The Persecution at the End, Part 2

It truly is good to have you with us today as you worship the Lord together. If you have not been with us over the last eight and a half years, that's how long we've been in the Gospel of Luke. We began in February of 2006. And we literally have gone word by word, verse by verse, paragraph by paragraph, chapter by chapter through the life of our Lord Jesus Christ to understand all the details from Luke's perspective. About his life. Now, we are at the very end of his life. We are at the last week of our Lord's life.

And if you have not been with us, let me explain to you where we're at. We're at the Wednesday of Passion Week. On Monday is when he rode into the city, not Sunday, Monday. There is no Palm Sunday, it's Palm Monday. So he rode into Jerusalem on Monday. He cleansed the temple on Tuesday. Having cleansed the temple, he began to teach that day, still to the praise of the boys that were still in the temple court area. On Wednesday, the day we are at in Luke chapter 21, he taught the whole day. He refuted all the religious leaders in terms of their questions, and he silenced them.

And he asked them a question that would ultimately silence them. But he would go from place to place, teaching the entire day. He would leave that temple. He would depart down the southern steps of the temple. He would make a sharp left, cross over the Kid Brook. And then ascend up into the Mount of Olives. And by the time we come to the twilight of Wednesday, where we are in Luke 21, he's on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Overlooking the temple, overlooking the city, and he's instructing his men concerning a question that was asked.

The men had come and asked a question. He had spoken about how he was going to leave their house desolate. It was no longer his father's house. But it was their house. And so he was going to leave it desolate, and not one stone would be left upon another. Well, that began to raise all kinds of questions in the lives of the men, and so they ask a question. We told you that in Mark's account, there are four men who asked the question: Peter, James, John, and Andrew. But all the rest had the same question.

When will these things be? What will be the sign of the end of the age? When is all this going to take place? That's the question. And Jesus will spend. The rest of Luke 21 answering that question. It's also recorded in Mark 24 and 25, also in Mark chapter 13. It is the longest answer to any question ever asked of him. Now you say, well, You've said this to us every week for the last eight weeks. Yes, I know. But repetition is the mother of learning. I can't afford to have you forget if you were with us on Wednesday night.

What happened to Israel? The parents forgot to pass down to the succeeding generations the truth of God's word. So the generation arose who did not know the works of God nor the words of God. We can't afford to do that in this generation. So we repeat the things so that you don't forget them. Like Peter said, I know that you know these things, but I want to bring them to your remembrance. It's all about bringing them to your remembrance so you don't forget. We can't afford to forget. If you forget what happens, you forsake the Word of God.

If you forsake the Word of God, you will forfeit God's blessing. If you forfeit God's blessing, you will fail miserably. That was Wed If you were with us. And so, you need to understand all these things. So, we want you to understand the truth of God's word. And so, as men come and they begin to ask the question, when will these things take place? We tell them. He tells them, it's not going to happen right away. It's going be somewhere down the road. It'll be in their future. And he begins to explain to them.

The prophecy of the coming king. Now, in their theology, they did not know anything about two comings of the Messiah. They only knew of one coming of the Messiah. And Jesus speaks of another coming, a return. This is all new to them. All right? Now, on the heels of that, let me help you understand something.

Prophecy is not difficult to understand. It's not hard to comprehend. Don't think that the Lord said, you know, I'm going to say a whole bunch of things, and they're never going to have an idea what I'm talking about. I want them to be totally confused about the end. I want them to be all messed up about the end. I don't want them to know about what's going to happen to the end. I want to confuse my people. That's not what he said. He wanted to make it as clear as the blue sky. He wanted to make it as simple and as profound as possible.

Having said that, you got to realize who he's talking to. He is not talking to the religious elite. He is not talking to the educational minded. He's speaking to a bunch of simple fishermen. As you recall, it was the educated and the religious that had no idea what he was talking about. It was the educated and the religious who just brushed him off as if he was a fool. But these are simple-minded fishermen. These guys are slim Jims and plain Janes. That's all they are. They're like you and me, as plain as apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

That's what they were. They weren't these religious, elite, astute people who knew so much about they didn't know anything. And so, whenever you understand scripture, you must understand it in light of who is listening to Jesus speak. To understand biblical interpretation, you must realize that to whoever Jesus is addressing, what they under is the main interpretation of the passage. How they would understand what Jesus was saying. And these simple-minded fishermen were listening to Jesus, wondering when will these things be?

