…
With an understanding of impending judgment…
With the temptations of the world all around you…
YOU MUST OVERCOME – YOU MUST PREVAIL

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

In the Revelation we read:
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

We must overcome his deception, his temptation, his distractions,
And be focused and faithful to the Lord.

And notice here in Luke THE SECRET to doing that.
“But keep on the alert at all times, praying…”

• How do you prevail?
• How do you overcome?
• Where does this strength He speaks of come from?

It comes from prayer.
It comes when we rely upon Him.

What causes us to rely on Him and run to Him in prayer?
Being alert.
• Stay aware of what is going on.
• Stay aware of temptation.
• Stay aware of the imminence of His return.

Let that awareness drive you to Him in prayer
That you might find the strength required to prevail.

And when you prevail there are two realities that accompany it.
This is what it means to overcome.
This is what you need strength to achieve.

“to escape all these things that are about to take place.”
“to stand before the Son of Man.”

I realize that in one sense this verse seems to read like,
• You need to pray for strength so you’ll be strong enough to escape;
• You need to pray for strength so you’ll be strong enough to stand before Him.

But that’s not really idea here.

WHAT HE IS SAYING IS THAT
You need to pray so that you can overcome the enemy.

• Because when you overcome you will “escape all these things”
• And when you overcome you will “Stand before the Son of Man”

What we’re talking about here is
• People who overcome the temptations and allurements of the world.
• People who overcome the distractions and deceptions of the world.
• People who remain focused on Christ, His kingdom, and His return.

Those who overcome like this will escape the coming vengeance.
Those who overcome like this will stand before the Son of Man.

THAT’S THE POINT.

Hebrews 2:3 “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,”

Hebrews 12:25 “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.”

So you’ve seen the Lord’s ALERT – don’t be deceived or distracted
You’ve seen the Lord’s ANSWER – days of vengeance are coming.

And now you see the Lord’s ADMONITION
• The Lord is coming, it’s a fact, take it to the bank.
• He will judge wickedness, so be ready and don’t be worldly.

Let your sole focus be
On overcoming the world and its temptations
Be alert to those temptations and pray for His strength
So that you will escape the coming wrath
And so that you can stand before the Lord.

THAT IS A HELPFUL ADMONITION.

SO, ARE YOU?
• Do you know Christ will return?
• Do you believe He will judge wickedness?
• Do you believe He will destroy this wicked world and its passions?
• Do you understand the need to seek righteousness?
• Are you overcoming?

You say, I wish I was overcoming, but I’m not.
• Are you praying?

This should be the consuming focus of the believer.
Namely that we are found faithful to Christ when He comes.

That when He comes we can lift up our heads in hope.
1 John 2:28 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”

That’s the goal isn’t it?

Then take the admonition of Jesus
• Drop your preoccupation with the world.
• Focus on Christ, His return, His judgment,
• And pray and strive to be found pleasing to Him.

Luke 12:43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.”

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

According to Jesus, there is a war coming.
In fact, it already started and it’s going to get worse.
Make sure you are on the winning team.

SIGN UP DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 14

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(NOTE: Registrant info is the parent, attendee is the student)

If you do not wish to pay via credit card online, or if you have arranged with First Baptist Church to have your child sponsored, type GRACE in the promo code and it will waive the fee.  But we still need you to go through the online registration process.  Thank You.

MORE INFO COMING SOON, BUT HERE IS SOME PRELIMINARY INFO:

• Check in will be at 4:00 on Friday – October 23 (We’ll get started at 5:00)
• D-Now will conclude following our Sunday morning worship service at noon
• All parents are invited and encouraged to come to the final Sunday worship service @ 10:30 Sunday morning.
• Boys will be camping out in tents at the baseball field (Ball Field bathrooms – Bush Showers)
• Girls will be in host homes
• Kids will get wet and dirty at times
• Students will receive a D-Now T-shirt on Saturday night to wear Sunday
• We try to be careful (we will be taking temperatures upon arrival, and watching kids) but we do not enforce COVID-19 restrictions, all of that is left to the parent.
• We will honor your request for your child.  For example if you tell us you want them wearing a mask, we’ll make sure they do it.

PACKING LIST FOR D-NOW (always prepare for the elements – rain, cold, etc. – especially for boys)

• Bible and Pen
• NO ELECTRONICS
• BOYS: Prepare to camp in tents (cot or sleeping bag and pillow, possibly an extra blanket, bug spray, flashlight)
• Boys will be using bush showers (yes, hot water heated in a barrel, it’s great)
• GIRLS: Prepare to stay in host homes
• Toiletries (toothbrush, soap, shampoo, etc.)
• Towels (1 for showering, 1 for wet games)
• Old clothes (Saturday afternoon offers graffiti wall painting and paintball)
• Sunscreen, shoes you can run in,  prepare for cool evenings or wet weather
• Appropriate Clothes (nothing formal, but everything modest)
• A pair of jeans for Sunday morning worship (we’ll provide a D-Now T-shirt)
• Good attitude

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Going To Church
Psalms 84
September 27, 2020

“Let’s Go To Church”
• It was a common phrase in our home growing up.
• It’s just something we did.

I know we didn’t make every service or every function, but missing certainly wasn’t the norm.
• I grew up on Sunday School, Big Church, Training Union, and Big Church again.
• Wednesday nights were RA’s and Mission Friends along with a meal.
• Summers were VBS and eventually youth trips.
• We attended every night of the Fall and Spring revivals.
• We came to every Lay Renewal that was scheduled.

As kids we didn’t always appreciate that commitment.
As a kid church was never designed to be flashy,
It was supposed to be reverent.

As a result, as kids, we didn’t like church all that much.
• We appreciated the occasional hand bell choir or Lord’s Supper
• To break up what seemed like pointless monotony
• But otherwise church was routine and boring.

And as my generation grew up we’ve seen a decline in church attendance.

I remember as a teenager talking to my 70ish year old pastor about the day when his church scheduled their first half-week revival as opposed to the week-long versions he was used to.

The church decided to stop the revival on Wednesday night because Thursday and Friday night football had routinely squashed late week attendance.

He told me how he went down to the church on Friday night, sat on the outside steps, and glared at everyone driving by to the football game.

We’ve seen it, that people quit wanting to go to church.

The reason of course is because we were in the flesh, not in the Spirit.
THE TRUE DRAW OF CHURCH
Was never supposed to be the gratification of the flesh,
But the satisfaction of a spiritual longing.

Non-believers aren’t supposed to have fun at church.
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.”

But, we’ve all, in one way or another seen how
“Going to church” has been losing its priority.

• Many churches no longer even attempt Sunday night services.
• Those that do see a dramatic fall off in attendance.
• The Live Stream we’ve offered scares me to death because of scattered comments I hear from people who say, “I just decided to watch from home”

I haven’t been nearly as concerned about government restrictions
As I have about apathetic responses from Christians who are ok with it.

Andy Stanley has not only canceled services until January, but has repeatedly stated that going to church is not necessary or even commanded by Jesus.

I’ve read far too many posts that say things like:
• “The Church has left the building”
• “We don’t need a building to be the church”

It is a more spiritualized version of what I heard my dad’s cowboy friends say for years growing up,
“I don’t believe you have to go to church to worship God”

Now, to be certain, not everything I just talked about is bad.

