 So with that we're going to be looking today here in Mark chapter 9 and I chose simply to entitle this an introduction to the tribulation. I'm going to give to you a lot of information context so we can see what Jesus is speaking about here in verses 9 through 13 of Mark chapter 13. So I'll read to you verses 9 through 13. I'm going to give you a lot of backdrop because I'm not going to assume that every person here knows what's taking place in its context and I think it important to let you know some of these things then we can look at the verses before us. So beginning at verse 9 reading to verse 13 Jesus said watch out for yourselves for they will deliver you up to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake for a testimony to them. The gospel must first be preached to all the nations but when they arrest you and deliver you up do not worry beforehand or premeditate what you will speak but whatever is giving you in that hour speak that for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit. Now brother will betray brother to death and father his child and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death and you will be hated by all for my name's sake but he who endures to the end will be saved. So allow me to give you an introduction lay a context for you it's going to take a little while because again to speak to you I'm going to speak to you a little bit about this period of time called the tribulation because what we're looking at in these verses is speaking concerning the time that Jesus is going to return it speaking of his second coming we had seen that when it says in verse three as he sat on the mount of olives opposite the temple Peter James John and Andrew asked him privately tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things we will be fulfilled and so Jesus and his men had just left the temple the temple mount it's called the temple mount there and they'd gone to the mount of olives the mount of olives is just outside the city of Jerusalem it's east of the city and as he seated as we just read Peter James John and Andrew approached him they were disturbed what he had just said because he had said in verse two do you see these great buildings not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down so they're disturbed by what he had just said you see some of them had spoken concerning the beauty of that temple and when they had done so Jesus had responded and had told them that not one stone would be left upon another he was saying to them that this beautiful temple that they were admiring so much and amazed at well he was saying this temple will be destroyed so they had left that area they had crossed the Kidron they had come to mount of olives and they had been mulling in their mind what he had said and so as mentioned I just read this to you as Jesus was was seated they approached him Matthew tells us in chapter 24 verse 3 as he sat on the mount of olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age in Luke 21 7 they asked him saying teacher but when will these things be what sign will there be when these things are about to take place so the question is a broader question but they're asking what's going to take place at the end of the age so in answer to their question Jesus outlined the events that are preceding his return and we looked at this last time he spoke of spiritual deception he spoke of wars and earthquakes he spoke of famines and plagues and that they were going to increase in verse 8 he said that these things are only noticed the beginnings of sorrows that word sorrows is an interesting word the word sorrow when you look it up in the original language there the new testament being written in what is called koine or common greek the word sorrow speaks of acute pain or severe agony the word sorrow is usually used to speak of birth pains so these things he said will be escalating in intensity as birth pain do until his return there'll be wars there'll be earthquakes there'll be famines plagues but they're only he said the beginning of sorrows these are the clear indicators that there's going to be much more to come and these things have continued and as we've seen through history have progressively worsened over the centuries now i mentioned that this was the beginning of sorrows in other words this reveals that the period of time that he's speaking of is prolonged from the time birth pains are first experience to birth well that can be several hours i i do remember when my wife marie gave birth to our first child her birth pains were 33 hours and and i learned to pray then i i remember my prayer thank god i'm not a woman you know that that was 33 hours of intensity and all of that well that's what that's why they're called birth pains it's an indication that a birth is is is about to occur eventually will occur so at this time we are seeing much of what he had prophesied come to pass these things are indicators that his return is certain that his return is not far off well in these verses jesus begins giving what are called general conditions of the tribulation and i'm going to begin our study with a brief overview of this time called the tribulation i'm going to give you some information to develop a platform the tribulation some of you are aware of it others are not the tribulation is a seven-year period that god pours out his wrath on earth his wrath is going to be poured out worldwide on those who reject christ when you read your bible in the book of revelation chapter 6 through 19 there are details given of this seven-year period now in scripture we refer to the tribulation or the great tribulation that's how we normally speak of it but in scripture the period is referred to in various ways jeremiah 30 verse 7 speaks of it as the time of jacob's trouble in daniel 9 27 it's referred to as daniel's 70th week in daniel 12 verse 1 is called a time of distress matthew 24 verse 9 speaks of as tribulation matthew 24 21 says it is great tribulation second peter 3 10 refers to it as the day of the lord in revelation 3 10 is the hour of trial so there are various ways that this seven-year period is referred to there's