Chase: Hello and welcome to the Point Church Podcast. We're really glad you're here. Before we jump in, if you'd like to stay connected, you can download the Point Church app. It's a simple way to find messages, resource, and what's happening. And if this podcast is helpful, take a moment to like, subscribe, and share. You can find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Let's get into today's episode. Hello everyone and welcome back to the Point Church Podcast. I'm here with Pastor Sam as we've been ⁓ walking through the Gospel of Matthew verse by verse and we are in Holy Week. And today is going to be a little longer of a chapter. Well, two chapters. Yeah, we have ⁓ really like final teachings from Jesus before his last twenty four hours. And it's a long monologue and it's about like the end of the world, final teachings. So it's all kind of bunched into one. So it's gonna be a longer episode just as a heads up, but yeah. But good stuff. ⁓ we even retitled the episode Death and All His Friends, because that's a lot of what we're talking about, death, destruction, despair, just all all of that. But you know, how do we ⁓ still have hope in the midst of it? Amen. Well let's jump right into it. In verse one, it says As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention ⁓ to its buildings, he replied to them, Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will be not be thrown down. So he's talking about the destruction of the temple. ⁓ again, if you're new to scripture, this is the second temple. ⁓ the first one was Solomon's temple. This was the one that was c built by David's son when he became king. It was destroyed ⁓ during Like when Babylon came and took over. Mm-hmm. They rebuilt this one within their lifetime, you know, the same one that Herod had built up. ⁓ and they're just still marveling at it. And Jesus, like, it's all gonna be destroyed. Like it's all gonna be destroyed. And and we'll get into why. Yeah. In verse three, it says, While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, Tell us when were these things happened? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Jesus replied to them, Watch out that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah, and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet, for nations will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there will be Famines and earthquakes in various places, all these events are the beginning of labor pains. Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many because lawlessness will multiply. The love of many will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Yeah, so this could be ⁓ like its own podcast series, like just going for these words from Jesus. So we can't get into all the details, but what is important for the average probably listener for this podcast is this that when we experience these disasters and wars and r this is expected. Okay. This is not our home. The world is not our home. No. Jesus is calling this the beginnings of labor pains. There's a lot of sharp pains. There's a lot of ooh ⁓ you know I mean like when you're getting ready. And they might get closer together, but that doesn't mean that the new world is here. It means it's being born. So that's what Jesus is saying. ⁓ the other thing that I would implore everyone to do with this passage is Please do all you can to not read this as an American. Yeah. I know that's hard to say, but American gospel. We have such a fixation that if it's an event that's in America, it has to apply to the Bible. Or we read the Bible rather in like we read America into the Bible. Like, ⁓ this political figure I don't like is the Antichrist or this war it you don't do that. 'Cause The Mayan you know I mean like how many empires have risen and fallen during these last two thousand years that they could have all said the fall of this empire, the Roman Empire was the mark, and none of it was. We don't know. We don't know. So it's coming. It's coming. There's gonna be wars and disease and pain. But we can't look at it through, well, this person on YouTube I watched said it's because of this. Well, it hasn't been proven true yet. So just trust the Process, trust Jesus. And later on, Jesus will be very clear. Yes. About that. Yes. picking up in verse 15, it says, So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken ⁓ of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place, then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. A man on the house top must not come down to get things out of his house, and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on the Sabbath, for at its at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect. If anyone tells you then, see here is the Messiah, or over here, do not believe. For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray. If possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you in advance. So if they tell you, see here is the wilderness, don't go out, or s see here is see he's in the storerooms, do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the c carcass is, there will be there the vultures will gather. Right. So again, could be its own podcast series, like on almost this whole thing. Yes, exactly. So ⁓ there is a line that I wanted to lean in on is at the very beginning of that section you just read. Yeah. So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place. Okay, so he is referring To something in the Old Testament. So if you were to go in your Bible, you should have a footnote that says Daniel nine, verse twenty-seven. Yes, exactly what Jesus is quoting, referring to. And verse 15 is where it's out. ⁓ yes, yes, thank you. ⁓ so Daniel, a prophet, during the Babylonian exile, when there was no temple, it was destroyed, he was given this prophecy. He, being God, will make a strong covenant with many for one week. One week, okay. Listen, listen to that audience. But in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice an offering, which is a lot of what we just read of turning over the tables, no more animal sac you you know I mean. And the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple. Almost seems like what he just did. Like, you know, created that chaos of like stop this. ⁓ until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator. Now there's there's different ways of thinking about this. One way is to say that Jesus is talking about a future time when the world ends, the Antichrist is, you know, reigning, you know, and again, the people a lot smarter than me have