• The church certainly is not a building, it is the people.
• You can and should worship God everywhere.

But what seems to be forgotten in a lot of these circles is this.

1. The draw of going to church should have nothing to do with the
flesh and everything to do with the Spirit.

2. While we can worship Christ anywhere, it is clear that the intent,
and therefore greatest fulfillment comes when we gather together.

And just so we’re clear, the reason for the decline in church attendance
Has nothing to do with the church’s inability to entertain
And everything to do with unregenerate hearts
That don’t love Christ or His church.

I bring that up to you here in the introduction
Because TONIGHT we study the ultimate “Go to Church” Psalm.

There’s really not another like it.

It is dedicated to “the Sons of Korah”,
Who were of course the temple singers.

But it seems to be written by a man
• Who is presently not a part of the corporate assembly,
• But who terribly wants to be,
• And even prays for the strength of God to grant it.
And the simple truth he reminds us of in this great Psalm is that
Genuine believers genuinely love going to church.
And if they don’t, theirs is something desperately wrong.

Now, I would not pretend to be as pure or holy as the Psalmist here,
But I do understand the desire to be a part of corporate worship.
And I’m betting you do too.
• I miss it when we don’t have it.
• I miss it when everyone doesn’t come (especially in this COVID time)
• I missed it when we had to cancel for two weeks last month.

I understand his longing to return to worship.

Tonight, we simply work our way through it
And see the heart of a man who loves corporate worship.

Depending upon the position of your heart,
• This Psalm may encourage you,
• It may convict you, I don’t know,
• But it’s a great plumb line to look at from the heart of God.

There are 3 things we see here about our Psalmist.
#1 HIS DESIRE (to attend corporate worship)
Psalms 84:1-4

Our Psalmist begins with a mouthful regarding the joys of worship.

“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

Obviously we’re NOT talking about structural beauty here,
Even though the temple may have indeed been beautiful.

The Psalmist simply spoke of his desire to be where God dwells.
We understand what he means.

We are aware of what Solomon said when he built the temple.
1 Kings 8:27-29 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! “Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place.”

We understand what the Psalmist means by “dwelling places”.

This is the place where God caused His name to dwell.
• This was the place where His glory had moved in to rest.
• This was the appointed place where worship and atonement would occur.

So in the Psalmist’s mind,
This was the greatest location in the world to commune with God.

AND COMMUNING WITH GOD WAS THE GOAL.

Psalms 73:28 “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

Psalms 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”

Psalms 65:4 “How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.”

Like David and Asaph,
The Psalmist here also desires to be as near to God as possible.

He says, “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD”
• This wasn’t a desire for fleshly satisfaction.
• There was a longing and a craving in the soul that could only be satisfied here.

Of all the allurements and attractions the world could offer,
None could satisfy the inner most being like the presence of God.

His soul needed this.
His soul longed for worship.

But of course, who ever heard a soul?
Who ever saw a soul express anything?

That is why he says, “My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

His body rises up to allow his soul to express itself.

We see this implied in Ephesians 5.
Ephesians 5:18-20 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”

The filling of the Spirit was indicated by the outpouring of praise.

So it is with the Psalmist.
He simply has a desire to be where God is
And to allow his soul to be satisfied
With the one thing that truly satisfies it.

In fact, he longs for it so much that he has actually BECOME ENVIOUS.
(3-4) “The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah.”

• The Psalmist remembers the birds that live under the eve of the temple.
• He remembers how the swallow might come down and land upon God’s altar.
• He thinks of the temple servants and the custodians
• He thinks of the choir singers and priests who live on the grounds

Daily their job is be in the temple, and daily their language is praise,
And daily their soul is in full satisfaction.

Can you see that this man wants to be at the temple?

Derek Kidner pointed out a New Testament application.
He wrote, “The Christian equivalent is ‘love of the brethren’ who are individually and collectively God’s temple.”
(Kidner, Derek [Kidner Classic Commentaries; Psalms 73-150; IVP Academic; Downers Grove, IL; 1975] pg. 334)

What Kidner points out to us is that
• This Psalm takes on a whole new meaning when we realize that the Psalmist
didn’t long for a structure, but the fellowship of God’s dwelling.

• And since the dwelling of God is now the church, or even more accurately the
members of the church, the desire of the Psalmist is for the fellowship of
the saints.

Psalm 84 is not about a man wanting to climb a secluded mountain
So he can spend time alone in prayer,
It is the song of a man who wants to be near the temple of God,
Which today we know as the saints.

It is a hunger for corporate worship and fellowship.

A distinguishing mark of Christianity is love the brethren.
1 John 5:1 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”

In fact, John had just said:
1 John 4:20-21 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”

Beyond that, John even made it clear that
Those who did not endure in the fellowship were not genuine believers.

1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

John understood that Biblical Christianity includes a love for the saints.

That is not just a love at a distance, but a love that meets together.
• It is a love where we encourage one another.
• It is a love where we challenge one another.
• In Matthew 18 it is a love where we discipline one another.
• It is a love where we provide for one another.

There is certainly a desire to assemble together.
In fact the Greek word for church is EKKLASIA
It actually means “the assembly”

And the reason we love the assembly of the saints
Is because we are no longer in the flesh,
But we are those who are born again, children of God, spirit filled,
And who desire the fellowship of other redeemed saints.

It’s NEVER been about fleshly satisfaction.
It is about fellowship with those who share our ambition.

2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”

• We love to hear the word of God.
• We love to sing the praises of God.
• We share a common view of sin and holiness.

The corporate gathering of the church is a tremendous place of rest.
OF ALL THE PLACES WE GO DURING THE WEEK,
None of them are as fulfilling and as rewarding and as peaceful
And as joyful and restful as the assembly of the saints.

And when we’re not here, we long for it.
It is a soul satisfying fellowship with God through His people.

That is why the Psalmist has such a strong desire to be here.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, TO THAT I MUST SAY,
If your desire is not to be a part of a fellowship with the saints, then not only are you living in sin (because we’re commanded to do it)
But there is also a something way off in your heart.

What do we learn about the body of Christ from Paul?
• None of us have all the spiritual gifts do we?
• None of us can claim to be all the parts of the body can we?

No, regarding gifts:
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”

Paul would even say:
1 Corinthians 12:29-30 “All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?”

What am I driving at?
• You may certainly be able to pray on your own, sing on your own, study the Scripture on your own.
• And you certainly have all of the Holy Spirit.

But the Holy Spirit
Has chosen to reveal Himself differently in each believer,
And so in a sense, if you want to enjoy the fullness of who He is,
Then you’re going to have to fellowship with other believers.

We also know that regarding the parts of the body, we are all different.
1 Corinthians 12:17-19 “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be?”

You need what they offer.
You are incomplete without the body.

So, a believer who has decided that they can “worship God on their own”
And that they don’t need the fellowship of the saints
Is either foolish, deceived, or downright disobedient, and is arrogant.

True Believers Desire Corporate Worship
This Psalmist does.

The desire he has for corporate worship
#2 HIS ENDURANCE (to even arrive at corporate worship)
Psalms 84:5-8

He says, “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You”

So, he’s moved from praising to God to talking about the strength of God.
Why?