tribulation there's great tribulation it's also called the wrath of the lamb in revelation 6 verses 16 and 17 they called to the mountains and the rocks fall on us hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand so the tribulation is spoken of in both old and new testament it's the final judgment of god on a christ rejecting world now the church is not condemned along with those who have rejected christ this is not how the lord works with the righteous we have examples of that in scripture for example when god judged the earth with a flood he spared noa and his family second peter 2 verse 5 says it like this god did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people but protected noa a preacher of righteousness and seven others when god judged sadham and kimura abraham pleaded with him for his nephew lot and in genesis 18 25 abraham said to god far be it from you to do such a thing as this to slay the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be as the wicked far be it from you shall not the judge of all the earth do right and so the tribulation the tribulation is when god pours out his wrath on unbelievers now some have a hard time believing that god has wrath i remember i used to teach a bible study on occasion in uh in uh mont clare and uh i was an assisting pastor at that time and so i went to the mont clare high school and there was a christian club and i still remember sharing out the wrath of god and a young man approaching me and telling me my pastor says that that there is no such thing as wrath of god and some have a hard time believing that god has wrath the word wrath speaks to something that is violent it's a violent justifiable passion it speaks of judgment and wrath is god settled displeasure with man's sinfulness in john 3 36 whoever believes in the sun has eternal life whoever does not obey the sun shall not see life but the wrath of god remains on him in romans 118 the wrath of god is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness and so there is such a thing as the wrath of god he does pour his wrath out and he judges unbelievers but he spares those who have been saved by jesus his wrath has been satisfied through the sacrifice of christ for us in first aslonians 5 9 god did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our lord jesus christ romans 5 verse 9 since we have now been justified by his blood how much more shall we be saved from god's wrath through him and so the tribulation is time of god pouring out his wrath and it occurs between the rapture and the second coming of jesus christ again god didn't appoint us to wrath so he removes the church before the tribulation now paul wrote concerning this thing now when i when i was first saved i had never heard this term i had never heard of the rapture never heard that and so when i first got saved i went to calvary chapel in costa mason i began to hear studies that related to this event called the rapture the rapture is uh is when the lord removes the church and it occurs um before the second coming of christ it becomes it comes it occurs before the tribulation in first aslonians chapter 4 verses 16 and 17 it says the lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel with the trump of god and the dead in christ shall rise first then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air so shall we ever be with the lord so when he says those who are alive and remain shall be caught up the word caught up is harpato and it means to be seized suddenly to be taken quickly and that's a picture of the rapture that we're going to be pulled quickly out of this place and so that's going to happen god is going to seize us eagerly and remove us now that happens before the tribulation a third thing about it it's going to be a time that is characterized by unrestrained human evil you see that in verses 12 and 13 in this chapter brother will betray brother to death father his child children will rise up against parents cause them to be put to death and you will be hated by all for my name's sake he who endures to the end shall be saved it's going to be a time of unrestrained human evil in Matthew 24 12 he said because iniquity will abound the love of many will wax cold so evil will be the norm during that time as the tribulation continues the tribulation is time is the time of Israel's greatest suffering in Matthew 24 21 it says then there will be a there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be in the Old Testament book as f and i chapter 1 verses 14 and 15 the great day of the Lord is near it is near and hastens quickly the noise of the day of the Lord is bitter there the mighty men shall cry out that day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distress a day of devastation and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness melancholy for one says behold the day is coming burning like an oven all the proud yes all who do wickedly will be stubble and the day which is coming shall burn them up say at the Lord of hosts that will leave them neither root nor branch it is going to be a time of great suffering it last seven years from the signing of a treaty between Israel and a figure that is called the anti-Christ in Daniel 9 27 he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week that would be a week of years seven years but in the middle of the week in the three and a half year mark in the middle of the week you shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering now anti-christ begins as a political leader who is ruling the world in revelation 13 verse 3 speaks of those who wonder after the the beast the whole world is wondering after the beast for the first three and a half years he's going to keep a low profile he's going to gather strength he begins as Israel's ally ultimately he'll betray their confidence now part of the covenant that we read about that will be drawn up during the seven-year period part of that covenant will be granting permission to rebuild the temple you see when you go to Israel to this day you can go to what is called the temple institute we go there we've gone there for many years the temple institute they have