WHAT”S AHEAD

Mark 13:3-4

November 13, 2003

 

 

 

3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"

 

 

Lots of people want to know what’s ahead. People that are into stocks want to know. They have been bitten badly in the last couple of years. Many of them had plans of retiring off the income from investments in the stock market. Because of the poor performance of stocks in 2001 and 2003, many have been forced to stay put. They want to get back into the market and to feel confident about it, but they want someone who knows what’s really happening to tell them what’s up with the stock market in the near and long term. No one has that insight.

 

Lots of folks want to know about the economy. Is it going to come back? If it does come back, is it going to remain strong? Will there be work for folks? Will the jobs pay enough to make it worth my time to go to another job? Or will my unemployment insurance amount to more than a new job will pay? Is there anyone that knows what will happen to our economy in the next 12 months?

 

Lots of Americans want to know if that war in Iraq is going to be over for real and if so when? Lots of Americans continue to loose their lives week after week. No one can answer when that war will be over. There is no sure answer in the white house or any other house in this country or perhaps the world.

 

Americans have just started to fly again. Will the airport security in place protect those that fly? Will they find safety in the air? Can guns and knives and other weapons still get through airport security?

 

It is against this background that I find such joy and satisfaction in the scripture before us this morning. In this passage we get answers about what’s ahead. The answers are definite. You can count on them. You can shut and lock the doors and turn out the lights and know that the answer is correct. We don’t have to guest. We don’t have to listen to people that don’t know what they are talking about now or tomorrow. Jesus tells us in plain language what’s ahead for us. In this entire passage there is no guessing. You wont find anywhere in this passage about what’s ahead, “I think” or “ I imagine” or “It seems to be the case” or “It’s looking more and more like it is going to happen”. Nowhere is there doubt or speculation. It is absolutely definite. It is without question.

 

Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled.” Mark reports that Jesus was leaving the Temple. One of his disciples was amazed at the beauty of the Temple. He called to Jesus saying, “Look Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings! “The rabbis said, “He who has not seen the Temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life. ”The Roman historian, Tatcitus, described the Temple as a mountain of white marble decorated with gold and as one of immense wealth.” It was about this magnificent structure that Jesus answered the question of these four disciples. He said, “Do you see all these great buildings? “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

 

Now, I read Jesus saying, there are some rough days ahead. There is a time of great stress and distress coming upon the earth. Jesus announces widespread suffering for all of mankind in every place.

 

Now, that pronouncement of Jesus prompted the four to say, “Tell us, when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

 

Jesus answered the question of his four disciples by saying, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” Now, the word deception means to deceive, lead astray, to cause to wander. As people of God, we are subject to being lead astray. False prophets have a long history of leading God’s people astray. For example, in Jeremiah 23:13 God says that the prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal and led his people astray. They prophesied false dreams and preached them to the people and lead them astray. He accused them of using lies to lead his people astray. In Jeremiah 29:8, God instructs his people not to let the prophets and diviners deceive them.

 

Like Jeremiah Jesus tells us to watch out that no one deceives us. No I think it is important that we hear him well. He doesn’t say watch out for your enemies so they don’t deceive you. He says don’t let anyone deceive you. We can be deceived by anyone. He tells us that many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.” That is going to happen. Many will be deceived.

 

False prophets have deceived many of God’s people. Many false prophets have deceived many about the end of the world. Mark Klingwell, in his book Dreams of Millennium, talks about the many times false prophets have gotten people all stirred up about the end of the world. False prophets have gotten people stirred up some 15 different times indicating that the world is coming to an end. Klingwell states that in 1844 there was a farmer named William Miller. This farmer studied the books of Daniel and Revelation to determine when Christ would return again. He came up with October 22, 1844. He was one of the most popular preachers for a long time. One time he preached 300 sermons in six months. Thousands of people, some say hundreds of thousands, were caught up in his prediction of the end of the world. On October 22, 1844, these people quit their jobs and went out on a hillside to wait for the Lord. But October 22, 1844 passed just like any other day. When the Lord did not return as expected these people came down the hill and listen to this farmer say that he had miscalculated the date and that he was off by one year. The Lord would return on the same date exactly one year later. So the next year, they did it all over again- quit their jobs, sold their property, put on white robes, and went to wait on the hillside. And again, October 22, 1845 passed just like any other day.  Source: Chris Lockley, Mid North Coast Presbytery

 

In 1917-1919, there was a preacher named “Sweet Daddy Grace. Many took him to be a charlatan. In Daddy's day, members were expected to attend services seven days (or evenings) a week. They would spend the first 20 minutes on their knees, then an hour or more "coming to the mountain" -- singing, clapping, speaking in tongues, sometimes writhing on the always spotless floor.

 

"If you sin against God, Grace can save you, but if you sin against Grace, God cannot save you."
"Anything God offers you, I got it."
"If Moses came back now, he'd have to follow this man," pointing to himself.
His legacy endures -- a revered memory, hundreds of churches, and 3 million followers, according to church leaders here.
Bishop Grace is buried in a marble mausoleum at Pine Grove Cemetery. About 5,000 people witnessed parts of the burial ceremony.
"I am the boyfriend of the world," Sweet Daddy was fond of saying.
Nobody could say it better than Daddy, which no doubt is why the eulogy at his last rites was delivered by no other than Sweet Daddy Grace. On tape.     Bill McNamara writes on religion and ethics for The Standard-Times.        

 

So deception is definitely ahead. No one in here can escape it.

 

Next, Jesus says that all bad things don’t mean that the end is here. Wars and rumors of wars, nations fighting nations, kingdoms fighting against kingdoms – none of these things mean that the end is here. People still believe that these things mean that the end is near.

 

The ironic thing is that lots of people are curious about the end. But only a hand full seems to be getting ready for the end. Most don’t seem to bother about being ready for his return.