Because if he’s going to ever make it to the corporate worship,
He’s going to need the strength that God provides.

“How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!”

That is to say, he dreams of making the trip,
But he knows he’ll need God’s strength to do it.

I just wonder how many times in your life you’ve had to ask God for the physical strength to allow you to be able to attend worship?
• I know some of you have.
• I’ve seen many with physical ailments who sit in pain just to be here.
• Many however see any infirmity or sniffle at all to be justifiable reason.

Could you imagine?
• Wanting to go to church so badly,
• But realizing that the trip is physically beyond you,
• And so the only way you can do it is if God gives you the strength?

THIS PSALMIST IS PRAYING FOR THE PHYSICAL STRENGTH
TO BE ABLE TO COME.

WHY?
(6) “Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;”

“Baca” has a sort of concealed interpretation.
It likely either means “weeping” or “thirsty”

Either way, it speaks of a hard journey.

In fact, to get water, they have to dig their own springs.
“they make it a spring”

Now certainly, God in His providence,
Has been known to help them.
“The early rain also covers it with blessings.”

And hence you see why he’s praying.
• He’s going to have to pass through a difficult valley, with no water,
• And he either needs the strength to dig a well
• Or he needs God to send a rain and give him a puddle.

It’s a hard journey and he needs God’s strength to get there.

And he describes the journey like this:
(7) “They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion.”

“strength” is another interesting word.
• The Hebrew language has no vowels.
• Every word is just a series of consonants and vowels are added by interpreters.

The interesting thing is that the consonants for “strength” are the exact same as the consonants for “ramparts” which is a fortified wall.

And it may be that the Psalmist is speaking of
The great struggle of passing over wall after wall
Or hurdle after hurdle to get here.

• It’s not an easy journey.
• It’s a difficult trip through a barren valley and over many walls.
• It is not for the faint of heart, and so he needs God’s strength.

See his prayer?
(8) “O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah”

That is him begging God for the strength
To be able to go to corporate worship.

Those of you who went to Malawi
Are likely already thinking about our Malawian brothers and sisters.

On Sunday and Monday we had days packed with worship services and preaching.
They were going on in two different locations and we would switch locations at noon.

We were told that Pastor Felix’s congregation from Mozambique would not be there on Monday because in order to come for Sunday they had had to borrow bicycles.

This was so that they could make the 80 mile ride over a mountain to get to church, but they had to return the bicycles and so they would have to leave Monday morning.

And then surprised to see that they loved the services so much that after sleeping on a concrete patio all night, they had decided to stay until lunch and risk getting home after dark.

And then, even further, we see Pastor Felix show up at the afternoon service to hear a sermon he’d already heard once one more time.

Do you think they prayed about the journey?
• God, provide bicycles so we can go…
• God, give our leg’s strength to make it…
• God, keep us safe as we travel at night…
• God, watch over my flock as they leave without me…

Do you understand what these people went through
Just to be able come to corporate worship?

And their story isn’t even strange in Malawi.

What about the UNDERGROUND CHURCH that meets under threat of punishment?

We often read:
Hebrews 10:24-25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

That’s an easy passage for us to read because
• Most of us drive cars to church,
• When we get here we sit on padded pews
• With air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.

Hebrews was written around AD 64.
Incidentally, it was AD 64 when Rome burned and Nero blamed it on Christians
And started feeding them to the lions.

Do you understand why some of them had gotten in the habit of skipping the assembly?
And still the writer of Hebrews called them back.

CONSIDER THE EARLY CHURCH.
• All of these Jews show up at Pentecost.
• 5,000 of them are saved.
• There is only 1 church in the entire world.
• The apostles and their preaching is in 1 location.
• If you want to hear the teaching of Jesus, you have to be in Jerusalem.

But people didn’t bring enough money to stay.
Where would all these travelers lodge?
What would all these travelers eat?

The cost and inconvenience of corporate worship would be high.
The cost of the assembly would be steep.

What do we read?
Acts 2:43-47 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

• They didn’t have a building so they commandeered the temple.
• They didn’t have a fellowship hall so they met from house to house.
• They didn’t have a bank account so they started selling property.

Acts 4:32-35 “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

How important was corporate worship to them?

Notice not a single citizen of Jerusalem, when asked to sell property, or feed the multitude said, “Why don’t you send them home, after all, you can worship God anywhere.”

There was priority here, even though it was hard.
They endured obstacles to have worship.

That is what the Psalmist prayed for.
I want to be a part of corporate worship, but I need strength just to get there.

That’s loving the assembly isn’t it?

The desire he has for corporate worship
The endurance he shows to attend corporate worship
#3 HIS SATISFACTION (from participating in corporate worship)
Psalms 84:9-12

Now he has arrived.
• He has entered the temple.
• He has made it to worship.

And it also begins with a prayer.
“Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed.”

In other words,
“I’m here to fellowship with You, please fellowship with me.”

• It’s not a desire for entertainment.
• He doesn’t come in wanting to know if there’s coffee of pizza.
• He just wants fellowship with God.

That’s the attraction church.

(10) “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

The implications here are rich.
He traveled all this way, through all this hardship, because he longed for worship.

How long is it implied that he gets to stay?
• “a day”
• He says “a day in Your courts”

You rode a borrowed bicycle 80 miles over a mountain
To spend “a day” in church?

Yep.

And if that’s not enough, when he got there all the SEATS WERE TAKEN.
“I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

So you didn’t even get a seat?

Those who went to Malawi are thinking about those ladies who rode from Mozambique who couldn’t even squeeze in the room,
But had to set outside and listen through the window.

That’s what the Psalmist indicates.
All I could do was stand at the threshold and listen.

And don’t you love it,
It was better than anything I could have gotten from this world.

And we live in a day when people skip church for anything.
• I’m tired,
• I went to Lubbock,
• I went fishing,
• I was playing golf,
• The superbowl was on

I don’t talk a lot about attendance.
It’s always felt a little self-serving and maybe even legalistic to harp on it.

But honestly, what runs through my mind
When people aren’t interested in meeting with God’s people
Every chance they get is,
“What’s wrong with you?”

Do you really find more satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy in the tents of Baal than you do in the household of God?

Is a television program or sporting event or anything this world offers really as much a satisfaction to your soul as fellowshipping with the saints?

I can tell you it’s not for this Psalmist.

(11-12) “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”

“a sun and shield” – that is all that is positive and all that is protective.
• Heat
• Life
• Protection

“The LORD gives grace and glory”

Where else can you get those things?
• Do you know any other market for grace?
• Do you know any other market for glory?

“No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
• Is there any other worldly entertainment that can promise you every good thing?
• When did God ever cheat you out of something good?

It is amazing to me how little corporate worship
Seems to mean to the children of God.

The Psalmist says that corporate worship for the redeemed is a blessing.

In fact, he said it THREE TIMES in the Psalm.
(4) “How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!”
(5) “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You.”
(12) “How blessed is the man who trusts in You.”

Where else do you get that?

• This Psalmist didn’t need entertainment.
• This Psalmist didn’t need comfort.
• This Psalmist didn’t need a seat.
All he needed was to be in God’s house with God’s people
And it was the full satisfaction of his soul.