the different kinds of implements that will be used in temple sacrifice they even have the high priest garments ready the crown and everything ready there's a mazuza a large mazuza that's standing just outside that is all part of what's going to take place in the rebuilt temple the Jews have already determined that they want to rebuild that temple that temple will be rebuilt the bible makes it very clear that it will the temple has to be rebuilt now we know that the temple was destroyed under Titus of Rome we know that that took place but when you're reading your bible here it makes it very clear that the temple will have been rebuilt notice verse 14 we'll look at that in detail next time but it says when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing where it ought not let the reader understand let then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains that's in reference to the temple that will be rebuilt so there are questions related to that how is that going to take place seeing that it doesn't exist now in the dome of the rock is there on the temple mount and yet the scripture Jesus prophesies necessitates that the temple be rebuilt it hasn't been standing for for you know hundreds and hundreds of years how's that going to take place well when we go to Israel we go up this ramp and we go into the area that is called the temple mount when you go up into the temple mount you will encounter the dome of the rock the dome of the rock is there and we'll go and we you'll look at it and you don't go in or anything like that but we'll see it so we are not allowed to bring bibles in they will not allow us to bring our bibles in the Muslims have control over that the temple mount so they will not allow you to bring your bible in we actually leave our bibles in our in our backpacks you know or they won't let us go up so we'll go up and then we'll go up past the dome of the rock and as we go past the dome of the rock a little bit further on as we're entering in as you're going up off to the side to the left side of the dome of the rock as we're approaching it to the north there is something there a small a small kind of like a cupola it's a it's called the dome of the tablets and the dome of the spirits so when you will walk past the dome of the rock we go to this area and then everybody who's on on the tour with us will kind of form a wall for me and so I'll have written out the scriptures that I'm going to read to you right now revelation 11 1 and 2 and I'll read this I was given a read like a measuring rod was told go and measure the temple of God and the altar count the worshipers there but exclude the outer court do not measure it because it has been given to the Gentiles they will trample on the holy city for 42 months three and a half years and so we'll be standing there and then people form this barrier and I'll read the scripture now there are people there are guards that are watching and so I usually bring John in case he come to arrest us I'll hand him the scriptures and I'll say I'll pray for you later on I'll even try and bail you out but they they're they're watching you and I'll read that scripture and I'll say if you and you got a picture this way now I'm facing to the east so the back doors are to the east and off to my right here to the south is the dome of the rock I'm standing in front of the dome of the spirits or the dome of the tablets and then I'll remind the people or share with them there was a an archaeologist he's not the only one Asher Kauffman but there are others including my my pastor Chuck Smith who believed that the dome of the spirits or dome of the tablet is the actual place where the holy of holies was because it's at a higher elevation than the dome of the rock and so Asher Kauffman said if you'll notice and when we stand there I'll point to this I'll point in that direction that's where the eastern gate is the eastern gate is where they would enter in to go into the temple the eastern gate is not lined up with the dome of the rock the eastern gate is lined up with the dome of the spirit and if we'll walk into that area you'll look down and you'll see the top of that gate because it's been buried in rubble for many centuries now and so we'll give this study there and I'll say look at this is how it's going to take place at least this is how it appears there needs to be a temple rebuilt there will be a covenant sign between antichrist and the jewish nation the jewish nation desires their temple to be built there are priests who are already and have been by the way through the centuries trained for temple sacrifice that already exists they already exist they have a priesthood anybody whose name is koan in the jewish religion koan if you know any koans the word koan speaks of a priest they have kept the lineage through their last names i we have some in our fellowship koan and and i told him it's a juror descendant of the priest that's what that name means it speaks of the priests and so the koan still exists the koan name they still exist and so there's a group that are prepared and ready have been trained for temple sacrifice it's already the only thing that is lacking at this moment is the rebuilt temple now if israel were to attempt to begin to build a temple all of the muslim armies of the world would descend on jerusalem because to them that is a holy site and the idea that the jews should be there rebuilding a temple would not happen but we know that the antichrist comes and he's going to make a covenant he's going to be the one who begins by bringing peace there's going to be a treaty and he's going to we believe i believe he's going to make it possible for that temple to be rebuilt now how's that going to happen well if you look at the scripture it says very very clearly but exclude the outer court do not measure it because it's been given to the Gentiles they'll trample on the holy city for 42 months they're going to be able to rebuild the temple on its site and it can coexist with the dome of the rock and so that has been excluded and that's what's most most likely going to take place there are other theories that perhaps a great earthquake