Matthew 24:15-31 (#87.2024.02.25)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there'll be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibletruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:49

How many of you think about the future and wonder, what's gonna happen? We're all there, aren't we? Well, the disciples were the same. Not only what's gonna happen, but more importantly, they wanna know when it's gonna happen. When is it gonna happen? And that's where we are in Matthew. When is it gonna happen? When will the end of times come, and what will it be like? What will be the sign of your coming, and when will it happen? And we still have those answers or those questions today. Jesus is gonna give us the answer today. Let's read from Matthew, if you would stand with me, if you will, out of favor. Forgotten his word, Matthew 20 4. We're gonna read 15 through 31 at the top of your page, and then the end will come.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:36

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 that those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the house top must not go down to get the things out that were in the house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to his cloak, but woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days, but pray that your flight will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. For then, there will be a great tribulation such as had not occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever will. Unless those days have been cut short, no life would have been saved, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, behold, here is the Christ, or there he is. Do not believe him. For false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:49

Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, behold, he's in the wilderness, do not go out. For behold, he's in the inner rooms. Do not believe that. For just that the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the son of man be. Whoever the court says, there the vultures will gather. But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, The stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the son of man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:35

And they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the poor winds, from one end of the sky to the other. But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and star will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sun of sign of the son of man will appear in the sky, and then all of the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels for the great trumpets that will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the sky to the other. Word of the lord. Thanks be to god. So how's this begin? How's this begin? This is a woah passage, isn't it? Like, what is up? Not just woah as in woe, but woah as in w h o a.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:42

Like, woah. What is going on here? Like, woah and woah and woah. But I remind myself, he says, and then and then the n will come, and then the n will come. So he is giving us context here. So he says, therefore, we always ask when he's, yeah, when he put therefore because therefore always pulls from what's behind it and points forward. Always pulls so you always look for what's behind them. So he said, and then what? And then this right. So this will mark the end.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:24

Right? He said this point will mark. This sign will mark. When this happens, then the end will come. Therefore, he said, as a result of that as a result of that so he said, when will it be? He said, when you see. Right? He says, when you see. So that tells us something. It will be a visible something. When you see this happen, right, what will we see? The abomination of desolation.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:52

K? What is that? I don't know, but it doesn't sound good. Abomination, desolation don't sound like 2 positive words. Where will we where will we see it? Standing in the holy place. Okay? So it tells us when when you see it, what will we see? The abomination of desolation. Where will you see it standing in the holy place? Not sure what that is, but, certainly, it's in the context of the temple. Right? Because he's saying this temple will be torn down. He's telling us that. The temple will be torn down.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:25

So so, literally, we would say the temple. Well, lord, there is no temple now, is there? Right. There won't be a temple from 70 AD on. So likely, there's a picture of, gee, will the temple be rebuilt again in the future? So it gives us some context here. And I put on here, so when is this, Lord, and what is he talking about? And it's a great reminder. Well, he's talking about the present Jerusalem state. He's talking about Christ's return and the end times, all woven, interwoven. So this is an interwoven answer, which makes it ultra confusing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:09

Right? What there's no breaks like we would do. And, again, we are westerners. Therefore, we think chronologically, and we assume when people answer, they answer chronologically. That's how we're wired. We're very this, then this, then this, then this. Right? And and the the the mindset of the time, that's not how they thought. That's not how Jewish mindset was then and then and then. It was an answer altogether.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:40

And so chronologically it's not woven chronologically together. So he he he's interwoven the answer for them. So it's for them. Right? He's speaking to the disciples in the present moment and their immediate future. He speaks all times to all believers. That means that there's a message for now, and he speaks about a time when we will see the abomination of desolation in the holy place. That would suggest there's a time in the future. So God's word speaks to all periods.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:15

That's why this is very confusing and has many and varied interpretations. As you can imagine, Over time, many and varied to interpretations along with a lot of curiosity because we do wanna know what's gonna happen and when. What's gonna happen and when? Right? We wanna have somebody read the future. Tell us when it's gonna happen. So he's interwoven the answer. So it's wrapped around clearly the abomination of desolation the abomination of desolation. Because he said, when will it come? Therefore therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, abomination of desolation literally means a desolating sacrilege a desolating sacrilege, which would be a deeply abhorrent desecration of true worship. Right? A desolating sacrilege.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:22