• To be where all the spiritual gifts are manifest among the congregation.
• To be where all the parts of the body of Christ can come together.
• To be where in one accord the entire room is in agreement that Christ deserves glory.
• To be where Christ’s word is proclaimed, and loved, and seized, and praised.
• To be where passions align
• To be where eternal hope is common
• To be where sin is not acceptable
• To be where holiness is the goal

Where else in the world can you be and enjoy that?

And if it’s available to me for 7 or 8 hours a week,
Then I want to be a part of every one of them.

Because nothing this world offers
Can compare with the corporate worship
And fellowship of the saints.

• We desire it when we aren’t there.
• We endure hardship to be there.
• Because we are satisfied in the soul when we are.

“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

Download Here:

The Coming War of Jesus – Part 3
Luke 21:5-36 (20-28)
September 27, 2020

As you know we are currently in the middle of Luke’s version of “The Olivet Discourse”.

• It is a sermon prompted by a question from the disciples.
• And it is the longest recorded answer Jesus ever gave to any question.

On one hand it is certainly PROPHETIC in the sense that Jesus does here give indications of what is coming in the end.

On the other hand is very PRACTICAL as it is filled with warnings for today.

That is one of the real beauties of having more than one gospel account.

While the gospel writers each recorded the works and teaching of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was able to use each writer in different ways to confer different points to us.

It is clear that the answer and sermon of Jesus
Hit the various writers differently,
And you see those distinctive differences in the gospels they wrote.

Matthew’s gospel
• Very much focuses on the events and timeline of the end.
• His version is by far the most informative for the “end times” enthusiast.
• And so his version is probably the most widely studied as well.

Luke’s version is different.
• And I would again point out that he’s not trying to make the same point that
Matthew made.

Luke’s purpose was made clear the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem.

While ALL THE SYNOPTIC GOSPEL WRITERS include some version of this Olivet Discourse and the revelation of Jesus that the temple would be destroyed.

Luke focused in on that reality more than any other.
• He is the only gospel writer to reveal that Jesus not only revealed it to His disciples on the Mount of Olives,
• But that He also announced it to His entire crowd of followers at the Triumphal Entry.

Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

That announcement from Jesus, that only Luke recorded,
Has really been the point that Luke has not let go of.

We know what happened next.
• Jesus cleared the temple.
• Jesus set up shop in the temple preaching the gospel.
• Most of his preaching was warnings of rejected repentance, rejection of the Son, failure to meet God’s standard, and impending judgment.
• And then Jesus exposed the false religious leaders.

ONE MIGHT SAY
Jesus ANNOUNCED judgment on Monday.
He BEGAN judgment on Tuesday.
He EXPLAINED judgment on Wednesday.

And now He has left the temple
And the disciples seem to have missed the point.

Because the first thing they do is point out to Him
How beautiful the temple is with all its precious stones.

Jesus announced that this temple was not beautiful to Him.
• It was but yet another example of hypocritical false religion.
• It was beautiful on the outside, but inside it was full of corruption.

And for the SECOND TIME IN 3 DAYS
Jesus announced that He was going to see it torn down.

The disciples of course had two questions.
(7) “Teacher, WHEN therefore will these happen? And WHAT will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

Those questions sparked this Olivet Discourse.
But before Jesus ever answered their question,
HE FIRST GAVE THREE WARNINGS.

#1 DON’T BE DECEIVED BY OPPORTUNISTS
Luke 21:8

• There will be plenty of people who will use your curiosity about the end to captivate you and deceive you.
• We saw the discouraging effects of that with the Thessalonians who were shaken from their composure because someone told them they had missed the rapture and were under God’s judgment.

#2 DON’T BE DISMAYED BY ORDINARY THINGS
Luke 21:9-11

• Jesus spoke of wars and earthquakes and famines.
• And He mentioned them because those things typically serve as the evidence used by the false prophets to convince you of the end.

People see a WAR and tell you it’s “the end”
People see an EARTHQUAKE and say “it’s the end”
People see a VIRUS or a CORRUPT LEADER and say “it’s the end”

I was approached Thursday by a pastor who asked me if we were going to do anything in regard to the event called “The Return”?

He said it was a massive prayer rally being held in Washington D.C., praying for the repentance of the church, that was being held Friday and Saturday.

Certainly I looked into it, because I’m a fan of prayer
And I certainly think the church is need of repentance.

When I looked at it I found the key note speaker was a man named: Jonathan Cahn.
• If you don’t know him, he has written 3 books, the first called “The Harbinger”
where he takes Isaiah 9:10-11 and claims that he has unlocked the mystery.

• That America is the new Israel, that 9/11 was prophesied in Isaiah 9:10 and he
goes on to claim to have seen the fall of Wall-Street, etc.

That’s precisely the thing Jesus was warning against.
A man who captivates millions by taking a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other and convincing people he’s got an answer regarding “the end”.

Jesus warned us about those people.
And the reason for the warning is because they either DISCOURAGE the church,
Like they did with the Thessalonians,
Or at the very least they DISTRACT the church from her true calling.

And the church’s true calling is to preach the gospel.

Which was the 3rd warning the Lord gave.
#3 DON’T BE DISTRACTED BY OPPRESSION
Luke 21:12-19

Jesus told of coming persecution, hatred, and betrayal.

But He was very clear about our position on such things.
• Persecution was NOT to turn us into political activists.
• Being hated was NOT to motivate us into civil revolt or disobedience.

Jesus said that our persecution was an OPPORTUNITY
(13-15) “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.”

His point was clear.
Don’t be distracted by the timing and events of the end;
Be focused on your mission to preach the gospel.

Matthew’s gospel actually says:
Matthew 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

And I would remind you again this morning of the warnings of Jesus.
• Keep your foundation.
• Keep your perspective.
• Don’t get distracted.

But now, having issued the warning, Jesus will answer the question.

And in doing so HE RETURNS TO THEME.
And the theme is the very one He announced on Monday
When He entered the city.

THERE IS A WAR COMING.
It is a war on His enemies.
It is a time of destruction coming for those who rejected Him.

So after warning the disciples He now gets back to that theme
And answers their specific questions of “When” and “What”.

#4 DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY OBLITERATION
Luke 21:20-28

Now we see the questions being answered.
(20) “But when…”
That is the answer to the first question.

(25) “There will be…”
That is the answer to the second question.

And we could certainly combine Luke’s gospel with Matthew’s
And turn this in to a detailed description the timeline of the end.

BUT I FEAR TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO MISS LUKE’S POINT.
If you want that detailed description, go on the website and pull up the sermons on Matthew 24, that’s exactly Matthew’s point.

But as I mentioned, Luke’s point is different.
Luke’s point is to sound the alarm
Of the danger of missing the day of your visitation.

That is what Jesus announced when He entered Jerusalem,
And that is what Luke picked up on as Jesus answered this question.

Take a quick survey of this text this morning
And you’ll see what I’m talking about.

(20) “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.”
It is another announcement (3rd if you’re counting) when Jesus speaks of a coming desolation of Israel.

(22) “because these are days of vengeance”
This coming desolation, just as He warned when He entered the city will come because His people did not recognize their visitation.

(24) “Jerusalem will be trampled under food by the Gentiles”
It is another warning of the peril that awaits.

