Reading: Luke chapter 17 verses 20-37.
Questions:….do you ever wonder why….:
• Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him?
• Or if a jogger runs at the speed of sound can he still hear his walkman?
• If the cops arrest a mime, do they have to tell him he has the right to remain silent?
• Why do pubs and bars advertise live bands?
• Why is there only ONE Monopolies Commission?
• What's another word for thesaurus?
• In America, why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
• Or during WW2 why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
• My favourite:
• If a man speaks and there is no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?
Ill:
• A friend once asked Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in science,
• How he became a scientist.
• Rabi replied that every day after school his mother would talk to him about his school day.
• She wasn’t so much interested in what he had learned that day,
• But she always inquired; “Isidor, did you ask a good question today?”
• Rabi said, “Asking good questions made me become a scientist.”
• In this passage before us tonight:
• We have two good questions;
• We also have two good answers,
• Although they are not easy answers to digest and understand.
• Question 1: Asked by the Pharisees (vs 20): ‘When will the Kingdom of God be?’
• Question 2: Asked by the disciples (vs37): ’Where will it be?’
The context:
• It was the Passover season, party-time!
• And so an excited atmosphere of expectancy pervaded the Jewish people.
• Passover was when the Jews commemorated their deliverance from Egypt
• When they were set free from the slavery to freedom.
• Led by their great leader Moses!
• Ever since that time, the Jews longed for another Moses;
• And especially at this time in their history they longed for someone who would;
• Deliver them from their present bondage of the Roman occupiers.
• Some had hoped that John the Baptist would be that deliverer,
• But he had been imprisoned and then killed.
• And so now the attention has very much been focused on Jesus.
• Who unlike John was able to work incredible miracles as well as preach a good sermon!
• The fact that Jesus was going to Jerusalem excited them all the more.
• Perhaps now, at long last, he would establish the promised kingdom of God!
Verse 20 introduces us to the Pharisees:
• The Pharisees, were not only the top religious leaders of their day;
• They were considered the custodians, the protectors, the guardians of the Law:
• So it was part of their remit and right;
• To check out ‘teachers’ like Jesus.
• It was there job was to make sure no false teachings were being propagated;
• So it was almost expected of them to ask Jesus when He thought the kingdom of God would appear.
• It was also the custom for Jewish teacher's (like Jesus) to discuss these subjects publicly,
• Which is why these questions are asked in the open.
• Now I want us to notice that in answering those two questions;
• Jesus gives his listeners five pieces of advice:
(1). God Is in Your Midst (verse 20b-21):
• In answer to the question: "When is the kingdom of God coming?"
• Jesus points the Pharisees to himself!
N.I.V:
"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation; nor will people say, 'Here it is' or, 'There it is', because the kingdom of God is with in you”.
N.A.S.B:
"The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst”.
In his answer to the Pharisees question:
• In verse 20:
• Jesus chose to use an unusual word:
• In English it is translated as “observe” or "observation";
• And this is the only time it is used in the entire New Testament.
• It carries the idea of a doctor watching a patient for symptoms to appear;
• So that he can pinpoint and diagnose some illness or disease.
I think Jesus is reminding or rather informing the Pharisees:
• That the things of God cannot be figured out by human logic alone.
• We need more than a clever mind and good knowledge.
• I think the New Testament makes it very clear in a number of different places;
• That we need the Spirit of God to make sense of spiritual things.
• ill: Simon Peter and his confession “You are the Christ”.
• So the point Jesus wants to make to these Pharisees is this;
• God's kingdom would not come with great "outward show";
• So that people could predict its arrival and plot its progress.
The Pharisees' question was legitimate, but it was also tragic;
• For Jesus had been teaching & performing miracles among them for some three years,
• And these men were still in spiritual darkness.
• They did not understand who Jesus was;
• Or what He was seeking to accomplish.
• Their views of the kingdom were political, not spiritual;
• They were Jewish, not universal.
• Jesus did not deny that there would be a future earthly kingdom,
• But He did emphasize that it would take more than ‘brains’ to figure it out.
Note:
• The statement "the kingdom of God is within you";
• Has challenged Bible translators and interpreters for centuries,
• I read it slightly different out of two English translations;
• Because they reflect what I think are the two main interpretations:
(1). IT MAY MEAN, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.
• The Greek word translated as ‘Kingdom’;
• Sometimes means ‘Kingship’ (‘rule, reign, sovereignty’)
• Many English translations of the Bible translate it this way;
• “The kingdom of God is within”.
• If that is the case here;
• Jesus is saying; “The kingdom of God is at work in the heart peoples”.
• IF the king (Jesus Christ) is controlling you. Then he is ruling in his kingdom;
• And his kingdom at this moment and time is in the lives of his people.
• One day in the future there will be an earthly kingdom;
• But until that time, the kingdom of God is ‘within’ the hearts and minds of his people.
(2). IT MAY MEAN, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AMONG YOU.
• That would refer to Jesus himself.
• He was the very personification of the kingdom, and they did not recognize him.
• Jesus tells the Pharisees "You want the Kingdom of God, then open your eyes….
