Illus: Listen, when I go down the road and I see a sign that tells me there is a sharp curve up ahead or a steep hill, I find these signs helpful.
But sometimes signs are confusing.
Illus: Two preachers are standing by the side of the road, holding up a sign that reads, “The End is Near! Turn yourself around now before it's too late!”
One driver said, "Leave us alone you religious nuts!" as he sped by.
From around the curve they heard screeching tires and a big crash. "Do you think," said one clergy to the other, "we should just put up a sign that says, 'BRIDGE OUT' instead?"
It is amazing how many people drive and pay absolutely no attention to road signs.
Illus: A teenager paid no attention to a speed sign. Finally a policeman pulled him over, and the policeman got out of his car and walked to the teenagers car.
• The policeman said, "I've been waiting for you all day."
• The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
Illus: A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign said, “Low bridge ahead.” Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally, a police car comes up. The policeman gets out of his car and walks around to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
The Bible gives us some signs so we can know what is ahead. We must need to know what is ahead or the Lord would not tell us. He does not tell us everything, but He does tell us certain things we can expect. These things indicate His soon return.
People have a way of putting things they do not want to think about out of their mind. Sometimes things happen that are so devastating, that we are forced to deal with them for a short time. But as soon as we can, we like to put them out of our mind and go back to doing business as usual.
Illus: Right after 9-11 this nation was unified, but a few years later look how it is divided. After 9-11 we were not Democrats and Republicans, we were just Americans. But after several years, look how divided America has become. Why? Because we want to put 9-11 behind us and go back to business as usual.
The scriptures teach us that there are things that are coming and when these things come, men will not be able to erase them from their minds and go back to doing business as usual.
The scriptures reveal SIGNS to us to let us know when these things would be coming.
Let’s look at-
I. THE SIGNS
Look at verses 28-29, we read, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.”
The Bible says that when the fig tree begins to put forth leaves, we know that summer is near.
WHAT IS CHRIST SAYING? He is saying two things in these two verses:
(1) These people were familiar with fig trees. The Lord is saying that when you see the fig tree bearing leaves you know that summer is near.
(2) The Lord is saying that when you see these signs, you know the coming of the Lord is near.
Even though the Lord gives us these signs, people speed down the road of life as if there is not a thing in this world to be concerned about.
Illus: Let me ask you something. Suppose I came to a road sign and it showed a real sharp curve and said that I am to reduce my speed down to 20 miles and hour. But suppose I said, “I am not going to pay any attention to that sign,” and I go around the curve at 65 miles an hour and flip my car over.
Would you consider me to be wise or foolish? Of course you would think I was foolish!
God’s Word gives us these signs to let us know what is ahead, and to ignore these signs is not a smart thing to do.
Christ said, "KNOW THAT IT [HIS RETURN] IS NIGH" when we see these signs. This is the purpose of this passage. We are to be looking for His return.
Christ is teaching us about His soon return, using the law of CAUSE and EFFECT to keep us from being caught off guard.
WHAT IS THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT? The law of cause and effect says that everything happens for a reason. For every effect in your life, there is a cause, or series of specific, measurable, definable, identifiable causes. This law says that if there is anything you want in life, an effect that you desire, you can find someone else that has achieved the same result or effect, and by doing the same things that they have done over and over, you can eventually enjoy the same results and rewards.
The law of CAUSE AND EFFECT is something that the weather men use to predict the weather. The predicting of the weather is not as simple as it might seem.
Illus: In North Carolina, in one of the state parks, they have a sign outside of one of the buildings that is a weather forecasting sign. It is a rock tied to a rope and it states:
• If the rock is wet---it means rain
• If the rock is swaying…it means the wind is blowing
• If the rock is hot…the sun is shining
• If the rock is cool…it is overcast
• If the rock is white…. snow
• If the rock is no longer there…tornado
Meteorologists look at CERTAIN CONDITIONS, and based on those conditions in the past, they are able to predict the weather. CERTAIN CONDITIONS LEAD TO CERTAIN RESULTS. It is amazing how accurate these weather people are, based on CAUSE AND EFFECT.