(27) “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.”
• After this time of desolation…
• After this time of vengeance…
• After this time of trampling…
• After all the devastation of the end…

Then those who failed to see Jesus the first time will finally see Him.

THAT’S THE POINT.
Do you see that?

LUKE’S MAIN GOAL in including this sermon IS NOT to answer all your questions about the end; go to Matthew’s gospel for that.

Luke’s objective is to show you the tremendous danger
In failing to see Jesus and trust in Him.

Luke wants you to see
That rejecting Jesus is not an option that you should choose, because you will eventually see Him, and you will bow to Him,
But the question is if you will bow willingly or with broken knees?

TURN TO: PSALMS 2
You are likely familiar as David sings of the rejection of God’s authority and of God’s anointed.

(READ 1-3) – There is the account of those who refuse to submit to God’s King.

(READ 4-6) – There is God’s response to their foolish rebellion.

(READ 7-9) – There is God’s promise that all will bow to His King.

(READ 10-12) – There is David’s plea that you bow now and not later.

That is the exact point that Luke is showing us here
As he records the answer of Jesus.

• Don’t be like the religious leaders who rejected the baptism of John.
• Don’t be like the renters of the vineyard who killed the Son.
• Don’t be like the Chief priests who didn’t render to God what was God’s.
• Don’t be like the Sadducees who were not prepared to stand before God.
• Don’t be like the Scribes who chose their own goodness over Christ’s.

All that will do is land you in judgment,
And in the end, you’re going to bow anyway.

THAT IS LUKE’S FOCUS.

So let’s work our way through this text.

(20) “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.”

We’ve talked about the Preterist view
• Which holds that all the prophecies concerning the end were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
• We discussed how that was false back when studied Luke 12:41.
• And so naturally when studying Luke’s gospel, they read this verse and say, “This is in reference to the Roman attack”

And they’ll read verse 21
(21) “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city.”

And THEY’LL NOTE that when Rome attacked Jerusalem those things happened.
• People in the city did flee.
• People in the country stayed out of the city.

The problem with that is the rest of Scripture makes it clear
That on this day Jesus was speaking of more than just that event.

We aren’t studying Matthew’s gospel here,
But the cross-reference is very important and informative.

Matthew 24:15-18 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.”

Luke doesn’t include it because it’s not his main point,
But looking at Matthew does help us answer the question.

The “desolation” Jesus is referring to here
Is what Matthew and Daniel called “the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION”.

Daniel 8, 9, and 11 all reference this coming abomination.
• Daniel gives the historical accounts of Greece
• And ultimately a man named Antiochus Epiphenes
• Who attacked Jerusalem and set up an altar of Zeus in the temple and
sacrificed a pig on the altar.

And Daniel said that event was a foreshadowing of the coming Anti-Christ
Who would commit similar abominations.

I will read you one passage.
Daniel 9:24-27 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

You recognize the first part of that passage
Because we looked at it when Jesus entered the city.
• Daniel prophesied the 69 weeks to the day of when Jesus would be rejected
by His people.
• That left one final week or 7.
• That is Jacob’s 70th week and it is the 7 year tribulation which is to come.

And during that time you will have a world ruler emerge who will make a firm covenant with Israel, but at the half-way point will commit the abomination of desolation, break his covenant, and seek to destroy Israel.

Even though Luke doesn’t mention it,
That is the event that Jesus is referring to here.

The “armies” that are surrounding Jerusalem are his armies.

But Luke’s goal is NOT to give you details about whose army,
But rather to make sure you understand THE MAIN POINT.

THIS IS THE MAIN POINT
Because Israel failed to recognize here time of visitation
She is going to be made desolate.

There is a war coming.
You don’t reject Christ without consequences.

AND IT’S GOING TO BE BAD,
The only way anyone will survive is to flee.
(21) “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city;”

And just in case you are still failing to get the point of all of this,
LUKE RECORDS IT AGAIN.

(22) “because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.”

• Why is Jesus allowing Jerusalem to be destroyed?
• Why is Jesus allowing her desolation?
• Why is Jesus forcing her inhabitants to flee in terror?

VENGEANCE

Psalms 2:4-6 “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

You don’t get to reject God’s King.

When Jesus gave the parable of the vineyard where those vine-growers killed the Son.
Matthew 21:40-41 “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

Romans 12:19b “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”

Isaiah 59:18 “According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.”

It is the coming time of God’s retribution.

TURN TO: 2 THESSALONIANS 2
We’ve talked about how the Thessalonians were deceived by this letter saying the day of the Lord had come.

Well Paul here straightens them out.
(READ 3-5) – Paul reminds that before the end you’re going to have the abomination of desolation where the anti-Christ declares himself to be god.

(READ 6-8) – Right now he is restrained (not allowed to rule) by the Holy Spirit, but there is coming a day when the Spirit will allow him to do so.

(READ 9-12) – And there you see why God is allowing/doing all of this.

God is going to raise up a deceiver and cause people to be deceived
As a punishment for not receiving the truth.

Do you know what you call that?
VENGEANCE

It is God repaying evil men for rejecting His truth,
Rejecting His Son, and rejecting His salvation.

(23) “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people.”

Really? Even pregnant women under wrath?
YES because they rejected Christ.

There will be great “wrath to this people.”
• There is no partiality with God.
• There is no omitting judgment due to pregnancy or old age or whatever.

(24) “and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive to all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under food by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

It’s going to be a horrible time of judgment on those who rejected Christ.

The answer Jesus gives there
Must have been the real “punch in the gut” to the disciples.

The “time of the Gentiles” began when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
• Israel has not known peace in her borders since that day.
• And that is why the disciples keep asking if “now is the time”?

And the answer is, “No”, now is not the time.
Jerusalem has been trampled under foot by Gentiles
And IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRAMPLED under food by Gentiles
Because they did not recognize their Savior and King.

They will remain under wrath
They will remain under vengeance
They will remain under foot

And they will stay there “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

That is the answer to the “When” question.

The disciples want to know when this judgment is coming,
And Jesus says until Israel receives the vengeance
She deserves for rejecting Christ.

Now do you understand why Peter begged the Jews to repent?
Acts 3:19-21 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”

Peter was begging the Jews to return to Christ so that He would return to them because he knew the vengeance that was coming.

Matthew 24:21-22 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

IT’S GOING TO BE SO BAD THAT
The only way anyone will escape is by the sovereign prerogative of God.

BUT JESUS STILL ISN’T DONE.
• The disciples also wanted to know “And what will be the sign when these
things are about to take place?”

So Jesus answers that question too.
(25-26) “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

THIS IS A 2 VERSE SYNOPSIS
Of the coming tribulation and destructions you read about there.

You are familiar with the timeline of the Revelation.
• There are 7 seals that are opened.
• The 7th seal ushers in 7 trumpets that are blown.
• The 7th trumpet announces 7 bowls that will be poured out.

Each of the seals, trumpets, and bowls unleashes with it another judgment,
And many of them are judgments that are revealed in “sun and moon and stars, and on the earth”… “the roaring of the sea and waves” etc.