What's going to happen? They had a very detailed Prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. They knew what the Bible said. They knew Isaiah 9, 6, and 7. They knew Isaiah 11, verses 1 and 2. They knew Jeremiah 23, 5, and 6. They knew Zach chapter 14. They knew Daniel chapter 2 and Daniel chapter 11, Daniel chapter Well, they knew the Old Testament, they knew those things. They weren't imbeciles. They knew because they were in the synagogue every day, growing up as children, listening to the word of God being taught and being spoken of by rabbis.

And so they were people who were. In the know about the Old Testament. They knew that when the Messiah would come, he would set up his kingdom. They knew that when the Messiah came, there would be wars and there would be catastrophes because all that's in the Old Testament. They knew there would be upheaval. They knew there would be persecution by the Gentiles. They knew all that. They just believed that when the Messiah came, he would rectify all that immediately. And Jesus wasn't doing that. So they had some questions.

They wondered what was going to happen next. They wondered why he didn't overthrow Rome. And there had to be some wondering about why the religious establishment didn't embrace him as the Messiah. And they did. And after coming in on Monday, remember, Monday, not Sunday, Palm Monday, not Palm Sunday. You've got to make sure you get that clear. Get it right. That when he came in on Monday, he came into the praises of the people on the backside of a donkey. Zach 9, verse number 9. So they know the prophecy is being fulfilled.

They know that. They know that zeal for his house consumes him, a Psalm 69. They know that the praises of the people was astronomical on Monday, but by Wednesday evening, things had started to subside. They weren't as high as they were on Monday and even on Tuesday. And so they begin to wonder. We know he fulfilled Z 9. We know that they came into the praises of the people. We know he's the Messiah. We know about wars and rumors of wars, and we know about catastrophe. We know what's going to happen, and the Messiah is going handle all that stuff.

We know all that. Why are you going to go away and come again? What's the deal there? Help us understand what will be the sign of the end of the age and your coming. Tell us about it. They had no idea. It would be at least 2,000 years later. Maybe a couple of months. Maybe a couple of years, but two thousand years? No. They didn't really understand all that. So Jesus, in a way that only he can, begins to lay everything out for them. He gives them the predictions about the end. And then he gives them the persecution that's going to take place at the end.

And then he's going to describe for them, pick this up next week, the perils that will take place at the end. And then it'll describe the presence of Christ is the end. Verses 24 to 28. And then I'm talking about all the preparations surrounding your for the end. That's where he's going. It's a very simple outline. It's a very profound outline. The Lord's not trying to confuse anybody here. He's trying to make it very simple for you. Yes, you have to study it. Yes, you have to dig down deep and grasp it.

Yes, that's true. But the Lord is not trying to confuse you. He's not trying to put you out in some island someplace so that you're lost forever. He wants you to understand everything you need to know about the coming of the king. It is a great study. It is a study that Jesus gives to us. These are all his own words about his coming again. So let me pick it up in verse number eight.

It says, See to it that you be not misled, for many will come in my name, saying, I am He. The time is at hand, and do not go after them. Pred number one: there will be much messianic deception at the end.

Pred number two, there will be military dissens. And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified. For these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.

It's not going to happen right away. They continued by saying to them, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be military dissension as the world has never known. Wars, rumors of wars. Countries coming against another, kingdoms coming against another. There will be much messianic deception. And thirdly, there will be monumental devastation.

There will be great earthquakes and in various places plagues and famines, and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. Now, we've covered all that in detail for you. If you weren't here, you can go back, you can get the CDs, listen to them to understand them. We have a whole series on the book of Revelation that helps unfold all that for you. Okay? And then he says, but.

