This is an on-going series that provide an “overflow” of information or application from my weekly preaching. A preacher cannot, nor should not, get everything into a sermon. These will be posts that give some direction and resources related to the sermon that will help people better understand and apply the passage.
Summary
Jesus’ words here draw us up into the larger issues of the end of all things—about his return, the final judgment, and the recreating of the universe. These tend to be difficult topics for believers. This passage in particular can be hard because Jesus brings together two related but distinct events—the temple’s destruction and the time of his return. He talks about both, because they would have been linked in the minds of his disciples and because one points to the other. He also shows that our theology of the future is meant to affect our lives today. Even in the coming destruction of the temple, there will be ongoing persecution. Yet, Jesus disciples can rest in the permanence of his words and the promise of their salvation. From there, Jesus expects that his disciples ought to be wise to discern false teachers, bear witness to the gospel message, and be watchful against spiritual carelessness.
Resources
This week’s sermon will be uploaded and available for you to download or listen to here.
The issue of biblical eschatology is huge! Since you cannot say everything there is to say in one sermon (especially from this text in Luke), not a few people asked for clarification. A good place to begin if you’re looking for more information on the Bible’s theology of the end is Samuel Waldron’s book, The End Times Made Simple.
Finally, one of my illustrations was about a house previously owned by Voltaire being used to house Bibles. I’m a stickler for not using false information in my sermon (even the illustrations) and this story is widely disputed. After some research, I found the details are often changed which leads many to see it as a false account. Yet, the basis the story is true, and you can read it from the original source here from Google Books.
MAGNIFY CHRIST 