For example.
At the 1st trumpet (Rev. 8:1) – 1/3 of the earth is burned.
At the 2nd trumpet (Rev. 8:8-9) – 1/3 of the sea turns to blood.
At the 3rd trumpet (Rev. 8:10-11) – 1/3 of the fresh water turns bitter.
At the 4th trumpet (Rev. 8:12) – 1/3 of the sun goes dark
At the 5th trumpet (Rev. 9) – demons are released on earth and men try to die.
At the 6th trumpet (Rev. 9) – 4 death angels are turned loose that kill 1/3 of humanity.

When you get to the bowls, it only gets worse.

The 1st bowl (Rev. 16:2) – gives men a loathsome sore
The 2nd bowl (Rev. 16:3) – turns all the sea to blood
The 3rd bowl (Rev. 16:4) – turns all the water to blood
The 4th bowl (Rev. 16:8-9) – the sun begins to burn men
The 5th bowl (Rev. 16:10-11) – the kingdom of anti-christ is darkened
The 6th bowl (Rev. 16:12) – God calls His enemies to a place of war
The 7th bowl (Rev. 17:17-19:11) – brings Armageddon and the return of Christ.

It is nothing but pure and utter vengeance.
• It will cause men to fear and to faint.
• The O.T. repeatedly says they will writhe like women in labor.

When Daniel saw it, he said:
Daniel 8:27 “Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.”

It will be a horrible time of vengeance for all those who refuse to repent and trust in Christ. It is the day of His great wrath.

• He will come and declare war on this temple and upon all His enemies.
• He will allow them to be deceived.
• He will allow them to be attacked.

It is the punishment for refusing to repent and to trust in Him.

And rest assured, they may have refused to see Him the first time,
BUT THEY WILL SEE HIM THE SECOND TIME.

(27) “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.”

Revelation 1:7 “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

It will be a time of distress and wrath for those who rejected Him.

But at the same time, it will be the great day of salvation for Israel.
Because God will use this time, to punish, to purify,
And ultimately to bring them back to Him.

TURN TO: ZECHARIAH 12

The first 9 verses describe the very wars and attacks that will occur on Jerusalem.
And yet, despite their great punishment, you see that God still preserves Israel.
(READ 1-9)

And through all of this tribulation and desolation.
We come to a final and great promise.
(READ 10-14)

It is through this great tribulation that God will save Israel.
He will use this to cause them to look to Christ.
He will use this to cause them to finally see Him.

That is what is going on in the Coming War of Jesus
• It is a great day of distress.
• It is a great day of desolation.
• It is the wrath of God on those who rejected Him.

• He is going to use these events to crush the idols of their hearts.
• He is going to use these events to break the foolish pride.
• He is going to use these events to remove their self-sufficiency.
• He is going to use these events to expose their useless religion.

AND THEN, THEY WILL SEE HIM.

And you see why Jesus wept as He announced this.
• How much easier would it have been if they had only repented at His coming?
• How much easier would it have been if they had bowed instead of Him having to break their knees?

Now, at this point, one can only imagine
HOW BIG THE EYES OF THE DISCIPLES ARE.
I’m not sure they were ready for that answer.

Perhaps there is even fear and trembling in them as He answers.
Perhaps these things even bring fear to you.

So pay special attention to verse 28.
(28) “But when these things begin to take place straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

This wrath is NOT for those who have trusted Christ.
This wrath is NOT for those who believe in Him.

• Yes, His followers will be persecuted.
• Yes, His followers will suffer.
• But their suffering is at the hands of the enemy who hates Christ.

The suffering Jesus spoke of here
Is the vengeance and wrath of God
And that is not for those who believe in Christ.

Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”

Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

(Is that verse clearer now?)

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”

Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

WHAT IS THE POINT?
The day Jesus speaks of here is indeed a day of great dread,
But not if you are in Christ.

This is the day of God’s wrath on His enemies.

And if you’ll remember, for those who are in Christ,
God already poured our portion of this wrath on Jesus on the cross.

Matthew 27:45-46 “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Those in Christ have nothing to fear.
We don’t dread this day,
We “straighten up and lift up [our] heads”.
This is the day of our redemption.

And so the point here is:
DON’T BE DISCOURAGED BY OBLITERATION.

There is a lot of wrath going to be poured out on the end,
But if you are in Christ, you need not fear it.

If however, you are not in Christ,
• Then you need to know that the wrath of God abides on you,
• And if you learn nothing else from this passage, you should learn that you do not want to face it.

God is a God of vengeance.
• He punishes His enemies.
• He laughs at those who rebel.
• And He ultimately breaks the knees of those who won’t bow.

The Psalmist closed with an invitation, it would be fitting here as well.
Psalms 2:10-11 “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.”

Download Here:

Asaph’s Imprecatory Prayer
Psalms 83
September 20, 2020

Tonight we conclude the Psalms of Asaph.
They have been a unique and enlightening group of songs.

I personally love them because they are so packed with Asaph’s raw and honest emotion.
• From the great 73rd where he expresses his near apostasy.
• To the lengthy 78th where he laments Israel’s stubbornness.
• Even to the 82nd which we saw last week where he sings a warning to corrupt judges.

I often times can identify with his raw emotion and passion.

And it is only fitting that Asaph also include his own imprecatory Psalm.

You are certainly familiar with the imprecatory theme by now.
You may even find it surprising
That there are so many Psalms included in the Old Testament
In which God’s wrath is called down upon the enemies of Israel.

It remains a mystery to me how the church today
Can so easily overlook them or dismiss them
As outdated, unnecessary, or even unchristian.

I, for one, certainly believe that the church robs herself of a great blessing
In tossing these Psalms to the gutter as that which should not be prayed.

They are the perfect expression of righteous indignation.

Psalms 5:10 “Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You.”

Psalms 10:15 “Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.”

Psalms 58:6 “O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD.”

Psalms 59:13 “Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more; That men may know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah.”

And as you are now well-aware, those are just the tip of the iceberg.
The book of Psalms is filled with such prayers.

• As those who do not take our own revenge.
• As those who must respond with a blessing to our cursing enemies
• As those who turn the other cheek and go the extra mile.
• As those who submit to our governing authorities.

It is a refreshing blessing to know that there is a divine outlet
Where we may unleash the righteous fury which fills our hearts.

• How else are we to deal with the inward anger of injustice?
• How else are we to deal with the frustration of evil around us?
• How else are we to deal with the discouragement of apathy?

While it might feel nice at times to be like Nehemiah
Who looked upon the returning refugees who fell into sin
And cursed them, struck them in the face, and pulled out their hair,
WE ARE EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN AGAINST SUCH THINGS.

Instead we lay our frustrations at the feet of a righteous Judge.
We lay our indignation before the Holy One.

He alone has the right to judge.
He alone has the right to deal with the wicked.

And there is such safety in this for us.
For if I deal out my own revenge there is a very great possibility that my revenge will be unjust.
• There is certainly a chance that my reasons are selfish or my judgment is
unwarranted.
• Perhaps I don’t know all the facts…
• Perhaps I wrongly read the situation…
• Perhaps in my haste my motives were wrong…

None of us wants to be like James and John
Who would call down fire upon the Samaritans for failing to give lodging.

And so the great safeguard for us is that
In our frustration we lay our request at the feet of God
Who can rightly judge the situation, rightly judge our motive,
And then rightly respond to the situation.

