Sermons
Straight From The Lion's Mouth
Series: An Eschatological MixLink to sermon video: Straight From The Lion's Mouth - T Siverd
STRAIGHT FROM THE LION'S MOUTH
Sermon By Terry Siverd / April 25, 2021 / Cortland Church of Christ
While eschatology may sound like an intimidating word, it simply refers to “words about last things”. Once in a while brethren call to make inquiry asking, “do you (this church) believe in eschatology?”. This poorly worded and somewhat dumb question really gets under my skin: everybody has some view of eschatology. What they're really asking is “do we affirm a view known as fulfilled prophecy or realized eschatology?”. I want to share some eye-opening truths about eschatology with you over the next few months. As a preacher, it's easy to avoid the difficult doctrines - - they're hard to understand and we risk offending some. I feel obligated to try to make corrections because many have blundered in misinterpreting Scripture. From the 1st century onward believers have failed to rightly divide (correctly interpret/2Tim.2:15) the word of truth. Many charge forth with zeal and bluster warning friends, family and foes about a rapidly approaching, so-called END OF TIME, totally unaware of any distinction between the end of time and the time of the end.
The Holy Scriptures speak often about the time of the end, but nowhere do they address the end of time.
After challenging people on this point, the response typically shows itself in one of three ways: First, some will promptly cut you off, label you as a heretic and warn others to stay away. Secondly, some will search the Scriptures diligently arming themselves with a citation or two they'd like you to address: Dan.12:4 / seal up the book until the end of time … and/or Rev.10:6 / there should be time no longer. Thirdly, some will return with genuine excitement, as if “a light has been turned on” like never before. As to eschatology, there are many who are contending for a view that is not only unbiblical but also unhealthy. Millard Erickson writes of two dangerous trends: eschatomania and eschatophobia: the first being an intensive preoccupation with eschatology and the latter being a fear of or an aversion to studies about the end. I suffer from neither. I am not afraid of eschatology, but neither am I an eschatomaniac.
I want to ask you to suspend your preconceived notions for a little while as contemplate an alternative possibly. What if NT eschatology does not pertain to planet earth, but rather to the fulfillment of the Old Covenant? Indeed, I 'm affirming that the NT speaks of the time of the end, but it says not a word about the end of time. For us 21st century Christians, eschatology should not be a source of nervousness and angst, but rather a celebration of joy as we rest securely in the knowledge of the fulfillment of God's eternal plan of redemption.
A few Sundays ago we examined Peter's exhortation in 1Pet.4:7 - - The end of all things is at hand... Where did PETER get these bold words and provocative ideas? Had Peter gone rogue in writing what he wrote? He is neither an anomaly nor an outlier. His words are not the exception, but rather the norm. Peter stands squarely in the midst of a united apostolic voice.
JOHN wrote a gospel, three epistles and Revelation). Like Peter, he was present for Jesus' Olivet Discourse (Mk.13:3). In 1Jn.2:18-19 - - Children, it is the last hour; and just as your heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. (These antichrists are mentioned in Acts 15:1 & 24 and Gal.2:12). Rev.1:1 & 3 - - The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John...Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is at hand.
The author of the NT book of JAMES was not one of the original 12 apostles, but an apostle nonetheless (Gal.1:19). Turn with me Js.5:7-9 - - Be patient, therefore, brethren until the coming of the Lord. Behold the farmer waits for the precious produce of the ground, being patient about it., until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the judge is standing right at the door.
Acts 9 tells of the conversion of Saul who becomes known at the apostle PAUL who wrote most of the NT epistles. Turn with me to Rom.13:11-12 - - And this we do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand... Also from Paul - - 1Cor.7:29-31 - - But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those of you who have wives should be as though they had none...for the form of this world is passing away.
From an ANONYMOUS NT AUTHOR via Heb.10:36-37 - - You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 'For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.'
Whether one reads from Peter, Paul, James or John (all NT authors) there is a consensus. Their inspired documents are written with an air of expectancy; an expectation of nearness; a sense of imminency. The language of the New Testament pulsates with an eager anticipation of fulfillment with the arrival of things to come. We are driven to ask, Where did the NT writers get these words? Their words of exhortation were not new or novel, but rather they were a reiteration of what Jesus had taught His apostles (cf. Mt.24; Mk.13 & Lk.17 & 21). For 3+ years Jesus walked among His disciples - - He was a masterful teacher. The words He spoke and the manner in which He delivered these words were so impressive. One could rightly declare that His classroom changed the world. Technically-speaking, He did not have a classroom, per se - - His classroom was wherever He was. In the early 300's BC, Aristotle taught His students while walking about at the Lyceum outside of Athens. Jesus, even more than Aristotle, employed this peripatetic style of teaching. His classroom was everywhere. Jesus was not only a peripatetic instructor, but He was also a prophetic teacher. Before Jesus was crucified He gave to His apostles what has come to be called the Olivet Discourse. The Olivet discourse is Jesus' primary teaching about what was to happen in Israel's last days (Mt.24:1-4ff).
Your assignment for next Sunday is to read Mt.23 & 24.
Next Sunday we going to get our text straight from THE LION'S MOUTH (i.e., the lion of Judah). I will give you a sneak preview. What we're going to discover is that the New Testament writers teach precisely what Jesus taught. When James & John and Peter & Paul wrote to 1st century disciples who were living in the days just prior to Jerusalem's fall in AD 70) they simply told them what Jesus had told them. Their words were but ECHOES OF JESUS. And just in case they forgot the details of what Jesus delineated, Jesus promised The Holy Spirit would be sent: to teach them all things and to bring to their remembrance the words that He spoke / Jn.14:26 ... and to guide them in all truth...and to disclose to them things to come / Jn.17:13).
In closing, One of the saddest quotes I've ever encountered is one that same something like this: “Jesus and His apostles thought the end of the world would arrive in their lifetime, but they were wrong.” While this may seem like a harmless observation from some disenchanted scholar, it is not. It comes from one who has read the text of New Testament with objectivity - - repeatedly, over and over again. This “quote” comes with candor and honesty. Is it a sad quote because it is sooooo inaccurate. Candid, Yes! Honest, Yes! But Accurate, No Way!!! Jesus was not wrong. And the apostles did not wrongly misunderstand Him. The problem is often on our end - - we're looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. We're looking for the wrong kind of "end". Our eschatology is in need of refinement.
'
