MCC Podcasts
Theology Matters - Eschatology
So, if you notice a theme that's running with some of the movies that are out in the last ten full of years, in fact that's probably not all that new, but certainly seems like it's become more and more pronounced. Lots and lots of films about apocalyptic subjects, end times subjects. And you'll notice this if you go to watch those films, I normally don't go to watch those films because, you know, in like three days, I'll be able to just get them on Netflix and so I'm not going to go pay 11 bucks to watch. 11 bucks and the bucket of popcorn, which is, it costs you 12 bucks and takes about $30 worth of time off your life every time you eat one. But the theme of apocalyptic films, the genre of apocalyptic films, and here's the problem I have, one of the problems I have with those films. You'll notice that, if you go to these films, they're always sort of focused on the most titillating issues in the most provocative issues, the most interesting sort of intriguing parts of apocalyptic themes. What's going to happen? How is the world going to end? What comes first? What comes next? Oh, big one. Who's the Antichrist? Antichrist, which introduced in what Revelation 20 or so, is always a main player in these films you ever noticed set and they talk about the end of the world and different meteorites coming down and all this kind of stuff. That's my problem with these films. One of my problems is they always deal with simply the facts that revolve around or involve with the end times and the pastoral problem I have with the genre of films is sort of could be encouraging the church to do the same thing. When you're talking about the end times, and that is our subject for this morning in this theology matters, big worlds that make a big difference, big words that make a big difference series. Talking about the end times, or the big word is eschatology, you're talking about the end times. Basically there are basically two movements in the discussion and study of the end times or study of eschatology. There's the what, which is what most of these films deal with. But then there's the part of it that I think is a much better investment of time. There's the so what, the what and the so what. Unfortunately, many Christians spend most of their time on the what in pursuit of elusive details and understandings that have evaded much better theological minds than ours for centuries. Yet, we still find ourselves going to the same place that the films go and it's because it's an interesting topic. I mean the sheer intrigue of the subject of how the world will end and what the Bible says about Gog and Magog and this and that does have the work of keeping you interested. I had somebody come between services and say, between gatherings and we were in the kitchen and he said, you know, it's kind of like and he meant this in not vulgar terms. But he said, you know, doing, I get you, that sucks you in. It's kind of like a Bible pornography. You get all caught up in the who is this, what's next, what's next, when is it going to end, who's coming this, well, the tribulation happened while the church is still here. What does this mean? What's that figure mean? He said it's so, it captures you and you can't really quit thinking about it. You can just become like addicted to the details of this study. But when we become addicted to the details at study, most of the time, Christians are addicted to the what, the facts, the information at the expense of the more important question. The better use of time when we're talking about eschatology or the study of the end times, at the expense of the so what, it's the so what, that's actually the better use of time. If we're not careful obsessing on the what of eschatology, in other words, the who is the Antichrist, when is Jesus going to return to remove us from this mess? When do we get our evacuation notice? When do we get to have watch and wave at those who are left behind as we float away and they're left to whatever they're left to? Those are the kinds of things that are the what's. If we're not careful obsessing on the what of eschatology, you can keep us from the more important issues of the so what. The so what gets a lot less time than the what. Does that make sense to you? That's a pastoral concern we all share. All of your pastors here at Marin Covenant, we talk about these things. In fact, yesterday I was bouncing some ideas off of Jeff. I'm thinking about this in today's message. What do you think? How would you approach that? Here's how I was thinking of approaching it and that's a common conversation for our preaching team and I depend on Jeff and Ben a lot about realizing that discussion. He's as passionate about this as I am, this concern that we not get so caught up in trying to figure out information and details about the end times that we skip right over the more important question of the relevance of all that teaching. So as we launch into a brief encounter with today's big word, eschatology or the study of the end times or end things or last things, we'll touch on some of the what, kind of have to touch on some of the what. I just want to reference it though because there are plenty of books out there that can introduce you to the thousands of different interpretations of the things that are listed in apocalyptic or eschatological literature like Daniel, the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation and dips in and out of some of the different epistles and different places. There are plenty of books and commentaries and if you're really interested in figuring out, trying to figure out all the details of the what's, we just recommend that you go ahead and get some books and read and you'll end up being as confused as we are after 30 years of theological study. So you have fun with that but when it comes to the so what, the question of what difference does it make when I understand something of what's going on with eschatology, now that's a good use of time, that's where we're going to focus today. So if you're hoping to leave here this morning knowing whether or not the bear of Revelation 13 really does represent Russia or who all the characters are in Daniel's visions in Daniel 7 and 