will hit or whatever but that's a very common belief that's how it's going to take place so when the covenant is initially signed during this time and again all of this is just laying a foundation for the scriptures we're looking at after the signing of the covenant the tribulation begins now this time period in scripture is distinguished from normal christian pressures jesus in john 1633 said these things i've spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation that word tribulation clips this speaks of pressure affliction but be of good cheer i have overcome the world we have a normal amount of pressures we go through but during the time of the tribulation it begins three and a half years it's called tribulation last three and a half years great tribulation because it continues to ascend in intensity and so these are the things that are the backdrop for the verses we're looking at and so with verse nine it says this watch out for yourselves for they will deliver you up to councils you will be beaten in the synagogues you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake for a testimony to them so he begins to give them the overview and he's beginning to give them general conditions now the conditions can be summed up with one thought persecution will increase the rejection of in hatred for god is going to be directed to christians during the tribulation by the way i've been asked this question are people saved during the tribulation something something no no but the bible teaches otherwise yes will there be christians during the tribulation yes many will come to jesus after the rapture there are people who have heard the studies they've heard the word they've seen some of the movies and all and they've just said oh no that's that's not true that's just christian mythology it's not going to happen really there's quite a number of people who've said that there are i've had someone tell me well i'm going to reject jesus until the tribulation i just want to see how bad it really gets i said well you know whatever i mean what can i say there are actually people like that who really think that way let's see if it's true or not then i'm going to come to faith in christ no you're not if you can't come to faith in christ when it's easy you won't come to faith in christ that's hard when you have to lose your head for your faith but that's what people talk about will there be people saved yes during the tribulation a great amount will be will be will be saved revelation seven speaks of a great multitude from every nation tribe people in tongue and they are before god's throne in white robes and they're worshiping john is asked who are these arrayed in white robes where did they come from in revelation seven fourteen john says i said to him my lord you know he said to me these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb you see persecution has been part of the christian life from the beginning it is part of living lives that are intended to glorify god and it's something that is guaranteed there are so many people who will buy their little promise box you know their verses and you can get them into your verse for the day and you have 30 verses you need to take it out you shall be the head not the tail amen praise the lord this is my verse for the day but what happens when you pick up second timothy 312 all who desire to live godly in christ jesus will suffer persecution that's a promise so what do you do you take it on you say man i got my wife's promise for the day i don't want to take away her blessing you put it back but that's a promise it's one of his promises that is regularly fulfilled and we're not to be surprised by the way when it occurs it's part of the cost that is exacted for following jesus and first peter 412 through 14 beloved do not be surprised at the painful trial you're suffering as though something strange were happening to you rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed if you're insulted because of the name of christ your bless for the spirit of glory end of god rests on you listen righteousness by its nature is confrontational it's confrontation it's not that you want to run around judging people but our lives and the way that we live will actually produce conviction and when you live for the lord well it it rises in contrast to those who don't it just becomes obvious and so sometimes the life that you live is actually revealing the evil of the life that somebody else may live in Ephesians 511 paul said it like this he said have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather he said expose them now there are times of course that just by teaching or sharing what god's word says is going to contradict what people hold fast to and think is okay that happens but also as you're living those truths out as your daily life and they see the way you live by contrast in the way others are living you can expose that too you see the response of the world will not always be positive and the early church was very familiar with persecution somebody wrote because of persecution suffering for christ's sake was viewed as a privilege god gave the gift of salvation and he also bestowed the gift of suffering in Philippians 129 paul said it like this he said it has been granted to you on behalf of christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him the word grant is a word as a grace gift it's been graciously given to you not only to believe but also to suffer so we're not to be surprised even in our day when people don't like us don't want to eat lunch with us or speak harshly of us we shouldn't be surprised because that's part of being a christian so in these verses jesus is referring to sources of persecution notice verse 9 again he said they will deliver you to councils and you're going to be beaten in synagogues one of the sources will be originating to religious people those who are religious we see that in in the new testament when the early christians were were first persecuted by by those of the jewish faith who rejected christ you see again christianity goes against common religious beliefs rejection of christ is the acceptable faith for