But the but of scripture are the most important ologies you can study. But Okay, then he goes from the predictions about the end to the persecution that will happen at the end. It says, But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name's sake. Here is an explanation that he gives concerning the persecution at the end. It says, It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.

Now, note this. Christ has an amazing way of spreading the gospel. The way to spread the gospel is through persecution. And that's what happened in Acts chapter 8, verse number 1. The church had grown, it was upward of over 10,000 people, and it was on fire in Jerusalem. But Christ said, In Acts chapter 1, you shall be my martyrs, my witnesses in Judea, Samaria. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and into the utter parts of the earth. Well, they were still in the Jerusalem area. He's got to move them to their Judea's, to their Samarias.

To literally around the world, how's he going to do that? Persecution. That's the way to do it. That's the method that Christ has chosen to spread the gospel around the world. Persecution. And so, what happens? They were persecuted and they went everywhere. That was the plan. Christ told them in Acts 1:8, this is how it's going to happen. You will be my martyrs. Acts 8:1, boom, bam, they're gone. And sure enough, the persecution began. So he gives an explanation. And then he gives this exhortation.

So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves, for I will give you utterances and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or ref. Here is the exhortation. I'm going to explain to you persecution's coming, but here's the exhortation: do not prepare beforehand. Why? I'm going to give you everything you need to say at that moment. And we went through the book of Acts to show you exactly how that happened with Peter and John and James and all those, Stephen, and all those who lived for the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's exactly what took place. Okay, and then he says these words: But you will be delivered up, even by parents, and brothers, and relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated. By all on account of my name. Now he talks to you about the extent of the persecution. It is going to extend into your very family. It's going to extend to those who are closest to you. It's going to hit home the hardest. And then he gives an encouragement. But before he gives the encouragement, I want to let you know that everything has happened exactly as Jesus said it would happen.

And we've given you what we entitled Braxton-Hicks contractions that have taken place for 2,000 years. Because there was persecution by the Jews. They would deliver you to synagogues. That's Jewish persecution. And to kings and governors, that's Gentile persecution. And listen, all you have to do is read a book on church history. To understand the Gentile persecution, it went full bore in 64 A under Emperor Nero when he blamed the Christians for burning Rome. And so he began to persecute Christians as they had never ever been persecuted before.

And history tells us that that's when Peter and Paul were martyred during that era. And then in 90 A, you can go back and read church history, that Domitian began a huge persecution against the Christian people. And then Deci in A 250, and then in A 303, Diocletian. And so there was this constant persecution against the Gentile world. But the most massive, massive persecution against the Gentile world came from the Roman Catholic Church. Because from 606 A to the 1800s, the Roman Catholic Church killed some 50 Million, what they called here.

Fifty million. And you can go back and you can trace all throughout church history. The persecution that must come upon the Gentile world, the Christians who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as you read that, you begin to understand more about what Christ said. But remember, these are still, I want to tell you, Braxton-Hicks contract. These are not the main birth pangs that will take place during the tribulation. I'll explain that to you in a moment. But there was an article in 1997, February article, February 11, 1997 in the New York Times.

That spoke of this fact that there have been more Christians persecuted in the 20th century. Than the 1 years since the birth of Christ. You can go and you can read a book called The New Persecuted. By a Roman Catholic journalist called Antonio So. And he says. That it has been estimated that some 70 million individuals have been executed. Executed. For their religious beliefs. Two-thirds of that 70 million have been killed in the last 100 years. It's a lot of people killed because of their faith.

He proclaims that there's 1,000 People who love Christ that are executed every single year. Now Again, that is just birth pangs. I mean, Braxton-Hicks contractions as compared to the birth pangs that will happen at the tribulation. In fact, if you've got your Bible, turn with me to Revelation 6.

Revelation chapter 6, the fifth seal is broken. It says, And when he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Remember the phrase, those who dwell on the earth, used 12 times in the book of Revelation? Always.