8 or if there's any way the Mayan calendar maybe does overlap with scriptural teaching in 2012 is the end of the age. If you're hoping to leave with more understanding on that kind of stuff, you're just going to be disappointed today because it's the so what that deserves the bulk of our time and attention and that's where we're going to focus. Okay? All right. Because I mean frankly just between us, when it comes to all the details of the end times as it's put forth in some of the classic literature, what all that stuff means, I have absolutely no idea. I know the broad brush stuff but I cannot tell you what the details, that's apocalyptic literature, that's figurative literature. The author presented it as figurative literature and you cannot interpret figurative literature the same way you interpret clear didactic literature. That's like going to a painting and interpreting it by means of the rules you would use to interpret what's growing in a Petri dish. It's not that easy to figure out what different things mean in figurative literature but it's relatively easy to see the main movements of the literature but you've got to stay open to understanding things because just about every generation of Christians, every generation of theologians has thought they had all that stuff figured out and many of you have read their books only to come up wrong. I mean really it's a little bit arrogant to think that we're going to figure out a date and a time and know what's going on in details that Jesus said he didn't even know. But the so what and some of the major understandings of what's going on as the end of time as we know it approaches know that there's something there for us to consume and to benefit from. So let's jump into this. We every week have been using the same outline basically two movements you should have paper in your messenger there your bulletins if you want to take notes. The big word what is it we'll study a little bit about that and then the big difference what difference does that big word big word make. So today's big word as I've already said is eschatology it's made up of two words eschatos which means last and logia which means discourse or study so the ology part is the discourse or study so it's the study of the last. How is this present age going to wind down to an end. And when you're looking at that study one thing you do realize is that there are seasons or movements that are going to occur as we move toward the culmination of current human history that's a very broad brush statement. But some those seasons and movements have different names attached to for instance you have seasons of there's a season of tribulation we don't know all the details about what that means so be careful interpreting that but there's a season of tribulation there's a movement of the return of Christ so we have the second advent the first advent or the first showing up in other words was Jesus at Christmas God comes first advent touches down on earth and now we look to a return in some fashion of Christ. So the second advent there's a season there are there are movements and understanding what's going on in the culmination of human history we know that there's a reference there's some there's going to be a season of demolition and rebuilding of current earth the new heavens and a new earth are coming or a new Jerusalem is coming so what we know currently is going to be finished done away with and then something new is going to replace it something new and perfect this different seasons and different movements in Revelations 20 you have introduction of concepts like the millennial kingdom what in the world does that mean it means a thousand year reign of some kind but remember it's figurative language and theologians have been arguing forever is the millennium a literal thing we enter at some point the end of time or is it a figurative millennial you have all millennialist pre-millennialist post-millennialist but there's something called the millennial kingdom you're not going to walk away from here today getting information from me that helps you understand I only have suspicions and interests in the millennial kingdom but I don't know what in the world is talking about I want my kingdom experience now from God you have the introduction of the topic of Satan being doomed so we know that one day this constant temptation and the dark the evil that we the darkness in which the world stumbles and the author of it and the one ultimately responsible for it will be silenced and and muted done away with doomed and we look for that day you have judgment day where where our lives are brought before God and we're held accountable for the way we've lived you have the introduction of that concept that's in many of the apocalyptic movies the mark of the beast and who is the Antichrist and the Antichrist primary prophet Daniel seven and eight is another place as I've mentioned earlier where Daniel comes out of walking through the fire and our lines then and comes and has these two visions in chapter seven and chapter eight and everybody agrees that those are apocalyptic or eschatological visions something that has to do with what's coming down the pike in history and we recommend those to you with the main point is there are seasons and movements as we move toward culmination of current human history we're saying get some books and read on that have fun with that it's all part of scriptural teaching so it's all important we don't mean to minimize that but the most important thing to know about the study of the end times is this ask eschatological study is that it's really about the future of the world it's about the future of the world and how the way we live today is affected or informed by what will be coming you think about that that's something you could miss pretty easily because you're talking about the study of the end times it's actually the study of the future of the world it's a study of how this present age that's pretty broken is going to wind down and then transition and then what's coming after this eschatology is a study of the future part of which is the end of this age it's a transition I mean it's a transition to the world of which we all dream the one to which we