Author: J. Clark Sneed
Date: 18 December 2005
Title: Longing for Jesus’ Return
Text: Luke 17:22-27
Dominating Theme: Preparation
Thrust: Be prepared.
“And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you shall not see it.
The disciples sit with Jesus and listen. If they want, they may reach out their rough hands and touch the warm flesh of their Master. Soon, however, Jesus will be taken from them, and crucified. Three days later the Father raises his Son from the chilly grave, and the risen Son of God spends more time with the apostles before he rises into the clouds. The next chapter of their adventure begins. They will watch the Holy Spirit of God expand his kingdom through God’s Church. This continues through each age, and we too have the warning from God: days are going to come when you long for Jesus’ return.
Let me ask you a question. Does the average believer long more for the Lord’s return during times of plenty or times of want? Times of ease or times of suffering? It is my experience, though not always, that the combination of plenty and ease breeds spiritual lethargy in the kingdom of God. It’s a tragedy that God’s blessings cause us to forget or neglect the Blessor. Do you know where the church is experiencing her greatest growth? Asia. Africa. Latin America. Especially among for poor and persecuted. A Chinese pastor of an oppressed, underground church once met with a visiting American pastor on a mission trip. The American, overwhelmed by the poverty, says to the other, ”we pray for you in your poverty.” The Chinese pastor responds, ”Oh, no, brother. We pray for you in your wealth.“ Here we pray for the persecution to end. I regularly write to the foreign embassies in Washington asking politely but firmly for them to end the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ. But many times I’ve been told by these persecuted Christians, ”Don’t pray for the persecution to end. Pray we will endure it faithfully.“ They call it, ”the way of the cross.“ For many, believers expect suffering when they choose Christ. Here we dump as much sugar and honey as we can on religion to appeal to the people. Imagine the heart of your evangelism strategy being ”Jesus will save you from eternal hell, but accepting his free gift will introduce you to a different hell on earth.“
Our verse says, the days will come that you along for my return because the suffering here will be so great. Paul warns his apprentice Timothy in second Timothy 3:1-5: ”this know also. that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.“
But Paul, you’re not been very optimistic about the future. Oh, just wait! He’s not finished! Look at verse 12, ”Yeah, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.“ “All that live godly in Christ Jesus...” All that live godly. I’ve noticed the devil doesn’t attack backsliders very much. Why should he? They are not a threat! But if you live godly in Christ Jesus; if you are salt and light in this world for the Lord; if you are the very aroma of God among the lost, then the devil will make sure that you are persecuted. Paul continues: ”But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.“ Look at chapter 4, verse three, ”for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap up to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their years from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.“
As a poignant example, the Episcopal Church last year appointed a man who abandoned his wife and children for a homosexual lover, and they made him a Bishop! Fortunately, many of the godly in that church have said, ”No more!” and the Episcopal Church is hemorrhaging, losing 100 members a day, according to latest research.
Jesus warns us through Dr. Luke’s inspired text that in these days we will long for his second coming, but we will not see it. Not yet! “Do you despise,” writes Paul in Romans 2:4, ”the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?“ You long for Jesus’ return because of the suffering and wickedness in the land, but, not yet! There are still more to be saved. Matthew, in his Gospel, writes in chapter 24:14 ”and this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.“ What will the “end” look like? Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you longing for his return?
Jesus says in verse 23, ”and they shall say to you, see here; or, see there: go not after them nor follow them.“ Let me be very clear. Please don’t miss Jesus’ warning: beware of the confusion of the mob mentality. A charging herd of buffalo have no clue where they go, they only care to stay in the middle of the herd. Listen to what others think and do, especially other churches. But never follow simply because others do it. Elisabeth Elliot, widow of the missionary Jim Elliott, who once said, ”whatever the multitudes do is usually wrong.“
History gives a plethora of examples of false prophets. Mohammed claims to be God’s highest and final prophet. He says, ”See here. Go to Mecca and walk around the Karbala stone and you will one be one step nearer to salvation.“ Many Muslims believe in the imminent return of the Mahdi, or the 12th Imam, who is their Messiah. His tomb and shrine is in Iraq, Babylon of old. Joseph Smith founded the Mormons and said, ”See here, follow me to Salt Lake, Utah and we will set up our own little kingdom.“ Jim Jones said, ”See here, follow me to South America where we will set up utopia.“ David Koresh said, ”See here, follow me to Waco, Texas where we will set up my kingdom.“ And hundreds more litter history with their false prophecies. There will be more! Many highly educated people fall into their trap, as Paul writes, ”...deceiving and been deceived.“ Jesus, who loves you and died for you, warns you of these events of the last dates. Beware of the confusion of the mob mentality.
“God,” you say, ”tells us what not to do. But how will we know? What will it look like when Jesus returns? How do we keep from being deceived?“ He tells us in verse 24, ”for as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. “
Before we take another step, let’s put this together: Jesus warns the disciples that because of suffering they will long for his return, but it won’t happen yet. This universal longing, combined with false prophets who claim God’s prophet has returned here or there will cause confusion. Jesus promises that his second coming will be so clear, that when it happens there will be no confusion, and people around the world will simultaneously know that he has returned.
Don’t push the analogy to far. All analogies fall apart when pressed too far. Someone says, ”But if lightning flashes, we may see it across the city, but they don’t see it in California.“ That misses the point.
Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 24:30, ”and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
From Babylon, the Holy Spirit inspired that great prophet Daniel to write chapter 7:13-14 of his book, ”I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. “
Hundreds of years later and thousands of miles away, in a cold, wet cave on the island of Patmos, the same Holy Spirit inspired his servant John, the only original disciple not martyred, to write this in Revelation 1:7, ”Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.“
Because of suffering, the disciples (which extends to you and me) will long for his return. Because of false prophets, there will be great confusion about his return. Because of his glory, there will be no doubt when he does return. The only question remaining this morning, my dear friends, is ”are you ready for his return?“ I speak to you as Deacons, Sunday school teachers, Song leaders, lay men and women. As the Lord speaks to his disciples, so speak I to you: are you prepared for his return? In the next verse, which we continue with this evening, Jesus uses the picture of Noah. People ate, drank, married, and went along with their normal, busy lives, until the day that Noah entered the ark. Then it was too late! The rain fell, and they were all destroyed.
Dear friends, the rain is coming. I see the fat, gray clouds. I smell the moisture in the air. I feel the wind bringing it certainly to pass. But the door of the ark is still open. When the drops began to fall, the door will shut. It will be too late, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn as the drizzle becomes the tempest of God’s righteous judgment. Repent of your sin. Receive Jesus by faith as your Lord and Savior. If you’re not quite sure how, that’s OK. I’m going to stand right there, and if you will walk to me during this final hymn, I will pray with you and walk you right into the arms of your Savior. But you must come. Please pray with me.
