Not Your Typical Roadmap

• Fourth Sunday of Easter

Matthew 24:1-14, Jesus speaks of the destruction of the Temple

and Ephesians 4:1-16, God gives gifts to people.

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• Matthew 24. New chapter. We are rapidly approaching the end of Jesus’ time with the disciples, now’s time for his last words with them. People get ready.
The institution you see (the bricks and mortar you trust in, even institutions of people) is not eternal but temporal.

A few months ago my second church closed.
There were warning signs for 20 years at least.
Who knows how long this building will stand,
or how long this congregation?

The institution you see is not eternal but temporal.
Put your faith in the eternal, not in the temporal.

• Therefore I don’t view Jesus’ words as a checklist (temporal).
Maybe as a roadmap but look at how distorted ancient maps are…
Maybe as a roadsign like “Buckle Up”
but not “42 miles to Charleston.”
“Bridge Ices Before Road” warns you of possible conditions.
Be prepared.

Not a checklist or roadmap
but How will you conduct your life now?
How will you conduct your life
when the things you love and are accustomed to
are no more?

And we’ve been rehearsing kingdom values:
Fear not. Live generously, attractively, simply, selflessly, sacrificially, and with heart (with courage & compassion).
Stand against injustice & oppression,
care for disadvantaged.
Fear, love, & honor God.

• People get ready.
Wedding season is coming up.
I have 3 weddings in the next 9 weeks.
One of my goals: to help couples prepare for the marriage as well as the wedding.

Likewise, Jesus’ goal to invest in people over buildings.
Sadly too many invest too much too often in bricks & mortar.
A dying church is inward focused.

• Therefore our outward focus is vital.
Pray for earthquake victims, yes, and give missionally,
and LIVE missionally.

• Also Ephesians 4: God gives the intangible…
God gives gifts / talents / occupations / callings
to the body of the church
for the building up of the church the people,
so be aware, be wise.

And live lives worthy of the calling you’ve received.

And be thankful.

• Hymn 147 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Matthew 24:1-14       (CEB)

24 Now Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to point out to him the temple buildings. ² He responded, “Do you see all these things? I assure that no stone will be left on another. Everything will be demolished.”

³ Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the Christ.’ They will deceive many people. ⁶ You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. ⁷ Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in all sorts of places. ⁸ But all these things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end. ⁹ They will arrest you, abuse you, and they will kill you. All nations will hate you on account of my name. ¹⁰ At that time many will fall away. They will betray each other and hate each other. ¹¹ Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. ¹⁴ This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come.

Ephesians 4:1-16       (CEB)

4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

⁷ But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it is said,

“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
    he gave gifts to his people.”

⁹ (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,¹³ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴ We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.