all aspire the one we try to emulate even now the one we long for now the study of the future and how the way we live today is affected by or informed by that future do you see how we're moving into now the so what we look at eschatology so that's the first point under that first movement the big word that there are seasons and movements another point to make under this first part of the outline the big word is this second point that eschatology is more about our future than about our end it's a study of a transition really you have glimpses we have glimpses into what that future is going to look like so God created heaven and earth and people and everything that occupies the earth there was a fall a stumble and and it became our propensity to run from God and not want to be yielded to him and all of the and then we've been working in the context of that brokenness ever since and if you have an experience that brokenness directly somehow then I don't know how to relate to you and God is in the process now of restoring what was broken and he has it in mind for there to be a new creation I assume that is more like what he initially intended than what we have after everything broke it's about our future more than it is about our end you have glimpses into what that looks like for instance in Isaiah two now mind you not all theologians are going to agree that each of these texts is about the coming world many will maybe even most but at very least you have some insight from these texts whether they apply simply to Israel at some point in time or to what God intends to do for all of human creation you get some idea of what he values and what he longs for and dreams for for humanity and for the world in Isaiah two if you want to follow I didn't make slides for these texts so if you want to follow along in the Bible I encourage it grab one from underneath the seat in front of you know give me the page numbers as we go this one is on page 632 Isaiah chapter two and it says this in verse two and again here are some glimpses into that future because that's got all he's about our future not our end Isaiah chapter two page 632 if you have the pew Bible in the last days verse two the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains it will be exalted above the hills remember we're in figurative language here as well and all nations will stream to it many people will say come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of God the God of Jacob he will teach us his way so that we may walk in his past I think there of the promise that God is going to put his ways in our heart and he'll actually indwell us and we'll long for those teachings back to the text in Isaiah the law will go out from Zion the word of the Lord from Jerusalem he will judge between the nations he will settle disputes for many people's wouldn't that be nice and then look at this this is the world that God longs to create when he recreates they will beat their swords into plow shares their spears into pruning hooks nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they even have to train for war anymore anybody wish they could live there that's the future God intends for us and eschatology in part is the recognition of the fact that we are being moved along in the history and there will be this transition but that gives us some insight into the world God's going to create when he creates what's later called the new heaven and the new earth it seems to me now listen I could be so dead wrong on all of these details it's just that open ended so I'm preaching this stuff I don't want to take away any force of what I'm saying but I mean please eat the meat and spit out the bones and understand that there's several different approaches to this this is just the way I see it a glimpse into that future because eschatology eschatology is more about our future than our end you have second Peter chapter three which is a major text you're looking at at in times text again a glimpse into that future all of you understand so the context is the last days above all verse three second Peter three page eleven twenty seven above all understand that in the last day scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires I'm telling you if that's the only measurement that we've introduced ourselves to the last days the last days have been here since the first human being and they've been here for a long time but that's coming and maybe there's some intensified sense of that they will say where is this coming he promised ever since our ancestors died everything goes on as it has from the beginning the beginning of creation I mean it's like they're starting to yawn never coming Jesus isn't returning there's no second advent dude is taking forever nothing's changed but they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens came into being the earth was formed out of water and by water by these waters also the world of that time was deluged deluged and destroyed by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire they're going to be purified by fire being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly but do not forget this one thing dear friends with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day so this wonderful commentary on what it's like to live in a context where there's no such thing as time there's no such thing as impatience there's no such thing as waiting nothing seems late because those are all time concepts everything's just a now and the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise to return as some understand slowness here's what's actually going on Peter says instead he's being patient with you not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance it's like when you're going on a trip and you leave ten minutes late why is dad always late he's never gonna leave he's not late he's waiting so that all the kids can have time to get ready and everybody can have a chance to get in the van and go works for me he's not slow again the context is still in times doesn't want anyone to perish but the day of the Lord will come like a thief bam there it is and the heavens will disappear with a roar there's that reconstruction that purification that destruction and the elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare and then if you'll jump to verse 13 read this but in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to what a new heaven and a new earth and here's the future glimpse that we get into a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells where rightness dwells where shalom dwells where everything fits in its place finally the thing we've all been longing for in our own lives in our own country in our world where everything that everything is as it should be is that as it was always intended to be that's the future God has for us eschatology is a study not of the end and the blowing up of everything and meteorites crashing into the earth and all the exciting study that goes with that it's the study of not our end but our future and the transition from this age to what's going to follow this age and the new heaven and the new earth God's going to create is the one we've been dreaming about all of our lives no oppression no racism no sexism no unfair treatment it's a world of opportunity where people have a chance to fulfill their dreams and they are big and great dreams the kinds of dreams that God whispers in a person's ear there's kindness and rightness there's no poverty there's no greed there's no misuse of power there's no arrogance there are people saying there's my king and I'm wonderfully at peace being yielded to him there's there's no ruining and raping of the environment that God created it's a perfect world a new heaven and a new earth are you hungry yet eschatology the study of the last things is actually the study of future things and we get some glimpse into that you look again at Revelation 21 you want to read hubra figurative language you have the idea of the streets of gold and the new Jerusalem and all that go re revelations 21 read it loosely but you get some sense for the beauty God has in store for what comes after this is done okay so the big word eschatos last like a study of the last things there are seasons or movements in that when we study the what but we're remembering secondly that eschatology is more about our future than it is about our end it's something of a misnomer to talk about the destruction of the end of time or the end of humanity it's actually a transition time as a study of the future and the third point I'll make under this primary main point is that you'll find if you look at the biblical writers when they're discussing the end times or eschatology biblical eschatology is focused on how we should now live in response to what the end of the age holds they are never satisfied the apostles and the writers of scripture never satisfied by saying how cool let's just learn about what comes first and what comes second and what comes next and who the who's this and who's that and what this represents and that represents they're never satisfied with that virtually every time they reference the end of this age they challenge their readers with some version of the question since you're sure that's true how should we be living today that's the so what of eschatology how should we then live it's the question Francis Schaeffer asked years and years ago the question that Chuck Colson re-asked handful of years ago and one we ought to be asking ourselves every day how should we then live in second Peter 3 11 through 12 remember I left those out I asked you to jump right down to 13 but in second Peter 3 11 through 12 so the context is still the end times he says this since everything will be destroyed in this way what kind of people ought you to be in other words since everything's going to be purified there's going to be a transition what you see now is not always going to be seen things are coming that are really really different and since all that's true what sort of people ought you to be you ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of god and speed it's coming so you have this connection with what's going to happen to this age what's going to replace it and the question of okay since all that's true how should we how should we live the so what as you look forward to the day of god speed it's coming that day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat and then the text goes on right from there but we're looking for a new heaven and a new earth and again the question okay so how are you going to change the way we're living because we know what's coming in Jude Jude is one of those rare books where the first chapter and the last chapter are the same chapter in other words it has one chapter page 11 35 if you want to go there and I'll begin reading at verse 17 but again another example of the emphasis on how to live between now and the end of days being more important to the Bible writers than understanding all the details of the end of days Jude says but dear friends remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ were told they said to you and so then you have an introduction to the context of eschatology in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires these are the people who divide you who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the spirit talking about actually what last week's topic was these are people who aren't opening themselves up to the filling of the Holy Spirit and they're following just whatever comes to mind you know in on their worst day and the natural inclinations of humanity that's unchecked instead of being refreshed and renewed and changed and listening to the ways of the Spirit of God but he says but you dear friends by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit keep yourself in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life I love that now Jude is aligning the idea of the last days with an act of mercy on God's part the measurement of mercy and be merciful to those who doubt this is a good message for the church of today we're so prone to arrogance and to look down our noses at people I mean I did it last night last night I'll probably not get through this day without that prejudice that pitiful sickening arrogance coming up again but last night Brenda and I were at her cousin's party 50th birthday party in Sacramento and I spent probably half of my time there looking down my nose at