100% referring to the unbelieving world, not the believing world. And it says. And there was given to each of them a white robe, and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants And their brethren who were to be killed, even as they had been, should be completed also. And how were they killed? Revelation 20: they were beheaded. By the Antichrist. That's exactly what Revelation 20 says. Turn over to Revelation chapter 7. Revelation 7, verse number 9.

After these things I looked and behold, a great multitude. which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the thr and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm drances were in their hands. And they cry out with a loud voice, saying, And they ask Who are these people? Where do they come from? There's a great multitude. We've told you this many times over the years that the greatest number of convers In the world, it will take place during the seven-year tribulational period, more so in that time than at any other time in history.

There will be thousands upon thousands upon thousands that will be born again during the tribulation. And John sees a countless number, a number that he can't even begin to count before the throne. And it says, And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These are clothed in white robes. Who are they? And from where have they come? Verse 14. And I said to him, My Lord, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones. Who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle. Over them, and there should be no more hunger. There should be no more pain, there should be no more tears, because there was so much hunger, pain, and tears during the tribulation period that when they were actually executed, they entered into glory. Into supreme comfort before their God. Over in Revelation chapter 11. Revelation chapter 11, you have the two witnesses: one like Moses, one like Elijah.

Revelation 11, verse number 7. And when they had finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, overcome them, and kill them. So these two witnesses that are instrumental in the salvation of 144,000 Jewish evangelists. Who go and spread the gospel along with the angel that flies around am heaven? That 's how people come to know Jesus Christ. These two witnesses are killed, they lay in the streets of Jerusalem. For three days, and then they are resurrected.

They are caught up into glory. And now all the world will see that. Over in Revelation chapter 12, it says this. Revelation chapter twelve, verse number six. The woman who was Israel fled to the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God so that she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. In other words, after the middle of the tribulation, of the abomination of desolation. Israel flees to the wilderness. Verse 13: And when the dragon, who was Satan, saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman, who was Israel, who gave birth to the male child, who's the Messiah.

And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured out. Water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might come or cause her to be swept away with the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up. the river with the dragon, that which the dragon poured out of his mouth, and the dragon was enraged with the woman who was Israel.

And went off to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus. Who's that? That's the Gentile. people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Revel 13, it goes back to talk to you about the rise of the Antichrist. how he begins his whole life and how he begins to overtake the world. And it says in verse number seven, and it was given to him that is the Antichrist to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

And all who dwell on the earth will worship him. Again, the phrase, all who dwell upon the earth. All the unbelievers will worship him. They will. They will take the mark of the beast. They will worship him. And then it says, every whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. That means everybody will worship the Antichrist except those whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, because they will not take the mark of the beast and they will not worship the Antichrist.

And it says this in verse number nine: If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes. If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword, he must be killed. By the way, that's a reference to capital punishment and God's in favor of capital punishment even when the Antichrist is doing it. Just thought I'd throw that out to you. And then it says these words: Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. What is? Those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, they were the ones who will persevere and endure to the end.

Why do I tell you all that? Simply because the persecution that's happened over the last 2,000 years are Bracks and Hicks contractions compared to what's going to happen during the tribulation with the birth pangs that erupt. With the worldwide persecution, that goes unchecked. And a massive number of people will die because of their belief in Jesus Christ. And Christ, because he has given the prophecy about the end, helping his men to understand this, he tells them this is what's going to happen.

There's going to be persecution. And they tasted that. They found that. That's exactly what took place. He did not want them to be caught off guard. There will be persecution. Okay, here is the exhortation or the explanation. But don't prepare anything because I'll give you the words to say. That's the exhortation. And it will go even to your family. That's the extent of the persecution. And then he says, here is the encouragement. And this is our lesson for today. All that was introductory to our lesson for today.

Okay? Luke chapter 21, verses 18 and 19. Yet, not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance, you will gain your lives. Wow. Here is the encouragement. Here is what God wants to do for his men. He wants to encourage them. Because they've got to be sitting there thinking, okay, well, whoa, man, are we going to be able to handle all this? If it's going to come from our own family. And there's going to be persecution from those closest to us, and it's going to be hard for us. Are we going to be able to make it to the end?