written books and books and books on this. So I I don't have the time or the ability to go into it all. But there is also a theory that Jesus is referring to a specific moment that's already happened, specifically in ⁓ seventy AD when Rome came and destroyed the temple. And there was all kinds of horrible idolatry that happened. They literally like took all the gold and the silver out of the temple. They desecrated it and it was destroyed. So Jesus is almost predicting hey, within some of your old lifetime, this temple, which is would make sense, that he's they're look at the buildings and look at the stones. He's like, it's all going to be destroyed, and you're probably going to see it. So he there is a strong biblical argument to be made that. It already happened, part of this, but then he's still describing ongoing destruction around the world. So so that's just again part of unpacking that. This is a lot to process, but Jesus talking about hey, just because you follow me does not mean it's gonna be easy, does not mean it's gonna be straightforward. Expect that people are gonna be false prophets speaking for me when they aren't. And I mean how many cult leaders have said, I'm God, I'm Jesus, I'm the incarnate for two thousand years. So Jesus predicting all of this. Yeah. He is. ⁓ in verse thirty-two it picks up and says, Learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its branches become tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all things recognize that he is near at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation generation will certainly not pass away Until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Again, this generation. Yeah. So that's that's an interesting support for that theory that it was a desecration of the temple that already happened. Because they were asking, when is this going to happen? Of all these stones thrown down. Yeah. Now, again, Jesus this is open to interpretation. So please like, you know. There are there are but this is an open to interpretation thing that Jesus is somehow at the end of the world, but he's also weaving in this particular event ⁓ within a generation. I mean, if if Jesus died approximately thirty three AD and the destruction of the temple is seventy AD, that's thirty seven years. That's about a generation of this destruction. So he's saying this is going to happen within your all's lifetime. This generation will not pass away. Yep. And then this next one, this puts to rest Anyone who says they know the time because in the this is the nail in the coffin for those arguing. They know I mean, we're about to read that not even Jesus or the angels know. Yeah. And we're about to read that. Yeah. in verse thirty six. Now concerning that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels or heaven, nor the Son, except the Father alone. So let's pause there for a second. What Jesus is saying here in this sentence is again back to the end of the World conversation, although he is seemingly predicting the destruction of the temple that he is aware of, because that did happen. Yeah. But he's saying, anyone that comes saying, I know when the end of the world, because I figured out some numerology that I can speak and I made it up in my basement or whatever. And if you look at this, this, that, and the other, yeah. No, they don't. No, they don't. No, they do not. Jesus Christ doesn't even know. And I'm sorry, you do not take a Pass ahead of Jesus Christ and knowing how the world will end or his angels. So that's not the job that you're gonna have to figure out that's for the father to decide when it's time. Exactly. ⁓ verse thirty-seven As the days of Noah's were, so the coming of the man of ⁓ son of man will be. For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn't know until The flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding grain with a handmill, one will be taken and one left. Therefore, be alert, since you don't know what day your Lord is coming. But know this, if if the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. And this is why you all are also to be ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. So part of the language Jesus using here is what we would ⁓ describe as like rapture, yes, you know, taking of people. And and and that very well may be what it is. I think it probably is what he's talking about. But again, it's not exactly crystal clear. That's why there's so much debate. Yes. Again, what the church needs to take from this that is crystal clear because Jesus is not exactly giving us explicit details on the end of the world. But what he is explicitly clear on is be ready. Be ready. He is coming. He is coming. The flood is coming. That's why he uses that ⁓ example of Noah. Everyone should be building an ark of some sort. You know what I mean? Not saying again a literal one, but saying I I am expect I am living my life in a way that honors my Lord. Who is coming to return? I'm not waiting to make it right on my deathbed. I'm not getting my party days out of the way now. I am because it you don't know. Don't know. Jesus doesn't even know. So live your life as if you don't know when the flood will happen. Live your life being ready at any time. So again, that he is crystal clear on. Yeah, because he's coming at an hour you do not expect. Exactly. And so the time is now to start preparing. He is coming back. Yes. Yep. ⁓ verse forty five says, Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes, truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of his possessions. But if that wicked servant says in his heart My master is delayed, and starts to beat his fellow servants and eat and drink drinks with drunkards, That servant's master will come on a day he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know he will cut him into cut him to pieces and assign him to a place with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There's that phrase again, weeping, gnashing of teeth, same language used by Jesus saying that the king will throw the person out who comes into the wedding banquet but doesn't exchange their clothes, doesn't think they need to change, you know, all are invited. But you have to be doing what you were called to do. Yeah. And then we get into so he's saying, Be prepared. He's gonna say it again in another example, but then he's gonna get into ultimately in this next chapter what it is we should be doing that when he returns, he's like, Ugh, you were doing what I told you to do. This he's crystal clear on. Yep. Not the time, not how is gonna happen, but what we should be doing is beyond a shadow of a doubt. Yep. ⁓ Now it's in chapter twenty five verse one at that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet their meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps they didn't take oil with them, but the wise ones took oil in their flask with their lamps. When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. In the middle of the night there was a shout here's the groom, come out to meet him. Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise ones, Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out. The wise ones answered, No, there won't be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the rest The rest of the virgins also came and said, Master, Master, open up for us. He replied, Truly I tell you, I don't know you. Therefore be alert, because you don't know either the day or the hour. Again, same thing. Yeah. Be alert. Be alert. If you if you expect and anticipate, you know, the arrival of a loved one, you should have that same mindset, but higher for Jesus Christ. Yeah. That's that's how you you should be living your life ready to go. Yep. Verse 14. For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one's ability. Then he went on a journey immediately. The man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. In the same way the man with two earned two more, but the man who had received one talent went off and Dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents approached, were presented five more talents, and said, Master, you gave me five talents. See, I've earned five more talents. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy. The man with two talents also approached, He said, Master, you gave me two talents. See I've earned two more talents. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you are faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy. The man who had received one talent also approached and said, Master, I know you. You're a harsh man reaping where you haven't sown and gathering where you haven't scattered seed, so I was afraid and went off and hid your talents in the ground and See you have what is yours. His master replied to him, You evil lazy servant, if you knew that I reap where I haven't sown and gather where I haven't scattered, then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest than I w with interest when I returned. So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents, for to everyone who has more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have even what he will be even what he has will be taken away from him and thrown this good for nothing servant into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Yep. Lot to be said for this. again, it's not only the expectation to be ready, because you don't know when your master's returning, but also that your master left you with something to do. Mm-hmm. And The ability to do it. Yes. Take these gifts, take these talents. ⁓ I mean, I know what they're referring to money, but it is interesting that it's the same word that we use for gifts and abilities is talent. I've given this to you. What did you do with them? Yeah. That we will have to give an account at the end of the age saying, I Sam Holmes, you Chase McKenzie, every person listening will have to give an account. What did you do with the time and the talents that were given to you? Yep. And I my fear and I 'cause it's something I've done is many will just say, Well, I just held on till the end. I didn't do anything with it because I didn't want to bother anybody and I didn't want to upset anybody by sharing my faith. And it's a that's a mindset that Jesus is clearly pushing back against and saying, No, I gave you the ability to go and expand the kingdom. I mean, like what why did you not do it? Why did you not, you know, do what I commanded you to do? And so, ⁓ I just think that like that that's a personally a big takeaway from me is saying like I'd much rather be one of the f person with five talents or two talents who invests it, takes the risk. 'Cause that's what you have to do to invest. You take a risk. Yes. Versus the one who doesn't want to take any risk, they don't want to show any faith, they don't want to like put it into action. And then they almost try and blame the master. Mm-hmm. And how many people do we know that blame God for You know, like you you ⁓ you didn't come you didn't do enough for me and blah blah and you're like, Really? Like, okay. So I think that's part of it as well. ⁓ but again, Jesus is saying very clearly, I've given you something to do. Please go do it. And you'll be rewarded for doing it. And like going back on back on that of like how they flip it on their master. Like the guy like in here, the guy that was given two talents, there was no complaint. No. He just double like he was like. He could have like, You didn't give me five like that guy. But he's like, You've this is what you've given me. This is my lot in life. Yeah. I will do all that I can to invest it for your kingdom. Yep. That's so good. All right. Verse thirty one. This is a long one. ⁓ but a critical one. 'Cause this really gets into so up to this point, sorry, up to this point Jesus is saying, Be ready, be ready, be ready like this, be ready like that. ⁓ here's what happens if you're not ready. But this is what you should be doing. Yeah. While you are waiting. This is what I've given you to do. There is a task. It's not just waiting around. There's something to do. Yeah. And this one I know, and especially this section, me and you hold very dearly to our hearts. Starting a whole ministry around it. Yes. Yep. So in verse 31, it reads, When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him. Then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them w from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left, and the king will say to those on his right, Come you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will say will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in or without clothes and clothes you clothed you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the king will answer them, why? Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Let's just pause right there for a second. ⁓ this was kind of the breakthrough for me personally on this passage was I think up to that point I'd been kind of reading like, ⁓ yeah, like, yeah, sure, someone should do that. But what if it was like, This is what you in the church are supposed to do? Not an option. Not a question. Like Are you feeding hungry people? Are you giving water to thirsty people? Are you taking you know I mean, are you sheltering them? Because this is apparently what we're supposed to be doing. Yeah. Which is what Jesus did. So And with that though, I don't want to give too much away because our announcement is coming. Yes. But like this is I think the church should focus a lot more on this. Like I'm not saying like necessarily our church or a certain church. I think the Capital C church around the world should focus a lot more on this part of Jesus' monologue and the trial, tribulation, when is the world gonna end? ⁓ where he's a little more vague, even he doesn't know. We should spend a lot more time on what he's making clear than what he's leaving somewhat cryptic. And yet it seems like what gets more clicks on podcasts, what gets more video views is not, hey, here's a good way to feed people is is this a mark of the end time? Yeah. That tends to get people more excited when actually it seems like what Jesus is calling us to is this. Yeah. And I think our world would be in a much better place, ⁓ much more prepared for the coming of Jesus if we took these passages more seriously. A hundred percent not just for pastors to do, no for Everyone who is a follower of Jesus. Well, and I think it goes into especially like the realms that I've been in of people who say, you know, I just don't know what to do. Or like I've been in different churches. Not maybe me leading up, but like just sitting in their rooms and saying, like, ⁓ we don't know like where to serve or do this. And it's like Jesus gave you a whole thing. Like Yeah, it's enough to keep you busy for a lifetime. Yeah. Here you go. Yep. You wanna know? Yep. Read this. And you can do that no matter what your job is, no matter what your ability is. Like you can if you're someone who's young or old. Yeah, exactly. Anyone can do it. Like our our son is like dying to go ⁓ be like, I I wanna go. Like he he's at that age where he's starting to recognize like homeless people on the street. And he's like, I want to do something to help them. He's okay, he's small. Like he has that ability. There are people when you're older and you're in the middle of your working high earning years. Okay, maybe the talent. In that season that God has given you is the ability to not spend all of your resources on your lifestyle but to honor the king and bless the least of these brothers and sisters. Now, I I just it it's you have to be a little careful because some theology goes way too far with it and they almost strip Jesus out of the center. But we biblically love the least of these, give of ourselves because Jesus gave himself for us. Us that's biblically how we should live. And what we're about to read is what happens if we don't. Why again I think it's been so pressed on our hearts in verse forty one. Then he will also say to those on the left, depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you didn't take me in. I was naked and he didn't clothe me sick and in prison and he didn't take care of me. Then they too will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or out or without clothes or sick or in prison and not help you? Then he will answer them, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me, and they will go into the eternal punishment by the righteousness into eternal life. So it literally tells you like this when we say like, you know, we have to go serve ⁓ food or do this or some form of that, right? Right. It is not us just being like, We're doing it because we want to be good people. Yes. No, we are doing it because we are called to do it. Mm-hmm. And it there's an urgency of it. Yes. Because when you do it, you are doing it for him. Yes. So that's where people get mixed up where they're like, well, you know, it's so so and so does that. Yes. It's like, no, there's not a if you proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior, then you go out and help the least of these because that's where you you're helping him. Right. And again, this is not works righteousness. This is not works to earn your salvation. Nope. This is you're taking your invisible faith and putting into action and building his kingdom. Yeah. Because again ⁓ the the book of James, like Jesus' brother says, You have faith, but I have work. Show me your faith and I'll show you my works. Like it should produce fruit, or else, again, getting back to the example of the fig tree, ⁓ we we have all the leaves, the bounty, but Jesus literally comes up to it hungry. And there's no fig to eat. Like there's nothing for him to eat. There's nothing for so he's like, that's not why a fig tree was created. Mm-hmm. That's not why the church exists, is just to look great on the outside, but there's no way that you're actually building the kingdom of God on the inside. And yes, like when you feed a hungry person, yes, you are meeting their physical needs, but you're also extending them the presence of Christ. Yeah. And like it's changing you as well. You're identifying yourself with the poor. You're identifying yourself with Christ who he loves. You're you're going to those people, you're going to those places. Mm-hmm. That's what it looks like to be prepared. Yeah. ⁓ just kind of ⁓ to lighten mood a little bit. There's a terrible movie with David Spade called Joe Dirt. ⁓ yeah. ⁓ yeah. And he has this ongoing line where he says, Is this where you want to be when Jesus comes back? Like, is this where you have to be doing when Jesus comes back? And I think about that sometimes because I'm like, man, if I could pick when Jesus comes back, I'm I wouldn't pick mid-sermon. I'd pick mid- Soup kitchen serving. Like that's where I'd like to be when Jesus comes back. Or midway through Melissa and I working our budget to say, is there more that we can give to this charity? Is like could we sacrifice, you know, some of these clothes in our closet? That's where I would like to be when Jesus comes back. Amen. You know, like ⁓ not being like, ⁓ I I didn't listen to the right televangelist or whatever, and like I didn't figure out the rapture time. Yeah. No, that's that's kind of a waste of time compared to this. Yeah. Yeah. No, I I just have Joe Dirt when he's at the fireworks stands. ⁓ but yeah. So that wraps up today. ⁓ I know it was longer. ⁓ if you gotta break it up, that's great. ⁓ but yeah, ⁓ so we're gonna end today. Tomorrow we'll be stepping into chapter twenty six. So thank you for tuning in wherever you are and ⁓ we'll see you tomorrow.