the people who were there these are not my kind of people really I mean we're that sick aren't we and the Holy Spirit spent half the night saying you you really think I love you more than I love her come on art you are not more precious to me than anyone else in this room you've got to get over yourself I don't love you more than I love her I don't lose sleep over you any more than I lose sleep over her or him trunk or sober they're precious to me good message for us that Jude says be merciful to those who doubt not judgmental toward those who doubt save others by rescuing them from the fire to others show mercy mixed with fear hating even the clothing stained by your corrupted flesh that's an extreme statement trying to get a point across but again Jude emphasizing a connection between the study of the last days the last things and the way we live today biblical eschatology is focused on how we should live now in response to what the end of the age holds for us just to remind you where we are in this outline we're still on the first main point the big word reminds you that it comes in movements and seasons that's more about our future than our end and it's focused on how we should live now in response to what the future holds the last example is on page 1100 in your pew bible comes from first Timothy chapter six where Paul is instructing his apprentice pastor young Timothy and again you see this clear connection between the end times study of eschatology and the way we live now he says but you man of God and there's this big contrast here the way people were living and thinking and now Paul's challenging Timothy but you man of God flee from all this and pursue righteousness godliness faith love endurance and gentleness keep fighting the good fight of the faith take hold which by the way is the only appropriate fight for us take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses in other words Paul saying make it more than a concept take hold of it dig in deep to what you professed in the sight of God who gives life to everything and of Christ Jesus who will who will testify before Pontius Pilate made the good confession I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ and now he's going to talk about eschatology but the emphasis has been live like this until that day until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which God will bring about in his own I almost want to add the word sweet time God will bring it about in his own time the blessed and only ruler the king of kings the lord of lords who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light who no one has seen or can see to him be honored and might forever amen all of that ignited by the challenge to Timothy live like this while you're waiting for that let that inform the way you're living now that's the big word but as we say each week the things we're studying they're not just big words they're big words that make a big difference now as I was looking through these last night and then preaching them earlier this morning I realized man I really have only one big difference stated four different ways I thought I'm pretty passionate about this because I didn't plan it that way but I let it stay that way so humor me will you you're going to hear the same thing really four ways I think and you've already heard the big difference so this is a reiteration really the first is this our infatuation with the end times should be less about what when and how things will happen and more about how we might live now in accordance with what will one day be how we might live now in accordance with what will one day be in other words how will the world end is a much less helpful question than how should we live in light of what we know about the ask a time make sense so as pastors we would say to you enjoy studying the Bible even these intriguing subjects like the end times but give care to making sure that we don't get so caught up in all the exciting details that we forget the main point the main point being the so what the what's fun and its scripture so it's important but the so what is essential and oftentimes the so what of eschatology gets discarded in favor of the what so our infatuation with the end times should be less about what when and how things will happen and more about how we live second observation which is the same as the first the way the world will be is a clue a glimpse into what the church is to be involved in working toward now does that make sense the way the world will be when we look and say okay what is this new heaven and new earth going to look like what are the values of it what are the practices of it what are the things that you won't see there anymore what are the things that you will see that gives us a glimpse a clue and you take that and so the future is saying church set your eye on that now do everything you can to practice endorse and see every as much now as will be true then that's what we're shooting for now we're not going to i'm not saying that we actually if we just get enough of that done we we sort of force the future in to existence we're not going to work our way there but we live in parallel to what will be so for instance i mean simple applications that most of you probably don't even need right now but if we see that in that new heaven and that new earth there's no racism one one person is not valued over another person that's one of the reasons the church says today the church will always stand against that kind of hatred because that's not kingdom of god stuff that's not a value that's in the world god is going to create it's not something that's consistent with the heart of god for any person to be devalued is totally in in in opposition is contrary to the heart of our god so the church is about resisting that people are not oppressed in that world people have opportunity in that world so the church is about helping people do better get ahead people are not going without all they need in that world so the church is involved in dealing with poverty in this world you ever wonder like the church that we say all the time poverty poverty poverty we should be against poverty that's helped the poor but i don't think we spend enough time helping people