It will be a visible sign preceding the return of Christ. You'll see it. You will see it come to pass. Desolating sacrilege. An affront to the holiness of God. A direct affront to the holiness of God, which would suggest who is behind it. Satan, evil one. Right? Satan evil one who who would desecrate true worship of the living and holy God.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:53

So at the at the this will be the deepest and the darkest desecration of true worship of god, the desolating sacrilege, the abomination of desolation. Well, that sounds scary. It sounds horrific. It sounds like, what? So I reminded prophecy will be fulfilled. The end will come in the fullness of time. You can underline that in the fullness of time, because all things come in the fullness of time. Jesus came in the fullness of time, the son was born, right, at the appropriate moment, and it will be by the plan and the decree of almighty god. It will be by the plan and the decree of the almighty God on time just as he is with all things.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:53

Prophecy will be fulfilled in the fullness of time. Daniel writes about this and he speaks back. He says, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet. So Jesus says, this was prophesied beforehand because it was predetermined beforehand. And we understand, by the by the authority and the authority of God, it was not just predetermined in Daniel's time. It was predetermined before all time. From eternity past, it was predetermined. That's why we understand and know that the lamb was slain before the foundation of the earth just like this.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:38

The end times will be the same. So he says, and Daniel, forces from him will arise and desecrate the sanctuary fortress and do away with the regular sacrifice, and they will set up the abomination of desolation. Some would say that happened when the Romans overtook the temple at the time. There's a lot in the scripture to suggest that's not it did not fully happen. So things in scripture happen, and then they happen again. They happen in partiality, and then they happen in fullness in the future. That make sense? So it's partially fulfilled, of course, when Romans overtook, but there is something yet to come. And I love this from Daniel, somebody, they they asked, the angel, how long will it be until the end of these wonders? What it will be for a time, times, and half a time? K? What does that mean? Well, as for me, I love this, I heard, but I could not understand.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:40

Well, duh. This is god's plan. We wanna understand it. We wanna fully comprehend it, but god is saying, right, it's for time, time, and and half a time. Well, what the heck does that mean? Right? Many then this is the best. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. What's that mean? That means people with calculators get out and try to figure out when will that time be. Right? Why he put it in there? I don't know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:14

Don't know. But the day is determined in god's time. And he says a day is a 1000 years, a 1000 years is a day. So what does all that mean? Only that it is predetermined. It is the creed of God, and it will happen. The end of times will happen. So if you look about as things swirl about and you wonder, is god really in control? Yes. He is.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:40

Yes. He is. This is my father's world. It's his world. He is on track. He is on track. As you said last week, Chris, great phrase. Things are not safe.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:54

Things aren't falling in apart. They're falling into place. Isn't that a great phrase? They're not falling apart. They're falling into place. And his place is his decree. He says, well, there's gonna be another sign, not just the abomination of desolation. And he says, let no one deceive you. You can underline this.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:14

For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed. You can underline that. But there's more. There's more to this. It will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed. So the the sign is the apostasy, the man of lawlessness, the man of lawlessness, so there will be someone and the beast. So the son of destruction will oppose and exalt himself above every so called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of god that we see in the holy place. In the holy place, in the temple, displaying himself as being god.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:06

Right? Being god. Who does that sound like? Isaiah 14. Right? I will be like the most high. I will raise myself up like the most high. So we see this is Satan behind all of this. Right? And it says in Revelation, and he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast. An image to the beast. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast would even speak.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:50

When he speaks, he would cause many as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. So there would be the apostasy, the man of lawlessness, the beast, and martyrdom. There will be martyrdom of the saints in that time. If you do not worship the beast, you will be put to death. He has decreed all things that happen. Right? He has decreed all things that happen. And if he's decreed all things that happen in the world and in all of time, what does that mean about my life? Right? What does that mean about my life? So it says he holds all things together by the word of his power, all things together, which means he's holding your life together and your life together and your life and your life and your life and my life together by the word of his power. Nothing happens under his sovereignty that is not in his decree and plan.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:56

Even when evil occurs, evil is serving the purposes of God. Evil is serving the purposes of God. How does that work? I don't know. I can't figure out how it works. I just know that it's true. It's all which is all you can do. We wanna figure out the mechanics of sovereignty. You can't figure out the mechanics of sovereignty.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:19