I love the imprecatory Psalms.
I have grown to find great comfort in expressing them to God
When our world falls into godless chaos.

Now, at the same time it is important that Christ’s church
Understand the PURPOSE behind them & REASON for praying them.

And tonight we owe a debt to Asaph
For helping us understand the deepest motive behind such prayers.

And just to go ahead and kill any suspense,
There is but ONE REASON why we should ever pray such a prayer,

And that is for the glory of God.

• We DO NOT call down judgment on an enemy because he has upset our routine.
• We DO NOT ask God to smite the wicked because he has robbed me of my comfort.
• We DO NOT beseech God to crush our enemies because our life is hard.

That has never been the purpose.
That has never been the reason.

The SOLE REASON for asking God to rise up and deal with the wicked
Is that God might be glorified as God.

The truest imprecatory prayer has at its center
A frustration that God is not honored as He ought to be honored.

This is the lone reason for such a prayer,
And Asaph makes that abundantly clear tonight.

In fact, go ahead and fast-forward to the end of the Psalm.
(16-18) “Fill their faces with dishonor, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, And let them be humiliated and perish, That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.”

The motive is very clearly stated.
• “That they may seek Your name, O LORD”
• “That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the
Most High over all the earth.”

Our Sunday school class has been studying Daniel.
• We can hear such similarity here
• As we recently saw God deal with Nebuchadnezzar and the rulers of Babylon
• Who had had such disdain for God that they actually invaded His temple, stole His utensils, burned His city,
• And then used His objects of worship in the worship of other gods.

Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream of a tree
Which was chopped down and bound for 7 years.

Daniel made the dream clear:
Daniel 4:24-26 “this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. ‘And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.”

Nebuchadnezzar did not listen and wrath from heaven was poured upon him.
Daniel 4:28-33 “All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. “Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ “While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ “Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”

After the period of 7 years was over:
Daniel 4:37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

What happened to Nebuchadnezzar
Is what Asaph prays will happen to the enemies of God.

Years later Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson Belshazzar was on the throne.
• He was well aware of his grandfather’s life lesson.
• He was well aware of God’s expectation of glory.
• And yet Belshazzar chose to throw a party with God’s golden utensils and worship false gods.

Daniel 5:17-22 “Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. “O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. “Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. “But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. “He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. “Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,”

And you’ll remember as a result he saw the handwriting on the wall
And was killed that very night.

WHAT IS THE POINT?
• These men were not judged for conquering Israel.
• These men were not judge for exiling God’s children.
• That was actually the very plan of God.

These men were judged for failing to glorify God.
• That was the slight.
• That was the problem.

We’ve read it countless times in Romans 1; the great sin of humanity.

Romans 1:21 “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

And it is THIS RESPONSE of humanity
That CAUSES US TO RISE AND PRAY for the justice of God.

Asaph knows that, and tonight he has left us a jewel of an example
Of what such a prayer looks like.

First let me give you the setting.

TURN TO: 2 CHRONICLES 20:1-12
• You see that here that Israel is under siege by a confederation of her enemies.
• Jehoshaphat offers one of the famous prayers of scripture.
• Concluding with, (12) “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

If you want to insert Psalms 83 into the narrative,
I personally like placing it between verses 12 & 13.

Because in verse 13 a descendent of Asaph
(perhaps the author of this Psalm)
Arises with an encouraging word from God.

(READ 13-17)

And if you want to see how the event ended up…
(READ 22-23)

Those armies turned on themselves and killed each other.
No can be certain, but the context seems very fitting for the 83rd Psalm.

So here we are.
Let’s break the Psalm down into 5 points tonight.
#1 THE DESPERATE CRY
Psalms 83:1

We don’t have to spend much time here,
But it is too wonderful and important to not single out.

“O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.”

Many times in our lives it seems as though God is nothing more than a token deity to us.
• He’s the God we pray to for sure…
• He’s the God we sing to…
• He’s the God we worship on Sundays…
• He’s the God we give money to…

But there are times in our lives
When even though we go through all those motions,
We feel like we have a handle on things
Whether God would move or not.

• We have our plans…
• We have our abilities…
• We have our security…
• We’ve checked every scenario…

• If God moves today, fine.
• If God doesn’t do anything today, fine.
• If God just sort of kicks back and takes a nap, fine.

Now certainly we know that we would not survive 1 second apart from the constant intervention of God since in Him we live and move and exist.

But you understand how at times
Our desperation point can be considerably low
And we can become so self-sufficient
That it matters not to us if God does something.

That is NOT Asaph’s belief.
• If God just sits there…
• If God says nothing…
• If God is apathetic…

THIS THING IS OVER
He is in a place of great desperation.

He is aware of the peril, he is aware of the danger,
He is aware of his own weakness,
And he is aware that God is his only hope.

GOD MUST MOVE.
Silence and complacency are not an option.

WHY?
#2 THE DEADLY CONFEDERACY
Psalms 83:2-8

You saw them in 2 Chronicles 20.
• It’s as if all the enemies of Israel have joined together at once to try and finish her for good.

But notice that is not how Asaph lists them.
• Asaph doesn’t reckon them to be the enemies of Israel.
• Asaph sees them as the enemies of God.

“For behold, YOUR ENEMIES make an uproar, And THOSE WHO HATE YOU have exalted themselves.”

It is what we spoke of this morning.
The hatred expressed against God’s people
Is only because they are God’s people.

John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

And, as we said this morning,
The only reason they attack God’s people is because they can’t get to God

(3-4) “They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

The goal is to completely exterminate God’s people from the earth.
• How happy the wicked would be today if they could put a permanent end to Christianity
• And stop the nagging call for repentance and demand that God’s righteousness be observed.

These wicked hate God.
These wicked hate God’s ordinances.
And so these wicked hate the people who proclaim them.

And in that hatred they have found unity.
They could not get along for any other reason,
But they can unify if it’s for the destruction of God’s people.

Luke 23:12 “Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.”

• What else could bring enemies like Herod and Pilate together but the murder of Jesus?
• What else could bring enemies like Pharisees and Sadducees together but the murder of Jesus?

Acts 4:27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,”

Herod, Pilate, Gentiles, Israelites.
They were all enemies of one another
Unless they could come together to oppose the righteous one.

The same is seen here.
(5) “For they have conspired together with one mind; AGAINST YOU they make a covenant.”

AND WHO ARE THEY?
(6-8) “The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have become a help to the children of Lot. Selah.”

Most of them we recognize.
There is wicked “Edom”
• Who first despised their birthright and then despised the one who received it.
• They are the ones who found no place for repentance, though they sought for it with tears.

We see also the rejected “Ishmaelites”
• The very picture of works based religion.
• The one who mocked the child of the promise and God commanded to be sent away.

There are the children of incest “Moab” and “Ammon”,
• The children of Lot and the defilers of Israel who thought it wise to hire Balaam to curse the children of Israel
• And if that would not work, would seek to defile them with immorality.

There is “Amalek”
• The father of Agag, the wicked king of the world who tempted Saul and who Samuel hacked to pieces.

We see the infamous children of “Philistia”,
• The notorious bullies of Israel, who only hated truth and righteousness and sought more than once to snuff it out, even at one point stealing the ark of God.