understand why and how critical that is why do we care for the poor aside from the obvious obvious or something going in our heart we just know what's wrong the way that makes sense to me and we put so much energy behind that is because there will be no poverty no lack of what you need to have a reasonable existence in that world and that world gives us a glimpse what will be gives us a glimpse into what the church ought to be working for now or aligning itself with now that's why so just enough of that we can talk more about that but to the degree we can understand what god is going to create after this transition happens we can see what the church is to be working to build today that gives us a glimpse into our duty our busyness what we're busy doing so third observation i've used these words before these just a little phrase that helps me put all that stuff together so i say to the degree it's terrible sentence structure but purposefully i did it on purpose to the degree that we can be what we will be we should be just you get that to the degree we can today be what we will be tomorrow we should be now there will be no cancer in that world but i can't demand that in this i can demand it and by miracle it might happen but with any sense of confidence that you're going to walk out change we don't it takes a miracle we can't i can't be everything that we will be then by demanding that kind of stuff that are the things like that's maybe not the perfect illustration but we can decide that there'll be no more double standard in the church or in the world we can decide that hey if there's not going to be a limitation based on your gender and certain roles that limit you or sort of project you in the future kingdom and if that was actually those limitations or any limitations for instance women in ministry you know or the result of the fall as scripture says then we can have a church that doesn't practice those kinds of limitations because we that's something we can decide today now again hear me i might be wrong on that issue because there are really brilliant people and we would disagree and i think their argument is substantial but i'm just given that as an example you know at least we have a reasonable fair intelligent conversation and live together in peace but my argument for that is i don't think that's where it's going to be then so we can control that it's not that way now to the degree we can be what we will be we should be so if we're sure something will be true in the new heavens and the new earth and it's possible for us for it to be true in our present world we should work to make it happen invest and exhaust ourselves and making sure that those things are true now whatever we see coming into the fourth and last one and then you'll get out of here about 10 minutes late today is to just remind ourselves and again i'm saying the same thing so many different ways but that there's a connection between the kingdom of god or the reign of god that will come in the end or what's coming after this time there's a connection between that kingdom and the kingdom of god that is here for the taking now they have something in common what they have in common is the reign of god in the hearts of people a yieldedness to god to the agenda and the values of god in that day that's going to be the normal natural way of life there'll be no more contending with your broken nature when that day comes will all be what god always intended for us to be oh i long for that day there's no more failure and frustration and try try try and brokenness and sin and temptation and our brokenness no longer dominates us we're no longer led by our insecurities and wounding people i long for that day but the kingdom of god is graspable now too and it comes in moments and decisions it can be entered any time one of us chooses in any moment or decision to say i am going to yield to god's preference right now at least for a moment we enter the kingdom and the kingdom enters up so you see that the reign of christ is what those two times and those ideas of the kingdom have in common and so jesus says the kingdom is coming and the kingdom is also at hand is there for the taking enter it by force choose it let it enter you so again the idea of the eschatology informing the way we live today and being linked that today and tomorrow are are linked we have this saying that has become more popular lately i've heard it more and more lately i've used it more and more lately and it goes like this you've heard it hey it is what it is deal with it you know it is what it is use that anytime in the last month i heard it it is what it is i think mba players use it twice as much as anybody else it is what it is in other words in other words the reality you have is the reality you're stuck with it is what it is you can't change it it is what it is you can only learn to cope with it why because it is what it is eschatology the study of the future that god has for us reminds us that though it is what it is it isn't necessarily what it's gonna be maybe it is what it is but it ain't necessarily what it's gonna be eschatology reminds us of that it is what it is but it isn't necessarily what it has to be that's the message of the church isn't it it is what it is but it doesn't have to be like it is drug-addicted that is what it is but it doesn't have to stay like that dominated by greed it is what it is but it isn't what it has to be trapped by prejudice and brokenness it is what it is but it isn't what it has to be it doesn't have to be that eschatology reminds us of that and we may be stuck with a reality we have for a time but when a healthy missional Christian shows up in that reality where a healthy missional church is involved in a community the resignation the the defeat in that it is what it is statement begins to fade the force of it is weakened because eschatology the study of the end changes the way we see things doesn't it Curtis it changes everything replacing it is what it is with a determined hope and plan to be able to one day say look now it no longer is what it is it no longer is what it was in fact it's becoming or has become what it will be all of that housed in the study of eschatology surprise surprise Let's pray.