You just have to embrace them, understand they are indeed true. Nothing occurs in your life that is not purposed or good. Now that good doesn't necessarily mean my comfort, my ease. Right. Right? My my plans and purposes to be carried out the way I want them and the way I see them, it means for good. And god's good is perfect. Perfect. It's true.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:47

It's right. It's upright. Right? The it it it's light, and in in him is no darkness at all. We have to cling to and hold to the fact that he has my best, and he can't do anything but my best, less than best. He can never he can never settle for my less than best. I'll settle for it all the time. I will because I don't know my best, do I? I'll settle for my less than best. John Piper has the great story of his young son when he was, working in the kitchen, and he reached up the top.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:24

He said, I want some crackers. He said, I grabbed them, and I pulled them out. When I looked at them, he said they had mold on them. So I said, you can't have them. They have mold.

Audience [: 00:18:31

And he said, I'll eat the mold.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:36

And that's what we would do.

Audience [: 00:18:37

Right? I'll eat the mold. Give me that thing. I want that thing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:41

So there's the apostasy, the man of lawlessness, the beast, and martyrdom. And I think what we see here is what we have a tough time coming to grips with, and that is the other, depravity of sin. The depths of sin within man, we don't recognize. How deep and how depraved sin is. And then it reflects back to us in the mirror, and we come to the grips with the fact that I have no idea how deep I would go in sin apart from the grace of God. How deep I would go, how, whether, you know, I was pushed, what my anger would cause me to do, what my greed would cause me to do, what my envy would cause me to do, what my lust would cause me to do, what my depths of my sin, where it would take me. Spiraling deeper and deeper and deeper. And so we get a sense of here is the utter depravity.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:46

And, of course, even below that is the depth of the evil one and how utterly sinful the evil one is. As a result, we don't comprehend the grace of God. We don't comprehend the justice of God. You can't understand the grace of God unless you understand the justice of God. God's justice in the Bible is called wrath. Wrath is the carrying out the execution of divine and righteous justice. We wouldn't call it that. Right? If the court said this man is guilty and therefore capital punishment carry out the punishment, we don't define that as wrath.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:29

God defines that as wrath. The execution of divine righteous justice. He's saying when you carry out righteous justice, it's called wrath. It's god's righteous justice carried out for the for the for the sin, the crime of sin. And so he says, this will be the greatest tribulation in history. Right? He says up there, there there will be no other time like this. Right? No other time. For them, there will be a great tribulation such as not occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever will.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:07

It is the last and great tribulation, which is a indication of why this did not describe just what happened in in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed by the Romans. They said, this will be the last and great tribulation unlike anything that's ever seen in the world before or after. God's wrath is fierce. Fierce. Fierce, David. He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God. It's fierce because sin is fierce. It's it's fierce because sin is fierce, and I think that's where all of us say, well, you know, I'm not so bad, and sin's not so bad, and how bad really is it? Right? And if you look across the world as god so what we'll see is a progressive god stepping back because sin is now regulated.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:06

Whether you whether you understand or not, sin is regulated by the grace and the mercy. The spirit of God regulates sin. Right? He caught there's a there's a governor upon sin in the world right now. And as God dials that back, you see it go to greater and greater links. We see right now outright injustice occurring across the world and across our country, and people know it and nobody care. Nobody really cares. You point it out, nobody really cares. Who cares? Right? Because the end justifies the means that everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:44

Right? And now we see it, and

Audience [: 00:22:45

you go like, what? How can it happen? Like, what? Yep.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:49

Because god is showing the depth of sin, and we start to see it. God's wrath is fierce. But he says his grace still is at work. Some will be saved. In the midst of whatever's happening here, he said it was shortened for the sake of the elect. Shortening for the sake of the elect. I don't like the idea that god has elected some and not others. No.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:16

You need to fully embrace the idea that god has elected some and not others because you be 1, and you did not come to god apart from his mercy and grace. Right? Apart from his mercy and grace, he said some will he said it's short. No one will live during this time. No one would survive life unless it was shortened for the sake of the elect, which means during this time, as bad as it will be you think about it. If God's wrath comes down like this as he's prophesied, why wouldn't the whole world turn to him? To make the question, like, why could God do this? But you turn around and say, wait a minute. Why wouldn't everybody turn to him and go, woah? And say they'll hide themselves under a rock. They won't cry out to him. They'll run into a cave.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:06