• It's standing right in front of you!"
• In other words:
• The presence and power and rule of God were all made visible in Jesus Christ!
• He is telling these Pharisees to look to the ‘here and now’,
• And not just into the distant future.
• Sadly the Pharisees were preoccupied with the great events of the future;
• And were ignoring the opportunities of the present.
• They were so spiritually blind;
• That they were searching for a kingdom, while looking at the king!
• In fact they wanted the kingdom,
• But did not want the king!
Personal Application:
• Have you got a right appreciation of Jesus Christ?
• If not, everything else is in vain!
(2). God's Plan Is Unfolding (vs 22-24):
Quote:
• “Plan ahead, it was not raining when Noah built the ark”.
• God has a plan for his world, he is never taken by surprise!
Verse 22-24:
“Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. 24For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.”
• Having answered the Pharisees, Jesus then turned to His disciples;
• And instructs them about the coming of the kingdom.
• He warned them not to become so obsessed with His return;
• That they end up doing nothing else but trying to track Him
Ill:
• Some folks have their heads so much into the future;
• That they are no good to anyone in the present.
• Quote: A bit like our expression: “So heavenly minded that they are no earthly good!”
• “Some people are so future minded that they are no presently good”
• Jesus warned his followers not to become so obsessed with His return;
• That they end up doing nothing else but trying to figure it all out.
Of course:
• Jesus could not explain to the Pharisees about His second coming;
• Because they could not even recognize His first coming (incarnation).
• The disciples, on the other hand, had the discernment to see both comings.
• So Jesus is able to teach them further.
HE TELLS THEM OF TWO FACTS CONCERNING HIS RETURN:
• (1). It will be unmistakable.
• (2). It will be sudden.
(1). It will be unmistakable.
• Now waiting is never easy:
• Ill: Ivor’s sign.
• So Jesus prepares His disciples for the long days of waiting for His return;
• After He leaves the earth.
• Verse 22: He knows the disciples' hearts will yearn for Him;
• And the coming of His kingdom.
• Verse 23: He also knows that too desperate a longing;
• Will make them vulnerable to being misled.
Ill:
Did you know that they have removed the word ‘gullible’ from the dictionary.
Ill:
• Enthusiastic people with a desire to learn are so easy to mislead!
• Ill: Tour guide of the Bible Expo
Now because waiting is never easy:
• Jesus assures his disciples that their patience,
• Will be gloriously rewarded by His second coming,
• Which will be unmistakable by its speed and worldwide scope.
• It will be as sudden as a flash of lightning across the sky.
(2). It will be sudden:
• It is utter foolishness to follow anyone who says; "He is here!" or "He is there!"
• Because his return will be with a bang not a whisper.
• His first coming was slow & hidden (baby, child, teenager, in Bethlehem & Nazareth);
• His second coming will be fast, visible like ‘lightning lighting up the dark sky’.
As we study the Bible:
• It will help us understand the general characteristics of the time of His coming,
• But only general characteristics!
• But we cannot know the day or the hour (12:40, 46; Matt. 25:13).
• And it is futile to investigate signs and try to calculate the day of His coming.
Verse 25:
• But before the disciples get too wrapped up in coming glory,
• Jesus first reminds them again, that ‘the Cross’ must come first.
• "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."
• Before he wears the crown and reigns on earth, he must experience the cross!
(3). God's Time Clock Is Ticking (vs 26-30):
"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed”.
Quote:
• To most people who listen to preachers;
• Illustrations are like the ketchup on the burger,
• The cream on the strawberries or the chocolate flake in the ice-cream.
• You can exist without them but it’s so much tastier when they are there!
• Most preachers know the value of good illustrations;
• Jesus used a variety of sources to illustrate his talks.
In verse 26 Jesus uses two illustrations to help his disciples understand:
• He draws on two well known events from the Old Testament;
• To illustrate the certainty and the suddenness of His coming:
• First: The Flood (Genesis chapters 6-8);
• Second: The destruction of Sodom (Genesis chapter 19).
• In both examples the people of the world were caught unprepared,
• As they were taken up with their everyday activities of eating, drinking, marrying, buying, & selling
• Noah witnessed to his generation in the years preceding the Flood,
• But his preaching did not convert them.
• Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives;
• Were the only eight people who were saved from destruction because they entered into the ark.
• Both Noah and Lot lived in days of religious compromise and moral declension,
• Not unlike our present time.
Ill:
• During "the days of Noah," we are told that:
• Population growth was significant (Genesis chapter 6 verse 1),
• Lawlessness was on the increase (Genesis chapter 6 verse 5),
• And the earth was given over to violence (Genesis chapter 6 verses 11&13).
Ill:
• In Lot's day, the unnatural sexual practices of Sodom and Gomorrah;
• Were so abhorrent to God that He completely destroyed the cities.
• Only Lot, two of his daughters, and his wife (who later was destroyed);
• Were saved from the terrible judgment.
It would seem to me that these verses encourage us to:
• Stay faithful while waiting for his return.
• Unfortunately, though, many won't be ready when judgment suddenly does come.
