I invite you to join me next Sunday as we launch on a three week series, The Love of God. It’s my hope that you will not only see but feel how much God cares for you. So join me next week and invite an unchurched friend. And speaking of love….
In just four weeks, our church will celebrate LoveLoud (formerly known as Faith in Action). This is important Sunday in the life of our church where instead of normal five worships services (two locations, four in English, and one in Spanish), we have only one abbreviated service here. And as soon as we say “Amen” people move into dozens of already-defined groups to serve and love others throughout the mid-cites and North Fort Worth. Many of our SMBS groups are already working on ways they can share Christ’s love to those outside our walls. This is day when we can love on those who are hurting and need encouragement (e.g. single moms, people with potentially terminal illness, repairing neglected homes, etc.) And we want everyone to be invited and have an opportunity to be a part of this. LoveLoud is an opportunity where we as a church set aside time and money (some $7,000 of the monies you give) to bless others. So if you have a friend who has cancer, if you know of a single mom, we want to bless them. And we’ll go and do pretty much anywhere and do anything your group dreams up. You “own it” and we’ll resource it.
This is the fourth and last sermon in a series of messages on Jesus’ vision of the last days. We place a bow on this series where we’ve examined Jesus’ vision of the end times. As a Christian believer, we might wonder, “Is the end of time really that important to my life?” Does it really make a difference to how I live? You can’t live a recognizable Christian life without the return of Christ making an impact on you. The Second Coming of Christ is referred on average once in every 10 verses in the non-gospels portion of the New Testament, or the letter written to the churches starting with Acts. To put that in perspective, baptism and the Lord’s Supper is mentioned far less.
Here are five ways the end times are important and I’ll move fast through them in the interest of time.
1. When You’re Facing the End of Life
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) Sleep is a metaphor for death. The Bible promises that every gospel-believing, Christ-loving, Bible-living person will not stay dead. Instead, you will rise again. Because Christ arose, everyone of His children rise one day as well. Prophecy makes a difference when you’re facing the end of your life. Every child of God can say with Job: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25-27)
2. When You Ask “What’s God’s Will for My Life?”
Prophecy makes a difference when you’re trying to figure out what kind of person you should be: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…” (2 Peter 3:11) Peter boldly predicts that one day the earth itself is being stored up for a fiery destruction one day. After fire consumes the entire earth, Peter courageously predicts every one will judged and the ungodly will be destroyed. In light you knowing that this is coming, what kind of person should you be?
The Houston Chronicles reported that the FBI discovered a handwritten document in Arabic that inspired the 9/11 hijackers to act on the fateful day. The four-paged note promised they would go to paradise some twelve times if they would become martyrs. They were motivated by a vision of the future. Practical Point: The Bible doesn’t call on you to be suicide bombers because of your knowledge of the future. Instead, you are to live holy and godly lives.
3. When You Study a Foreign Language
We’re getting an inside look into heaven itself in Revelation 7:9: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” (Revelation 7:9) But here’s the phrase I want us to focus our eyes like a laser this morning – “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…” Where Revelation 7:9 says “from every nation” it says that heaven will be represented by people from every nation. When the Bible says “from all tribes,” it means people belonging to the same family lineage, related by blood. But God is going farther than having numerous families on heaven’s citizenship roles. Where the Bible says “peoples” it means the people of the same race. The church is international in ethnicity – not everyone will have the same color of skin. He’s also making sure people from all the spoken “languages” are there. God is working His plan through the sands of time to choose people from each and every nation… … each and every geographical location… … and each every political persuasion. Heaven will have the feel of the United Nations! Practical Point: We’re to share the gospel with people of every nation and language and skin color.
4. When You Feel the World is Out of Control
When we see prophecies about the past coming true, we can expect future biblical prophecies to come true as well. Let me show you one prophetic prediction that was made and has been fulfilled. Cyrus is mentioned in the Old Testament numerous times but there’s one mention of him that I want you to pay particular close attention to: “who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” (Isaiah 44:28)
Isaiah predicts a man named Cyrus (who’s Hebrew name is Koresh and yes this passage is why Waco’s Vernon Howell changed his name) will do two things at the end of Isaiah 44:28. First, Cyrus will build Jerusalem – ‘She shall be built,’ (Isaiah 44:28c) And second, Cyrus will lay the foundation of the temple – ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ (Isaiah 44:28d) Isaiah makes this prediction 150 years into the future where he mentions the future king by name. When Isaiah penned this on a scroll the city of Jerusalem was fully built and the Temple was standing. It wouldn’t be for another 100 years before both were destroyed.
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing…” (Ezra 1:1) Indeed, Cyrus was an king of ancient empire named Persia, which modern day Iran. Cyrus was born between 590-585 BC and his first year as king was 539 BC. Practical Point: Prophecy reminds us that God is in control.
5. When You’re Questioning God’s Justice
Today, we are rightly worried about sex slavery… …baby girls being aborted while baby boys are permitted to live… … the rich get richer and the poor get poorer… … and … Christian are not people who are happy with the way things stand. On Screen: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8) God will one day make everything right, everything just.
Sermon Preview
Jesus Begins the End Times
The Timing of Christ’s Return
The Nature of Christ’s Return
Suddenly He’ll Return
Today’s Text
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:20-37)
1. Jesus Begins the End Times
Believers and unbelievers alike are interested in asking: “Are we living in the end days?” In our story today, it’s the Pharisees, this serious-minded group of religious traditionalists ask Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?” Jesus says, “You won’t be able to calculate when the kingdom of God coming.” There’s two significant things Jesus says in verses twenty and twenty one: “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed...” (Luke 17:20b) Jesus says in effect, “You’re looking for signs but you’re ignoring the sign.” Jesus is THE sign that the kingdom of God was here.