They won't cry out to him. Right? Why wouldn't the whole world cry out to him? Some will be saved. Alright. Flip over. What we see, the son of man will appear. He will appear suddenly. He will appear visibly, and it will indeed be terrifying to the unbeliever. It will be a terrifying time with the unbeliever.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:32

It will be a terrifying time to the unbeliever. So the son of man is going to appear again, but we're gonna see the son of man in all his fullness, but we're gonna see it turned a bit. It's like you turn a diamond and you look at the different facets inside of it. We're gonna see a different facet in the sight of the lord Jesus. He's gonna come back as himself, but we're gonna see more his kingship, right, than we than we saw in a different way. And I love this. It said, god will darken his son, and he will shake his heavens. So the heavens will declare it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:11

The heavens will declare it. Well, you would think by its nature so what are they gonna cry out?

Audience [: 00:25:17

See? Climate change through. Oh my. The sun is snarking. I knew it. Stop eating meat. Right? I mean, just the the absurdity of where we are.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:31

So the heavens will declare it. Interesting. I thought when Jesus came the first time and he shed on the cross, what happened? The sun was darkened. The sun will be darkened. Right? And the stars will fall from heaven. God will shake the heavens. And it'll show these see, not only my sovereign overall, this is mine. The heavens and the earth are mine.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:56

I'll shake them when I wanna shake them. Right? And I'll show you. I'll get your attention. Why wouldn't everybody's attention? Why wouldn't everybody cry out to be saved? Imagine, the sun goes dark, the moon is dark then, of course, and the stars start to fall from heaven, and they're shaking. Wouldn't everybody cry out, like, save me? He says, all will see him visibly all will see him visibly in the clouds with power and great glory. Visibly, he's coming again. How will that be like? You better put on. It'll either be a glorious day or scary, terrifying day.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:37

Yeah. So the angel said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? So when Jesus ascended the first time, they're looking where? Up. And the angel says, hey. What are you looking up for? Well, Jesus just descended visibly into the sky. He what's he say? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as what you as you watched him go to heaven, which mean if you watched him go off, he's gonna come down visibly visibly. Behold, he's coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him. Now if you think about that, every eye on the earth will see him, which by its nature, of course, will also be miraculous.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:29

Because he'll come down and every eye will see him coming down. Even those who pierced him, everyone will see him. And all the tribes in the earth will mourn over him even so, amen. So they're gonna see him visibly in the clouds, and he's coming with power and great glory. And he will return with his angels to execute god's wrath and justice. God's wrath and justice. Wrath and justice. I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse, and he who sat upon is called Vapal and True.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:05

And in righteousness, he judges and wages wars. Eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. And he has a name written on him, right, which no one knows except himself. He's clothed with a robe dipped in blood. His name is called the word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen white and cine are following him on white horses. We tend to think of angels as sweet little cherubs, but scripture says they're like mighty. They're mighty angels.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:40

They're mighty, and they're on white horses, and they're coming behind him. He's clothed in a robe dipped in blood. His name is called the word of God, and he has the armies of heaven behind him. He's coming back as Yahweh of hosts. He's coming back as the lord of hosts, the host of heaven, the armies of heaven. Right? Armies of heaven. He will not come back as cuddly Jesus. He he will be returning as the mighty one.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:11

Right? The lord of hosts. And it says, and those following him on white horses, from his mouth comes a sharp sword that he may strike down the nations. There will be a great war. There will be a great war when the nations will gather together to come against him, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads. That's about the scariest verse to me in the Bible. The wine press. The wine press.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:42

That's a visual picture. They've been seeing a wine press. Right? I mean, and then the wine press of the fierce wrath of god, the almighty, the mighty one, the one who is sovereign and sure, the judge, the righteous judge of all the nations of all time, of all peoples, coming back again. Well, Deborah, that's great news. It actually is great news. It doesn't feel like great news, but it's justice and the judgment of God. Because you look around and you think, lord, how can they get away with that? You ever look around with that? How do they get away with that? Oh, nobody's getting away with anything. He reminds you, nobody's getting god's justice and his his his his wrath is sure.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:34