Are we going to endure to the end? Will we make it? And Christ, in those two verses, gives us one of the cardinal doctrines that we believe in. It's called the perseverance of the saints, the permanence of one's salvation. Okay? It's really the perseverance of the faith more than it's the perseverance of the saints, and I explain that to you in a moment. But it deals with the permanence of salvation. A lot of people today believe that you can lose your salvation. They believe that some way, somehow, you can forfeit the blessing that God has given to you.

They will come up with this conclusion. That a true believer can behave in such a way that God will take away eternal life. The question comes, is that true? Or I can forfeit heaven because of my sin. Really? How about this? Having once been forgiven by grace apart from any works of my own. My forgiveness can be cancelled because of some work of my own. That's what you're saying. If salvation is by grace through faith in God alone, and there is no human work whatsoever in my salvation, it's all of grace, yet there is some work I can do.

That will cause God to cancel that grace, and I will forfeit eternal blessing. That's what people who believe or don't believe in eternal security believe. The question comes, is that true? The answer is an unequivocal no, it's not. And I'm going to explain it to you. And that's what Jesus is saying to his men. He wants them to understand that what they have cannot be lost. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

Now, we could go through the Gospel of John because the Gospel of John is just such a great book that talks about each other. Eternal life. Let me give you just one of them, John 5, verse number 24.

Christ says, This, I love this. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my wor and believes him who sent me has eternal life. And does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Okay? You've passed out of death, out of separation from God, into life. Because you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, is there a time that now, because you believe in Jesus, you might now go back into death and forfeit your life? That doesn't make any sense. Because you have eternal life. He talks about those who believe in me shall never ever thirst again.

Those who believe in me shall never ever hunger again. In fact, if you read John chapter 17, verse number 11. Christ prays that we would be protected, and God always answers his son's prayers. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 1 for a moment.

1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse number 4. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus. That in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech, in all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you. So that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, because you are granted grace. All right, you now eagerly await the revelation of Jesus Christ. That is your hope, that's your anticipation.

Who shall also, verse 8, confirm you to the end blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, Christ says, or Paul says, that Christ will confirm you until the end.

Okay? And then he goes on to say verse 9: Faithful is he who called you, who also will bring it to pass. Because that's what God does, he is a faithful God, he will. Sustain you. This is so important to understand. It says these words over in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, a very familiar portion of scripture. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse number 22. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is he who calls you, and he will also bring it to pass. Here's the point. Here's the point: sa faith. Never fails. Saving faith can't fail. It cannot fail. How do we know that? How do we know that? We know salvation is by grace through faith. We know, Ephesians 2:8, 9, 2 Peter 1, verse number 1, that faith is a gift. Granted to us by God. Just like belief is a gift, Philippians 1:2, just like repentance is a gift, 2 Timothy 2:2. Everything concerning salvation is a gift, it's a part of the whole gift package.

Faith, repentance, and belief. It's nothing I merit, it's nothing I earn, it's nothing I can do to obtain that. It's all a gift. God designed the gift. God designed the gift in such a way that it cannot and will not ever f because He designed it. It is an eternal gift because he is an eternal God. So he gives eternal gifts. And that salvation is an eternal gift. That faith is based on the reliability of the one who's faithful. Listen.

We all have, we're not talking about human faith here, okay? Like when you came to church today, you turned your car on, you had faith to believe your car would start. Okay, based on the reliability of the make and model of your car. Okay, if that car fails to start, guess what? You get a new make. You get a new model because that one failed you, right? Or you come to church, you sit in a pew, you sit down thinking, believing in faith, that's human faith, that this is going to hold you up. Okay, if it doesn't hold you up, guess what?

You're not coming to this church anymore, going to a different church. Or when you went on vacation and you got in an airplane. You had faith to believe there was someone in the cockpit who was going to fly that airplane and he actually knew where he was going. Right? That's called human faith. It's based on the reliability of that airline and those people. We're not talking about human faith. We're talking about supernatural faith. Supernatural faith. Faith given to us by God. Our God is a supernatural God.

