The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-38
Act 3: God’s New Covenant People
Scene 3: Christ’s Deliverance of His People: God’s Work through the Death, Resurrection, and Enthronement of His King
Background Information: Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-38
Against the Lord’s warning that no one can know the timing of the end, people continue to try and predict the return of the Lord. When Jesus told the disciples that the magnificent temple would be completely destroyed, they, of course wanted to know when this would happen. They also assumed that such a catastrophic event would be tied to the end of the age. The temple was destroyed in AD 70, just a few decades after Jesus’ prediction. The siege and destruction of Jerusalem led to catastrophic loss of life and the end of the world for those dying there. Christians took the Lord’s advice and fled the city, and many were saved. That event was part of the last days, but it was obviously not THE last day. The end of this age remains in the future. We are living in what Scripture calls the “last days.” All that remains on Scripture’s timeline is the return of the Lord. When that will happen is beyond the scope of human understanding. Every time troubling news arises, people begin to claim that the end is here. Jesus said that there will be news of war, news of false prophets, and news of earthquakes and famines. All this news signals that the end is not yet. In fact, the Lord said that life will largely be going on in normal fashion when the end comes (Luke 17:26-28). Ironically, we should be most concerned when there is the least cause for concern. In truth, we should not be concerned at all with these matters; they belong to the Lord. Jesus gave three parables to help us think about how to live with the end in mind. The parable of the virgins tells us to live in a state of readiness. The parable of the talents tells us to live faithfully with the stewardship we have been given. The parable of sheep and goats tells us that faithfulness to God will be revealed in our actions towards others. These parables go against the common human response to rumors of the end. When people believe that the end is at hand, they tend to think it is time to stop living faithful lives and live passive, fearful ones. The Lord says that we live with the end in mind when we live faithful lives of love for God and others in practical, normal ways. If you knew that tomorrow was your last day, it should not change how you live today. You should be living every day, faithfully.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God to encourage and challenge students in their faith as they gather at River tonight for Christian Challenge. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict students of sin and call them to repentance and faith in Jesus.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.