It is sure. It's either gonna be paid for on the cross or it's gonna be paid for in eternity, 1 or the other. So do you don't have to worry about, Lord, it seems we're in the justice of God. God's justice is sure. God's justice is sure. And in I think it's in Amos who prays in wrath, remember mercy. Prayer is in wrath. Remember mercy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:02

It's a great prayer for today. Lord's wrath is being carried out. Right? And remember mercy. Mercy and grace to the end. Mercy and grace to the end. Scott, that's Habakkuk 32. Habakkuk 32? Not Amos. Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:18

Thank you. Roger, Habakkuk 32 in wrath. Remember mercy. Habakkuk 32. He says he will gather his elect. From where? The four winds. Men from every tribe, tongue, people, nation, which means none will be lost. None of mine will be lost.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:40

Just as I promised to Abraham, through you, all the nations will be blessed. Even to the end, God's mercy and grace, a great multitude, he says in Revelation 79, which no one could count. In fact, it says myriads of myriads, 1,000 upon 1,000, which means in every direction, millions upon millions from all the ages believers in Christ, you're gonna look around and you're not gonna see an end. You will see a sea of believers all around all around. And you'll know for sure you were never alone. Not only he won't leave you alone, but there was, you know, what did he say to, there are 4,000 who haven't bent the knee to you. What's that? 7000. 7000? Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:34

There are 1,000 who have embedded a need to you. Right? A great multitude which no one could count from every nation, all tribes, and people in tone standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed in white robes. And it says, they will say, worthy is the lamb who is slain. To receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And every created thing which is in the heavens and on the earth and and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them. He says, I heard them say to him who sits upon the throne, right, to the father and to the lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. Right? Men for every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And we will know in that moment who Jesus fully is, the lamb who was slain.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:25

We'll also know that CS Lewis was right, that animals can talk. Because he says he says everything that's on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and in them, he says, I heard them say I heard them say all things. That means there will be animals that talk in heaven and proclaim his glory. Won't it be cool? And you wonder, whenever my dog will be there. I wonder if Max will be there. Great multitude, which no one could count. No one could count. So I thought, okay.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:55

So what does that mean for us? What's that mean for us? Couple of things. He said expect. What should we expect? Paul's Christ expected. Paul's Christ. He said they're gonna say, come here. He's over there. He's over here. I'm 1.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:10

I'm 1. He said don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. Even, he says, in that time by science and wonders. See, we're in the age of modernity, the age of the scientific age where we believe what we can see and touch. He said the enemy will use these times to deceive both in that day and here with signs and wonders. And there is a natural inclination to wanna see God display his power in signs and wonders. We see a lot of that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:45

Right? When Josh was off at the honor academy, there was a guy in in Florida or somewhere they're willing to see who was, you know, who's kicking people in the head and putting gold in their teeth or some nonsense. I said, does that sound like the lord at all? Like, what up? What's up with that? But there is a desire within man to see the signs and wonders. Prove yourself, Lord, by signs and wonders. He said, we walk by faith, not by signs and wonders. We don't walk by signs and wonders. We think, oh, the lord would heal. The lord healed that person. You know, I tell the story of my my sister who got healed miraculously sent an angel into the war there, and my dad doesn't even remember.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:28

I said, dad, you were there. He said, oh, really? No. Yeah. He he didn't even remember. Right? Signs and wonders do not convert. He said they had to see, so just be cautious. Let no one in second Thessalonians, he said, let no one in any way deceive you, which means when he's talking about the end times, which means it will be easily you will be easy to deceive for this for false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead I love this. If possible it's not.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:09

If possible, the elect. If possible. Right? If possible, the elect. Right? So stay close to him. The second thing I put is just a reminder. He says, of that day and hour, no one knows. He says, not even the angel in heaven nor the sun. Isn't that weird? In complete unity in eternal unity, the sun doesn't know the kind, which means if he doesn't know, you don't need

Audience [: 00:36:39

to know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:36:41

Right? If he doesn't know, you don't need to know. So it's easy to get fixated on the times and the details on the times and the details. There's a lot of machinations around how it's gonna happen and when it's gonna happen and what it's getting. People who spend a lot of time and effort digging into the details and kinda sketching it out. I just say don't be fixated on times and details. And I love this from Daniel. Let's talk about how they will mislead many, but he said, but underline but. But the people who know their god, what will they do? Display strength and they will take action.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:25

The people who know their god. So the first thing he's saying is know god. Know who he is. Know his character. Know his nature. Know his purposes. Know god, be strong, and always abound in the work of the lord. Always abound.