people in many ways and so christians are often attacked i was in is in rather in india and i've been there twice i've spent a accumulation of about a month in in india doing ministry and and i met somebody there his name was the his name was moses paulos that was his name and so when i came home i i had remembered him and i received a word of what had happened to him and his son he had a young son a young teen and when i met him and he had grown a bit older it had been a few years since i had met and and seen moses but i'll never forget a report came to me and it was told i was told that moses and his son were going from village to village in the region of india that they live in and moses had gone into the village and he had gone because he had been invited to by the elders of the village he said why don't you come in and share with us about this jesus that you're preaching in all these villages so moses went in with his son his son was his worship team drummer he's placed a little bongo and all that was his ministry so he went with his father as a missionary into this village when they went into the village it had it was a setup it was a trap they wanted to torture him and they took moses and they took his young son they tied him to a tree now in the center of the village the oldest tree is where they go and make their sacrifices their their their pagan worship is at the ancient tree so they took him to the ancient tree and tied them up and they brought people with rods these rods the heavy heavy rods and they beat them so severely that the beating itself almost killed them then they sent for the village skinner we don't understand what that is well the village skinner is just that it's a man who will skin you alive he'll take your flesh off of you with a sharp knife they sent for the village skinner to come and skin moses and his son but they couldn't find him so moses was let go his kidneys were destroyed he was hospitalized his son was hospitalized with head injuries for several months and then one day moses said i'm going back to the village they need the lord this is a place that almost took his life and he goes back and when he came into the village they were waiting they saw him coming and they rushed to him and he thought it's over and they said we've been waiting for you to come back we've been waiting for you to come back why is that because the tree which was their ancient tree the tree that they worship it's like their temple if you will had died after we tied you to this tree and beat you the tree died there's no reason it should have died so we know your god is not pleased with us we have to hear what you had to say moses led the elders and the entire village to faith in jesus christ through doing that see there's persecution and you can i know that if i was sitting out there hearing this story i know that i'd be saying yeah that's right sure of course i don't believe that because i'm very skeptical but i know the guy that this happened to that actually did happen and that village did turn to jesus christ persecution does occur we know it occurs now we've seen the videos of christians kneeling on a beach where they're getting beheaded for their faith in christ that happened to this day and it's intensely growing out but it'll be even worse during tribulation in john 16 2 and 3 jesus said they shall put you out of the synagogues yes the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he does god service and these things will they do to you because they have not known the father nor me a lot of religious people who put to death followers of jesus christ is happening to this day he also goes on in verse 9 and he says you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake persecution will be initiated by governments we know that to be a fact because during the time of the early church roman persecution was intense nero was slaughtering believers well obviously this occurs through governments up till this day during the covet lockdowns automotive supply cleaning services tattoo parlors and strip clubs remained open because they were deemed essential think about that for a minute they were deemed essential but churches were not churches were not regarded as the essential religious faith in the united states now is disregarded is not regarded as a matter of fact there are those who are openly saying that the christian faith is something they want to eradicate they don't like it they don't like your faith they don't like my faith they don't it's true we know that churches were locked down but calvary chapel san jose under pastor mike mclure remained open and it became the center of a legal battle calvary chapel san jose was fined 2.8 million dollars for meeting mike was threatened and his assistant were threatened with jail but this last august a california appeals court dropped nearly 200 000 in fines and prayerfully the millions in fines will also be dropped the supreme court has been clear that these orders violated the first amendment and was clear discrimination against religion amen amen to say that the government does not frown on christian christians it's absolutely not true it's absolutely not true you will be persecuted he says in verse nine for his sake for the sake of jesus not simply because of yourself again we saw this happen in the early church's history persecution by government acts chapter 12 verses one and two it was about this time that king herod arrested some who belong to the church intending to persecute them he had james the brother of john put to death with the sword this persecution comes to full maturity during the tribulation verse 10 says the gospel must first be preached to all nations despite all the persecution the gospel has been spread and continues being spread in matthew 16 18 jesus and i tell you that you are peter and on this rock i will build my church and the gates of hades will not overcome it it will not overcome it and that's a fact i mean the the church has marched triumphantly and continues to do so i has done so for 2000 years with all of the oppression all of the persecution all of the hindrances why because the gates of hell