Christ was saying that when YOU SEE THESE SIGNS, THIS WILL FORECAST THE COMING OF CHRIST.
• When you see an unusual number of wars, you know it won’t be long.
• When you see an unusual amount of natural disasters, you know it won’t be long.
• When you see many false messiahs and false prophets, you know it won’t be long.
• When you see evil spreading like wildfire as it did in the days of Noah, you know it won’t be long.
Christ says that when these signs appear, IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE HE APPEARS!
We have looked at THE SIGNS, but also let’s look at-
II. THE SAVIOR
In the following verses, He gives us some detailed information about these signs. He shows us two things:
(1) THEY WILL HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY
Look at verse 30, we read, “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”
The word “generation” implies that it is soon. These signs shall not take place over many generations. It says, “This generation.”
Christ warned that these signs would occur rapidly.
Illus: Have you ever seen some of the things people have done in the Guinness World Book of Records? Sometimes they will show them on television.
One that I enjoy very much is watching them set records for setting up dominos. They will take weeks and weeks setting these dominos up on end, row after row. They will literally have thousands and thousands of them covering the floor of a large building. When the set time for the event to start comes, someone trips the first domino and then CAUSE AND EFFECT kicks in. It is fascinating to watch what took weeks and weeks building, being knocked over within a short period of time.
The Lord is saying that when these signs kick in, it will not be long before the Savior returns.
(2) THEY WILL HAPPEN IRREVOCABLY
Christ is definite about what He has said. Notice, he said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
A lot of folks do not know this, but heaven and earth will pass away.
Look at 2 Peter 3:10-11, we read, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”
Everything the Saviour has said about …
• The tribulation period.
• His return.
• Heaven and earth
…is actually going to happen.
In the eyes of some men, it has been a long, long time since Christ spoke these words; an innumerable list of events have happened. Therefore, they assume the whole idea of the second coming is a fable, the figment of hope and imagination.
God predicted this would happen.
In 2 Peter 3:3-4, we read, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and sayii Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
In 2 Peter 3:8-13 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Three things are certain to happen in human history:
(1) According to Matthew 24:8, “The beginning of sorrows”, the “great tribulation”, not seen since the beginning of the world is yet to take place.
(2) According to Matt. 24:27, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”
(3) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not the words He spoke. THIS IS IRREVOCABLE!
What He said would happen, will happen! These three events are for certain.
WHEN WILL CHRIST RETURN? Look at verse 32, we read, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
• Christ warned that the exact time is unknown. The day and hour are not known to anyone. God alone knows when Christ is to return.
• The Second Coming is an actual event that is yet to happen. There is "that day and hour" when Christ shall return.
• The Second Coming is a secret. "No man knoweth...but the Father." Throughout history, some have thought they knew when Christ was to return But Christ is explicit: "Of that day and that hour knoweth no man...."
• The watchful believer will be sensitive to the season (Verses 28-29) and know the generation (v.30), but the exact hour and day are hid from men, even from the wisest and most spiritual men. Only God Himself knows the day. If a man claims to know the hour and day, he is a man from whom we should flee. That man's word is not of the Lord.
WHAT DID CHRIST MEAN WHEN HE SAID THAT EVEN HE DID NOT KNOW WHEN HE WAS TO RETURN TO EARTH?
If He is the Son of God, possessing the divine (omniscient) nature of God, how could He not know?
According to Phil. 2:7, when Christ came to the earth. He emptied Himself, and took the form of a servant.
This means that He voluntarily surrendered and limited Himself to the nature of man IN SOME RESPECTS. Christ limited Himself in knowing the future, except when and where demonstration of His divine omniscience was needed.
This enabled Him to more effectively identify with man in his limitations and needs.
Conclusion:
The Lord ends this passage with this parable. Look at verses 33-37, we read, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”
The Lord wants us to live each day as if this might be the day He will return. The signs of His soon return are before us…the question for each of us is…are we smart enough to obey the signs?
We have looked at:
I. THE SIGNS
II. THE SAVIOR