Scott Keffer [: 00:37:44

Here for my beloved brother and be steadfast. Be immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. What's that mean? I will be tempted to not always abound, which can come from either belief that there comes a time in life when you no longer need to abound. Right? There's a time in life when you retire and for it's just play. That is the nature of our world today. It doesn't mean not retiring from work. It just means you never retire from the work of the Lord. Right? Retire and play is the name of our day.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:24

Retire and play. That's the deal. Right? Retire and play. So So we're saying always abound, which means we will be tempted to not always abound. Or the feeling is, oh, you know, I've done this a long time. Probably can cruise from here. I've done this a long time. So he's saying always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Scott Keffer [: 00:38:45

Steadfast, sure, immovable, always abounding. What do you know? There are gonna be times when you're gonna say, who cares? If you do ministry for a long time, they'll often say, who cares? Does it matter? We're you know? Does it matter? Does it matter if I show up? Does it matter if I do this again? Does it matter? Right? You ever feel like that? Does it matter? Who who would know this? Who right? He's saying, no. Know this. What? Your toilet's not in vain. It's not in vain. Then it gives us this sense of 2 things, like like like bookends on how we're to think about this. First of all, he says our citizenship, our our identity, our our home is where? In him. Oh, lord.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:32

That's so hard to understand. From which, what what should we do? We eagerly wait for a savior, the lord Jesus. So first thing he says is here, one side of this is eager expectation. Eager expectation. So we have eager expectation, which Means I'm looking for it. Right? Expecting it. Eager expected, and I'm hearing for it. This is a good thing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:39:57

Right? It's a good thing. At the same time, he says, but we hope for what we do not see. Right? Of course, we don't hope for what we see. We don't with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it. So patient perseverance is the other. Patient perseverance, which means, one, I'll lose my eager expectation of it, which could be what would that be? Lose hope? Stop believing? He's not coming again. Like, he's not coming again. He's not coming again.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:28

He's not coming over here. You know? You know? You go that go go all through that. Right? And, of course, the flip on the patient perseverance, the other part is what? Barcalounger Christianity. Right? We we cruise into the Barcalounger. Right? We put up our feet, then we, you know, we go on a cruise for the rest of life. We just cruise down. Right? The the the lazy river. That's the because we don't we're not patiently persevere.

Scott Keffer [: 00:40:57

It's abounding in the work of the Lord. Right? So there's the there's the temptation for both, aren't they? Are you not coming back? Who cares? Doesn't really matter. Right? Or I lose hope. You know? What's this worth? What's it about? So we have the 2 eager expectation along with patient perseverance. Gee, how do you do that? Well, it's not easy, is it? So we'll be tempted on all sides if you think about it. I won't want to abound in the work of the Lord. I won't wanna eagerly expect him to return, but yet at the same time, I need to be patiently. Dwell in the land, cultivate faithfulness.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:35

Here's my plot, Lord. Here's my plot. Cultivate faithfulness. Right? Plant, seed, water, work, toil, right, on my plot My plot. Is he coming back? Does it matter? Yes. Your plot matters. He's showing you your plot. He's giving you your ministry.

Scott Keffer [: 00:41:52

Right? He's saying, just stay at it. Stay at it. Lord's coming back. Again, trust me. I know when and how to make this happen. Right? Trust me for that. So don't be deceived. Don't be fixated on times and details.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:09

Know the lord. Be strong and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Be eagerly expectant and patiently persevering. And hang around with people who are doing the same, because we need we need the encouragement of one another, don't we? We need the encouragement. I wanna hang out with people who are who are both doing this, eagerly expecting his return and patiently persevering. So write down an insight today from his return. Then the end will come. Therefore, write down an insight application, and then we'll share a few.

Scott Keffer [: 00:42:43

Into that. We'll close this in prayer if you would, Roger. Amen. And may the god who shakes the heavens but hold you in place, may he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you shalom deep in your soul. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always as you abound in the work of the lord.

Scott Keffer [: 00:43:09

May he bless you and keep you. Amen. Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, and may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may god bless you and keep you.