cannot prevail against the power of the gospel of jesus christ and jesus told us that and it's true you see during the tribulation millions will be witnessing they'll be sharing their faith the whole world is going to hear in revelation 11 verse 3 it speaks of the two witnesses who will prophesy for three and a half years in revelation 14 6 and 7 john says i saw another angel flying in midair and he has the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth to every nation tribe language and people he said in a loud voice fear god give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come worship him who made the heavens the earth the sea and the springs of water so the word of god goes forth and during the tribulation continues doing so and verse 11 he says but when they arrest you and deliver you up do not worry beforehand or premeditate what you will speak but whatever is giving you in that hour speak that for it is not you who speak but the holy spirit this is something jesus taught more than once it happened throughout church history it occurs during the tribulation and luke 12 11 and 12 it says when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities do not worry about how or what you should answer or what you should say for the holy spirit will teach you in that very hour what you want to say in luke 21 14 and 15 settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer for i'll give you a mouth and wisdom which all of your adversaries will not be able to contradict nor resist so just trust in the lord saturate yourself in the word of god during this period we're in now and into the tribulation later there will be people who will answer because god has given him the words in wisdom that's what happens what you do is you soak yourself in god's word and then god provokes you and draws out of you that answer in those circumstances that's why it's very important for us to stay in the word daily to read to know to be able to study to be aware so he's out of the abundance of our heart our mouth will speak the holy spirit will prompt us and give us words and wisdom that our enemies will neither gain say nor resist he goes on in verse 12 brother will betray brother to death and a father his child children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death your family your family can be a source of persecution your own family i remember when marie who is my girlfriend who later was to become my wife but at this time was my girlfriend marie was raised in very strict uh roman catholic home like many of us and her mama was very is was very devoted and all and and loves her kids and marie tells me she can still remember when her mom would come in sometimes after coming to church going to church and because mama would go at night sometimes and marie would be in bed she said i would feel the sprinkling and i'd open my eyes and my mom had brought holy water from church and was putting it on me when i was asleep her mama is very very devout in the roman catholic faith she was not real happy with me hooking up with her saint marie she she did not like that so marie got saved and began going to church with me and again mama was not real happy about that and one day marie out of her own volition she chose this on her own which i agreed with 100 percent marie said to me i want to be water baptized and i said well that's good you need to be of course a follower of christ so she said uh i'll get baptized at this particular church i had an evening service and a baptism so i said let's go so we went marie steps into the water and she gets soaking wet she comes out her hair is real wet obviously and so she changes but her hair hasn't dried and i'm driving her home and so we pull up in the driveway and and she says you know my mom's not going to be real happy right now and i said i know do you want me to go with you into the house she says no i said thank you jesus and marie went in and she got the lecture and the anger and everything that would have been expected i baptized you as a baby what are you doing don't you think our faith is enough the whole thing sometimes your your whole family is rejecting a few many of you have experienced that many have you come to faith in christ we had a young man who got saved in this fellowship years ago now but he got saved the mother called us and was angry i could handle my son when he was a druggy i can't handle him as a jesus freak so they get upset your own family can get angry at you i have a memory when i went to biola college professor who was a missionary to india had given us a chapel service and i'll never forget part of his message where he said that he had been raised in india and had learned uh the the dialect of his region and uh grew to the age of becoming a pastor over a small fellowship in this indian village and he spoke to us about how that a young man had approached him and asked him questions about christ and as he was speaking to this young man about jesus the young man was listening attentively to the point where the missionary said to him would you receive christ as your lord and savior the young man said to him you don't know what it will cost me to give my heart to jesus christ and so the missionary says to him well it's going to cost and he starts speaking of the cost of discipleship and after shared sharing these things this missionary in in chapel said so i spoke these things but the young man said to me you really don't understand what this is going to cost me and the missionary said i'm sure you're right i don't understand but the offer is still before you would you receive christ do you desire him as your messiah and the young man said i will pray with you and receive christ three days later i believe it was three days later there was a knock on the pastor's door and some village police came and said we need you to go with us so this pastor climbed into the the car and drove him to a to a a road a dirt road outside the village and and he steps out and he sees a tarp on the side of the road and they say we need you to come and we want you to identify somebody for us we think you may know him he said to us so i walk up to this