The End: the last of six messages on the end times from the OlivetDiscourse in Matthew 24-25

Parable of endurance

Matthew 25.31-46

Audio of the podcast

I gave a graph on Sunday, that I have difficulty reproducing here.  Here is the content:
Pre-millennial (futurist) scenario:
+potential assets: evangelical fervor
-potential deficits: disengagement, escapism
A-millennial (contextual) scenario:
+potential asset: resourced to deal with victory and defeat, advances and retreats.
-potential deficit: distinctions blurred, spiritualization, overly metaphorical
Post-millennial (historicist) scenario:
+potential asset: social evangelical fervor/moral engagement
-potential deficit: disenchantment, politicism, moral crusade.

Ole Andersen, a Danish theologian has helpful end times category titles (Når Guds Rige Kommer):

Church history model (A-millennial): 

Development model (Post-millennial)

Future model (Pre-millennial)

When Jesus returns, "to judge the living and the dead" he will speak two words: Come (v. 34) or Depart (v. 41)

Self-forgetfulness, "They were just living life". "Lord, When did we see...?"

authentic action flowing from authentic identity.  What would cause you to feed, hydrate, clothe, visit, welcome?  What would cause you not to? (Judgment, busy, unmerciful, they are getting what they deserve).  Does Jesus ever say, "you'll probably just take it for granted" "you don't deserve it" "god bless you, hope you can find some food."  Chapter 26-27 will be the climax of this story, the God in fleshed man who deeply hungers and thirsts, is imprisoned, and unwelcome, naked, and sick enough to sweat blood.  His identification with us is not a pat on the head with a compassionate stance, and a "God bless you," but a fully embracing of our fragility.

A word to the disciple who feeds, clothes, welcomes, gives drink, visits the sick and prisoner: you may never see fruit, or the outcome you long for and invest in. God sees!  So much won't be revealed until the last day.  You may not, in some cases you will not, see fruit until the last day.  Alan Rothlisberger had a conversation at a reunion, the person said "if it wasn't for your grandma, I don't know if I would be a Christian."  Alan said he was pretty sure his grandma wouldn't know this.  Deliver that food, visit the hopeless cause,  Endure!  Don't give up!  Why?  God won't, hasn't, will never give up on you!

A word to the offended:  welcome to the Bible, an equal-opportunity offender

The Reason for God, Tim Keller: In one of my after-service discussions a woman told me that the very idea of a judging God was offensive. I said, “Why aren’t you offended by the idea of a forgiving God?” She looked puzzled. I continued, “I respectfully urge you to consider your cultural location when you find the Christian teaching about hell offensive.” I went on to point out that secular Westerners get upset by the Christian doctrines of hell, but they find Biblical teaching about turning the other cheek and forgiving enemies appealing. I then asked her to consider how someone from a very different culture sees Christianity. In traditional societies the teaching about “turning the other cheek” makes absolutely no sense. It offends people’s deepest instincts about what is right.

The Reason for God.  For the sake of argument, let’s imagine that Christianity is not the product of any one culture but is actually the transcultural truth of God. If that were the case we would expect that it would contradict and offend every human culture at some point, because human cultures are ever-changing and imperfect. If Christianity were the truth it would have to be offending and correcting your thinking at some place. Maybe this is the place, the Christian doctrine of divine judgment.

What can you do? Bookend to the proclamation and demonstration of Jesus, thoroughly saturate yourself, simmer in the person and work of Jesus!

The Reason for God.  Robert Bellah’s influential work Habits of the Heart speaks of the “expressive individualism” that dominates American culture. In his book Bellah notes that 80 percent of Americans agree with the statement “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious beliefs independent of any church or synagogue.”2 He concludes that the most fundamental belief in American culture is that moral truth is relative to individual consciousness. Our culture, therefore, has no problem with a God of love who supports us no matter how we live. It does, however, object strongly to the idea of a God who punishes people for their sincerely held beliefs, even if they are mistaken.