Therefore, He gives us a supernatural To believe in him. You with me so far? Harold is. He said amen. He's with me. I want the rest of you guys to be with me. This is important stuff. You got to get this. Why? Because it's crucial for his men. To understand, many of the simple-minded fishermen are listening to Jesus speak. And every one of us here are simple-minded people. Don't think you're educated beyond your intelligence. We are simple-minded people. And we're listening to the words, words of Jesus as he speaks.

And the important thing is. You were once spiritually dead. Now you've been made alive in Christ. You have a living hope that believes in a living God who is alive because he's been resurrected. So you believe in that God. This is the perseverance of the faith. The perseverance of the saints is the perseverance of the faith because the faith that saves sustains. The faith that sa Secures The faith that saves stabilizes. The faith that saves guarantees your entrance into glory. Because that's the kind of faith that God Himself gives.

So important to understand this. Now, turn over to Matthew 24 because this is the parallel statement. Remember, we told you Matthew 24 and Matthew 25. I'm taking my jacket off because I have an hour to go and it's going to get really hot in here. No, that's not true. It's not true that I'm hot. It true that I have an hour to go. No. Matthew 24. Okay, look at verse number 10.

Okay? It says this. And at that time, many will fall away. Look at verse 9, first of all. I sorry. Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you. You will be hated by all nations on account of my name, and at that time many will fall away and will deliver you up one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, many people's love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, he shall be sa. This is Matthew's take on what Luke is talking about in Luke 21.

It 's the same thing. Except Matthew adds that there will be many who will be misled, there will be many whose love will grow cold, but those Who end to the end will be saved. In other words, the only reason you're able to endure to the end is because of the faith that God Himself gives you. The faith that God gives is an unending faith, is an undying faith. In other words, those who believe in God will never, ever fail. Fully and finally aband their God.

They just never will. Because they have the true faith that causes them to believe in Jesus Christ, a supernatural faith. Many people's love will go cold because of false prophets, because lawlessness will increase. All that is, is to help you understand something very important. People say to me, well, There are many people who tend to, quote, fall away. It says so in Matthew 24. Does that mean they were once saved and then they fell away from the faith? No. No. It means that they had professed Christianity, but they never possessed the Christ of Christianity.

Big difference there. 1 John 2, verse number 19. They went out from us, for they were not of us. For if they would have been of us, They would have never gone out from us. But because they went out from us, they proved themselves not to be a part of us. Okay? In other words, they def the faith. They turned away from their God because of lawlessness, because of false prophets. Jesus has already said this. Matthew 13, Luke chapter 8, Mark 4, the parable of the sower and the soil, right? He told us that there will be two soils.

That will jump on the Jesus bandwagon. But because of affliction and because of persecution, they jump off the Jesus bandwagon. They can't handle the hardship. They can't handle the affliction. They defraud the faith. They walk away from the church. They walk away from Christ. Why? Because he didn't have the true faith. Didn't have the true faith. The true faith will endure because Jesus promises it will. And I believe Jesus and what he says. And so you must understand. That Christ says, listen, verse 18: yet not a hair of your head will perish.

That's not talking about physical. Perishing. It's talking about spiritual perishing. How do we know that? Okay, this is a spiritual metaphor. It's used three times in the Old Testament. It's used in 1 Samuel 14:4, 2 Samuel 14, 11, 1 Kings:. So this is an old metaphor. But it has nothing to do with your physical perishing, has everything to do with your spiritual perishing. All right, it's also used by Paul in Acts 27, verse number 34. You connect it with verse number 16, where it says, but you will be delivered up, even by parents, and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.

Okay, so he's already said some of you are going to die. You're going to die. He's not saying that you're going to live, that not a hair of your head is going to perish. He's already told me you going to die. He's already said that. What he's saying is that even though you're dying, and even though the persecution is severe, and even though the affliction is intense, not a hair of your head will perish spiritually. You're going to endure to the end. He says, by your endurance, you will gain your lives.