Luke places our story directly after Jesus’ healing of ten lepers. The question assumes that the kingdom of God hasn’t come yet. Jesus is the coming of the kingdom of God. A Surprising Truth: Contrary to what you’ve heard – the end times are not a day in the distant future but the last days began with Jesus’ First Coming. Jesus says, “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:21b) Jesus moves between two horizons – “now” and “then.” Verse twenty-five is what Jesus is doing now – “But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17:25) Jesus’ first coming – now – and Jesus’ Second Coming – “then.” Jesus wants you to grab a hold of this tension of the “near” and “far.”
2. The Timing of Christ’s Return
Notice the shift from talking to the Pharisees to the Disciples in verse twenty-two where Jesus begins discussing the days are coming. Here, Jesus completes the thought that He started discussing with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were religious outsiders who didn’t get the insider information that Jesus tells His Disciples. Jesus offers three clues as to when He’ll return. The first clue is found in verse twenty-two: “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:22). Jesus says, “You need to be patient. It’s not going to come as soon as you wish but I will come.” It’s going to get worse for you before it’s gets better. The second clue is found in verse twenty-two through twenty-four: Jesus says, “Every eye will see me.” The third clue He offers is found in verse 25: “But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17:25) He says, “I’ll be rejected first” in verse 25. Jesus leaves many of us wanting more. He’s doesn’t dish the details like we’d wish he would. After offering these two clues, Jesus is intentionally unclear as to when He’s returning.
On May 5, 2004, a conductor for Pennsylvania's transit authority discovered something frightening on the tracks near Philly's massive 30th street station. It was an electronic transmitter, planted alongside the tracks in the commuter rail yard. Agents from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI soon swarmed the scene. Investigators discovered that the mysterious gadget was in fact a motion detector designed to send a signal to a nearby receiver. Tension mounted. Finally, a train mechanic stepped forward and admitted installing the transmitter. The mechanic worked the graveyard shift and had installed the motion detector to sound an alarm in his work area whenever his supervisor was approaching. That way he could safely take a nap; if the alarm went off, he could get up and look busy when the boss showed up.
We want to know exactly when the boss is coming down the track, right? Review from Week One: There is at least two things we can say about Christ’s return with conviction:
1) Jesus is Coming – it’s going to happen.
2) We don’t know when it’s going to happen
Jesus is intentionally vague on when He’ll return lest you sleep on the job.
3. The Nature of Christ’s Return
26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:26-30)
Jesus uses two famous stories from the pages of the Old Testament to give us a glimpse of how things will be before Christ draws the curtains of history to a close. Both Noah and Lot lived in wicked times. Things were so violent and bad in Noah’s day that God sent forth a flood to wipe every animal and human off the face of earth except those on Noah’s Ark. Things were so sexually immoral and bad in Lot’s day that God sent fire and brimstone down to wipe out the citizens of two towns: Sodom and Gomorrah. Both of these stories are stories of extreme anguish and terrible disaster. In both cases, no one expected God do anything. And here is Jesus’ next clue as to the time of His return: no one will anticipate Christ’s return. No one paid any attention to what Noah was doing. People will be shopping, stuck in traffic, planning their next day, and running off to the next sporting event.
What Were You Doing Before 9/11? For those of you who’ve followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, then you’ll remember how ordinary the day really was. When flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, the big movies were American Pie II and Rush Hour II. Tourists mingled around the tourist attractions of New York City, the President was listening to some grade-school children read in Florida, and Jeffrey Skilling, the CEO of Enron resigned. Just a few weeks prior to 9/11, CIA director George Tenet visited President Bush at the Crawford Ranch. Later when he was asked if they discussed the warning his agency had of terrorists, he said he couldn’t recall they said anything about it. Very few thought there was any real danger.
Jesus’ point is that things will be normal. The majority of people will be occupied with walking the dog, watching television, and sitting down for dinner. As it was both in the days of Lot and Noah, so it will be when Christ returns – everything will be normal and people will live in total disregard to God.
4. Suddenly He’ll Return
Jesus shifts the conversation to what will actually happen on the day of His return. And his words are chilling.
“On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” (Luke 17:31-35)
Jesus says the end of the world will come suddenly. And on the day of Christ’s return, Jesus will cut homes, fields, and bedrooms right now the middle. It will be a great divorce of judgment. A husband in bed will be taken for judgment while his wife will find herself on the opposite side of eternity. Two coworkers, friends, will be divided forever by the gospel and Jesus. Business partners will be separated by what Jesus elsewhere in Luke describes as a fixed chasm that is permanently set. Jesus will tell the story of brothers wanting to be reunited in eternity but to no avail. The great chasm has been fixed and it cannot be altered.
You’ll Have No Time To Prepare When He returns, you’ll have no time to prepare. All of humanity will be divided into two groups. It’s going to be immediate. Jesus gave us another picture: It’s like a thief who comes into your house in the middle of the night. This is probably the most familiar picture of Jesus’ coming again. It’s not expected.
You don’t plan for a thief. Are you alert to His coming?
Prayer
Jesus, I confess along with everyone else here that it’s easy for us to forget the truth that You’re coming again. If we lived in a place where we’re persecuted, if we were in a country where we were hounded for our faith, this truth that You are coming again would be our constant hope. We’d think about it almost every moment of every day. But Lord sometimes things are comfortable for us. And we know You’ve put us in this country and You want us to use the resources that we have to glorify You and so we don’t feel guilty about having the resources. But we do realize that they can cause us to get our eyes off You, off of the truth – that this world is very shakable and that one day it’s all going to fall apart. All that will remain is You. It can cause us to get our eyes off the truth that You are coming again. That is our hope.