• The humdrum routine of living;
• Does not mean promises are forgotten or deadlines cancelled.
• God's time clock is still ticking.
• And Jesus doesn't want us caught unaware.
(4). God Takes No Pleasure in Our Clinging
• Jesus' next piece of counsel reflects a theme He has woven throughout His ministry:
• Our life does not consist of our possessions.
Verses 31-33:
“On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32Remember Lot's wife! 33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it”.
• Once again Jesus uses some illustrations;
• This time he draws on two everyday pictures from Jewish life:
• The first is of a man on the flat roof of his house;
• Seeing danger approaching he immediately runs down the stairs.
• You might think he is running for safety,
• But he goes back into his house to rescue his possessions.
• The second picture is of a labourer dressed only in a tunic, working in a field;
• Once again danger suddenly approaches.
• And once again instead of fleeing to safety;
• The labourer runs back into his house to rescue his possessions.
• The point is simple; both of them should have just run to safety,
• And saved their live, the most precious thing that they have!
• But just like Lot’s wife, both of these people were also lost;
• Like Lot’s wife, they had a wrong attitude.
Ill:
• Lot's wife, if you remember, thought her life was made up of her house,
• Her community standing, her standard of living.
• She was taken up with materialism;
• Sadly she mistook these externals for the real life-spiritual life.
• By disobeying the word of God and looking back toward her burning home in Sodom,
• She was clinging to her way of life, and sadly she ultimately lost it all! (Gen. 19:24-26).
Ill:
• Billionaire who died and at the reading of his will,
• Someone asked the question: “How much did he leave?”
• The answer came back; “Everything!”
• Ill: No pockets in the suits that a corpse is buried in!
I think Jesus is telling His disciples:
• To get their priorities right; to keep their hearts clear, to lay up treasure in heaven!
• "Don't lose your life over such transitory, perishable things," He urges.
• The principle to remember is this:
• Holding everything loosely is still the best option worth pursuing,
Quote: Charles Swindoll:
“I’ll never forget a conversation I had with the late Corrie ten Boom.
She said to me, in her broken English:
‘Chuck, I’ve learned that we must hold everything loosely, because when I grip it tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from me!’”
• Though the things mentioned in these verses are not in themselves wrong;
• They can become a hindrance and not a help to the Christian.
Ill:
• An American tourist’s visit to the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim:
• He was astonished when he saw the Rabbi’s poor home.
• For it was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench.
• The tourist asked, “Rabbi, where is your furniture?”
• “Where is yours” replied the Rabbi.
• “Mine” asked the puzzled American.
• “But I’m a visitor here. I’m only passing through.”
• “So am I,” said Hofetz Chaim.
Tough Question:
• If the Lord's Judgment-Day demolition crew appeared at your door one morning,
• Could you leave everything behind without looking back?
• If not, maybe your grip on things is too tight
• Or maybe things have too tight a grip on you.
(5). God's Judgments Are Individual Judgments (vs 34-37).
• Building on His distinction between those who:
• Have kept their lives for themselves live for the things of this world!
• And those who have lost their lives for His sake dead to self, alive to Christ!
• Jesus tells His disciples what will happen to both groups.
Verses 34-37:
“I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."
37"Where, Lord?" they asked.
He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."
Notice:
• The verb “Taken” is used twice in verse 34:
• Note: Jesus is not talking about God’s people being taken off to heaven,
• He is talking about people being taken away in judgement.
• The person "left" is a believer who enters into the kingdom.
Think back to the two Old Testament illustrations that this teaching is linked to:
• Ill: Noah and his family were "left" to enjoy a new beginning,
• While the whole population of the earth was "taken" in the Flood.
• Ill: Lot and his daughters were "left" to a new life.
• While the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were "taken" in judgement;
(When the fire and brimstone destroyed the cities).
Now 3 times the disciples had heard Jesus talk about people being "taken" and "left,":
• So they asked Him a most logical question:
• "Where, Lord?"
• Jesus replied by quoting a familiar proverb:
• “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather”.
• Just as vultures gather at a corpse,
• So the lost will be gathered together for judgment.
Not a lot of people know this; but to this one verse there are at least sixty interpretations to it:
• So let’s look at them all one by one!!!!!!!!!!!
• Well if it helps I will tell you what I think Jesus is saying.
• I think Jesus means that when the earth is ready for the final judgement;
• That judgement will finally come!
• The same terrible truth is stated in Revelation chapter 14 verse 15.
• Judgement will come when the time is right.
• When the Lord Jesus returns to judge His enemies:
• There will be a separation of the saved and the lost.
• Whether it be day or night, whether people are working or sleeping,
• The separation and judgment will come.
• Those who are saved will be left to enter the glorious kingdom of God,
• While those who are lost will be taken away in judgment.
Ill:
• Just before the death of actor W. C. Fields,
• A friend visited W. C. Fields’ hospital room.
• He was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible.
• Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, “I’m looking for loopholes.”
• Bad news is there aren’t any!
• But the good news is, you don’t need a loop hole, you just need a saviour!
• God has provided one;
• What you do with him in this life, will affect the life to come!
