Sermon: The Day Of The Lord Will Come

Sermon: The Day of the Lord Will Come

Luke 17:26-37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat, and the flood came and destroyed them all. “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.” “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

Introduction: The bible tells of the coming of the Lord over and over again. The prophets in the Old Testament, the Psalmist and John the Revelator tell the story of the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord will be the time Christ return to judge the world and consummate all things. In Luke 17, Jesus responds to two questions. The first concern the kingdom of God. The pharisees and teachers were looking for a physical kingdom that who come with pomp and circumstance. Jesus said, God’s kingdom is within you. At the same time, Jesus tells his disciples about His return, his second coming or the day of the Lord. Jesus mentions a series of signs, then concludes by saying these signs will be like vultures gathering. To see one vulture circling does not mean much, but when a horde of vultures gather, the end is near.

Jesus gives a caution the disciples to remember what happened to Lot’s wife. The story is recounted in Genesis 19. Lot, his wife and two daughters were visited by two angels who urged them to flee the city of Sodom before its imminent destruction by God. As they fled, Lot's wife disobeyed the angels' command to not look back and was turned into a pillar of salt.

Lot had accompanied Abram as he moved out in faith. Their relationship was a great benefit to Abraham and to Lot. After years of working together, both men were extremely prosperous. Their herds and flocks were so massive, the land was unable to bear them. Abraham allowed Lot to choose any direction he wanted, and Abraham would go in the opposite direction. Abraham's nephew Lot had been attracted to Sodom by the fertile pastureland surrounding the city’

Genesis 13:10–13 “Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.”

Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns were urban sites with a sordid history of excesses, unrestrained passions, and sexual perversion. Lot pitched his tents towards Sodom. Soon he found him a wife, moved to the city and raised a family. The city lights and neon signs can be powerful attractions. It is easy to fall into the same trap in the present culture. Lot was influence by the culture and his wife, who was used to the city environment. Lot's wife valued the creature comforts, indulging in a little sin, while offering limited obedience to Lot’s God. Ultimately, devaluing the things of God leads to disobedience. Jesus in His closing warning to the disciples and us, used her life to warn us about the power of culture, about focusing too much on this world, and not enough on the things of God, especially, the day of the Lord.