tarp and it's obviously outlining a over a body he said they removed the tarp as i was looking down and i beheld the face of the young man who had come into my office just a few days before and his head had been severed from his body he had been beheaded and he said the voice of this young man rang in my ears when when he had said you don't know what it will cost me to follow your savior jesus and he said oh well the cost he said i did not know what it would cost it cost him his life because his family were rabidly religious in the particular faith that they had held to and him coming to faith in christ was the death penalty and that's what the young man was saying and he said as i was looking into the face of this young man who had spoken with me just three days before i heard the voice of the spirit say to me very clearly do you believe what you told him is true because if you don't believe that you just killed this young man see your faith in christ matters and even your own family may reject you this young man lost his life for believing in jesus christ jesus said this is going to happen it even happens in our day it will increase during the tribulation brother will betray brother to death and a father his child it's going to come from your own family sometimes our family rejects us because of the lord and psalm 41 verse 9 even my own familiar friend in whom i trusted who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me in psalm 27 10 when my father and my mother forsake me then the lord will take me up losing family over your faith is something that does occur it's one of those things that makes belonging to a church family so important in mark 10 29 and 30 i truly tell you jesus replied no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age homes brothers sisters mothers children and fields along with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life this increases during the tribulation and finally he goes on you will be hated by all men on my account society itself will hate believers when you speak the truth you will be persecuted you will be persecuted verbally you will be persecuted physically in john 15 18 it says if the world hates you you know that it hated me before it hated you now he says to us though in verse 13 he says but he who endures to the end shall be saved the word endure means to hold faster to bear up it speaks of persevering under great trial now this isn't a promise to those who believe in him will not be killed because according to luke 21 16 it says there you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers relatives and friends they will put some of you to death what he's saying is true faith will be evidenced by holding fast to the very end salvation is not simply for the here and now salvation is for eternity it endurance does not produce salvation but endurance is the evidence of its reality there are those who seem to begin well but they fade and don't remain enduring persevering is a demonstration that you actually have been changed like when my brother was saying to me i've seen you go through so many fads this is just another one of them david and that's been demonstrated to be not true for almost 52 years since i came to faith in christ no i endure why because he is good he keeps us and his holy spirit empowers us and we've been sealed into the day of redemption and my god is working in us it is a demonstration that you know jesus christ there will be times that you are struggling and there will be times undoubtedly that we stumble but even when we stumble we get up and continue forward why because our god is able to make us to stand and we stand in him that's how it works so the gospel goes forth in this world we stand up and speak the truth people don't always like to hear it but we give it because it is true righteousness is confrontational people don't want to hear it and some don't even preach it one last thing we were invited to a meeting in in the local area and it was an issue related to homosexuality and there was a bill that was before the assembly that was going to be voted on and they wanted to hear from the religious quote and quote leaders of the community and they invited all kinds of people i was invited so when i was part of this meeting and so many were speaking and sharing and all i was one of the very last because i always wait to the end and i waited and i finally said you know homosexuality in scripture is demonstrated to be a sin it's not the only sin but it is a sin and those who practice it will not enter into the kingdom of god but the gospel tells us that god through his powerful holy spirit can transform lives and i said my sister who was captive to that philosophy and lived that life for many years came to faith in jesus christ and she's walking with the lord and i shared about how god can transform you why because the word of god is true if any man being christ he's a new creation all things are passed away behold all things are becoming new and god can transform your life there's not a sin he cannot forgive and i shared that and then this pastor sitting behind me a couple two or three people over he raised his hand to speak and he said he said homosexuality is not a big deal it's only mentioned in scripture four times when he said that i couldn't hold myself back and i turned around and i looked at him and i said how many times does god have to tell you something until you listen he says it once and that's all there's to it that's a fact that's a fact how many times you see my own father if my dad said clean up the room once you better clean it up because if i didn't clean it up when he said it once and i would pay the price so if my dad's word was true why not god's word and so the gospel should be preached do people like it know will persecution ensue yes hold fast don't be surprised hold on to jesus christ because one day you will hear the words well done my good my faithful servant and that's all that matters never forget that brethren be even more diligent to make your calling election sure for if you do these things you will never stumble second peter one verse two hold fast father we bless you