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Thursday Outline

“Look, I’ve told you ahead of time.”

᛭ INI ᛭

The end of the world is coming. Are we in the last times? Maybe, maybe not—only the Father knows. It’s safer to say we’re in the Latter Days. But soon, very soon, the end shall come. (The Father’s “soon” and our “soon” might be different.)

Anyway, Christ lays out before us the end of the world by prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. That’s the backdrop for His switch to talking about the end of the world. Of this impending end of the world Christ says, “There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Sounds like the news, doesn’t it! The world is full of talking heads that have all sorts of things to say about some sort of impending doom that spells the end of everything. The country’s going to end. Climate crisis, population crisis, financial crisis, immigrant crisis. In these way and many more the world preaches death and destruction with no real way out.

Christ another hand preaches the end. He warns of impending trouble. But He also speaks to what will carry us through the trouble. He speaks the warning about “the Abomination of Desolation” only as a call to cling to the one thing needful. No matter what happens, our focus should stay the same, but the headlines and notifications pile up, don’t they? Let all those fall on deaf ears. Pay no attention!

OUR FOCUS IN THESE LATTER DAYS // IS ON THE WORD WHICH IHS SAYS.

(I. We must because many will rise to take that Word.)

Yes, when Christ says, “See I have told you ahead of time,” He’s calling us to repentance so that we’d actually listen to what He’s saying. We need that reminder because there are so many people who work so hard to take the Word away from us. How easily it happens!

This ties in to what Daniel prophesies about the “Abomination of Desolation.” The arising of this abomination coincides with the destruction and taking away of the word of God. It was Antiochus Epiphanes, Antiochus “God made manifest,” who desecrated the temple. The Roman empire destroyed the temple in AD 70, but the greatest destruction isn’t a building but the Word of God! Christ was ministering amongst that Abomination! The religious leaders of His day rejected Him and His preaching, all the way to the cross.

This true “Abomination of Desolation” keeps coming back in the Church. It’s due to the work of the devil, of course. He can’t stand anyone believe this Word of God. Our Lutheran Confessions warn about this Abomination: Abandoning the Word of God and thus faith in Christ! “It is a far different desertion that Daniel means, namely, ignorance of the Gospel!” (AP-XXIV 45) All preaching that abandons Gospel abandons faith, “by which we receive the forgiveness of sins.” Preaching abounds with tradition and morals in many church buildings across our country—Roman, Orthodox, Evangelical, Reformed, Lutheran!—but there is a silence about Christ. Silence about faith in Him and His forgiveness.

The desolation expands into the hearts of many people. A lack of preaching of faith means people trust their works. They trust that they have the right answers to Bible or theology questions. They trust that the Sacraments work because they did them, even though it’s faith alone that receives the Sacrament’s benefits. They trust they felt a feeling for their Lord. They trust they made the right decision or live good enough or are nice enough.

The abomination spreads into Christian lives and homes. Wherein we are too busy for the Word of God and prayer. Where sports or work or travel or fun or relaxation or TV or phone or whatever it is takes over. Our focus is on a great many things! Bibles gather dust. The Apostles’ Creed and Lord’s Prayer fall silent in our homes. Lives devoid of the Lord’s Word. Talk about “Abomination of Desolation.”

(Transition)

But OUR FOCUS IN THESE LATTER DAYS IS ON THE WORD WHICH IHS SAYS. Not only because He warns of destruction if we don’t. Not only because He commands us to cherish His Word, confess His name, pray, and even pray as He taught us daily, not just at church. Focusing on His Word does keep the 2nd and 3rd Commandments… No, OUR FOCUS IN THESE LATTER DAYS IS ON THE WORD WHICH IHS SAYS is because of the benefits of His Word! For, that Word is the only thing that’ll carry us through!

(II. That Word is the only thing that’ll carry us through!)

Christ’s Word really will carry us through. And part of that is Christ’s Word, God’s Word, the Bible, does have moral things to say. It, of course, gives us a moral compass in a world where sin, evil, immorality, and unrighteousness abound! But there’s way more than that, because Christ doesn’t just lay out laws. He makes Promises!

Christ’s promises support in these latter days. Yes, He promises that the end of the world, when it finally happens, will be horrific. The times leading up to it terrible for Christians. But here His sweet promise: “for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” That time, if it’s in our lifetime or some sooner or much later time, will be short. If they come, we need not long endure! His sweet promise is that those days will be shorted for the sake of those who are Christ’s—for your sake, for mine, too.

You can trust this promise. That Christ rose from the dead is proof enough that He keeps all His promises. And His promise is that His death was a ransom for your sins. His resurrection means that you too shall rise from the dead. His Word delivers the forgiveness of sins. Christ caused the Scriptures to be written by the Holy Spirit so that you’d hear these promises. He sends forth His men to tell—I’m telling it to you right now! Christ was the one thrown out as refuse at Golgotha to pay for every way the Abomination of Desolation comes for your life and we don’t flee away!

Holy Baptism daily drowns that part of you, and it also raises you up—free from sin, free not to fail, free to again pick up the Word of God without shame or fear. His promise is true: Christ died for all your sins. His Word delivers the forgiveness of sins. It’s why the Words of Institution are best sung! Even to emphasize when Christ’s Words are being spoken and not just the history. (This is why I slow down.) For eating and drinking alone don’t get you forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. As the Catechism says of Christ’s Word: Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament.” (They’re the main thing! So’s eating…) ““Whoever believes these Words”—not whoever communes—“whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.” (SC) So we focus on the Word of Christ because only His Word of Promise will carry us through anything, even the Last Days, even your Last Day. For His promise is true, and His body and blood will “strengthen and preserve you in both body and soul unto life everlasting.”

(Conclusion.)

We’re in the Last Days. Things will only get worse. But the days are shortened, as Christ promises. OUR FOCUS IN THESE LATTER DAYS IS ON THE WORD WHICH IHS SAYS. He will return, and you won’t miss it! For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. He’s told us ahead of time. Not only as warning but as promise. So that we wouldn’t chase after signs and wonders performed by false Christs, false prophets, preachers of falsehoods! “Not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.” (Eph 4)

That’s why OUR FOCUS IN THESE LATTER DAYS IS ON THE WORD WHICH IHS SAYS. Not only because its the best way to navigate how to live a life that’s actually pleasing in His sight, but more importantly we focus on His Word that “from the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD [IHS] is praised.” Praised for He has ransomed us from our sins, restored us to new life in the Spirit by Holy Baptism, He enlivens our faith and love by His Word, and He strengthens us with His most Holy Body and Blood.

᛭ INI ᛭