And there is “Tyre” with them,
• Those back-stabbing traitors who furnished the very wood for the temple they now attack.
• Soldiers for hire who only love this world and who have no convictions beyond what will make them rich.

And we spot “Assyria”,
• Perhaps the silent funders of all this evil, who have brought these men together.
• Indeed the one who will one day conquer all of them together, but today using them to destroy Israel.

None of them are true allies unless they can unite against the true God.
It seems every enemy has come at once
To annihilate the witness of God from the earth.

And Asaph has thus told God, He cannot sit this one out.
This is a deadly confederacy.

#3 THE DOCUMENTED CASES
Psalms 83:9-12

I love Asaph, because not only does he ask God to arise,
But he also reminds God of the type of deliverance that he is looking for.

Asaph pulls from the history books of Israel
Two unique times of deliverance.

These two incidents have this in common.
• They were unlikely victories for Israel because in each scenario Israel was incredibly weak and the enemy was incredibly strong.
• And in both cases, God not only routed the enemy, but did so in a way that shamed them.

Those are the two incidents Asaph wants God to remember here.

The first he mentions was with reference to Gideon.
(9) “Deal with them as with Midian…”
• Remember Gideon, the somewhat skeptical judge who laid out a fleece before
going to war.
• You’ll also remember that God forced Gideon to whittle down his army to just
300 men before He allowed him to fight.

When Gideon approached the Midianites he was greatly outnumbered.

Judges 7:12 “Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.”

And yet, when Gideon’s men smashed their pots and blew their trumpets
The Midianites slaughtered themselves.

Asaph prayed:
(11-12) “Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, Who said, “Let us possess for ourselves The pastures of God.”

These were the Midianite kings whom Gideon captured
And put to death with the sword.

You can see why Asaph likes that one.
• We, like Gideon are outnumbered and about to be destroyed.
• We’re asking You to do for us what You did for him.
• That’s exactly what God did in 2 Chronicles 20.

The other historical case Asaph brings up is that of Sisera.
(9b-10) “Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon, Who were destroyed at En-dor, Who became as dung for the ground.”

• This was during the days of Deborah and Barak.
• Sisera was the commander of the army of Jabin, King of Canaan.
• They afflicted Israel with 900 iron chariots and they oppressed Israel for twenty years.

When Israel cried out, God promised to deliver Israel,
And to give the glory of victory to a woman.

It was meant to shame Sisera and embarrass him
That a woman would defeat him.

When Barak went to fight Sisera God routed Sisera’s army.
Judges 4:15-16 “The LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.”

You can understand Asaph’s interest.

But the rest of the story is what Asaph has in mind.
• Sisera, the lone survivor, fled the battle.
• In his escape he came upon a woman named Jael who was the wife of one of their allies.

Here’s the story:
Judges 4:18-21 “Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.'” But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.”

He was not only defeated, he was humiliated.
It was a clear point that you should not mess with the people of God.

Even women are able to defeat you in battle if God is on their side.

And so you understand where Asaph is coming from.

You remember back in 2 Chronicles:
2 Chronicles 20:13 “All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.”

You see why Asaph brings it up.
• Here we are, a weak group of outnumbered people.
• We are not only men, but also women and children.

And we are surrounded by a confederate army that is far more than we can handle.
• We need You to do what You did for Gideon.
• We need You to do what You did to Sisera.

Arise God!

And then Asaph spells it out.
#4 THE DESIRED CHASTENING
Psalms 83:13-15

Here is Asaph’s Imprecatory Prayer.
“O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.”

Psalms 1:4-5 “The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”

Asaph wants God to show up and blow this mighty army away.
Asaph wants God to scatter them.

And then, Asaph wants God to pursue them.
(14-15) “Like fire that burns the forest And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire, So pursue them with Your tempest And terrify them with Your storm.”

Asaph wants God to be a consuming fire.
• He wants God to relentlessly chase them.
• He wants God to terrify them.
• He wants God to put fear in them.
• He wants God to show up and deal with His enemies.

And this again, church, is a prayer that God has preserved for us.
• When God’s enemies attack His people.
• When their only common ground is a hatred for God.
• When the church is outnumbered and weak.
• When we are unable to fight or take our own revenge.
• When God is mocked by those who have rejected Him.

Asaph gives us the prayer.
• We pray for God to scatter them like the dust.
• We pray for God to pursue them like fire.
• We pray for God to terrify them like a mighty storm.

This is Asaph’s prayer.
This is the chastening Asaph desires.

And certainly there are MANY WHO WOULD BALK
If they heard you pray such a prayer,
But it’s only because they do not understand the reason.

Many times we have referenced the Lord’s Prayer as we talk about these imprecatory Psalms.

Jesus taught us to pray.
Matthew 6:13 “’And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]”

We understand that we need His strength to escape the evil one.

But do you also recognize the rest of that verse?
Because God alone should be receiving
The kingdom, the power and the glory.

And that is Asaph’s motivation.
#5 THE DIGNIFIED CAUSE
Psalms 83:16-18

Certainly the requests are drastic.
• “Fill their faces with dishonor,”
• “Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,”
• “And let them be humiliated and perish”

He doesn’t just want them to be defeated,
He wants them to be embarrassed
That they ever had the audacity to attack God’s people.

He wants them, years later, to tell the story to their great-grandchildren
About the dumbest thing they ever tried to do.

He wants them to be like Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 4:1-3 “Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: “May your peace abound! “It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. “How great are His signs And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom And His dominion is from generation to generation.”

And then Nebuchadnezzar would tell the story of his own stubborn foolishness and how he should have never exalted himself above God.

That is what Asaph wants.
• (16) “That they may seek Your name, O LORD.”
• (18) “That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.”

SO LISTEN CLOSELY HERE.
• Certainly Asaph is concerned about destruction, who wouldn’t be?
• Certainly Asaph would like earthly deliverance, we would too.

But the driving force behind this prayer…
The driving motivation in Asaph’s heart…
IS NOT that he is able to live life as normal and get back to comfort.

The driving passion of this prayer is that God is mocked.
These people hate God
And they think they can wipe His name from the earth
If they wipe out His people.

And that arrogance is more than Asaph can handle.
And so Asaph prays that God rise up and defend His own name!

They have no fear of God.
Asaph prays that God would change that.

What a great prayer!

We are beginning to see it in American now.
• The church is starting to become the focus of certain political factions.
• The battle lines are being drawn.
• We actually have a governor in California who has declared war against the church.

Right now it’s still pretty civil.
• It’s nothing more than scary letters and threatened fines or jail time.
• And it’s because he does not yet have allies to support him.

But rest assured, when Edom shows up and Ammon comes with them
And Moab signs the agreement and his allies give him strength
Then the war will grow much more serious.

At the moment the church DOES NOT go to war,
At least not physical war.
We listen to Jesus and we focus on the gospel.

But in our prayer life…
In our prayer life we beseech God to arise and defend His own name!

We cry out to God to arise
And teach His enemies about the fear of the Lord.

And we do it because the kingdom and the glory and the honor
Belong to God alone and we will not be satisfied until He has it.

That is our prayer.
• Not for our ease…
• Not for our comfort…
• But for God’s glory.

That is the driving force behind every imprecation.