Here's the good news: you'll never be lost, ever. Ever, no matter what happens, you'll never be lost because you're mine. You're mine. And because you're mine, All that the Father has given to me, I have not lo one of them, Christ said. Not one. Not one has't He lost. And so he tells them: here's the deal: he who endures to the end, you're going to gain your life, you're going gain the fullness of your salvation. Over in Matthew chapter 10, Christ said this way. Verse 22, and you will be hated by all on account of my name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

It doesn't mean because you endured, you'll be saved. Spiritually, that is, this is how you gain salvation. It means you're going to be able to endure. Why? Because the faith I have given you is a supernatural faith. That allows you to keep on keeping on, and you will end up glorified, you will end up accomplishing everything I designed for you. You will be saved. Not because you mustered up all the energy in yourself that you would somehow endure. No, it's because of the faith that I have given you.

Let me show you how that works. T with me to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. We'll show you how it works. Verse number 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who, according to his great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have a living hope. We don't have a dead hope. We have a living hope. Why? Because we have a living Christ who was raised from the dead. To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable.

Not a hair of your head will perish. Why? Because you have an inheritance that is imper. You have an inheritance that is undefiled. It's without spot. It's without stain. It's without blemish. And will never. Fade away reserved in heaven for you. Heaven never cancels your reservation. It never does. It's always guaranteed. Why? Listen to what it says. Who are protected by the power of God through faith. You are protected through the power of God through faith. Now, what faith is that? It's the faith that He gave you.

It's not a human faith, it's supernatural faith. Okay? The means of protection comes from God, or the essence of protection comes from God. The means of protection comes through the faith that God gave you that guarantees your eternal destiny. So, you are protected by the power of God through the faith that He gave you. He gave you the faith that allows you to endure all the way to the end. And then it says this. For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. There's a salvation ready be revealed in the last time.

What's that? Your glorification, your perfection, God's power. Enables you through the faith He gives you to endure to the end. Even in your endurance, God gets all the glory. God just gets all the glory because it's all about Him. And that's why Peter goes on to say these words: In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials. That the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at what?

The revelation of Jesus Christ. Listen, the most precious thing you have is the faith that God gave you. The faith that God gave you is the most precious commodity that you own. Because when that, listen, when that faith is tested under the fire of affliction, the authenticity of that faith. Always manifests itself and confirms the fact that Jesus Christ is your Lord, is your King, and you follow Him. Christ gives the greatest encouragement he can give to his men. This is the way it's going to be.

This is what's going to happen. But I got to let you know something. Not one of your head is going to perish. A hair on your head is going to perish. Spiritually, you're going to endure to the end and you're going to be saved. You'll be glorified. You're going to make it. All those people, all those people, Revelation 13, Revelation 12, Revelation 11, Revelation 7, Revelation 6. I think we read that earlier. They all made it to the end. Where? To the glorification of their bodies into eternal glory.

Yes, they lost their lives physically, they died because of their faith in Christ. But they never gave up. They endured to the end. They never def the faith. They never turned their back on Jesus. They remained true to Christ. That's what Christ is promising his men. Oh, the persecution is going to come. But guess what? You're going to make it. You're going to make it to the place you ultimately want to be. With me. Folks, this is crucial. God has given you a gift of faith. That's undying, that is unending, and that will always accomplish what He designed it to do.

It's not a human faith, it's His gift to you. Which allows you to endure to the end. And we praise God for that. Our God is so good to us. So good to us. And even today, when we face difficulties in our own lives, we might not be facing the physical affliction and persecution that people in the tribulation will one day face, but through all the difficulties that we face. We hold on to the faith that God has given to us because that faith enables us to endure to the end. And that's Christ's promise to His men.

Let me pray with you. Father, we thank you for today. Truly, Lord, you are a great God, and you alone are worthy of praise. And we are grateful for all that you have done. We are grateful, Lord, for the salvation that you offer to us. By grace through faith in Christ alone. And our prayer is that if there be one person among us who does not know you, that today would be the day of their salvation. They would give their life to Jesus Christ and realize the fullness of your glory. As we leave this place today, may you be honored through our words, our attitudes, our actions.

In Jesus' name, amen.